NHTSA Complaint #10544646 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

INTERMITTENT INCREASE IN BRAKING DISTANCE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. DUE TO ABS SYSTEM FAILURE RELATED TO THE ECM CONTROL UNIT. INDICATOR AT TIME OF FAILURE "YELLOW ABS BRAKE LIGHT" AND "RED BRAKE LIGHT" ON DASHBOARD OF VEHICLE. RESULTING IN INTERMENT OPERATING OF ABS SYSTEM. THIS BECOMES A LARGE DRIVING HAZARD WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE DURING WINTER MONTHS WHEN ROADWAY IS OFTEN COVERED IN WET, SNOW AND ICE. THESE ROAD CONDITIONS ARE TYPICAL FOR MY WINTER DRIVING MONTHS IN THE CLIMATE AND AREA OF VEHICLE PURCHASED AND OPERATED. THE CAUSE OF THIS ABS SYSTEM FAILURE IS RELATED TO THE ECM CONTROL UNIT. ROOT CAUSE IS IDENTIFIED AS FAILURE OF CIRCUIT BOARD SOLDER JOINTS WITH IN THE ECM UNIT, DEACTIVATING ABS SYSTEM. POOR QUALITY OF CONNECTIONS, HEAT AND STRESS , NOT ROBUST ENOUGH FOR APPLICATION. NEED TO HAVE THESE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE ISSUE RESOLVED BY THE OEM. *TR