NHTSA Complaint #10610290 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

MY ABS AND BRAKES LIGHTS HAVE BEEN COMING ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR MY 2002 FORD WINDSTAR FOR A LONG WHILE, AND STAY ON NOW THAT IT IS SUMMER. I HAVE TRIED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ON TWO OCCASIONS AND CHANGED THE BAD ECM WITH A NEW ONE AND THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED BOTH TIMES ONLY AFTER A FEW MONTHS. I MADE A LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 5 MPH WITH THE TWO LIGHTS ON AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AT THE COMPLETION OF THE TURN TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT THE BRAKES SEIZED AND THE CAR CONTINUED MOVING SLOWLY INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC WHILE MAKING A METAL GRINDING NOISE. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO STOP IT RIGHT UNDER THE LIGHT. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE BRAKES WORKED NORMALLY AGAIN. A FEW BLOCKS LATER THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEIZE THIS TIME. THIS ISSUE IS DANGEROUS AND I HAD BOTH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS AND BUILD A ECM THAT WILL NOT EXPAND DURING WARM MONTHS CAUSING THE ABS SYSTEM TO FAIL. MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE WINDSTAR. *TR