NHTSA Complaint #10731987 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. THEN THE VEHICLE IS FINE FOR DAYS THEN IT COMES ON AGAIN FOR NO REASON. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN INFREQUENT AND HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEFORE MORE OF A ISSUE. USUALLY THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY AND DOES NOT COME BACK FOR WEEKS. I WENT TO THE LOCAL ADVANCE AUTO SO THEY COULD PULL THE CODE AND IDENTIFY WHICH WHEEL WAS SENDING THE CODE SO I COULD NARROW IT DOWN AND REPLACE PARTS AS NECESSARY. THE CODES PULLED ARE FOLLOWED. C1185, C1198, C1194, C1254,C1246, C1250, C1242, C1214 & C1210. THAT'S RIGHT 9 ABS CODES CAME OUT. THE 1ST ON IS THE PROBLEM C1185, THE REST ARE FAILURES AT EACH WHEELS INLET OUTLET VALVES. WHEN SEARCHING THE C1185 ISSUE I FOUND 100'S OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THIS ISSUE AND MANY DEALERSHIP HORROR STORIES. TOO MANY BACK YARD HACKS TELL PEOPLE TO DISCONNECT THIS OR THAT, OR PULL THE ECM ONLY TO HAVE THAT NOT FIX THE ISSUE AND OTHERS TELLING HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO RESOLDER THE ABS MODULE CONNECTIONS AND FIX THE ISSUE. THE ONE COMMON PROBLEM THAT CAUSED ISSUES WAS HAVING A DEALERSHIP BRAKE JOB DONE AND THEN THE ABS SYSTEMS FAILS THE NEXT DAY OR FOLLOWING WEEK. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DID NOT NOTICE THIS ISSUE AFTER DOING THE BRAKES, BUT I DID HAVE THEM DONE PRIOR TO THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURES STARTING.