1997 FORD WINDSTAR Vehicle Speed Control Problems

MY WINDSTAR GL WOULDN'T START. I REPLACED THE RANGE SELECTOR SWITCH. WHEN I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE I FORGOT THE RECONNECT THE BRAKE PRESSURE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED TO GET THE CODE CLEARED BUT NO-ONE COULD ACCESS THE CODE. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER FOR A RECALL NOTICE ON THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM AND HAD THEM LOOK INTO WHY THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS TOLD THE ABS MODULE HAD QUIT AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE MODULE IS $1500.00 AND $300.00 TO INSTALL. THAT'S MORE THAN THE VAN IS WORTH. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND OUT MANY OTHER WINDSTAR OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM HAS ALSO QUIT AND THE DEALER REP. TELLS ME THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO GOES THROUGH THIS MODULE. WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE IT SEEMS RATHER IRRESPONSIBLE FOR FORD TO DO NOTHING MORE...

I HAD MY 97 WINDSTAR FAN FIXED DUE TO RECALL # 09S09:SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM MODIFICATION. EVER SINCE THEN THE ABS AND PARKING LIGHTS HAVE BEEN COMING ON. WE HAVE HAD THE CODES RESET, BUT THEY KEEP APPEARING. I HAVE ALSO CALLED THE FORD DEALER WHERE THE REPAIR WAS DONE, BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL TO CHECK THE SCDS, OR THAT IF IT WASN'T LEAKING THEN, THEY DID NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THAT PART. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED. *TR

OUR 1997 FORD WINDSTAR MINIVAN THAT IS CURRENTLY SUBJECTED TO THE RECALL FOR THE FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH BURNED TO THE GROUND ON FEB 21, 2007 AS THE RESULT FROM A FIRE THAT STARTED IN THE ENGINE AREA. *TR

NOTICED THAT I WAS LEAKING SOME BRAKE FLUID FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON MY 1997 FORD WINDSTAR BUT VERY LITTLE AT THAT. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING. ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RAISED THE HOOD BUT THE SMOKE HAD QUIT. GOT BACK HOME AND NOTICED THIS AGAIN WHEN I WAS STOPPED IN THE DRIVEWAY. CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AGAIN AND FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS SMOKING AND VERY HOT. WENT TO THE FORD DEALER TO CHECK IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS AND THERE WAS NOT . INSTALLED THE REPLACEMENT PART WITH PLUG ADAPTOR AND THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH SMOKING AND THE CRUISE STARTED WORKING AGAIN. NOTICED ON THE NET THIS SAME PART THAT IS IN MY WINDSTAR IS ALSO IN OTHER VEHICLES THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED. WHY IS...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY, AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT LOCATED ON THE GEARSHIFT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG SMELL OF SOMETHING ELECTRICAL BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR ON THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND ALSO BURNED THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SENSOR ON THE MASTER CYLINDER, ON THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 05V388000, WHICH PERTAINS TO THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WITH SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH... WAS DRIVING ABOUT 77 MPH AT THE TIME... VEHICLE'S FACTORY INSTALLED CRUISE CONTROL WAS IN USE... SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE WILDLY BETWEEN ABOUT 60 MPH AND MAXIMUM (OVER 120 MPH)... VEHICLE'S SPEED REMAINED CONSTANT - TROUBLE WAS JUST WITH THE SPEEDOMETER... VEHICLE HAS 90,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER... 1997 FORD WINDSTAR... SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T FLUCTUATE WILDLY AT MOST SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH... FROM CHECKING ON WEB THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER OWNERS OF FORD WINDSTARS - THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES HAS BEEN HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SINCE 2002. ON APRIL 28, 2004 THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT PROVIDING AN ACCURATE SPEED READING. ON DECEMBER 9, 2004 THE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK OR SLIDE PROPERLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR AND DETERMINED THAT THE SLIDE WHEELS WERE DRY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH, AND NOW IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AGAIN. ON FEBRUARY 5, 2005 THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT 75, 172 MILES, AND ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005 THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE.*AK

I OWN A 1997 FORD WINDSTAR GL WITH 53,000 ON THE ODOMETER. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH AND ABOVE THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES ERRATICALLY RANGING IN SHOWN SPEEDS OF 60 TO 110 MPH. I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH AND HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THOUSANDS OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS UNCONSCIOUS THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND MAKING A MINT OFF OF THE CONSUMER OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE OF REPAIR. THIS SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY RECALL OR TSB. *AK

WHEN I EXCEED 50 MPH MY SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO KEEP ACCURATE SPEED AND IT "WAVES" WILDLY FROM 20 - 110 MPH. WHEN I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALERSHIP THEY "HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT BEFORE", BUT WHEN I DID A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH I FOUND AT LEAST 50 MORE COMPLAINTS. I CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY DIRECTLY TO SEE WHY THERE HAD NOT BEEN A RECALL ON WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE ALL PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE INVOLVED ONLY THE 96-98 FORD WINDSTAR MODELS. THEY INFORMED ME THEY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM BUT ONLY THE NHTSA COULD INITIATE A RECALL. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND I DOUBT OTHER OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES DO, EITHER OR THERE WOULD BE MORE COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.*JB

DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER UNITS IN 1997 FORD WINDSTARS.I HAVE HAD MY SPEEDOMETER REPLACED 3 TIMES AND IS IN NEED OF ANOTHER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSTARS AND THE TAURUS.YOU CAN NOT JUDGE HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE.ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU REPLACE THE UNIT AND IT KEEPS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED.CAN IT BE RECALLED?

SPEEDOMETER ERRATIC. WHEN DRIVING AT 55 (I THINK) THE NEEDLE BOUNCES BETWEEN 4O AND 110. PROBLEM STARTED AT AROUND 35,000, CORRECTED ITSELF FOR A WHILE AND NOW IS BACK AND MUCH WORSE. SPEEDOMETER IS USELESS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD.*AK

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER (EG SPEEDOMETER MOVING TO 80 WHILE VEHICLE PARKED). *AK

VEHICLE SURGES FOWARD WHILE DRIVING, AND AT THE SAME IT WILL SPUTTER AND STALL OUT. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMES ON , CAUSE IS UNKNOWN.*AK

1996 WINDSTAR WAS AT A STOP THEN VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH AND /OR INJURIES. *AK

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFT INDICATOR IS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE MOVES UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER APPLYING GAS. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

FORD HAS A TSB 98-22-1 REGARDING A FALSE NEUTRAL AFTER DRIVING. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS- VEHICLE IS STOPPED IN DRIVE. WHEN THROTTLE IS REAPPLIED THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES DOESN'T MOVE. BUT, IT SOMETIMES ABRUPTLY DROPS BACK INTO DRIVE. THIS HAS CAUSED A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED LURCHING FORWARD COMPLETE WITH TIRE SQUEALING. IT WOULD BE VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC WITH THIS DEFECT. FORD ADMITS THIS DEFECT, THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO FIX IT AFTER 3/36K WARRANTY.

MY WINDSTAR ACCELERATED FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND SMASHED THROUGH OUR GARAGE DOOR VEHICLE STOPPED WHEN WE HIT THE FRONT WALL OF THE GARAGE. I DON'T KNOW IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK OR DRIVE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAD STOPPED TO LOOK FOR THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER. I COULD NOT STOP THE VERHICLE AS IT TOOK OFF AND DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST WE WERE GOING EXCEPT IT WAS VERY FAST AND THERE ARE BIG SKID MARKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. MY TWO KIDS WERE IN THEIR CAR SEATS IN THE BACK AND I WAS DRIVING. I BROKE MY HAND & HAD SOME BRUISES. THE KIDS WERE FINE. WE DON'T YET HAVE A MECHANIC'S REPORT SO I CAN'T BE SURE WHAT PART FAILED. IT MAY NOT BE THE ENGINE AS INDICATED ABOVE. *AK

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.