2003 FORD WINDSTAR Electrical System Problems

ITEM # 1 ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. VEHICLE BEGAN TO IDLE SLUGGISHLY WHEN COLD. REPAIR SHOP INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THE LOWER ENGINE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD FAILED. REPLACED LOWER MANIFOLD AND GASKET AND PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. ITEM # 2 BATTERY LIGHT FLICKERING. GROUNDING STRAP BETWEEN ALTERNATOR AND BODY FRAME FAILED. READS OPEN WITH MULTIMETER. CREATED BY OWN GROUNDING STRAP USING 10 GA. WIRE AND WEATHER RESISTANT RING-TYPE CONNECTORS. NO MORE BATTERY LIGHT. ITEM # 3 INTERNAL LIGHTS FLICKER RANDOMLY AND INTERMITTENTLY. SLAMMING ALL DOORS DOES NOT SEEM TO AFFECT THE CONDITION. PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. I TURNED OF THE DOME LIGHT SWITCH TO KEEP FROM RUNNING DOWN MY BATTERY AND ELIMINATE THE MOBILE "DISCO" EFFECT. *TR

TL* - ON JANUARY 17, 2007 THE CONTACT'S 2003 FORD WINDSTAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS WHEN SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE EARLIER IN THAT DAY. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE , AND THAT SPARKS WERE SEEN UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OR LOCATION OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO TWO OTHER VEHICLES. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AND A VIDEOTAPE. *AK

OUR 2003 FORD WINDSTAR HAS HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND NOW A POSSIBLE BAD INTAKE GASKET CAUSING A ROUGH IDLE/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT/LEAN RUNNING CODE. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER AS THEY COULDN'T REPAIR EITHER THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COMING ON WHILE DRIVING OR INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF THE REAR PASSENGER VENT WINDOW. THEIR ANSWERS ARE ALWAYS WELL IF IT'S NOT ACTING UP WHEN WE TEST IT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO. BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE OTHER VEHICLES IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS SO THEY DO KNOW. WE HAVE REPLACED 2 TAILLIGHT BULBS AND 1 HEADLIGHT BULB IN A VEHICLE 3 1/2 YEARS OLD WITH 34,000 MILES. I WON'T TAKE THE ROUGH IDLE PROBLEM IN TILL IT'S DOING IT 100% OF THE TIME SO THEY CAN'T SQUIRM OUT OF IT. THEY SAY SINCE WE HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IT WOULD BE COVERED IF IT'S THE INTAKE...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND RESET THE CODES. THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ABS MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED, BUT WAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC.

THIS IS A COPY OF THE LETTER I SENT TO FORD RECENTLY. I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY BOTH PATHS TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY OTHER INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER P.O. BOX 6248 DEARBORN, MI 48126 HELLO, I HAVE A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR VIN XXXXXXXXX THAT HAS A PROBLEM. {DEALER NAME} HAS LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM TWICE AND FOUND NOTHING. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. SO FAR IT HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF OPERATING THE VAN. IF THE VAN IS IN DRIVE AND YOU ARE HOLDING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME (EXTRA LONG STOP LIGHTS), THE FOLLOWING WILL HAPPEN. THE ENGINE WILL INCREASE IN RPMS AND JOLT FORWARD UNTIL YOU GET ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES TO HOLD IT AT A STOP. IF YOU PUT IT IN NEUTRAL OR...

CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH POWER REAR SLIDING DOORS. NON-OPERATIONAL ON DRIVERS SIDE AND OPENING BY ITSELF ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. ALSO, DOES NOT RETRACT WHEN CLOSING IF THERE IS AN OBJECT IN THE WAY AS STATED IN OWNERS MANUAL. HAPPENED AFTER 1 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED. FEEL QUALITY SHOULD BE BETTER THAN 1 YEAR ESPECIALLY SINCE THE POWER DOORS WERE A BIG SELLING POINT WITH THE VEHICLE. ONE DOOR WAS FIXED WITHIN THE 1ST YEAR, BUT 3 OR 4 MONTHS AFTER THAT WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER DOOR AND NOW WE HAVE IT WITH BOTH DOORS. WE WILL LEAVE THE MINIVAN IN THE MALL PARKING LOT AND RETURN WITH ONE OF THE DOORS OPEN. IT ALSO OPENS AUTOMATICALLY, AT TIMES, WHEN WE CLOSE ONE OF THE FRONT DOORS. *JB

OUR 2003 FORD WINDSTAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL FAILURES. ON MAY 27, AFTER DRIVING NORMALLY, WE STOPPED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THEN THE VAN STALLED SEVERAL TIMES ON A SHORT TRIP. AFTER ANOTHER 10 MINUTE STOP, IT OPERATED NORMALLY AGAIN. SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE NEXT WEEK, ALTHOUGH THE CAR DID NOT STALL, THE POWER TO THE STEERING AND BRAKES WENT OUT. WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER TO SERVICE THE VAN ON JUNE 7. HOWEVER, ON JUNE 6 THE POWER SYSTEMS FAILED, CAUSING THE CAR TO CRASH INTO A ROAD SIDE MAILBOX. NO PERSONAL INJURIES OCCURED. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. AT OUR EXPENSE, FORD WOULD HAVE HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THEY COULD DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. WE CHOOSE TO DEAL WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY INSTEAD. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND REPOSSESSED BY STATE FARM INSURANCE.

WE OWN A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. OUR INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS GONE HAYWIRE. THE TACHOMETER STOPPED WORKING, IT IS COMPLETELY OFF THE SCAL. THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK. SOMETIMES IT REGISTERS THAT YOU ARE DOING 50MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT MOVING, AND THEN WILL NOT REGISTER ANY SPEED WHEN YOU ARE MOVING. YOU CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT YOUR SPEED IS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. MY VEHICLE IS BEGINNING IT'S THIRD WEEK IN THE AT THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE BEING HELD AT THE BORDER IN MEXICO. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THE PART IS ON A "NATIONAL BACKORDER". AT THIS POINT THE DEALERSHIP HAS DETERMINED THAT I NEED A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, WHICH AGAIN, IS AT THE MEXICAN BORDER, IN CUSTOMS, OR SO SAYS THE DEALERSHIP.

SLIDING SIDE DOORS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. TOLD NOTHING WRONG. ONE STOPPED WORKING. COST CLOSE TO $400 DOLLARS AND TOOK ALL DAY. SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICIANS NIGHTMARE. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE OTHER DOOR QUITE WORKING. WE HAVE NO CHILDREN, SO DO NOT USE DOOR IN EXCESS. THIS IS MORE THAN COINCIDENCE. THE FIRST ONE NEEDED A NEW PLATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $1000 IF THE MOTOR GOES. *JB

WE PURCHASED THE 2003 FORD WINDSTAR IN OCTOBER OF 2003. SINCE THAT TIME, THE VAN HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP 5 TIMES BECAUSE OF A LOUD SCREECHING IN THE POWER STEERING, INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF (WHICH THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND A REASON FOR THAT AND THAT I SHOULD JUST TURN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS OFF SO THAT IT DOSEN'T HAPPEN), AND A THUMPING IN THE FRONT END WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNED SHARPLY. THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD BRING THE VAN TO THE SHOP WHENEVER ANY OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN SINCE THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS AND I HAVE DONE THAT. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING A LOANER CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE VAN IS BACK IN THE SHOP. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. I NEED TO KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING...

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM, AND TOLD CONSUMER TO COME AND PICK UP THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, VEHICLE STALLED WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP. THEN. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP WAS BAD AND REPLACED IT. THREE WEEK LATER, UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE , THE ENGINE TURNED OVER, AND VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. BUT, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHAT WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, BUT SUGGESTED THAT SEVERAL PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE IS A FORD WINDSTAR LIMITED 2003 MINIVAN. THE ADVANCE TRAC SYSTEM CAME ON DURING NORMAL OPERATION AND ON DRY PAYMENT AND UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SPINNING AND I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN SLOWED TO A STOP ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE AS IF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS BEING TORN APART. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ADVANCE TRAC SYSTEM. AFTER TESTING THE TRANSMISSION AND I PROCEEDED TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN I WAS A FEW HUNDRED FEET FROM MY HOME I TURNED THE ADVANCE TRAC SYSTEM BACK ON AND IT REPEATED THE SAME SCENARIO. I THEN PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY AND CALL A TOWED TRUCK FOR DELIVERY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *JB