2003 Ford Windstar Electrical System Problems

STARTED HAVING WIPER ISSUES (INTERMITTENT DID NOT WORK) RANDOMLY FOR A COUPLE WEEKS, THEN HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WITH NO OTHER CARS, FIRST FOR A COUPLE SECONDS OFF THEN ON THEN OFF FOR GOOD AFTER A FEW MORE SECONDS. AFTER ANOTHER 10 MIN OR SO THEY WENT BACK ON AND STAYED ON. ALSO WIPERS DID NOT WORK, OR RADIO, WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS. ANOTHER TIME DURING HEAVY RAIN IN DAYTIME THE SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN, WIPERS WENT OFF. THIS WAS ON BUSY HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THEY WENT ON AGAIN AFTER 10S AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE AND PULL OVER. VERY SCARY. HAPPENED OFF AND ON AGAIN. TURNED OUT FORWARD CONTROL MODULE WAS BAD. DEALER REPLACED ONE I GOT FROM JUNKYARD, NO MORE PROBLEM.

WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTING BECAME ERRATIC AND FAILED. A SHORT TIME LATER THE SITUATION NORMALIZED. SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR THE TACHOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND BECAME INOPERABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED AND A HOLE WAS PRESENT LOCATED BEHIND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE HOLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. ALSO, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD RANDOMLY STOP OPERATING. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (DICK BRANTMEIER FORD IN SHEBOYCAN, WI) WAS NOTIFIED ALONG WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE INTERSTATE OR ANY OTHER ROAD, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OFF FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. I HEARD A CLICKING SOUND UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH LIKE THE SOUND OF A RELAY ENGAGING. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED AND IT WAS OK FOR ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS THEN STARTED AGAIN. DRIVING DURING THE DAY W/NO LIGHTS ON THE A/C BLOWER MOTOR SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND THEN RE-STARTED. THIS ALSO HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I HEARD THE CLICKING UNDER THE DASH AT THAT TIME TOO. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE FORD DEALER. THEY KEPT IT FOR 5 DAYS AND FOUND NOTHING. I WAS AT CHURCH AND CAME OUT TO LEAVE. I STARTED THE VAN AND THE WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES ON INTERMITTENT AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF NO MATTER WHAT I DID. I TURNED THE VAN OFF WHEN I GOT HOME AND THE NEXT TIME I STARTED IT THE WIPERS WERE OFF. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE A/C ON AND THE BLOWER MOTOR SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AGAIN AND ALSO THE RADIO, POWER WINDOWS, AND POWER LOCKS. AGAIN I HEARD THE RELAY CLICKING SOUND. IT STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND CAME ON LONG ENOUGH TO OPEN THE WINDOWS (IT WAS 92 DEGREES OUTSIDE). A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER IT WENT OFF AGAIN AND STAYED OFF FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND MOST OF THE NEXT. WHEN I NOTICED A STORM COMING, I WENT OUT AND STARTED THE VAN. THANK GOD THE A/C, RADIO, WINDOWS, AND LOCKS WERE WORKING AT THAT TIME SO THAT I COULD SHUT THE WINDOWS. I DROVE IT TO WORK THE NEXT DAY AND ALL WAS WORKING. I LEFT THE VAN WITH MY BOSS (HE'S A MECHANIC) SO THAT HE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT. MY REAR AXLE WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL ABOUT 16 MONTHS AGO. I'M FRUSTRATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THE VAN USED IN JULY OF 2015. IT HAS METICULOUS SERVICE RECORDS AND HAS BEEN GREAT UP UNTIL THIS YEAR. FORD REALLY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ABS, ENGINE, AND BRAKE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

THE SPEED METER GAUGES GOES CRAZY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE BRAKE AND OVERDRIVE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

THE GAUGES IN THE VEHICLE KEEPS GOING NUTS. MOVING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER,TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, GAS, TEMPERATURE, BATTERY. THE TACHOMETER GAUGE HIT THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR AND NOW THAT IS PUSHED OVER TO 1. IT APPEARS THERE A MANY FORDS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM BUT FORD REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FIX IS WELL OVER $400 JUST FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ALSO THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE POWER STEERING WHINING NOISE THAT ALL FORDS HAVE. IF THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM THEN HOW COME THE NTSA DON'T MAKE THEM FIX THE PROBLEMS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WORKED ERRATICALLY AND THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,415.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP, THE DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES, ABS, ENGINE, AND DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHTS PREVIOUSLY ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS ELECTRICAL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,190.

"ABS" AND "BRAKE" INDICATOR LIGHTS WITHIN DASHBOARD TURN ON INTERMITTENTLY.

DASH ABS, BRAKE LIGHT ON, SPEEDOMETER, RPM GAGE JUMPS BACK AND FORWARD, CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES, PASSENGER WINDOW AND REAR SIDE WINDOW DOESN'T WORK. *TR

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF DRIVING.NOW THE O/D OFF LIGHT IS FLASHING ON DASH. *TR

DANCING GAUGE NEEDLES. *TR

THE ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME MANY MONTHS, MAYBE A YEAR. THE BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY BEEN ON OR GONE OFF, BUT HAS BEEN ON FOR SOME TIME - THE LAST 6-8 MONTHS. WE HAVE A KNOWN BRAKE OIL LEAK, AS WE HAVE SEEN THE PUDDLES AND FREQUENTLY REFILL IT. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE FORD RECALL 09S09 BUT OUR VIN # IS NOT PRESENTLY INCLUDED. ON 8/21 THE ALL OF THE INTERNAL GAUGES "WENT WONKY" AND THEN STOPPED INDICATING ANYTHING (SPEEDOMETER AT 0, EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 50-60 MPH. THIS "WONKY ISSUE" HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE SPRING OF 2014. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT WORKED FOR A FEW MONTHS (ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE FIRST NOTICED THE "WONKY GAUGES" WHICH USED TO ALWAYS ACCOMPANY A RAPID ACCELERATION) SINCE THE LAST WEEK, THE GAUGES ARE "GOING WONKY" ON THEIR OWN, EVEN WHEN I DON'T RAPIDLY ACCELERATE. WE HAVE READ ONLINE ABOUT A BRAKE OIL LEAK AFFECTING THE SCDS AND OUR ISSUES SEEM VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN A RECALL! TO RECAP, THE "WONKY GAUGES" HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE FEB/MARCH BUT WAS ONLY OBSERVED WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. NOW, SINCE A MUCH MORE SEVERE EPISODE ON 8/21/2014 THE GAUGES ARE ACTING UP EVEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS, THE GAUGES ARE "GOING OUT" AND NOT REGISTERING ANYTHING AT ALL FOR 10-15 MINUTE STRETCHES. A/C, RADIO, CLOCK, WINDOWS, TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING. AND ABS/BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION! *TR

ABS LIGHT. TOOK MY 2003 WINDSTAR WITH ONLY 74,000 MILES ON IT TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE TO GET CODES AS TO EXPLAIN THE REDUNDANT ABS LIGHT. THERE WERE AT LEAST 12 CODES ALL POINTING BACK TO THE ABS MODULE. THIS ISSUE WITH THE ABS HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR 2+ YEARS.

2003 FORD WINDSTAR TROUBLE CODES C1185, C1198, C1194, C1254, C1246, C1250, C1243, C1212, C1210; ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY DON'T KNOW IF MY ABS IS WORKING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. *TR

2003 FORD WINDSTAR DRIVING AT SPEED OF 40MPH MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR LIGHT UP. GARAGE DID A CODE RESET BUT THE ABS AND THE BRAKE DID NOT GO AWAY, GARAGE UNPLUGGED THE BATTERY AND PLUGGED IT BACK AND THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. *TR

RPM NEEDLE WENT ALL THE WAY TO RIGHT WHILE DRIVING AND CAN'T GET IT TO GO BACK WONDERING IF THS WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING. *JS

ABS (YELLOW LIGHT) AND BRAKE ( RED LIGHT) STAY ON. BRAKES SEEM TO WORK FINE. *TR