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Ford Windstar Service Brakes, Hydraulic Safety Report | Mar 01, 2009
Reported on Mar 01, 2009
| THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS HAD SIMULTANEOUSLY BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE SOMETIME IN 2008 (A 5-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE), OCCURRING WITH GREATER FREQUENCY AS TIME WENT ON. HOWEVER, SINCE ABOUT MARCH 2011 THEY NOW COME ON EVERY DAY, USUALLY WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF STARTING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR DAMAGE LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE--THE PROBLEM IS INHERENT IN THE MODULE. AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST YEAR OF INTERMITTENT FAILURE I HAD A FORD DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM; HE TOLD ME IT WAS DUE TO A BAD ECM FOR THE ABS (WHICH I ALREADY SUSPECTED, HAVING DONE SOME PRIOR RESEARCH); WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT CONCERNING THE ALUMINUM HEAT SINK PLATE; HE TOLD ME IT WAS A BAD DESIGN, IT SHOULD'VE NEVER BEEN DESIGNED THAT WAY. IN MAY 2011, AFTER THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE COMING ON DAILY, I HAD SOME OTHER SERVICE WORK DONE AT A FORD DEALERSHIP; IN SPEAKING WITH THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE I ASKED ABOUT THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS, HE TOLD ME THE ABS ECM WAS BAD, THAT MANY OF THEM GO BAD LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A BAD DESIGN AND HE HAD IN FACT JUST REPLACED ONE THE WEEK BEFORE FOR A CUSTOMER--IT WAS $1,400. THESE SAME MODULES WERE USED ON EARLIER MODEL YEARS OF THE WINDSTAR, AND ALL MODEL YEARS USING THIS MODULE HAVE HAD FAILURES. WHEN THE MODULE IS NOT FUNCTIONING, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM- DOES NOT ENGAGE. WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS, THIS CAN LEAD TO UNEXPECTED WHEEL LOCK-UP AND UNCONTROLLED SLIDING, INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCES, AND GREATER RISK OF INJURY ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ABS, AND AS A SAFETY FEATURE IT MUST NOT FAIL--JUST LIKE SEATBELTS, AIRBAGS AND TMPS. WITH THE SYSTEM FAILING DAILY NOW, I FEAR THIS COMING WINTER THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED WHEN BRAKING ON SNOW-COVERED ROADS. WITH 2 FORD EMPLOYEES TELLING ME THIS MODULE IS A BAD DESIGN, WITH THE RELATIVELY LOW PART COST FOR THE MODULE (ACTUAL COST, NOT MARKED-UP), CONSIDERING THE FACTOR OF SAFETY AT STAKE, THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL, THE SAME AS ANY SAFETY SYSTEM. *TR | |
| Make: | Ford |
| Model: | Windstar |
| Manufactured by: | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | GRAND RAPIDS MI |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 2FMZA52413B |
| Mileage: | 99850 miles. |
| Speed: | 0 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | 6 |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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