Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||||||||||||
| 09V399000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 06/16/1995 to 10/24/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 4500000 | 10/27/2009 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 10/13/2009 | 10/13/2009 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). the scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. on 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. repairs will be completed free of charge. the safety recall began on october 27, 2009. owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Ford's recall campaign number is 09s09.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||||
| 5266 | 12/01/1998 | 615387 | Subject regarding harsh light throttle 1-2 upshift condition. *tt | 01/16/2001 | |
| 4620 | 08/01/1998 | 615158 | Brief information on vehicles exhibiting harsh light throttle 1-2 shift. *tt | 01/02/2001 | |
| 98127 | 01/19/1998 | 605609 | Experiencing accelerator pedal buzzing noise and / or exhaust droning noise at approximately 1700 rpm whle driving. *tt | 07/13/1999 | |
| 980322 | 04/01/1998 | 603515 | Experiencing harsh light throttle 1-2 shift. *yc | 02/23/1999 | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||||
| 5203 | 12/01/1998 | 615335 | Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start / long crank, cold start stall, cold rough idle concern. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||
| PE08035 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 05/13/2008 | 09/17/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | ||
| Odi has received 134 consumer complaints, 285 manufacturer complaints, and 137 manufacturer warranty claims alleging incidents of engine compartment fire in model year (my) 1995 thru 2003 ford windstar vehicles.two of the odi complaints allege the fires caused structural damage to the complainant's home.of the 134 odi complaints, 36 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, 72 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was running and 26 of the complaints do not specify if the vehicle was running or not.further review of the odi complaints shows that 72 allege that the speed control deactivation switch (scds) caused the fire and 10 allege that the scds leaked brake fluid on to the abs module resulting in the fire.there were 52 that did not identify a cause or that identified miscellaneous other causes.odi has also received 89 complaints ( not counted in this resume) alleging that the scds developed a brake fluid leak.thirteen of these complaints say that the leak at the scds resulted in braked fluid reaching the abs module.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to further evaluate the cause of the fires and assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequences of the alleged defect. | ||||||
| EA08021 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/17/2008 | 10/14/2009 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 09V399000 | |
| Ea08-021 is closed with ford's actions in recall 09v-399 recalling approximately 4.5 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).with this recall ford has now recalled all of the approximate 16 million ford model vehicles that were manufactured from my 1992 through 2003 with a texas instruments scds.nhtsa will continue to monitor the recalled vehicles to ensure remedies installed by ford tomitigate the potential for scds related fires are effective.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for further details. | ||||||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | ||||||
| EA08021 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/17/2008 | 10/14/2009 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 09V399000 | |
| Ea08-021 is closed with ford's actions in recall 09v-399 recalling approximately 4.5 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).with this recall ford has now recalled all of the approximate 16 million ford model vehicles that were manufactured from my 1992 through 2003 with a texas instruments scds.nhtsa will continue to monitor the recalled vehicles to ensure remedies installed by ford tomitigate the potential for scds related fires are effective.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for further details. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 12/03/2009 | |||
| I went to ford dealership in dec 09 received inspection on recall # o9s09 and 09so9h only. now here in feb. 2012 the same problems with suspenison,right front tire wheel makes alto of noise power steering fluid is leaking strange noise is heard when making right turns,ford said my vechile has had all service it is due . i believe they are wrong all the same problems the recalls reported are my problems i have paper work providing they only ran test on recall #o9s09 and 09s09h my car is in serious weather conditions here in illinois.under the original owner ford stated they are not responsible for any further repair. ford dealership roberts motors 4350 alby alton il 62002 | |||
| 09/01/2010 | |||
| Recall 09s09 1998 ford windstar- having trouble with speedometer/odometer and abs brakes. had wired harness installed by ford dealership. i feel as though they didn't do a proper inspection as pertaining to all the problems this seems to be causing for many people. i can't drive my vehicle because my brakes keep locking up and my speedometer suddenly drops to zero and the vehicles transmission sounds awful. ford told me all they need to replace is the wired harness is this true.i had my vehicle serviced a couple of weeks ago thought it was the brakes. they were done last september 2009.my mechanic couldn't figure out brakes.pulled 15 amp fuse for speed control .put back in after harness was installed still brakes locking up and speedometer acting up. | |||
| 05/10/2007 | 96000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. while driving 55 mph, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle surged forward and crashed. the vehicle was destroyed. the police and ambulance arrived at the scene and one person was injured. the contact stated that the night before the crash, the cruise control activated on its own. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop for inspection. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were approximately 96,000. | |||
| 05/10/2007 | 1 | ||
| As i was driving home, my car accelerated without my stepping on the gas. when i stepped on the brake, it continued to accelerate. i managed to get off the very busy road i was on and since i could not stop the car, i decided to hit a tree, hoping the car would stop. it did not. it went over a cliff, after knocking the tree down. i was very badly injured and remain disabled. the car was a ford windstar 1998. i was told that there has been many accidents like this with the ford windstar but ford never did a recall. i have since been told that ford and toyota use the same manufacturer for some of their parts. my car still exists if it needs to be examined. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2009 | 97826 | 1 | |
| Had the recall for the cruise,a potential fire hazard, the recall was done on 11/25/2009, recall # 09s09, after 11 day and only 146 miles the alternator caught fire. *tr | |||
| 07/06/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| On july 6, 2009, my ford windstar minivan burned up. i was driving to pick up supper when the cruise control stopped working. i went on, picked up supper, and started the car again. immediately smoke started billowing. i pulled around the corner in the parking lot, parked again, and popped the hood. there was a small fire in the alternator area. i took my toddler out of the car and ran into a store to call the fire department. by the time they got there, the car was destroyed and a total loss. we had the car towed and given to mcdonald's towing. the fire department didn't know what caused it, but that it looked like possible leaking brake fluid. *tr | |||
| 08/06/1998 | 1 | ||
| I have a 1998 ford windstar van 2 months ago i had a leak of fluid that caused some wires to burn into under the hood that caused wiring to my head light and overhead light to blow my mechanic had to direct wire one side of my head light and my cruise control system had to be disconnected as he said it would cause my van to catch fire. my abs and brake system light stays on now as soon as the mechanic repaired the faulty part i started experiencing all the following things,,,i have lose of power . the van stalls in traffic and also as i'm taking off from a stop after putting the van in gear...when i put on the gas it makes a bad rattling sound like a lifter or valve tapping but only when the gas peddle is engaged. the gear shift feels like it gets stuck in park and i have a hard time getting it to release out of park before this problem my van drove great i never had any problems could you please find what the problem is thank you *tr | |||
| 10/11/2009 | 95000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford wind star. while driving with the vehicle speed cruise control activated at 52 mph the rpms increased to four. she deactivated the cruise control, but then all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. the vehicle began to decelerate, then there was an under-hood fire. the fire department extinguished the flames. the vehicle was towed to a center where an investigator from the city inspected the vehicle. he speculated that the cause of the failure was the vehicle speed cruise control switch. she will receive a report in ten days. the insurance company stated because it was a cruise control fire the manufacture was responsible. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 95,000. | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 125000 | 1 | |
| 1998 ford windstar cruise control deactivation switch is leaking brake fluid onto connectors below causing a fire and safety hazard. *tr | |||
| 07/03/2009 | 99000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. the contact noticed a burning plastic odor coming from the engine. he exited the vehicle and noticed that the speed control pressure switch was melting and smoking underneath the hood. the vehicle was able to be driven, but he had to disconnect the speed control pressure switch. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer will be notified. the failure and current mileages were 99,000. | |||
| 12/04/2008 | 130000 | 2 | 05/01/1998 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. on two occasions when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle dramatically accelerated. there were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. the risk of serious injury and a crash were significantly increased. the dealer could not duplicate the failure and no error codes were provided from the diagnostic tests. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer for assistance. the failure and current mileages were 130,000. updated 03-06-09 *bf updated 03/09/09*jb | |||
| 08/26/2008 | 1 | ||
| Abs fault light and brake light. cruise control inop. *tr | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 1 | ||
| I had the cruise control set on my 1998 ford windstar. it acted like the engine revved up a couple of times then smoke started rolling out from under the dash. now the turn signals don't work and the van isn't performing well. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2006 | 131200 | 1 | 01/10/1998 |
| I have a 1998 ford windstar that i have owned since new, and the cruise control stopped functioning. i determined that the brake switch on the master cylinder failed and was causing the loss of cruise control. i have followed that ford has a major recall on these switches on many of their vehicles do to engine fires. my car is not on the recall, but fluid is leaking into the switch. i have unplugged the switch to prevent the potential fire, but ford says that these switches do not have the problem of earlier switches, i disagree as there is the same indication of failure and leaking fluid. they are just waiting for more fires before they act....*jb | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 90000 | 1 | 08/01/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford windstar. the contact stated that the vehicle leaks brake fluid, which causes him to constantly add more fluid in the vehicle. he also stated that the cruise control does not operate. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in the cruise control recall. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 100,000 and failure mileage was 90,000. updated 02-01-08. *kb the consumer stated the fuses blew out in the cruise control. updated | |||
| 07/25/2006 | 117374 | 0 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was idling the abs and parking warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the vehicle needed to be inspected by an authorized service dealer. the service dealer mechanic replaced some fuses and the cruise control deactivation switch. there was a recall #06v286000 pertaining to the deactivation switch. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. | |||
| 05/10/2004 | 3 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Dt: the contact states while driving for about five or ten miles ,if the contact goes to make a right turn or stop, the vehicle will stall. this occurs while decelerating. he states that everything works fine while he is driving the vehicle. it just when he goes to stop that he has the problems. he took the vehicle to his personal mechanic , and they replaced the idle control ,and cleaned the injectors. however, vehicle still has this problem. the vehicle shuts off with no warning. it will start back up as soon as it stalls when he puts it in park. the contact states that this has happened more than 100 times. vehicle has automatic transmission. the vehicle is regularly maintained. it started about a year ago and it wouldn't do it all the time and now it is doing almost every time you slow down. has came very close to causing an accident.*ak | |||
| 02/21/2004 | 5 | ||
| Engine ramped up by itself during high-speed drive. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2002 | |||
| While driving if transmission reaches a certain temperature it drops out of 3rd gear down into 2nd. engine rpms increase and vehicle vibrates and shakes.*ak | |||
| Vehicle surged forward while driving. consumer has checked to see if the cruise control was engaged. malfunction caused vehicle to speed up and miss judge turning which interfered with driving ability. dealer was contacted. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| Accelerator went down on its own while in reverse, no brakes to stop, resulting in a accident. steering vibrates, recommend rotating the tires. interior seats slightly twisted, door locks works sometime, interior lights work sometimes. | |||
| 04/04/2002 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle lost power, rpms went up, transmission slipped while travelling 55mph on local expressway. *ak | |||
| 02/21/2002 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| We were stopped at an intersection. when the light turned green, the transmission locked up, and the engine revved as if it was in neutral. i took two men to push it to the side of the road on a downward slope. the dealership claimed to know of no problem with 1998 windstar transmissions. we know of 3 other owners of these vehicles who have had the same problem. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2000 | |||
| Vehicle starts to accelerate on its own whenever consumer is trying to slow down. not taken to dealer yet. | |||
| 08/16/2001 | 1 | 03/23/2000 | |
| The cruise control failed. nlm | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle would slip in and out of gear while at a light or stop sign (while in drive gear). required high rpms to engage causing the vehicle to lurch forward. transmission replaced at owner's cost.*ak | |||
| 07/17/2001 | 4 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Although there have never been any accidents or injuries, we fear there is a good possibility for a rear-end collision. intermittently, the vehicle does not react when depressing on the accelerator, the engine does not race. then, the vehicle lurches forward, almost as if the clutch was released quickly. after each occurrence, we have taken the vehicle to a repair shop. to date, they have not been able to detect the problem. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| When driving on the highway at 60 mph the windstar speedometer dropped to zero, the engine revved and the car lost forward drive for a few seconds. this occurs intermittenly. crossroads lincoln-mercury rebuilt the transmission about 3 weeks ago and charged $2400. last wednesday while driving on the highway at 60 it again lost power and seemed to be out of gear again, for a few seconds. it again would not move forward. this occurred twice more in the next few minutes. we pulled to the side of the highway and were able to get it to drive again. we returned it to crossroads lincoln mercury last thursday. they still have it and say it doesn't do it when they drive it. they have not opened up the transmission to look at it again. the electrical problem is that sometimes the interior lights don't shut off. the door ajar light on the dashboard stays on. the chimes stay on under 15 mph. the locks can't be locked. when the locks are locked with the door lock buttons, they automatically unlock.*ak | |||
| 09/01/1997 | |||
| Vehicle intermittently stalls when deceleration and also at acceleration. occurs most often when turning. left my family of five along with 2 of their friends stalled in incoming traffic. other stalling events also required other drivers to take action to avoid hitting front or rear of vehicle. dealer performed pcm reprogramming in accordance with tsb 98-25-6 and corrected stalling problem. while wife reported stalling infrequently when under warranty, the stalling frequency increased to 1-2 times a day after transmission service by dealer at approx 47,000 miles. i am happy that the car is now fixed but ford has not offered to pay for reprogramming which is a known problem with the windstars. this should be a safety recall item. three other problems which have occured with this car is goodyear invicta tire separation (tires replaced prior to failure); power steering pump fluid contamination; and noisy tie end rods. tire replacement prorated. power steering fluid flushed at my expense. tie end rods replaced under bumper-to-bumper warranty. please investigate stalling problem as a safety recall. i am still trying thru ford customer service to get reimbursed for correcting the stalling associated with tsb 98-25-6.*ak (tiresize: 21570r15)( dot number: tire size: 21570r15 ) | |||
| 1 | 01/29/1999 | ||
| While driving at any speed and when attempting to stop vehicle by applying force to brake pedal, brakes did not repsond vehicle suddenly accelerated without prior warning causing unwanted acceleration, consumer contacted dealer and problem has been corrected, cruise control ceased operation but has now been repaired, consumer was advised by technician the vehicle was sold with wrong part. *jb | |||
| 03/29/2001 | 2 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Stopped at traffic light, upon acceleration transmission would not engage. engine revved as if in neutral. also occurred as accelerating from a stop to make a turn. presented a very dangerous situation of being put into the path of on coming traffic. turning engine off and then back on would allow transmission to engage. dealer determined that the transmission had failed at 43,621 miles and had to be replaced. after four days in service and a complete new transmission, within 12 hours new transmission developed at least two serious leaks of transmission fluid. dealer says this is not uncommon. the unit is sealed and can not be serviced by them. i am waiting to hear if i need another complete new transmission.*ak | |||
| Vehicle is slipping out of gear while driving from 3rd to 2nd gear, causing vehicle to almost stop, rpm's will rev high. manufacturer has issued a tsb. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 3 | 01/29/1999 | ||
| While driving at any speed and when attempting to stop vehicle by applying force to brake pedal, brakes did not respond. vehicle suddenly accelerated without prior warning, causing unwanted and unexpected acceleration. consumer has contacted dealer, dealer corrected problem. consumer currently noticed that curise control was inoperable. *ak *yh | |||
| 2 | |||
| The vehicle suddenly and without warning lurches forward when the vehicle is at a stop, the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions but the problem has not been successfully repaired (attorney for client). nlm | |||
| 02/04/2001 | |||
| Sudden acceleration while backing out of a parking space. dealer notified, and unable to locate cause. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| The vehicle suddenly and without warning lurches forward when the vehicle is at a stop, the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions but the problem has not been successfully repaired (attorney for client). nlm | |||
| Upon slowing down in traffic and appyling brakes vehicle suddenly accelerated, causing a collision. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 02/08/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| While driving at 60 mph the car downshifted to a low gear causing the rpm's to race and the car to lurch. was able to pull to side of busy highway without incident. ford dealer replaced map sensor and rebuilt/replaced the transmission. ford company paid all but $200 as part of their customer goodwill program. i think there should be a recall on the transmission and if so, i would like my $200 refunded to me. the tie rod ends failed right after the warranty period. even the dealer alluded to the fact that they were probably factory defects, that they should not go bad then. the 'open door sensor' stays on even though all of the doors are closed. this happens sporadically. it may happen twice a day and then not happen for days. the automatic doorlocks have not worked properly since about 40,000 miles. i have to manually lock/unlock the sliding door. and to top off all of my problems, last week i had a mouse in my glove compartment! the design of the glove compartment lets you look right into the engine, and a mouse got in there and chewed up my maps and clean paper napkins. i am not happy! and that will be a safety issue if i am driving and someone opens my glove box! i bet you have never heard that one! my biggest concern is the transmission. i hope to hear from you about that. thank you very much. nancy | |||
| 11/02/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Two incidents of sudden acceleration, one causing damage to our vehicle and the one ahead as i was parking next to a curb. second time was in driveway when entering garage; slammed on brakes to not hit house. numerous incidents of hard 1st to 2nd gear shift at 15 mph; sounds like a hard thud. ford overfilled trans. fluid 1/2 quart as a fix in november; replacing valve pump now in january. *ak | |||
| 12/12/1999 | 0 | ||
| While wife was driving tire blew out, and automobile accelerated. driver could not get automobile to stop.- vehicle went into a ditch and flipped over. driver was injured. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | 02/01/1999 | ||
| I am so scared to drive our van- i have no idea what to do. thia van showed be considered a lemon- or ford should repair it. we purchased the van cause we had another little one on the way(making 4 kids) in the past we had old vechilcles. we decided to spend the $$ and have a reliable vechicle since we have 4 kids and travel around town alot. first my air codtioner goes out in july, 99 (electrical- no power to it). we did not have the $ to fix. than in august,99 we started experiencing intermittent neutral condtion after driving and coming to a stop. had to rebuild the transmission- due to a faulty clutch piston that ford knows is causing problems in ax4s windstar 3.8l. engine - stalls usually when driving at low speeds, such as o turns or coming to a stop. scared to death that somesone will run into me. steering- vechile pulls to the right so badly that in seconds i am in another lane. have had it relighned. the other seroius problem is i will start van or have foot on brake and it itermittally accerates in surges on its own. my foot in not near the gas- i am so scared to death that i will lose control of it resulting into an accident. i am so scared to drive this van and it is only a 98. what am i to do. i do not want to wait for and acident or death to someone. please help!! i need some advice. i have no warranty on van- but yet with so many problems why should the consumer have to pay when ford knows of the problems with the vans- what does it take - death!!! i need to know what is causeing these problems. i can not afford to keep taking them to mechanics and not getting it fix. shouldn't ford have to take this piece of crap back-please help!! | |||
| 07/06/1999 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle experienced sudden acceleration on two separate occasions, one incident resulted in minor damage to vehicle. mjs | |||
| 20 | 10/01/1997 | ||
| Engine stoped when coming to stop or making turns, due to failure of the throttle body assembly. yh | |||
| 07/09/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Speed control would not disengage while driving 75mph. i tried turning it off from the steering wheel as well as by braking. at this point i realized i had no braking power and managed to use an exit ramp slowing down but not stopping completely by using the emergency brake. engine was still revving at 75mph when i shut it off. car was towed to tamiami ford in naples,fl. they could not fin any problems. test drove at highway speed without incident. please notify me as to any similar problems. thank god my children and i were not injured. | |||
| 12/01/1997 | |||
| Vehicle jumped forward when stopping. accelerated by itself, resulting in a crash. brakes when applied, squeak loudly. gears were very hard to change. dealer contacted and is aware of the problem. problems still exists. provide further information. *ak | |||
| While driving at a low speed the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward at full speed, nearly resulting in a collision,cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 02/11/1999 | 2 | ||
| When using cruise control and attempting to slow down or come to a complete stop, vehcile accelerates. | |||
| 07/01/1998 | |||
| Consumer was traveling, upon making a stop when approaching an intersection, the vehicle shifted gears from drive into netrual. without knowing consumer depressed the accelerator, and the engine raced up and the vehicle was at a dead stop. consumer contacted the dealer, dealer replaced parts within the transmission. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 10/26/1998 | 5 | 06/26/1997 | |
| Vehicle surges forward, causing the vehicle to jerk violently which could result in an accident. dealer has overhauled transmission twice. defect is still reoccurring. cannot duplicate defect. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1998 | 2 | ||
| While driving the vehicle accelerates without warning. had to press the brake pedal very hard in order to stop the vehicle. also the vehicle will rev up to 25 rpm. took to dealer twice, dealer cannot determine problem. *ak | |||
| 07/26/1998 | |||
| While at a stop vehicle suddenly surged, causing a collision. the dealer has not been able to duplicate or find cause of problem. *ak | |||
| 04/01/1998 | |||
| When stopping and starting up the engine revs but the car does not move. dealer has not seen . *ak | |||
| 11/07/1997 | |||
| Consumer released the emergency parking brake the vehicle violently surged forward, causing the wheels to turn. owner immediately slammed on the brakes. the dealer has been notified. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| After coming to complete stop and applying accelerator pedal again, vehicle will not respond. engine revvs, but will not move forward. this happens 2-3 times, then vehicle will move forward again. this happens frequently. vehicle taken to dealer twice, cannot find problem.*ak | |||
| 08/13/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle does not shift down into gear at stop, resulting in vehicle rocking backwards until gas pedal is depressed to go forward which results in car lurching forward violently. inspected by jenkins and wynn ford dealership on diagnostic computer. it was found to have a defective aluminum drum and piston assembly which sticks if there is not enough pressure built up for it to go forward. this was confirmed by the service manager john cornejo at jenkins-wynn on 08/27/01. at this time ford motor company refuses to replace transmission as was recommended by the service staff at this location in clarksville, tn. a ford motor company representative was contacted and told of the problem. she then contacted larry bryant, service manager at this location, who then proceeded to give erroneous information to the representative. the ford motor representative then became indifferent to our situation. we requested to speak to someone of a higher authority and were told that we would be contacted back by her supervisor within 48 hours. meanwhile mr. cornejo, stating that the first option of flushing out the transmission would not benefit us, as originally suggested to us by mr. bryant as an alternative to a rebuilt transmission, admitted that this was not a remedy for this type of defective part. we are currently awaiting mr. cornejo to contact us on 08/28/01 regarding this fact after he consults with mr. bryant. as ford motor corp. customers, we are expected to foot the bill on a defective part that will cost us $2500 to repair through no fault of our own. defective part is made of aluminum. ford motor only makes this replacement part in steel now due to the realization that aluminum will fail at some point.*ak | |||
| 08/11/2001 | 30 | 11/01/1999 | |
| On various occasions when coming to a stop, the van attempts to accelerate. the van will not move forward. upon pressing on the accelerator, the engine revs up. after 10-15 seconds, the van shifts into gear and lunges forward. this is a problem because there's no indication when this type of movement will occur. on occasions when breaking to slow the vehicle down, the vehicle slips into neutral and will not accelerate without warning. it goes back into drive mode. this again causes another safety hazard. the vehicle has almost been rear-ended nearly causing an accident.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2000 | 2 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Complete brake failure&stuck accelerator-backing up driveway with feet on brakes-accelerator pedal went down on own van wrapped around tree- reported brake problem on test drive-they fixed it,but no good. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1997 | |||
| When depressing the accelerator ,vehicle will only go about 2 mph even with vehicle in drive gear. manufacturer has tsb #98-2-1 out for defect. *ak *ml | |||
| 06/03/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Accelerator stuck causing sudden acceleration resulting in accident and injuries. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CABLES | |||
| 09/14/2002 | 52700 | 1 | 02/04/1998 |
| In september, 2002, i had to replace the speed control pressure switch on the master brake cylinder of my 1998 ford windstar, because it started leaking brake fluid. i also had to replace the drivers side tie rod end because the leaking brake fluid damaged the ruber bushing. *jb | |||
| 06/10/1999 | |||
| The transmission would disengage by itself from drive to neutral position. when accelerating, transmission would pop out of position. in low gear, it would be rough shifting. also, gas pedal would vibrate. been to dealer 3 times for problem before finally locating & establishing that throttle cable was loose. mechanic repaired loose throttle cable. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 10 | ||
| Malfunctioning cruise control. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2006 | 170000 | 1 | 07/18/2006 |
| Even though the van i just purchased does not seem to have a recall on it i had total brake failure due to complete leaking out of all the brake fluid through the cruise control deactivation switch, the dual master cylinder is supposed to prevent this but it didn't. the switch on the bottom of the master cylinder and the fact that the rear wheel cylinders were seeping allowed all the fluid to leave after only three weeks of driving. i just purchased the vehicle. i had mechanics check it out and the switch is the same type that is causing the fires. i have to wonder if the leaking dripping on to hot motor parts could cause the fires as well as some electrical overload due to the brake fluid eating through plastic and rubber . i truly regret purchasing this vehicle before researching. i may be asking the dealer to trade me into another vehicle just due to not wanting to die at an early age due to fords lack of quality control it is a shame that any manufacturer can build any piece of junk without regards to end result and only worrying about the profit of selling and the fact that risk management after the fact of waiting for many to be effected by death or loss of vehicle to have a recall forced and fixing a bad design once pressed to do so. i feel the master cylinders whole safety is in that one chamber is most likely functional under most system failures of wheel cylinders , hoses, etc but having a part directly attached to the front chamber and with the common likelihood of rear wheel cylinder leakage at some point could lead to total system failure like i experienced. the fact that this master cylinder is hidden from easy view does not allow the owner to easily visualize a leak at this part. why is brake fluid needed to actuate a deactivation of the cruise control wouldn't a switch (electrical or mechanical) placed with the brake pedal arm activating it a simpler way of making this happen. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer has a question as to whether or not the 1998 ford windstar cruise control switch will be recalled.*mr | |||
| 09/04/2005 | 115000 | 1 | 04/24/1998 |
| On 4/12/02 59,173 miles. windstar had abs & brake light on. disc brakes replaced and rotors machined. 2/26/04 82,240 miles all abs sensors,disc brakes,brake fluid reservoir/float assembly replaced,rotors machined. 95,487 miles brake light on. 3/05 cruise control on and off. abs light flicker on & off. dealer said not worth money to fix. 9/04/05 fire under battery tray. van off 2 to 3 minutes. dealer said cruise control module ignited fire. brake fluid leaked into it. the abs pump overheated wire caused leak. our van is now at chapman ford awaiting our approval to repair problems at a cost of $2200.00. we are now without a vehicle and don't want to approve repairs without talking to someone from your office. please respond and let us know what our next step should be. we are a one income family so getting a new vehicle is not an option. your prompt attention would be greatly appreciated. thank you. *nm | |||
| 08/04/2005 | 80000 | 1 | 10/15/2000 |
| Cruise control malfunctioned & turned on causing vehicle to begin to speed up. i was in the wal-mart parking lot, when my van suddenly revved up & raced towards 2 pedestrians. i first tried the regular brake - no luck, so i threw the van in park & turned the ignition off. when i would turn the van on again the rpms would jump up immediately to 4000+. i had to be towed in. i did not have the cruise control on at all during the trip so i (as well as the repair shop) was surprised that the cruise control module was the culprit. *jb | |||
| 03/10/2004 | 53000 | 1 | |
| Cruise control deactivation switch caught on fire. *jb | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| 1. transmission: the vehicle would act as if it were in neutral after coming to a stop. sometimes this would happen right as i pulled into an intersection, leaving me in the path of oncoming traffic with no power. 2. a/c: the control module failed to engage the a/c but still cycled the idle speed. this was dangerous because the braking required to hold the vehicle at a stop was insufficient when the idle randomly surged to high. both failures had potential to cause accident but were repaired before any incident occurred. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES | |||
| When coming to a complete stop and brakes applied, engine will suddenly start to rev, causing vehicle to accelerate. dealer has been contacted.*ak | |||
| 8 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| When at a stoplight transmission goes into neutral unnoticed, but when you step on the gas the engine revvs up and then suddenly jumps back into gear and shoots out into traffic with out warning. ford knows of the problem , and told me it was a aluminum piston that fails in the trans. but wants over 2000.00 dollars to fix it because i didn't report it soon enough. i was lucky that the intersection was empty, or it could have been a bad accident! this is clearly a safety problem that ford does not want to deal with. i want to know if there are any others out there with this problem? i called several transmission shops and they all knew of the problem, even some of the ford dealers admitted that the transmission is defective! for $26000.00 the trans. only lasted 2yrs. is there anything i can do? | |||
| 05/09/2000 | |||
| Sudden acceleration while braking into a curved parking space, causing vehicle to rearend another vehicle in front. dealer notified. provide further details. *ak | |||
| 10/19/1998 | |||
| The consumer has been experiencing problems with automatic transmission. transmission went out after the vehicle had 314 miles. in addition, the consumer has been experiencing problems with cruise control cable. the consumer stated that while driving, cruise control cable wrapped around their accelerator cable, which caused the vehicle to run without being able to stop it. the consumer had to turn the vehicle off in order to stop the vehicle. the manufacturer has been contacted. | |||