2001 Ford Windstar Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 544about this part
- Share
- 32%of 1,686 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 544 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Ford Windstar, 32% of the 1,686 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 100,000 miles. 12 of these say a crash was involved and 16 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The ABS and the brake light come on after driving 4-5 miles. The lights go off when the ignition is cycled. There is brake fluid leaking onto the scds circuit which may be related to this issue. I've had this vehicle serviced by Ford for about a half dozen issues and I think the scds was one of them ( 09s09 ), so what ever they did it didn't solve this safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #10653606, filed 2014-11, 120,000 miles“My ABS and brake light intermittently turns on for no reason. Sometimes when I'm stopped at a light, others when I'm braking and others I'm cruising at highway speeds. Sometimes it happens every day, sometimes once a month. If it turns on I can normally turn it off by turning the key off and restarting the car. And wile they are on my ABS does not function at all.”
NHTSA complaint #10532225, filed 2013-07, 99,000 miles“My ABS and brake light came on and stayed on. There is nothing wrong with my brakes or ABS. I have the codes read by a mechanic and it said the rear ABS sensor was bad. I got it replaced and it never fixed the issue. So I had it read again by a mechanic and it said the same thing.”
NHTSA complaint #10701194, filed 2015-03, 145,000 miles“Braking distance suddenly increased - ABS and brake lights illuminate on dash with warmer temperatures. It has also occurred in january 2011 at 30 f outside temp. It de-activates ABS system. This poses a major safety issue on icy roads since I'm use to the ABS typically working. I never know when the ABS system will drop out and add distance to my braking.”
NHTSA complaint #10379263, filed 2011-01, 115,000 miles“My ABS and brake lights came on, then all my gauges started going crazy, maxing out back and forth, then my lights would go out and blinkers stopped working. I looked around and went to the ABS control module and saw that it was saturated with brake fluid or water. I remove the connector and found 2 pins were rotted off.”
NHTSA complaint #10446669, filed 2012-02, 65,000 milesBrakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | 13% |
| 2003 | 655 | 43% |
| 2002 | 643 | 48% |
| 2001 | 544 | 32% |
| 2000 | 384 | 23% |
| 1999 | 223 | 15% |
| 1998 | 199 | 14% |
| 1997 | 28 | 15% |
| 1996 | 229 | 17% |
| 1995 | 505 | 15% |
| 1994 | 2 | 9% |
| 1993 | 2 | 18% |
| 1990 | 1 | 17% |
| 1985 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2001 Ford Windstar
416 complaintsBody and structure
293 complaintsElectrical system
223 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
145 complaintsVehicle speed control
127 complaintsSteering
70 complaintsEngine cooling
66 complaintsOther or unknown
61 complaintsAir bags
51 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
41 complaintsExterior lighting
31 complaintsWheels
28 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford Windstar
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology