NHTSA complaint: 2001 FORD WINDSTAR — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2001 FORD WINDSTAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE SOME SAFETY RECALLS DONE. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND SMOKE STARTED BOILING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD SO I PULLED OVER AND BY THE TIME I GOT STOPPED AND GOT THE KIDS OUT SAFELY IT QUIT SMOKING. I RAISED THE HOOD AND COULD SEE SOME BURNED WIRING UNDER THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. WE GOT BACK IN AND DROVE ON THEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING WRONG AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT,IT FELT SPONGY. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO IS ASE MASTER AND FORD SENIOR MASTER CERTIFIED. HE REPLACED THE TRANS RANGE SENSOR AND TOLD ME THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH LEAKING BRAKE FLUID.HE REPLACED THE SWITCH AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND HAVE THEM DO THE RECALL WHICH IS WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE. HE SAID THAT IT ALSO HAD A DAMAGED ABS MODULE AND WIRING AND THAT WAS PART OF THE RECALL.I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID THEY ONLY DID THE REAR AXLE RECALL THAT WAS ON THE LETTER I GOT FROM FORD. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THEY WERE REQUIRED BY LAW TO COMPLETE ALL SAFETY RECALLS WHILE IT WAS IN THEIR POSSESSION. I AM GOING TO TAKE IT BACK BUT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT CAUSE IT HARDLY HAS ANY BRAKES. MY MECHANICS SAID IT WAS BECAUSE ALL THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT OF THE SWITCH AND GOT AIR IN THE LINES. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation