NHTSA Complaint #10070824 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

PURCHASED USED 11/15/02. UPON 2ND ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WAS ADVISED THAT I HAD A TRANS. LEAK PAN GASKET. TOOK THE VAN TO DEALERSHIP (NEMER FORD) WHERE PURCHASED, ADVISED THEM THAT THE VAN WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY IN ADDITION TO THE GASKET NEEDING REPLACEMENT.THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE GASKET DID NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND SERVICED, I AGREED TO THIS SERVICE. THERE WAS STILL SLIGHT SHUDDERING WHEN SHIFTING, BUT NOT LIKE IT WAS. UPON TAKING IT IN FOR THE 3RD ROUTINE OIL CHANGE, I ADVISED THEM THAT NOT ONLY WAS THE SHUDDERING GETTING WORSE, BUT NOW THE O/D LIGHT IS FLASHING AND THE RPM'S ARE JUMPING AROUND. ALSO TOLD THEM THAT WHEN YOU INITIALLY START THE VEHICLE THERE IS A MOMENTARY GRINDING NOISE. PICKED UP THE VAN AND RETURNED IT FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUES 19 DAYS LATER. I HAVE YET TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AS WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING ALL OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUES, WITH THE ADDED TWISTS OF INTERIOR LIGHTS COMING ON WHEN WE HIT BUMPS AND TURNING OFF WHEN WE HIT THE NEXT BUMP, WHEN USING THE RIGHT HAND TURN SIGNAL, UPON STRAIGHTENING OUT FROM THE TURN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL COMES ON ALL BY ITSELF, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THERE IS AN ODOR THAT CAN ONLY BE COMPARED TO RAW SEWER COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD, NOT SULFER, BUT SEWER. TO DATE THE SOLENOID HAS BEEN REPLACED, AS HAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER, (WITH MUCH RESISTANCE FROM THE WARRANTY COMPANY) I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT THE FORD CORPORATION IS UNAWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS, AS I AM CLEARLY NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, TIFFANY M. SANCHEZ