NHTSA Complaint #10107827 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

SINCE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR HAS REPEATEDLY MALFUNCTIONED. THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE PROBLEMS. THE FIRST AND MOST COMMON IS THAT THE DOOR WILL CLOSE, ONLY TO INSTANTLY OPEN AGAIN. ANY OF THE THREE BUTTONS USED TO CLOSE THE DOOR AUTOMATICALLY CAUSE THE SAME PROBLEM. ON THESE OCCASIONS, IF WE ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE DOOR MANUALLY, IT WILL NOT LATCH AT ALL. USUALLY AFTER 20+ ATTEMPTS THE DOOR WILL LATCH PROPERLY. SLIGHTLY LESS COMMON IS THE SECOND PROBLEM, WHEN THE DOOR WILL REFUSE TO UNLOCK. THE LOCK BUTTON CAN'T BE PULLED UP, AND THE BUTTONS ON THE KEY FOB OR DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. AGAIN, THIS PROBLEM ONLY PERTAINS TO THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR. THE THIRD AND MOST RECENT PROBLEM IS THAT, ON HALF A DOZEN OR SO OCCASIONS, THE DOOR HAS SPONTANEOUSLY OPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THE MOST RECENT OCCASION WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS EXITING A HIGHWAY AND TRAVELING AT ABOUT 35 MPH, IN APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREE WEATHER, WITH AN INFANT IN THE SEAT BY THE DOOR. ON THESE OCCASIONS THE DOOR WILL ALSO EXHIBIT THE FIRST NOTED PROBLEM, REFUSAL TO REMAIN CLOSED. TWO FORD DEALERSHIPS HAVE MADE THE REPAIRS AUTHORIZED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT BEYOND THAT HAVE STONEWALLED. ONE DEALERSHIP REFERRED THE PROBLEM TO THE "REGIONAL REP", BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM. *NM