NHTSA Complaint #10125550 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

I PURCHASED MY VAN FROM MY GRANDFATHER'S ESTATE. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. I WAS TRAVELING FROM A SCHOOL FUNCTION WHERE I TEACH WITH MY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VAN. MY VAN SEEMED TO HAVE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY 183 HEADING NORTH TOWARD CEDAR PARK WHERE I LIVE. I COULDN'T MAKE THE LIGHT AT THE JUNCTION OF 620 TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT, SO I WENT PAST THE LIGHT AND TURNED INTO THE CONSTRUCTION AREA JUST NORTH OF THAT INTERSECTION. I HAD ALREADY CALLED MY HUSBAND TO MEET ME BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE VAN. WHEN I PULLED IN, I POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW SMALL FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR SECTION UNDER THE HOOD. I DROPPED THE HOOD AND GRABBED MY DAUGHTER FROM THE CAR. I THEN CALLED 911 AND THEY DISPATCHED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHILE I WAITED, I PULLED A BOTTLE OF WATER FROM THE VAN, POPPED THE HOOD AND SPRINKLED WATER ON THE FLAMES. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUND ME, THE FIRE WAS SMALLER. THEY FINISHED PUTTING OUT THE FIRE AND TOLD ME THAT I PROBABLY SAVED MY VAN BY SPRINKLING WATER ON IT. IT APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL AND NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS LOCATED. I WAS IN TEARS BY THE TIME MY HUSBAND ARRIVED AND IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED, BUT AM FURIOUS THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED MY VAN. I DID HAVE IT REPAIRED AT COMPUTER AGE AUTOMOTIVE IN CEDAR PARK AND MY INSURANCE AGENT IS RYAN WITH STATE FARM WHOM I DID SUBMIT THE CLAIM. I WAS TOLD THAT STATE FARM DOES NOT HAVE PLANS TO PURSUE FORD. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER FAMILY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A EXTREMELY BAD SITUATION.