NHTSA Complaint #10136172 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

DT: WHILE DRIVING A MONTH AGO THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, AND INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER SMELLED PLASTIC AND ELECTRICAL BURNING. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND NOTICED THERE WAS A PLUG NEAR THE MASTER CYLINDER, AND THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THAT PLUG ALONG THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONSUMER CALLED HIS BROTHER AND CONSULTED AN AUTOMOBILE REPAIR MANUAL AND DISCOVERED THIS WAS PART OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. DETERMINED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL COULD BE DISCONNECTED AND THEY DID SO. THE CONSUMER LEFT THE VEHICLE SITTING ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT HOURS BEFORE DISCONNECTING THE SWITCH AND DRIVING HOME. THE CONSUMER NOTED THAT CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH QUIT WORKING A FEW MONTHS PRIOR. SINCE DISCONNECTING THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH THE VEHICLE LOST A LOT OF BRAKE FLUID. THE CONSUMER HEARD ABOUT THE FORD RECALL, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE THE SAME CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED FORD AT THIS TIME. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE BODY DAMAGE, THERE WERE NO FLAMES, BUT ONLY SMOKE, AND NO FIRE.*AK