NHTSA Complaint #10195248 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

ON JULY 1, 2007 DURING THE OPERATION OF MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHUTDOWN AT WHICH TIME THE SMOKE STOPPED. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS INSPECTED BY MYSELF AT THAT TIME AND I FOUND NOTHING THAT APPEARED ABNORMAL. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE SMOKE DID NOT REAPPEAR BUT THE ODOMETER READINGS WENT TO DASHES, SPEEDOMETER WAS INOPERATIVE, THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INOPERATIVE. DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND PERFORMED A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION OF IT. THIS INSPECTION REVEALED A BLOWN FUSE, AS #10 OF THE INTERIOR FUSE BLOCK. THIS FUSE WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLES IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, AGAIN SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE AND I DETERMINED AT THAT TIME IT WAS CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH CONNECTOR. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF IMMEDIATELY AND THE CONNECTOR WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH LOCATED ON THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. I FOUND THE CONNECTOR BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY WET WITH BRAKE FLUID. THE CONNECTOR SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING AS IT WAS PARTIALLY MELTED ON THE INSIDE. CLEANED ALL THE BRAKE FLUID FROM THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH CONNECTOR AND THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH ITSELF. I LEFT THE CONNECTOR DISCONNECTED FROM THE SWITCH AND TURNED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS RESULTED IN NO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONNECTOR WAS LEFT DISCONNECTED FROM THE SWITCH BUT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE USED UNTIL I HAVE PERFORMED OR FORD PERFORMS REPAIRS TO IT. I FOUND THAT FORD HAD RECALLED SEVERAL VEHICLES FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH MY 1999 WINDSTAR BUT IT WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I FEEL THAT THIS COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MY FAMILY. I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I AM A CERTIFICATED AIR FRAME AND POWER PLANT TECHNICIAN BY THE FAA AND HAVE WORKED IN THAT CAPACITY FOR 28 YEARS FOR FEDEX EXPRESS ON THEIR AIRCRAFT. *AK