NHTSA Complaint #10256069 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. THE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHENEVER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A BRAKE FLUID LEAK. THE TECHNICIAN FURTHER STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER FAILURE WAS LINKED TO BRAKE FLUID INGRESSED INTO THE ABS MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND AN INVESTIGATION NUMBER PE08035 FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE INVESTIGATION WAS CLOSED WITH NO RECALL ISSUED, BUT HE BELIEVES THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD HAVE LED TO A RECALL. THE MECHANIC REPLACED A VEHICLE SPEED DEACTIVATION SWITCH TO STOP THE LEAKING; HOWEVER, THE ABS MODULE STILL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,818.