NHTSA Complaint #10280814 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

WHILE DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT HEADLIGHTS, AND SIGNAL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING (LIGHTS IN BACK CONTINUED TO FUNCTION) ODOMETER STOPPED ILLUMINATING, AND MESSAGE PANEL DISPLAYED INCONSISTENTLY. ABS LIGHT CAME ON RANDOMLY AT TIMES, AND EVENTUALLY, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF LABOR TRACKING DOWN THE PROBLEM, THE G.E.M. MODULE WAS REPLACED (AT GREAT COST). AFTER REPLACING THE G.E.M. MODULE, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER AND OUR ONLY CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AND NOBODY CAN GIVE US ANY IDEA WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE AND WHEN THE CAR WILL BE REPAIRED. FURTHERMORE, THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE OUR CAR SITS IN AN UNDRIVABLE STATE (THE REPAIR DEPARTMENT TOLD US THAT THERE IS A RISK OF FIRE IF WE WERE TO DRIVE IT) TOLD US THAT THERE ARE THREE OTHER WINDSTARS THERE WAITING FOR THE SAME PART, AND AGREED WITH US (OFF THE BOOKS) THAT CONSIDERING THE QUANTITY OF PROBLEMS THEY ARE SEEING WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. *TR