NHTSA Complaint #10282274 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

DROVE FROM ALBANY, NEW YORK TO VIRGINIA BEACH ON AUGUST 15-16, 2009. AS WE PULLED INTO OUR DESTINATION, ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT WENT ON, O/D LIGHT FLASHED, SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER READINGS WENT TO --------, AND WE SMELLED SMOKE. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE CAR TO BEACH FORD IN VIRGINIA BEACH WHERE WE WERE TOLD THAT BRAKE DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS LEAKING FLUID DAMAGING WIRING HARNESS AND MANY OTHER COMPONENTS. WAS TOLD THAT WIRING HARNESS PART NEEDED WAS OBSOLETE. HUSBAND WAS SHOWN BURNED UP WIRING HARNESS AND ABS UNIT BY MECHANIC. THE WIRING HARNESS PLUG WAS MELTED INTO THE ABS UNIT. THESE PARTS REMAIN IN THE CAR, UNPLUGGED. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FORD THAT THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNTRUE. WE HAVE SPENT $500 GETTING THE LEAK REPAIRED SO WE COULD DRIVE HOME, AND AN ADDITIONAL $200 FROM OUR LOCAL DEALER TO TELL US THAT WE NEED TO SPENT $3000 MORE IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE NO SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER, ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON DUE TO BURNED PARTS, O/D LIGHT FLASHES. *TR