NHTSA Complaint #10283765 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD WINDSTAR, I WENT TO PARK ON LABOR DAY THIS YEAR AND PARKED MY VAN. A FEW HOURS LATER, I WENT TO VAN AND TRIED TO USE MY REMOTE TO GET IN AND IT WOULD NOT WORK. ONCE I GOT DIRECTLY ON THE VAN I SMELLED AN ODOR THAT SMELT LIKE BURNT RUBBER THAT WAS REALLY STRONG. I GOT IN VAN WITH MY KEY AND STARTED THE VAN. IT WAS VERY HOT THAT DAY SO I WENT TO ROLL DOWN THE POWER WINDOWS AND THEY DIDN'T WORK. I THEN WENT TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONING AND IT DIDN'T WORK. I THEN LOOKED AT MY DASH AND REALIZED I HAD LOSS ALL POWER; NOTHING WAS WORK, ODOMETER, TEMPERATURE GAUGE, RADIO, HEADLIGHTS ETC. I THOUGHT I JUST BLEW A FUSE AND STAYED AT THE PARK. WHEN I WENT HOME SEVERAL HOURS LATER I STILL SMELLED ODOR BUT TOLD MY HUSBAND I WOULD GO TO SHOP IN MORNING BEFORE WORK TO HAVE MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. THAT MORNING I WENT TO SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A FUSE AND AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF THEM DOING VISUAL AND COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS THEY FOUND THAT THE ABS SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE AND STARTED BURNING INTO MY GAS LINE. THEY SAID WE WERE VERY LUCKY VAN DIDN'T TOTAL CATCH ON FIRE. THEY ENDED REPLACING THE WHOLE ABS UNIT UNDER THE VAN AND HAD TO REPLACE ALL WIRES THAT HAD BURNT AND REWIRE EVERYTHING. REPAIR IS ALMOST 900.00 DOLLARS. THEY VAN GAVE NO WARNINGS THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I FEEL VERY SCARRED TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS VAN, EVEN WITH REPAIR BEING DONE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN AND NEXT TIME WE MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. I AM STILL PAYING ON THE VAN AND STUCK. I HOPE FORD DOES SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE. I HAVE NOT PICKED UP VAN YET AND AM CONSIDERING TELLING CAR DEALER TO PICK IT UP AT SHOP AND TAKING REPO ON MY CREDIT. *TR