NHTSA Complaint #10403302 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

AS I WAS DRIVING FROM PORTSMOUTH NH TO SOMERSWORTH NH I NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING,THE ODOMETER HAD NOTHING BUT LINES, NO NUMBERS, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. I ALSO NOTED THAT SMOKE HAS BEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. THESE SYMPTOMS MATCH WHAT HAS BEEN RECORDED ON LINE AS FOLLOWS, THE BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS) (2B264) LOCATED UNDER THE MASTER CYLINDER (BEHIND THE AIR FILTER) OVER TIME DEVELOPS A LEAK. THIS CAUSES A SHORT AND A FUSE TRIP, FUSE #10 IF THE ENGINE IS ON. THIS LEAK ALSO CAUSES BRAKE FLUID TO WICK DOWN TWO WIRES TO THE ABS BRAKE MODULE (2C219). THE FLUID ACCUMULATES ON THE (ALWAYS ON) POWER CONNECTORS FOR THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WHICH ARE POWERED BY FUSES 101 AND 102 AND ARE BOTH 40 AMP. THE FLUID ATTACTS MOISTURE, ROAD SALT AND LEADS TO A FIRE WHEN THE FLUID AND MOISTURE ACT AS CONDUCTOR BETWEEN THE HOT LEADS AND GROUND. THIS SWITCH HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF OTHER FORD RECALLS, JUST NOT THE WINDSTAR VAN YET. BELOW IS A PICTURE OF THE SWITCH IN QUESTION. NOTICE THE FLUID THAT LEAKED ON THE PART BELOW IT. THIS SWITCH WILL CAUSE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEMS, SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER AND ABS BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEMS. I WILL NOT ALLOW OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS TO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE AND IT APPEARS THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT FIX THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE, RECALL #09S09 BECAUSE THEY INDICATE THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. THE RECALL STATES CLEARLY THAT THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE WITH OR WITHOUT THE VEHICLE RUNNING.