NHTSA Complaint #10428426 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

2003 FORD WINDSTAR 71,000 MILES - BOUGHT NEW FOR $35,000 IN DECEMBER 2003, I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 FORD WINDSTAR. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VAN, TO AND FROM WORK AND A FEW ROAD TRIPS. IN THE BEGINNING A FEW THINGS WENT WRONG BUT I WASN'T TOO CONCERNED AT THE TIME. SINCE THEN, HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THIS VAN: 1.NO HEAT - BLENDER ACTUATOR 2.DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULDN'T ROLL UP OR DOWN (FIXED) 3.PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW AND BACK WINDOWS DO NOT WORK 4.INTERIOR LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF 5.GASKET REPLACED ON ENGINE BECAUSE CAR WAS DYING WHEN I CAME TO A STOP. ($450) 6.REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER DOESN'T WORK 7.RUSTING OUT BY BACK TIRES 8.TRANSMISSION FAILURE $2,800. FLUID FROM THE RADIATOR GOT INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID! (NOW HOW DID THAT HAPPEN OTHER THAN BEING DEFECTIVE) 9.2 SAFETY RECALLS I AM LUCKY I HAVEN'T BEEN KILLED IN THIS VEHICLE! THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO WARNING! YOU WOULD THINK WHEN I HAD MY CAR SERVICED THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT MY TRANSMISSION FLUID DID NOT LOOK RIGHT. I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH THIS VAN THAT I HAVE WORKED HARD AND STRUGGLED TO PAY FOR, BUT I DID IT. MY ENTIRE FAMILY HAS ALWAYS STUCK BY FORD AND I HAVE ALWAYS DEFENDED THEM. I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE RIGHT NOW SO I HAD TO DIG DEEP TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH ON THIS VEHICLE AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION. NOW I AM STUCK WITH DRIVING A $35,000 VAN THAT I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING! [XXX] COPY TO: NHTSA (NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION) MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL (CONSUMER PROTECTION) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR