NHTSA Complaint #10438619 — 2001 FORD WINDSTAR

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED 1 YR AND 8 MONTHS AGO .. HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. WE RECEIVED THE RECALL FOR THE REAR AXLE, THEY CHECKED IT OUT WAS FINE, WE NEVER RECEIVED THIS LAST RECALL IN 2011 BUT IT MAY HAVE HELPED IF WE DID. ON DEC 2 I WAS PULLING OUT OF A SCHOOL, WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP THEN STARTED PULLING OUT TO TAKE A RIGHT ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MPH WE HEARD A BANG (SOMETHING FELL IN THE FRONT END) THEN THE CAR JUST TOOK OVER, THERE WAS NO STEERING, THE THROTTLE STUCK TOOK US FROM 5 MPH TO ABOUT 30 MPH IN LIKE 3 SECONDS CROSSING 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND JUST MISSING 2 VEHICLES, I CRASHED INTO A SIGN, 2 FENCES AND A TREE WHICH MADE US STOP, THERE WAS THIS AWFUL SOUND THAT WAS GETTING FASTER AND FASTER, WE JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP!!! EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE FRONT END IS LAYING ON THE GROUND!! THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AM OUTRAGED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN. IF MY HUSBAND AND I HADN'T GONE ANYWHERE THAT NIGHT, I WOULD HAVE HAD MY 3 SMALL CHILDREN IN IT THE NEXT MORNING!! I AM SO THANKFUL THAT WE WERE NOT HURT (EXCEPT FOR EMOTIONALLY) AND THAT WE ALSO DIDN'T HURT ANYONE ELSE .. IF THOSE CARS WERE 1 SECOND EARLIER WE WOULD HAVE SMASHED INTO THOSE CARS THAT WERE GOING ABOUT 50 MPH .. WOULDN'T HAVE A BEEN A VERY GOOD OUTCOME!!! NOW WAITING TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE VAN, IF IT IS FIXED I WILL NOT GET IN IT EVER AGAIN!! *TR