NHTSA Complaint #10447478 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON A TRIP FROM CHICAGO TO NORTH CAROLINE, MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. IT WAS AS IF I JUST PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL; I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REV WHEN I APPLIED THE GAS BUT NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED. LUCKILY, I WAS NEAR AN EXIT RAMP AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TRIED PUTTING THE CAR INTO ANOTHER GEAR, BUT THERE WAS NO CHANGE. WE ENDED UP GETTING THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE, WHERE THEY DETERMINED IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. LATER, AFTER PULLING THE TRANSMISSION APART, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER WHICH HAD FAILED. MY FAMILY AND I (INCLUDING 4 CHILDREN AND 4 DOGS) HAD TO STAY IN A HOTEL FOR 3 DAYS UNTIL THE CAR WAS REPAIRED. DURING THAT TIME, I INVESTIGATED THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE PROBLEM (VIA THE INTERNET) AND FOUND THAT IT IS COMMON IN WINDSTARS AND FREESTARS. THERE IS A RECALL IN PLACE FOR THE FREESTAR BUT NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED FOR THE WINDSTAR YET. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED ASAP!!!! I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS DRIVING IN CONDITIONS THAT ALLOWED ME TO SAFELY MANEUVER MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING OR BEING INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. THE SAFETY OF MYSELF, MY CHILDREN AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD WITH ME, A WINDSTAR OWNER, SHOULD NOT BE PUT AT RISK BECAUSE OF A KNOWN TORQUE CONVERTER DEFECT. THE WINDSTAR NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE FORD RECALL FOR TORQUED CONVERTERS IMMEDIATELY. *TR