NHTSA Complaint #10468069 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

ABOUT 2 PLUS YEARS AGO, MY VAN STARTED HAVING AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, THE COMPUTER WOULD BEEP AND FLASH THE MESSAGE "CHECK TRACTION CONTROL". ALONG WITH THIS, THE ABS AND E-BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, AND ALSO THE "TRAC OFF" LIGHT. I COULD CLEAR THE MESSAGE FROM THE COMPUTER BY HITTING RESET, BUT THE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON UNTIL I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. IT HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S HUMID AND HOT OUTSIDE. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER STARTED TO "STICK" OR NOT MOVE. SOMETIMES, THEY GO UP TO 30-40MPH, THEN STOP WORKING. OTHER TIMES, THEY JUST DON'T MOVE AT ALL. THE PROBLEM ALSO AFFECTS THE ACCURACY OF THE ODOMETER AND GAS GAUGE. THE VEHICLE CAN BE TRAVELING AT 70MPH, BUT BE READING 40MPH, AND THEN THE ODOMETER IS MARKING MILES TRAVELED ACCORDING TO 40MPH. SO, NOW MY ODOMETER NEEDS TO BE RESET AS WELL. I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND BEING A MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WITH #3, I NEED MY VEHICLE TO BE SAFE AND RELIABLE. I FOUND A WEBSITE THAT HAS RECALL INFORMATION, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR WINDSTAR. I WAS ALREADY PART OF THE REAR AXLE AND SUBFRAME RECALL, AND THAT WAS SCARY ENOUGH TO KNOW MY VEHICLE COULD HAVE FALLEN APART WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ELECTRICAL FIRE WITH THIS, AS ONE OF THE PROBABLE AND LIKELY CAUSES OF THIS IS THE WIRES ARE "SELF-GROUNDING" ON SOME METAL PART IN THE ENGINE OR BEHIND THE DASH. IF ANY FLUIDS LEAKED ON THESE EXPOSED AND SELF-GROUNDING WIRES, ONE SPARK COULD SET IT OFF. PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER, AS THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE VEHICLES ON OUR NATION'S ROADS. *TR