NHTSA Complaint #10522850 — 2000 FORD WINDSTAR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL MY INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDLES (GAS, RPM, MILEAGE, TEMPERATURE) WERE ALL JUMPING AROUND. THIS WENT ON ALL THE WAY HOME. I PARKED THE CAR BUT THE RPM NEEDLE WAS STUCK AND I COULD NOT SHIFT THE CAR INTO PARK (P) AND COULD NOT TURN OFF THE CAR. I CALLED A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE CAME OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL (N) AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CHECKED. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE RPM NEEDLE SO THAT I COULD SHIFT THE CAR BUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTINUES TO SPORADICALLY GO FROM WORKING, TO NOT WORKING AT ALL, TO ALL THE NEEDLES JUMPING AROUND. THE MECHANIC WAS AWARE THAT I HAD THE TRANSMISSION DONE 3 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN SEPT. 2003 AND TOLD ME THAT THE MALFUNCTIONING INSTRUMENT PANEL MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES. *TR