NHTSA Complaint #10592907 — 2003 FORD WINDSTAR

IT WAS A COLD NIGHT -35 F, WHEN I WAS IN CANADA. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING, MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS CAME ON. I PUSHED THE EMERGENCY FLASHER BUTTON TO TURN THEM OFF BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I CONTINUED TO PUSH THE BUTTON BUT IT DIDN'T TURN THEM OFF. THERE IS NO FUSE TO SHUT THEM OFF. THEY ARE STILL FLASHING. THIS PROBLEM HAS VIRTUALLY KILLED MY BATTERY. NOW I HAVE TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY SO IT WON'T DIE, IF I DON'T USE THE CAR FOR AN MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO. I WENT TO A MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE SIGNAL LIGHT / EMERGENCY FLASHER UNIT. HE SAID THAT HE COULDN'T FIX IT BECAUSE WHEN HE DISCONNECTED IT, THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON THE DASH WERE STILL FLASHING. SO HE CHARGED ME FOR LABOR ONLY AND RETURNED THE PART, AT NO COST TO ME. HE SAID HE SAW ANOTHER CASE LIKE THIS ON GOOGLE (THINK IT WAS WISCONSIN). THE SAME THING HAPPENED AFTER A COLD NIGHT. WORSE OF ALL, HE SAID THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD TO BE REPLACED TO FIX IT. THIS COST WAS AROUND $1,200.00. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY WORTH ABOUT $1,500 AND IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD. I BELIEVE THAT THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN MUCH BUT IT BASICALLY MAKES ME HAVE TO DRIVE WITH MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON ALL THE TIME, UNLESS I PULL OUT 2 BULBS IN THE REAR AND A TOTAL OF 3 FUSES (IN THE CAR AND UNDER THE HOOD). THIS LATTER SITUATION, ULTIMATELY, LEAVES ME WITH NO SIGNAL LIGHTS. I USE HAND SIGNALS. I THINK THEY ARE STILL ALLOWED BY LAW. *TR