NHTSA Complaint #10598268 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

BACK IN 2008 MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. I HAD THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE ECU/HCU CONTROL BOX. BUT BECAUSE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE 1200.00 BILL BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT ONLY THE ELECTRONIC SIDE AND NOT THE HYDRAULIC SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO I THEN WENT TO ANOTHER FORD DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED ONLY THE ELECTRONIC SIDE. THERE WERE 3 TIMES THAT I HAD TO PAY THE $100.00 DEDUCTIBLE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM DIAGNOSED, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY FIXED(NO MORE LIGHTS) BY THE SECOND DEALER. THEN IN JUNE OF 2013,NOW WITH 116,563 MILES ON IT,MY GAUGE CLUSTER STARTED TO ACT FUNNY. ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING, THE GAUGE NEEDLES WOULD MOVE OUT OF CONTROL. EVENTUALLY THE TAC NEEDLE PEGGED ITSELF ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT AND THE SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE GAUGE CLUSTER WITH A REBUILT ONE FOR $789.00. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MORE ISSUES WITH THE GAUGE CLUSTER. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECH THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSTARS. I ALSO HAVE A 2001 FORD WINDSTAR THAT HAS 105,000 MILES ON IT THAT I AM THINKING ABOUT SELLING SO I DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE THE COST OF A GAUGE CLUSTER IN IT. ALSO ALONG WITH HAVING TO REPLACE FUEL PUMPS IN BOTH VEHICLES AT A COST OF AROUND $1000.00 EACH I AM WONDERING IF FORD HAS A GOOD PRODUCT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *JS