NHTSA Complaint #702494 — 1997 FORD WINDSTAR

THE PART IS THE SPEEDOMETER WHICH HAS REPLACEMENT PART F682.17255.CB SUPPLIED BY THE FIRM ELECTRA-SOUND, INC., WEST PALMA, OHIO. ESTIMATED COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART IS $54.00 DIAGNOSTIC; $166.66 FOR THE REPLACEMENT SPEEDOMETER; $65.00 FOR LABOR. PROBLEM: THE ORIGINAL SPEEDOMETER BEGAN BEING "JITTERY" AT 20,000 MILES. AT 40,000 MILES, THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES WILDLY AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH AND MORE. SO, IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW SPEEDS ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 110 MPH. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING!!! MECHANICS AROUND HERE HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THIS DEFECT IS COMMON IN SPEEDOMETERS USED IN WINDSTAR AND EXPLORER MODELS. THE DEALER THAT PROVIDED MY DIAGNOSTIC WORK SAID THERE IS A TWO-WEEK BACKLOG TO GET THIS PART. THE MECHANICS ALSO SAID THE FAILURE REASON IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A PLASTIC COMPONENT IN THE SPEEDOMETER. NOTE: THE RPM GUAGE, AND COOLANT TEMPERATURE GUAGE DO NOT SEEM TO BE AFFECTED. I THINK IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL SAFETY DEFECT TO NOT KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING AT!!! PLEASE HELP...