NHTSA Complaint #763868 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

I WAS DRIVING AFTER MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN AND STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING UNUSUAL. I CHECKED MY WARNING LIGHTS BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOPING TO MAKE IT HOME. THE WHOLE TIME THAT I CONTINUED TO DRIVE, I KEPT CHECKING MY WARNING LIGHTS BECAUSE A STILL SMELLED SOMETHING. WHEN I HAD TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT A FEW MINUTES LATER, I STARTED TO SEE SMOKE AND WAS GOING TO PULL INTO AN ADJACENT PARKING LOT WHEN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE RAN UP TO MY CAR AND YELLED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. IT WAS ON FIRE. SOMEONE GRABBED MY TODDLER AND I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE CAR AND GRABBED MY DOG. WE GOT AWAY FROM THE CAR BUT THE FIRE DIED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE ENGINE WAS OFF. OTHER PEOPLE HAD CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE BY THEN. OTHER PEOPLE PUT OUT WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE FIRE WHILE I CARED FOR MY TERRIFIED CHILD AND CONTACTED THE AUTO CLUB AND RELATIVES TO HELP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN ONE OF MY LINES THAT LEAKED ONTO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE FIRE. THEY CLAIMED BECAUSE SEVERAL LINES WERE BURNED UP THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH ONE IT WAS. THEY ACTED AS THOUGH FIRES ARE COMMON " BUT 50,000 IS A LITTLE EARLY" FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. IF I DID NOT HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR EVERYTHING OUT OF POCKET. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I LOOKED MY CAR UP ON YOUR WEBSITE AND FOUND ODI ID 753227 WHICH SOUNDED LIKE THE SAME SITUATION I HAD. *AK