NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE04022

POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENING: Structure:Body:Door **

CLOSED

no recall issued

** This defect investigation is filed under 2 related vehicle components.
2002 FORD WINDSTAR -- The subject vehicles are equipped with single or dual power sliding doors (PSD).approximately 111,000 vehicles have dual power sliding doors.the PSD is opened by any of 5 methods, the inside or outside manual door handle, the key fob, the overhead console switch and the B-pillar switch.the door may be opened only under these conditions: Ignition key is in off/accessories/on/start position, gear selector in park, vehicle speed less than 6 mph, and door unlocked.the PSD latch is located at the rear of the door and has a secondary and primary latch position.full and proper closure engages both the secondary and primary latch.with the ignition in the on position, as the gear selector is moved out of park the door automatically locks and that action mechanically isolates the latch, secondary and primary, from all latch release connections.in addition to the reports alleging door opening while driving, Ford has received approximately 5,700 reports that allege the door does not close properly or "pops" open with no mention of "while driving."Ford's investigation into these report included owner interviews, vehicle by-backs and testing of consumer vehicles.it found that allegations of door opening while driving were "in fact reports of doors not being properly closed initially and subsequently opening to the secondary latch position as a result of vehicle vibrations or driving maneuvers."Ford's testing of consumer vehicles did not result in any recurrence of "PSD opening while being driven."ODI interviews with owners affirmed the allegations of PSD opening while driving; however owners indicated the event is not a regular occurrence (I.e.,it occurred only once or has not occurred recently) and that the unintended PSD opening may not be able to be duplicated.in contrast, the improper closing of the PSD (latching on the secondary but not the primary latch) can be duplicated, and ODI verified this during an inspection of a consumer vehicle.in this condition (secondary but no primary latch), when the vehicle's gear selector is moved out of park position, a warning chime sounds and warning message appears on the instrument panel.most reports and warranty claims were filed in the early service-life of the vehicle and peaked around the 18-month in-service time period.ODI and mfr complaint trends are declining over the last 8 quarters.there is no alleged injury associated with occupant falling out while the vehicle is in motion.no failure mode causing full door opening while vehicle is in motion has been verified (reproduced by ODI or by trained service technicians at dealerships) during this investigation.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of Agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.the Agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. Investigation was initiated on March 03 2004. Closed on July 01 2004. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE04022 »

NHTSA Defect Investigation #PE08035

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES: Vehicle Speed Control**

OPEN

possible recall

** This defect investigation is filed under 3 related vehicle components.
2002 FORD WINDSTAR -- ODI has received 130 complaints alleging incidents of engine compartment fire in model year (MY) 1995 thru 2003 Ford Windstar vehicles.thirty six of the incidents were reported to ODI within the last 12 months.two of the complaints allege the fires caused structural damage to the complainant's home.of the 130 complaints, 33 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, 71 allege the fire occurred while the vehicle was running and 26 of the complaints do not specify if the vehicle was running or not.further review of the complaints shows that 65 allege that the speed control deactivation switch (scds) caused the fire and in four of those it is alleged that the scds leaked brake fluid on to the ABS module resulting in the fire.there were 56 that did not identify a cause and 9 that identified miscellaneous other causes.ODI has also received 17 complaints ( not counted in this resume) alleging that the scds developed a brake fluid leak.seven of these complaints say that the leak at the scds resulted in braked fluid reaching the ABS module.in addition, ODI has received 5 complaints that allege the ABS module failed.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to determine the cause of the fires and assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequences of the alleged defect. Investigation was initiated on May 13 2008. For detailed information & supporting documents, see the official NHTSA page concerning investigation #PE08035 »