NHTSA Complaint #10036846 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON JUNE 18, 2001 WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP TO VISIT RELATIVES THE CAR OVERHEATED AND MR. JOHN CAMPBELL FROM BOB BENNETT FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN COLUMBIA, SC PERFORMED THE WARRANTY WORK TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. HE REPLACED THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS. *AK ON DECEMBER 4, 2002 THE CAR AGAIN OVERHEATED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE LOCAL TOLL WAY AND WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GREENWAY FORD IN ORLANDO, FL. MR. JOSH KNOWLES RECEIVED THE WORK ORDER TO IDENTIFY WHY THE CAR OVERHEATED. ACCORDING TO INVOICE C50990 MR. KNOWLES PRESSURE TESTED THE SYSTEM AND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS WERE FOUND. HE TEST-DROVE THE VEHICLE AND LET THE VEHICLE RUN. NO REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND THE COOLANT TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SHOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL BUT WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE ON THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. WE MODIFIED OUR DRIVING HABITS TO SHORTER TRIPS AROUND TOWN AND THIS ABATED MUCH OF THE RAISED TEMPERATURE PROBLEM. ON AUGUST 23, 2003 WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR AGAIN OVERHEATED AND WE AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO GREENWAY FORD. MR. BRAD JOHNSON RECEIVED THE WORK ORDER TO IDENTIFY WHY THE CAR OVERHEATED. ACCORDING TO INVOICE C85933 THE MAIN HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED AND REPAIR WOULD REQUIRE A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE. WHEN I INQUIRED WITH MR. RON KREMER, SERVICE MANAGER, ABOUT THE WARRANTY FROM THE PREVIOUS TIME THIS HAPPENED HE INFORMED ME SINCE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN OVER 24,000 MILES AND OVER 24 MONTHS HAD PASSED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE COOLING SYSTEM OVERHEATING AND/OR LOSS OF COOLANT IN 3.8L ENGINES IS A WELL-KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. THE MITCHELL REPAIR INFORMATION COMPANY PUBLISHED THE ISSUE OF COOLANT MAY LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKETS AND/OR THE VEHICLE MAY OVERHEAT IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN DATED MARCH 2, 1998 PERTAINING TO 3.8L ENGINES IN 1995 FORD WINDSTARS.