NHTSA Complaint #10070894 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 35,279 (3/98) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 2ND TIME AT 80,957 (3/01) AND REPAIRED BY FORD UNDER WARRANTY. HEAD GASKET FAILED A 3RD TIME AT 116,298 (9/03). ON 24 SEP 03 I WROTE FORD REQUESTING THEY FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. HEAD GASKETS DO NOT REGULARLY AND PREDICTABLY FAIL. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE. I BELIEVE MY PROBLEM IS UNUSUAL AS I AM TOLD THE HEAD GASKETS DON'T FAIL THIS OFTEN. SEPTEMBER 24, 2003 FORD MOTOR COMPANY FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER P.O. BOX 6248 16800 EXECUTIVE PLAZA DRIVE DEARBORN, MI 48126 \T\T\T I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1995 FORD WINDSTAR VAN. THE VEHICLE HAS 116,298 MILES AND HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET FOR THE THIRD TIME. WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN 1998 AND AGAIN IN 2001 DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY REQUEST IS FOR FORD MOTOR CO. TO TAKE APPROPRIATE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION TO FIX THE VEHICLE. HISTORY: MARCH 16, 1998, WITH 35,279 MILES, UNDER WARRANTY, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY FORD OF WALLA WALLA, WA. INVOICE ATTACHED. MARCH 29, 2001, WITH 80,957 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET AGAIN FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED BY HARRELL?S FORD IN PLACERVILLE, CA, UNDER WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME BY FORD MOTOR CO. SEPTEMBER 16, 2003, WITH 116,298 MILES, THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET HAS AGAIN FAILED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HARRELL'S FORD SERVICE MANAGER, MIKE ALUNBAUGH, AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HARRELL'S FORD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY. HE ALSO TOLD ME HE SPOKE WITH HIS REGIONAL MANAGER AND INFORMED ME THAT THE REGIONAL MANAGER CAN DO NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE REGIONAL MANAGER HAS NO AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO PROBLEMS WHEN A VEHICLE HAS OVER 100,000 MILES. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND SPOKE WITH CHAIRMAN. THIS WAS A VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE. HER ADVICE WAS TO WAIT FOR A RECALL!