NHTSA Complaint #10070993 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 6/13/2003, AT 57049 MILES, OUR 1995 WINDSTAR OVERHEATED AND SEEMED TO BE LOSING COOLANT SO WE TOOK IT TO ZIMMERMAN FORD, ST. CHARLES, IL TO BE CHECKED OUT. THEY REPORTED NO PROBLEM FOUND AND WE PAID $66.79 FOR A COOLING SYSTEM SERVICE AND LUBE SERVICE. ON OCTOBER 4TH,2003, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON OUR WINDSTAR WENT ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. THEY CHARGED $111 FOR SBDS TESTS AND TOLD US WE HAD HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND QUOTED $2100 TO REPAIR. WE CONTACTED FIVE OTHER DEALERSHIPS IN THE CHICAGO AREA WHO QUOTED BETWEEN $900 AND $1600 TO DO THE JOB. OUR VAN IS CURRENTLY WITH FAMILY FORD OF WEST CHICAGO BEING FIXED. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT A BILL OF ABOUT $1300. MOVING FROM ZIMMERMAN TO FAMILY FORD WAS NOT JUST A COST DECISION. ZIMMERMAN REFUSED POINT PLANK TO HELP US GET HELP FROM FORD. FAMILY FORD HAVE AGREED TO KEEP THE FAULTY PARTS AND HELP US IN ANY WAY THEY CAN. WE HAVE CONTACTED FORD AT SEVERAL LEVELS TRYING TO PERSUADE THEM THAT THEIR 7 YEAR / 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY, PLUS THE 6 YEAR / 75,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WE PURCHASED BOTH IMPLY THAT THE HEAD GASKET SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT 60,000 MILES AS OURS DID. WE HAVE ALSO PUT FORTH THE ARGUMENT THAT THE ORIGINAL EXTENDED WARRANTY 5 YEAR OR 60,000 STATES OR NOT WHICHEVER COMES FIRST SO WE FEEL WE HAVE A CASE TO BE COVERED UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY, GIVEN THAT WE REPORTED A POSSIBLE PROBLEM AT 57049 MILES. FORD HAS SAID (SEVERAL TIMES BY PHONE AND E-MAIL)THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP AS WE ARE OUTSIDE THE TERMS OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY ALSO SAY THAT THEY HAVE VERY FEW COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE ANY MORE SO THEY WILL NOT MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR ME. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE MADE NO EXCEPTIONS OUTSIDE THE 7 YEAR / 100,000 PARAMETERS. I FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN PENALIZED BY FORD BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOW MILEAGE ON OUR VEHICLE AND THE POOR ENGINE CONSTRUCTION ON THE 1995 WINDSTAR, IN OUR CASE, STILL FAILED PREMATURELY AT 60,000.