NHTSA Complaint #10072334 — 1998 FORD WINDSTAR

AT APPROXIMATELY 57,600 MILES MY 1998 FORD WINDSTAR DEVELOPED AN ANTIFREEZE LEAK. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL GARAGE AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A LEAK AT THE TIMING COVER GASKET. I HAD THIS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1453. TWO WEEKS LATER, AS I WAS DRIVING TO A BASEBALL GAME, MY CAR BEGAN TO STALL. IT WAS HARD TO START, AND THE OIL LIGHT WAS FLICKERING WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND THERE WAS A LOUD RATTLE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS NORMAL, NO RATTLING SOUNDS FROM THE ENGINE,ETC. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO MY LOCAL GARAGE. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE RATTLING NOISE AS COMING FROM THE LOWER BEARINGS, THE ENGINE BEARINGS WERE FAILING AT 57,800 MILES!!!! I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE I HAD BOUGHT THE WINDSTAR AND ASKED THEM IF THERE WERE ANY OPEN PROGRAMS ON THE ENGINE, SINCE WHEN THE TIMING COVER GASKET HAD FAILED, I HAD SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE( IT WAS). THE FORD DEALER WAS NO HELP, I THEN CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE NO HELP. I THEN WROTE A LETTER TO WILLIAM CLAY FORD AND HE HAD A BLAINE YUNG CALL ME ON 5/8/2004. MR. YUNG WAS ALSO NO HELP, QUOTING THAT THE WARRANTY WAS 3 YRS./36,000 MILES. MEANWHILE I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT A COST OF $4200, NEW REMANUFACTURED ENGINE, TUNE-UP, ETC. I BELIEVE THAT THE DEFECT ON THE TIMING COVER GASKET WHICH CAUSED THE ORIGINAL ANTIFREEZE LEAK, LEAKED ANTIFREEZE INTO THE CRANKSHAFT AND CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ME AT LEAST TO 120,000 MILES BEFORE I NEED TO REPLACE AN ENGINE. I HAVE OWNED MANY OTHER CARS AND HAVE GOTTEN AT 150,000 MILES OUT OF THEM BEFORE I HAD TO DO ANY MAJOR REPAIRS (ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION). I FEEL FORD SHOULD BACK THEIR PRODUCTS AND OWN UP TO THIS DEFECT. *LA