NHTSA Complaint #10072681 — 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA

I BOUGHT A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA IN 2000, AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS, UNTIL RECENTLY. THE ENGINE BEGAN MISFIRING ON CYLINDER 1 AND I REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND PLUG WIRES ASSUMING IT WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. DURING THIS TIME, I ALSO DID AN OIL CHANGE AND CHECKED ALL FLUIDS AND FOUND THE ANTIFREEZE TO APPEAR "RUSTED". I CHECKED IN THE OVERFLOW RESEVOIR AND NOTED OIL AND A DIRTY APPEARANCE TO THE ANTIFREEZE. I HAD THE ANTIFREEZE SYSTEM FLUSHED, AND NOW THE PROBLEMS ARE BACK, LESS THAN 5,000 MILES LATER. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND A LOT OF DATA TALKING ABOUT THE DEX-COOL ISSUES AND HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT THE HEAD GASKET IS BAD, WHICH IS CAUSING THE MISFIRE PROBLEM. THIS IS GOING TO BE A COSTLY REPAIR, ONE OF WHICH I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE A GROWING ISSUE WITH HEAD GASKETS AND THE DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE.*AK