NHTSA Complaint #10116021 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

ON 20 MAR 2005 WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED TO THE SIDE TO CHECK THE PROBLEMS, EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL EXCEPT IT WAS IDLING ROUGH. I CALLED THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY TO BRING IT IN. I BROUGHT IT TO THE FORD DEALER ON 21 MAR 2005. I WAS TOLD THAT AFTERNOON, THAT IT WAS THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET. I CALLED THE DEALER ON 22 MAR TO CHECK AND SEE WHEN I COULD PICK IT UP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT BE READY BECAUSE THEY FOUND THE CYLINDER HEAD HAD A CRACK. I CALLED ON 23 MAR TO CHECK AND WAS TOLD BOTH CYLINDER HEADS WERE CRACKED AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR AN ADJUSTER FROM FORD TO MAKE A DETERMINATION TO SEE IF THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR JUST THE CYLINDER HEADS. IT IS NOW THE AFTERNOON OF 29 MAR AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE CYLINDER HEADS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN MY CAR WILL BE READY. I CALLED FORD (800-392-3673) AND BASICALLY WAS TOLD SORRY NOTHING WE CAN DO THE CYLINDER HEADS ARE ON "NATIONAL BACK ORDER". IF THAT IS TRUE, THERE IS A GREAT DEMAND FOR FORD 4 LITER ENGINE CYLINDER HEADS. IIS THAT A RESULT OF A DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE OR THE CYLINDER HEADS. HAS ANYONE LOOKED INTO THIS? ALSO, DO NOT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET FORD MOVING ON MY PROBLEM?