NHTSA Complaint #10204332 — 1995 FORD MUSTANG

THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD SPORADICALLY COME ON AND GO INTO THE "RED". I WOULD SHUT OFF THE ENGINE TO ALLOW IT TO COOL AND CHECK THE WATER IN THE RADIATOR. I ONLY HAD TO ADD APPROXIMATELY 1/2 GALLON OF WATER ON ONE OCCASION. I TOOK MY MUSTANG TO DAVID MAUS TOYOTA, BELIEVING HIS COMPANY TO BE REPUTABLE AND SINCE THE MUSTANG WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP AND THE TIMING CHAIN SEAL AND CHARGED ME $700.00. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE. I TOOK THE MUSTANG BACK TO DAVID MAUS AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I THEN TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME HE WOULD REBUILD THE ENGINE, FOR WHICH I PAID HIM $1800.00. HE DID NOT FIX THE ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM REMAINED. I SUED DAVID MAUS FOR INEPT REPAIRS BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVE MY CASE "SUFFICIENTLY", POSSIBLY BECAUSE THE SECOND MECHANIC ASSISTED DAVID MAUS IN COURT INSTEAD OF TESTIFYING FOR ME AFTER I THREATENED TO SUE HIM, ALSO. HE HAS SINCE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS. I HAVE HAD ANOTHER INSPECTION BY MULLINAX FORD IN APOPKA, FL, WHO ALSO STATED THE MUSTANG NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AFTER DAVID MAUS' MECHANICS "REPAIRED" IT. I HAD MY REGULAR MECHANIC, MIR'S AUTO WORKS, DO A THOROUGH INSPECTION AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE COOLING FAN WAS NOT WORKING AND THAT IT APPEARS THE HEAD GASKETS ARE BLOWN AND THAT A NEW ENGINE WILL BE NECESSARY. SINCE OCTOBER, 2005, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED, WITH NO LICENSE OR INSURANCE. I BELIEVE HAD I GOTTEN THE RECALL INFORMATION, AS I DID WITH THE PARKING BRAKE RECALL, I COULD VERY EASILY HAVE AVOIDED ALL THE FRUSTRATION AND EXPENSE I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OTHER RECALL INFORMATION, EITHER, REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS, YELLOW EXTERIOR LIGHTS, OR HOOD SEPARATION. *TR