NHTSA Complaint #10262977 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

AS VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, ENGINE DIED. NO LIGHTS ON DASH TO INDICATE PROBLEM. NO SMOKE FROM ENGINE AT THAT TIME. VEHICLE PULLED OVER, HOOD OPENED, LOTS OF SMOKE POURED OUT. HAD TOWED TO CLOSEST DEALERSHIP. BOTH HEAD GASKETS BLOWN, HEADS WARPED, ONE PISTON BROKE. NEEDS ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE - ESTIMATED COST $6000. BOUGHT VEHICLE USED WITH LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. PER FORD A CLAMP ON A HOSE TO THE THERMOSTAT MISSING CAUSED BREAKDOWN AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. DID RESEARCH, THERE WAS A TSB ABOUT CLAMPS TO RADIATOR HOSES (SHOULD INCLUDE THERMOSTAT) FOR REPLACEMENT DUE TO FAULTY COATING WHICH COULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. HAD MY VEHICLE HISTORY RESEARCHED AND DOES NOT APPEAR THAT MINE WERE EVER REPLACED. NEITHER FORD NOR THE DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED ARE DOING ANYTHING TO FIX PROBLEM. ALSO DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW POWERTRAIN WARRANTY CAN COVER THE THERMOSTAT BUT NOT THE HOSES AND CLAMPS THAT ARE PART OF IT. ALSO BELIEVE THAT SINCE NO LIGHTS ON DASH TO INDICATE PROBLEM THAT COULD ALSO HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN INSPECTED PROPERLY PRIOR TO SALE TO ME BY DEALERSHIP. *TR