NHTSA Complaint #10289341 — 2006 FORD MUSTANG

ON AUG 5, MY COOLANT WAS AT NORMAL LEVELS AT A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE EXAM. IN THE DARK IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD ON AUG 7, MY CAR OVERHEATED. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC WHO SAW THE CAR WED AS THE CAR COULD NOT MAKE IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND FORD WOULD NOT COMPLIMENTARY TOW THE CAR. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE COOLANT HAD DRAINED OUT AS THERMOSTAT HOUSING 2L2Z8592BA WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD BROKEN. THEY EXPLAINED THAT LATELY THEY HAVE SEEN THIS IN MANY FORDS AS FORD HAS CHANGED THIS PART'S MATERIAL AND IS NOW MAKING IT OF A LESS DURABLE MATERIAL. A REPLACEMENT PART WAS ORDERED FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR WHO ALWAYS NEEDS TO PART NUMBER TO ORDER ANY PART. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT NEED THE PART NUMBER THIS TIME WHICH INDICATES THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO ORDER THIS REPLACEMENT PART FREQUENTLY. THE REPAIR COSTS WERE $610. I HAVE THE PART IF ANYONE NEEDS TO EXAMINE IT OR PHOTOGRAPH IT, BUT THEY MAY NOT KEEP IT UNLESS I AM REIMBURSED IN FULL FIRST. THIS PART LASTED THE LIFETIME OF MY 99 MUSTANG AND 91 EXPLORER AND SHOULD HAVE LASTED THE LIFETIME OF THIS CAR. IT LASTS THE LIFETIME OF OTHER COMPANY'S CARS. PLEASE LOOK INTO A RECALL OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART FOR SAFETY REASONS AS IT CAUSES CARS TO STOP WORKING UNEXPECTEDLY. ON AN EXPRESSWAY THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IF A WOMAN IS DRIVING ALONE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SHE WOULD DRIVE THROUGH IN A LOCKED CAR BUT WOULD NOT STOP IN FOR SAFETY REASONS, WHEN THE CAR STOPS WORKING UNEXPECTEDLY FROM THIS PROBLEM SHE COULD BECOME THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME THAT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF HER CAR CONTINUED WORKING. *TR