NHTSA Complaint #10331512 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

I AM WRITING YOU TO NOTIFY YOU OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH MY 2005 FORD TAURUS (VIN # [XXX]). THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 66,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK MY CAR FOR SERVICE AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED ME THAT THE TIMING GEAR GASKET WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THE TECHNICIAN KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT IS COMMON FOR FORD ENGINES TO START LEAKING AT THIS SPOT AROUND 60,000 MILES. THE DEALER WANTS APPROXIMATELY $700.00 TO FIX THE LEAK. ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAD WITH THE CAR HAPPENED LAST WINTER WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD AND THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. A TUNE UP WAS PERFORMED AT A COST TO ME OF $416.91. I WAS TOLD THAT IF THE TUNE UP DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM THEN THE COMPUTER WOULD NEED TO BE RE-FLASHED AT THE COST OF $200.00. I PREVIOUSLY SENT FORD MOTOR COMPANY AN E-MAIL ABOUT THIS BUT NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I DON'T FEEL IT IS RIGHT FOR A VEHICLE TO HAVE THESE SORTS OF PROBLEMS AT ONLY 66,000 MILES AND I BELIEVE THAT THE GASKET IS A POOR DESIGN. THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO PUT ON AN AFTER MARKET GASKET AND IT WOULD BE OF BETTER QUALITY THAN THE ONE THAT IT IN THEIR NOW. THESE PROBLEMS SUBSTANTIALLY IMPAIRS BOTH THE USE AND VALUE OF MY CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TR