NHTSA Complaint #564152 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

CONSUMER STATED THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED, TECH ADVISOR DETERMINED IT WAS THE HEATED OXYGEN SENSOR WHICH WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELRATOR, THE ENGINE HESITATED, CONSUMER RECEIVED WARRANTY EXTENSION ON HEAD GASKET, THE ENGINE ULTIMATELY FAILED, AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER THE HESITATION PROBLEM IMPROVED BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND AS WELL BEFORE, THE HEISTATION BECAME WORSE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED, BUT NOT DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET, CONSUMER RECEIVED A SECOND OPINON BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT WATER WAS DETECTED IN THE #6 CYLINDER AND DETERMINED THAT THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL, THE MECHANIC ATTRIBUTED THE ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEM TO BE A HEAD GASKET FAILURE, HOWEVER MANUFACTURER IS NOT HONORING WARRANTY STATING THAT THE GASKET WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY AND THAT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE FAILED ENGINE WAS NOT DUE TO GASKET FAILURE, AND ALSO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS NOT AN AUTHORIZED FORD REPAIR FACILITY.*JG