NHTSA Complaint #704863 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 3-21-99, WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON VEHICLE AND FOUND TRACES OF OIL IN RADIATOR. EXPERIENCE TELLS ME THAT THIS MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH HEAD GASKET FAILURE. ON 3-23-99, SPOUSE DRIVING VEHICLE ADVISED OF TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS AND VEHICLE FOUND TO HAVE LEAKED OUT RADIATOR FLUID. TOOK TO MECHANIC ON 3-24-99, AND WAS ADVISED THAT FORD 3.8 ENGINES HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE SINCE 1993, AND THAT MECHANIC BELIEVES THE ENGINE WAS SUBJECT OF A RECALL TO REPAIR HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. SPOKE TO LOCAL DEALER-UHLMANN'S IN CHEHALIS, WA., WHO ADVISED THAT THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM AND REPAIR AT THEIR FACILTIY RELATED TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN THIS ENGINE,. DEALER STATED FORD HAD DONE A RECALL, BUT THAT FORD WOULD NO LONGER COVER REPAIR IF OVER 60, 000 MILES ON ENGINE, PAST 12-31-98 OR IF NO EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE HAD BEEN PURCHASED. CALLED FORD REPRESENTATIVE AND WAS TOLD THAT IN MAY OF 1998, FORD HAD SENT OWNERS AN OFFER FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT "WOULD" HAVE COVERED THE FAILURE, BUT THAT THEY HAD CHOSEN NOT TO ADVISE OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM AND POTENTIAL FAILURE OF PART. WAS TOLD FORD WULD NOT PROVIDE SERVICE FOR FAILURE AS PAST MILEAGE AND DATE OF OFFER TO REPAIR, AND AS I HAD NOT PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND HAS APPROX. 67000 MILES ON IT AT TIME OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE. REPAIR COST ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $1400. *AK