NHTSA Complaint #706663 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

8/3/98 OUR '95 WINDSTAR HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED UNDER FORD'S "EXTENDED WARRANTY" PROGAM. WE HAD HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE MISSING IN THE PAST. ON 10/26/98 THE ENGINE MISSED SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE GOING 70MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, THEN I LOST ENGINE POWER AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ANTIFREEZE RAN OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. WE NURSED IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT A CRANK SHAFT BEARING HAD GONE BAD. THE ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE TO THE TUNE OF $3000. WE QUESTIONED THE DEALER'S MECHANIC AT THAT TIME ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS BEING RELATED TO THE RECALL AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RELATIONSHIP. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THE REPAIR UNTIL APRIL. AFTER TALKING MORE WITH THE DEALERSHIP WE DISCOVERED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD PAID FOR OTHER ENGINE REPLACEMENTS AFTER HEAD GASKET WORK, BUT BECAUSE OUR DEALER DIDN'T CONTACT THEM PRIOR TO THE DEC '98/JAN '99 EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRATION DATE, EVEN THOUGH WE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE OUR ENGINE. WE FEEL THAT EITHER THE HEAD GASKETS HAD ALREADY LEAKED ENOUGH COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE TO CONTAMINATE THE FLUID AND CAUSE THE BEARING FAILURE PRIOR TO THE HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT OR THERE WAS FLUID CONTAMINATION DURING THE HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. WE FEEL WE HAVE BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY BY TOWN AND COUNTRY FORD AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *AK