NHTSA Complaint #707038 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW ON THE ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO SUDDENLY AND RAPIDLY OVERHEAT. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I FOUND IT WAS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT IN THE 1995 FORD 3.8 LITER ENGINE. I LEANED THIS FROM ALL 3 LOCAL DEALERS AND 2 LOCAL ENGINE SHOPS. APPARENTLY FORD WAS FIXING ANY ENGINE THIS OCCURRED ON UP TO 60000 MILES, SO THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM. UPON CONTACTING FORD, I WAS INFORMED THEY WOULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE AND WOULD HAVE TO WORK IT OUT WITH THE DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $50 AN HOUR INSTEAD OF $60, RESULTING IN A BILL OF $1350 INSTEAD OF $1600. I DO NOT THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE DEALER. FORD OBVIOUSLY KNEW ABOUT IT OR THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD ANY REPAIR POLICY FOR THIS PROBLEM. NOT ONLY AM I OUT THE $1400 ( A SENSOR ALSO FAILED WHCICH HAD TO BE REPLACED), BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN OUT MUCH MORE SINCE THE ENGINE OVERHEATS SO QUICKLY THEY OFTEN SUFFER SEVERE DAMAGE AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED(I WAS TOLD THIS AGAIN BY SEVERAL DEALERS AND ENGINE SHOPS).ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS HURT I FEEL THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE IT CAN OCCUR SO SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. *AK