NHTSA Complaint #707981 — 1995 FORD TAURUS

OUR VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS USUAL PRIOR TO THE BREAKDOWN. WE HAD RECENTLY HAD THE VEHICLE TUNED UP, AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO A SKIP PROBLEM AND LOWER THEN NORMAL GAS MILEAGE. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED A 45 MINUTE TRIP IN THE VEHICLE AND STOPPED FOR DINNER. WE WERE IN THE RESTAURANT FOR 45 MINUTES AND THEN RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETE OUR TRIP. UPON LEAVING THE RESTAURANT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKIP BADLY, WITH SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST, AND THE TEMPERTURE GAUGE BEGAN TO RISE. WE IMMEDITALLY TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC AND HE SAID WE HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. UPON CONTACTING OUR FORD DEALERSHIP WE WERE TOLD THAT YES, FORD HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT THAT WE WERE PAST THE DEC.31, 1998 DEADLINE AND THE 60,000 MILES. WE CONTACTED THE FORD CUSTOMER INQUIRY DEPARTMENT, BUT WE WERE TOLD THE SAMETHING. WE FEEL THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *AK