NHTSA Complaint #715791 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

I TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND ASKED MECHANIC TO LOOK AT HEATER BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE HEATING PROPERLY. THAT'S WHERE THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN. THE MECHANIC CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS WATER IN #4 CYLINDER WHICH I HAVE LEARNED IS A PROBLEM WITH 3.8L ENGINES WHICH FORD WAS AWARE OF FOR SOME TIME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD WHERE THE INTAKE GASKET AND THE 18 SENSORS WERE REPLACED. INSPITE OF THE NOTED SLUDGE, THEY FAILED TO DROP THE OIL PAN AND SENT ME ON MY WAY INTO THE DARK WITH A CAR WHICH HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN. THE CAR BROKE DOWN IN LESS THAN 5 MILES. NOW I'M BEING TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE. SHOULDN'T THE ENGINE LAST LONGER THAN 125,000 MILES? WHY DID I HAVE TO HAVE IT TUNED UP AT 100,000 IF THE ENGINE IS ONLY SUPPOSE TO LAST ANOTHER 25,000 MILES? FORD HAS PROVEN NEGLIGENT IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 3.8L ENGINE. HAD MY CAR NOT BROKEN DOWN THAT NIGHT, THE NEXT MORNING I WOULD HAVE SET OUT AT 5:15AM ON I-20 AND I285 IN ATLANTA. IT WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT THIS CAR BROKE DOWN SO QUICKLY WHEN THEY FAILED TO REPAIR IT PROPERLY. *AK