NHTSA Complaint #716605 — 1994 FORD TAURUS

THE MAIN FAILURE THAT I'M INTERESTED IN REPORTING IS THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM (FAILURE OF HEAD GASKET). I HAVE ADDED THE 3 FAILURES OF THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM SINCE I FEEL ONE OF THESE FAILURES MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ALREADY DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET TO BECOME EVEN MORE PRONE TO FAILURE. 1ST A/C FAILURE IN MARCH 98 WAS FOR ACCUMULATOR HOSE HAD A HOLE IN IT. 2ND A/C FAILURE IN MAY99 COIL-PULLEY-CLUTCH ASSY HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN JULY 99 ALL THE HOSES INCLUDING HEATER HOSE AND THE MANIFOLD-INTAKE LOWER WERE REPLACED. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM THIS REPAIR A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE CAME THRU THE VENTS INTO THE CAR AND THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR. I CALLED THE GARAGE AND REPORTED THIS THEY SAID, " SOME OF THE ANTIFREEZE MUST HAVE GOT ONTO THE ENGINE AND NOT TO WORRY". FIFTEEN DAYS LATER ON 16JULY19 THE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE VENTS AGAIN. THIS IS THE 3RD A/C WHICH WAS FOR A CORE HEATER ASSY. I THINK THAT THIS CAUSE A OVERHEATING OF THE ENGINE AND FURTHER DAMAGED THE ALREADY DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS (TO BE FAR THIS IS ONLY A GUESS ON MY PART SINCE THE TEMP. INDICATOR NEVER GOT IN THE RED AREA. ALSO I SHOULD MENTION THAT THE DAY AFTER ALL THE HOSES WERE CHANGED I HAD TO RETURN THE CAR SINCE THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE ON MY GARAGE FLOOR CAUSE MY A CLAMP NOT BEING INSTALL CORRECTLY. THE ON 14DEC99 THE CAR STARTED OVERHEATING, I CHECKED THE OVERFLOW ANTIFREEZE AREA ADDED ANTIFREEZE AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY DID A PRESSURE TEST AND FOUND A BAD HOSE AND REPLACED IT. ON 21DEC99 ENGINE OVERHEATING AGAIN. PUT MORE ANTIFREEZE IN TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. FIRST THEY CALLED AND SAID""IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT." THEN THE NEXT DAY THEY SAID, "BLOWN HEAD GASKET". I THINK ALL THIS OVERHEADING DIDN'T HELP THE HEAD GASKET BUT I REALLY THINK FOLD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE AND MADE TO REPLACE THESE HEAD GASKETS FREE EVEN THOUGH THE EXTENDED WARRENTY PERIOD ON THE RECALL HAS PASSED. THE RECALL WAS NOT CLEARLY WITTEN.