NHTSA Complaint #718290 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

I GOT MY 95 WINDSTAR FROM MY DAD 3 MONTHS AGO. HE HAD BEEN THE SOLE/ORIGINAL OWNER. THE HEAT GAUGE STARTED GOING WAY UP AND THEN BACK TO NORMAL ON JAN 20, 2000. IT WOULD GO UP AND DOWN SOMETIMES 8 TIMES IN A 30 MINUTE RIDE! I CHECKED THE EASIEST, AND LEAST EXPENSIVE THINGS FIRST - ENGINE COOLANT, RADIATOR, AND THERMOSTAT. BUT IT KEPT DOING IT. FINALLY, ON JAN 27, 2000 IT OVERHEATED AND STAYED HOT. I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER (HELGESEN'S OF EVANSVILLE, WI) AND THEY GOT IT IN ON THE FOLLOWING MON. THE 31ST. THEY SAID IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET AND MENTIONED THE RECALL ON IT. I TALKED TO MY DAD, WHO BOUGHT THE VAN NEW AND IS VERY METICULOUS ABOUT SAVING PAPERS, AND MAINTAINING HIS AUTOMOBILES. HE SAID THAT HE NEVER GOT A RECALL LETTER ON IT AND CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT IF HE HAD. IN FACT, WHEN I GOT THE VAN FROM HIM, HE GAVE ME HIS WHOLE FILE OF INFO ON IT, WHICH CONSISTED OF THE ORIGINAL SALES & ORDER PAPERS, AND OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS, BUT NO REPAIRS OR RECALL INFO OF ANY KIND. I WILL BE CALLING FORD TOMORROW AS I JUST FOUND A WEB SITE WITH THE RECALL # AND PHONE # ON IT TONITE. OBVIOUSLY, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM! THANK YOU FOR YOUR "EAR"... SUE HERMAN