NHTSA Complaint #718829 — 1993 FORD TAURUS

AT 55 MPH, HEATER STARTED TO BLOW ONLY COLD AIR, TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOT UP TO RED (OVERHEAT) ZONE. CAR WAS STOPPED AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN, THEN PROCEEDED TO LIMP 10 MILES HOME AT SLOW SPEED. VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO FORD DEALER. DEALER DETERMINED THE HEADGASKET(S) HAS FAILED CAUSING PROBLEM. NOT SURE IF BEARING DAMAGED OCCURRED. NO VISIBLE WATER / MILKY OIL PRESENT. LOTS OF STEAM FROM EXHAUST. DEALER ALSO NOTED TIMING COVER LEAKING. I ASKED DEALER TO CONTACT FORD ABOUT COST ASSISTANCE SINCE THIS FAILURE NEARLY UNEXPECTEDLY LEFT MY WIFE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A VERY RURAL AREA AND THE FACT THAT THIS TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE IS NOT NORMAL AT ONLY 60,000 MILES. PER DEALER, FORD REFUSED TO ASSIST ME DUE TO MILEAGE / AGE. I WAS CHARGED $1343.48 FOR THIS REPAIR. I HAVE SINCE LEANED THAT THIS FAILURE MODE IS COMMON FOR THIS ENGINE AT AROUND 65,000 MILES. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO WARRANTY THIS DEFECT. FORD PREVIOUS TSB'S COVERING THIS PROBLEM WERE NOT BROAD ENOUGH TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS ALL THE MODEL YEARS / MILEAGES INVOLVED. I DO NOT FEEL MY VEHICLE BEING DISABLED DUE TO A HEADGASKET FAILURE AT 60,000 MILES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK