NHTSA Complaint #719940 — 1993 FORD THUNDERBIRD

FORD HAS EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON SOME MODELS FOR EARLY HEAD GASKET FAILURE,AT ABOUT 65,500 MILES, OUR CAR HAS THE SAME ENGINE IN IT AS THE RECALLS AND WE HAD FAILURE AT 48,000 MILES, I HAVE CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE ONLY TO BE TOLD MINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM, I HAVE WROTE A LETTER TO JIM O' CONNOR A FORD EXECUTIVE AND I HAVE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. WHEN I QUESTIONED WHY SHE WAS ANSWERING MY LETTER INSTEAD OF JIM SHE REPLIED THAT HE GETS THOUSANDS OF LETTERS DAILY AND DOES"NT HAVE THE TIME TO READ OR ANSWER THEM. ALL SHE TOLD ME BASICALLY WAS WHAT I HAD WRITTEN IN MY LETTER AND SHE COULD'NT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I WAS TOLD TO CALL 1-800-325-5621 WITH MY QUESTIONS, AND THAT MY LETTER WOULD BE FILED IN THEIR COMPUTER JUST IN CASE THEY LATER INCLUDED MY CAR IN THIS EXTENSION. I CALLED THE NUMBER ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT A DEALER HAD TO CALL THIS NUMBER FOR ME. SO I CALLED MY DEALER AND ASKED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 3.8L ENGINE IN MY CAR AND IN THE TAURUS OR WINDSTAR I WAS TOLD THAT THE DIFFERENCES WERE MINOR BUT THAT THE THUNDERBIRD HAD A SUPERIOR COOLING SYSTEM IN IT'S ENGINE. HE SUGGESTED THAT I COME IN AND FILL OUT A CUSTOMER REVIEW FORM AND THEY WOULD SUBMIT IT TO FORD AND THEY MAY HELP ME WITH THE BILL. MY MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT IF FORD IS RECOGNIZING A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND EARLY HEAD GASKET FAILURE, WHY ARE THEY ONLY RECOGNIZING CERTAIN MAKES AND YEAR'S . MY CAR MAY BE A 93 , THE CAR'S IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ARE 94'S AND 95'S BUT THEY HAVE ABOUT 65,000 MILES ON THEM WHEN THEY FAIL, MINE HAS MUCH LESS. I APPRECIATE ANY HELP AS I AM VERY AGGRAVATED WITH THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *AK