NHTSA Complaint #722048 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

RECALL 99S33 SAYS "WINDSTAR MAY BE EXPOSED TO VERY HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES IN MY AREA AND THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE RMINED THAT THE FUEL TANK IN MY VEHICLE MAY CRACK AS A RESULT OF TEMPERATURES. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. DEALER WILL INSTALLED A REVISED FUEL TANK STRAP AND A SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FUEL TANK BRACE DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR FUEL TANK STRESS CRACKS ON THE WINDSTAR. IN THE CARE WHERE THE FUEL TANK IS ALREADY LEAKING FROM A STRESS CRACK, A REPLACEMENT TANK WILL BE INSTALLED AT NO CHARGE. MY QUESTION IS - IF THE CRACKS ARE CAUSED FROM VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES, HOW CAN A FUEL TANK STRAP AND A FUEL TANK BRACE ELIMINATE POTENTIAL FUEL TANK STRESS CRACKS ON THIS VEHICLE. SEEMS THIS PROCEDURE MAY STABILIZE THE FUEL TANK BUT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH STRESS CRACKS CAUSED BY HIGH TEMPERATURES. MY AUTOMOBILE IS IN SHOP AS I PREVIOUSLY WROTE TODAY FOR BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, AND FORD AND DEALERSHIP ARE REFUSING TO HONOR THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY. I DO NOT WISH TO JEOPARDIZE MYSELF OR MY PASSENGERS UNDER THE FALSE PRETENSES THAT A STRAP IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKS UNDER EXCESSIVE TEMPERATURES WHICH ARE THE CONDITIONS THAT NORMAL IN THE GULF COAST AREA. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THIS STRAP AND BRACE WILL PREVENT FUTURE LEAKAGE FROM TEMPERATURES AND POTENTIAL FIRE. *AK