NHTSA Complaint #725356 — 1993 FORD TAURUS

CAR SUDDENLY SLOWED, AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. EXHAUST STARTED OMITTING WHITE "SMOKE". I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD WITH NO INCIDENT. COOLANT AND FLUIDS LEAKED INTO THE MAIN ENGINE COMPARTMENT I FOUND OUT LATER, RESULTING FROM BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. MY CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE AT THIS SAME DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE GASKETS BLEW. FORD WAS AWARE OF DEFECTIVE GASKETS INTHIS ENGINE AND AT NO TIME DID THIS FORD CERTIFIED DEALER ADVISE ME TO HAVE THE GASKETS REPLACED. THEY OWED THE PUBLIC A RESPONSIBILITY TO WARN THEM OF THE POTENTIAL FAILURE. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND IN HOT WEATHER IT COULD HAVE FROZEN OR LOCKED UP THE ENGINE. I DROVE THE CAR AFTERWARDS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ENGINE FAILURES WAS AND COULD NOT GET IT IN UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS. I DO NOT NOT WHAT RESIDIDUAL DAMAGE THERE HAS BEEN TO THE ENGINE SINCE THE PATIENT WAS SEWN BACK UP IN THIS CASE. UNDOUBTEDLY, THE ENGINE LIFE HAS BEEN SHORTNED AS A RESULT OF DRIVING THE CAR WITH COLLANT AND FOREIGN FLUIDS IN THE ENGINE. I ALSO OWNED A 1990 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL WITH THE SAME ENGINE. IT FROZE. I WAS TOLD BY FORD IT WOULD COST ME $3800 TO PUT A NEW ENGINE IN IT.*AK