NHTSA Complaint #725693 — 1994 FORD MUSTANG

MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE RAN HOT WITHOUT WARNING DURING A ROADTRIP FROM ATLANTA TO SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO J.C.LEWIS FORD AND DIAGNOSED AS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS (E.G. HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS). UPON RETURNING FROM MY TRIP, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR CO. INFORMING ME THAT A WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED ON ALL 1994 AND 1995 MUSTANG FORD HEAD GASKETS AS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET. THIS WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO ALL VEHICLES LESS THAN 7 YEARS OLD AND TO ALL THAT HAVE LESS THAN 100,000 MILES. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS WARRANTY LIES IN THE FACT THAT MY VEHICLE HAS PASSED THE MILEAGE LIMITATION, ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. I AM CURIOUS ABOUT HOW A CONSUMER COULD WIN IN THIS SITUATION, IF THE VEHICLE WAS CREATED WITH A ENGINE DEFECT THAT WAS NOT PUBLISHED UNTIL ALMOST SIX YEARS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER THAT I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES RELIGOUSLY, BECAUSE I WAS SEEMINGLY SOLD A DEFECTED CAR THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT HONOR AS A RECALL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR THOUSANDS OF MILES UNAWARE OF ITS DEFECTS. IF I HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE DEFECT EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE PROMPTLY TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT REACHED 100,000 MILES. IT IS MY SINCERE BELIEF THAT THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE MANUFACTURER DISSEMINATED PROPER NOTIFICATION IN A TIMELY MANNER. I MUST ADMIT THAT I HAVE ENJOYED THE USE OF MY CAR UNTIL THIS UNEXPECTED BREAKDOWN. THEREFORE, I AM REQUESTING THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY INCLUDE MY VEHICLE UNDER ITS EXTENDED WARRANTY BASED ON THE GOOD FAITH THAT I RELIED ON WHEN PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE.*AK