NHTSA Complaint #729152 — 1992 FORD ECONOLINE

I REPORTED A DEFECT WITH MY VEHICLE IN OCT OF 1999 AND RECIEVED A RESPONCE FROM DOT THAT IT IS BEING INVESTIGATED AND I WILL GET A RESPONSE. THAT RESPONSE HAS NOT COME YET AND 1 YEAR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO WAIT FOR A REPLY ON A SAFTEY ISSUE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE OIL PAN ON MY VEHICLE RUSTED THROUGH. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER, SERVICE STATIONS, AND THE MANUFACTURE THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNUSSUAL PROBLE FOR MY TYPE ENGINE. IF THAT BE THE CASE, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD DO TO FAULTY METAL AND/OR PAINT PROCESS. WHAT HAPOPENS IS THE PAINT BUBBLKES AWAY FROM THE METAL ALLOWING WATER TO GET BETWEEN THE PAINT AND THE METAL. IT TOOK ONLY 6 YEARS AND/OR 70K MILES TO ROT A HOLE THROUGH MY OIL PAN. THE EXPENSE OF REPLACEMENT IS $600 BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LIFT THE ENGINE TO CLEAR THE OIL PAN FROM THE CROSS MEMBERS. AS I COULD NOT WAIT ANY LONGER TO HERE THE RESULTS OF YOUR INVESTIGATION, I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE MINE REPLACED. I HAVE HEARD FROM THE DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIANS THAT THEY THOUGHT THERE USED TO BE A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS DEFECT BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND IT. I HAVE CHECKED YOUR DATABASE AND CANNOT FIND ONE EITHER. THIS COUDL POTENTIALLY BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF THE HOLE WOULD OCCUR WHILE DRIVING... SUDDUN LOSS OF OIL, BURN UP ENGINE... POTETIAL LOCKUP OF DRIVE LINE ... ETC ..... BTW.. WHEN I INITIALLY INVESTIGATED THIS IN 1999, I FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE BIG ENOUGH THAT THE SERVICE CENTERS IN THE AREA COULD NOT KEEP OILPANS IN STOCK BECAUSE OF THE HIGH RATE OF REPLACEMENT....