NHTSA Complaint #731524 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 2/22/00 THE HEAD GASKET BLEW ON THE 1995 3.8L ENGINE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GASKET ON 2/28/00. THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE 100,000 MILE RECALL ON THE ENGINE. ON 4/28/00 THE ENGINED FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 495 IN MA WITH A SPEED OF 60 MPH. THE FAILURE WAS FROM LEAKING COOLANT FROM THE REPLACED HEAD GASKET THAT RESULT IN WIPING THE BEARING AND #5 & 6 CYLINDERS. AT FIRST THE DEALER WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE WORK. ON 5/16/00, THE DEALER FINALLY WARRANTY THE WORK AND STATED THAT A NEW ENGINE WOULD TAKE 2-5 WEEKS TO RECEIVE. THE ENGINE WAS NOT RECEIVED UNTIL MID JULY. A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WAS NOT OFFFERED TO ME UNTIL I HAD TO RAISE A LITTLE STINK AT THE DEALER ON 6/20/00. I ALSO INQUIRED IF THERE WAS A BUYBACK PROGRAM FOR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER EVER RESPONED. COME TO FIND OUT THERE IS A PROGRAM FOR THE '95 &'96 WINDSTAR TO THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE ENGINE. I ALSO WAS NEVER REIMBURSED FRO THE HEAD GASKET WORK DONE ORIGINALLY ON 2/28/00. *AK