NHTSA Complaint #733119 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO FORD. THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT THEY CLAIM THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO ONE OF THE SPARK PLUG WIRES "ARCHING". THEY COULD NOT OR WOULD NOT TELL ME WHICH ONE WAS ARCHING, BUT WERE WILLING TO CHARGE ME $320 TO CHANGE THE SIX WIRES AND PLUS. I PAID FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND CHANGED THE PLUGS AND WIRES MYSELF. A WEEK LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. HE DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH CYLINDER NUMBER FOUR. IT WAS CRACKED. THEY MADE THE REPAIR AND A WEEK LATER I WAS OUT OVER A $1000. MY MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED ME THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME THIS RIGHT AWAY. FORD WAS WILLING TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES AND I WOULD STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.