NHTSA Complaint #736939 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

FORD WINDSTAR (1996): A LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THAT OUR ROUGH IDLE, ENGINE LIGHT, AND SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE INDICATED A HEAD-GASKET PROBLEM. HILL AND SANDERS FORD SERVICE STATION CHECKED FOR PRESSURE LEAKS, BUT COULD ONLY SUGGEST THAT IT WAS BAD PLUGS CAUSING THE "MISFIRE CODE" IN THE COMPUTER. AFTER $318, WE GOT NEW SPARK PLUGS AND A RESET WARNING LIGHT. WITHIN A WEEK, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ROUGH IDLE AND SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE REAPPEARED. WE RETURNED IT TO H&S AND MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS, WITH A NEW SYMPTOM OF DISCOLORED ANTIFREEZE IN THE OVERFLOW CONTAINER (OIL COLOR). H&S SAID THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS A RESULT OF A "MISFIRE CODE" BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY. THE ONLY THING H&S DID WAS FLUSH THE RADIATOR FOR $100, AND ADMITTED THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IT COULD BE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON NOV. 20, 2000 THE VAN STARTED MAKING MECHANICAL NOISES FROM THE ENGINE, LOST POWER, AND SLOWED TO A CRAWL. MY WIFE GOT IT TO A SAFE LOCATION WHERE SHE AND THE KIDS COULD WAIT TO HAVE IT TOWED TO H&S. A NOTE REFERENCED THE PREVIOUS 2 H&S VISITS FOR RELATED PROBLEMS. H&S'S TOLD ME THAT "SOMETHING INSIDE THE ENGINE CAME LOOSE" AND THAT HE RECOMMENDS WE REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $5050! HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. WE CALLED H&S ([XXX] ) THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD HIM THAT WE FELT THAT H&S SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGES DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO DETECT AND FIX THE PROBLEM, AND SENDING US AWAY WITH A FEELING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED OR INCONSEQUENTIAL. H&S FELT THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. OUR ORIGINAL MECHANIC WAS AMAZED THAT H&S DIDN'T SUSPECT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN OIL WAS FOUND IN THE ANTIFREEZE, AND THAT THEY ONLY FLUSHED THE SYSTEM! WE FEEL HELPLESS AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO RECOVER OUR LOSS? [XXX] VIN [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR