NHTSA Complaint #740396 — 1993 FORD TAURUS

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NOTHING DRAMATIC ABOUT IT. I SIMPLY NOTICED THE HEATER IN THE CAR WAS NO LONGER WORKING. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED, APPROXIMATELY A WEEK OR TWO LATER, THE DEALER TOLD ME I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THEY ESTIMATED IT WOULD COST "APPROX. $1400" TO REPAIR IT/THEM. THE WORK REQUEST DOESN'T SPECIFY WHETHER ONE OR BOTH WERE BLOWN, BUT IT DOES SPECIFY THAT BOTH WOULD BE REPLACED. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT IT HAS EXISTED SINCE 1988. HOWEVER, FORD HAS ONLY EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR THIS DEFECT TO CARS FROM 1994 ON. IT WAS ALMOST 1994 WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR, BUT IT IS A 1993 MODEL, AND NOT COVERED, EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL.*AK