NHTSA Complaint #741183 — 1994 FORD MUSTANG

ON MAY OF 2000, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY STATING THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. UPON RECEIVING THIS LETTER MAY 11, 2000 I CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR CO. AND ASKED THEM IF I COULD BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM HAD TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN BEFORE IT COULD BE DETECTED. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND A HALF AND NOW THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURED. MY SON WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME WAS PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE CAR VIBRATED AND DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AN ORANGE LIQUID LEAKED OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE AND WHITE SMOKE ALSO POORED OUT OF THE PIPE. HE MANAGED TO PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC I HAVE KNOW FOR QUITE SOMETIME, HE INFORMED ME IT WAS DEFINATE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO, THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE HANDLED WITH THEM BECAUSE IT WAS PAST THE WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS 85,000 MILES AND I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. MY COMPLAINT IS WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SUFFER FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE. I WAS NOT TOLD WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT THERE WAS ANY SORT OF PROBLEM THAT MIGHT OCCUR BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE PART. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. WHEN I WAS ON-LINE I FOUND NUMEROUS MUSTANG OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ME. I FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE THIS COMPANY PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE, ESPECIALLY A MISTAKE THAT COULD BE FATAL. THANK YOU, [XXX] [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).