NHTSA Complaint #743101 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS, BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALER. THEY STATED THAT ANTIFREEZE LEAKING INTO HEAD GASKET & THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I MAY NEED A NEW ENGIENE. I DID NOT LEAVE VEHICLE AT DEALER AT THAT TIME BECAUSE I STATED THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO HAVE HIM DO WORK ON VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT THE 3.8 LITRE ENGIENE IS KNOWN FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH HEAD GASKET. ON 3/19/ 01 DEALER CONTACTED ME WANTING TO KNOW IF I WOULD BE GETTING HEAD GASKET FIXED. I STATED THAT AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT CERTAIN 1995 3.8 LITRE ENGIENES WERE RECALLED AND THAT A CLASS ACTION SUIT WAS BROUGHT AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY ON 12/9/99 BECAUSE OF FAULTY HEAD GASKETS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY & LOGGED COMPLAINT, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEIR WERE NO RECALLS ON 1996 FORD WINDSTARS SO THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. ONCE I COMPLAINED TO DEALER THAT THEIR WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGIENE THEY OFFERED ME A 6 YEAR WARRANTY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF PURCHASE OR 100,000 MILES WHICH EVER CAME FIRSTON TRANSMISSION & ENGIENE UP TO $2,000.00 WITH $500.00 DEDUCTIBLE. I TOOK THIS OFFER WITH DEALER BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE 1 VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS OFFER, THE ONLY REASON THE DEALER OFFERED ME THIS DEAL WAS BECAUSE I INFORMED THEM THAT THIS PARTICULAR ENGIENE HAS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. DEALER ORIGINALLY QUOTED THAT WORK ON HEAD GASKET WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1,500 FOR HEAD GASKET REPAIRS OR APPROXIMATELY $3,000.00 FOR NEW ENGIENE. EVEN THOUGH I WILL HAVE PAY $500.00 OUT OF POCKET, I BELIEVE THAT THE DEALER OR FORD SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE HEAD GASKET REPAIRS BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGIENE SINCE 1988. I HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE ON THE INTERNET @ WEBSITE WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/FORD_WINDSTAR_1996_GASKETS.HTM THAT OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 1996 FORD WINDSTARS 3.8 LITRE ENGIENE AS I HAVE. I APPECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE. *AK