NHTSA Complaint #743233 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

ENGINE CHECK CAME ON TOOK TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE SHOP TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS RUN. WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A TUNE UP, NEW SPARK PLUGS AND CABLES, FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER, FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED AND I ALSO HAD OIL CHANGED SINCE IT WAS TIME FOR IT. PICKED UP VEHICLE PAID 444.00 FOR THE SERVICE NEXT MORNING DROVE TO WORK, OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I HAVE NEVER HAD THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERED ON. CHECKED OIL, IN MY PARKING SPACE WAS DARK SO ALL I COULD SEE IS THERE WAS FLUID AT THE CORRECT LEVEL. STARTED IT UP THAT EVENING TO GO HOME DROVE APROXIMATELY 40 MILES, STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON THE THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD HAD TO TOWED BACK TO THE SHOP THAT DID THE WORK. WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, OIL LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE ANSWER KNOWING THENOISE THE ENGINE WAS MAKING TO CAUSE ME TO HAVE IT TOWED IN. THEY TEST DROVE FOR AND LET RUN FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MIN. BEFORE THE OIL LIGHT DID COME ON. THEY THEN TOLD ME IT WAS AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND DID NOT DO ENGINE WORK. HAD IT TOWED IMMEDIATELY TO A FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE OILD PAN WAS FULL OF COOLANT AND BEARINGS WERE "WASHED" IN ENGINE AND WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE. NO ONE WANTS TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE JUST BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL MOTOR (AND NOT BY THE DEALERSHIP). WHAT CAN BE DONE NEXT?