NHTSA Complaint #747923 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH AND I NOTICED THAT AS I WAS DRIVING THE HEATER WOULD BLOW WARM AIR AND THEN FOR NO REASON IT WOULD BLOW COLD AIR. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD HEATER CORE OR THERMOSTAT SO I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC. HE CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID THAT IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE CHECK WITH OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 3.8 LITER ENGINE. WE CHECKED WITH THEM AND OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TELL US MUCH UNTIL AFTER WE BROUGHT IT TO THEM AND THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTICS TEST WHICH WOULD COST US $125 AND IF IT WASN'T UNDER THE RECALL IT WOULD BE SOME WHERE BETWEEN $1800 - $2200 TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. OBVIOUSLY WE CHOSE OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AT $1150.08 AND CHOSE TO PERSUE CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE WERE TOLD BY ONE OF THE REPS. THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK WITH US. WHEN THEY CALLED US BACK WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR VAN WAS NOT ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT WERE ON RECALL. OF COURSE, I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS DECISION AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE HIGHER UP. I WAS GIVEN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR AND SHE INFORMED ME THAT THEY INTENDED TO STICK BY THEIR EARLIER DECISION AND THAT SHE HAD THE FINAL SAY AND THAT I HAD TO FURTHER RECOURSE. I WAS ANGRY BUT I FELT THAT I HAD JUST BEEN DEALT A RAW DEAL BY FORD AND I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO WAIT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE FAMILY AND I COULD NOT BE WITHOUT MY VEHICLE ANY LONGER.*AK