NHTSA Complaint #751447 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

NUMBER 6 CYLINDER ROD BEARING FAILED RESULTING IN NEED TO REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT ROD BEARINGS AND NUMBER 6 CYLINDER ROD. ACCORDING TO THE FORD MECHANIC THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO AN ANTI-FREEZE LEAK (MOST PROBABLY FROM THE HEAD GASKET). THIS OCCURRED 17 MONTHS AFTER WARRANTY HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT BY FORD. CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY RECALL NO LONGER APPLIED BECAUSE OF THE MILAGE AND AGE OF THE VEHICLE. I ADVISED THAT I ALREADY HAD THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY TO AVOID THIS VERY PROBLEM. THEY CONTACTED ORANGE MOTORS IN ALBANY NY WHO REPLACED THE ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET TO SEE IF THEY WOULD WARRANTY THEIR WORK. THEY WOULD NOT. THIS OCCURRED 1,000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME IN TOMAH WISCONSIN AT NORRIS-VERNIER MOTOR SALES (A FORD DEALER). DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE COST OF THE REPAIR ($2,500) AND THE SIGNIFICANT TIME REQUIRED TO REPAIR, WE LEFT THE VEHICLE, RENTED A CAR AND DROVE HOME. WE HAVE SINCE DONATED IT TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY. IT'S MY EXPECTATION THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO MORE THAN 89,000 MILES AND LAST MORE THAN 6 YEARS WITHOUT THIS TYPE OF MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD ALL RECALL WARRANTY WORK PERFORMED, HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND SPENT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON NON-WARRANTY WORK TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I JUST COULDN'T SEE PUTTING ANOTHER CENT INTO THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE. I AM ESPECIALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT FORD WON'T STAND BEHIND THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED, ILL CONCEIVED PRODUCT.*AK