NHTSA Complaint #757893 — 1996 FORD WINDSTAR

ON DECEMBER 13, 2001 MY WIFE RETURNED FROM A VISIT WITH HER MOTHER IN GALESBURG ILLINOIS. AS USUAL SHE PARKED OUR 1996 FORD WINDSTAR IN THE GARAGE. SINCE MY SON AND I HAD TO MAKE A TRIP TO IOWA CITY THE NEXT DAY, I DECIDED TO FILL THE VAN UP WITH GAS. UPON TRYING TRYING TO START THE VAN I NOTICE THAT THE HEAT GAUGE WAS INDICATING THAT THE VAN WAS OVERHEATING. I QUESTION MY WIFE ABOUT THIS AND SHE SAID THAT THE VAN HAD NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF OVERHEATING ON THE WAY HOME. I TOOK THE VAN TO DENNISON FORD IN BLOOMINGTON ILLINOIS ON DECEMBER 17, 2001 AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN AND THAT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATEL $1700.00 TO REPAIR. ON DECEMBER 22, 2001 I AUTHORIZED DENNISONS TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. I GOT THE VAN BACK THE SAME DAY. ON FEBURARY 1, 2002 MY DAUGHTER TOOK THE VAN TO CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS TO PICK UP MY SON. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE VAN HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY SINCE THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BEEN REPLACED. I RECEIVE A CALL FROM MY DAUGHTER FROM CHAMPAIGN TELLING ME THAT THE VAN HAD DIED AND THEY COULDN'T GET IT STARTED. ON THE WAY TO CHAMPAIGN I CALLED MY DAUGHTER AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE VAN STARTED AND WERE AT MY SON'S DORM. WHEN I ARRIVED AT CHAMPAIGN I INSPECTED THE VAN AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THERE WERE NO LIGHT OR ANY WARNING INDICATIONS. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE VAN HOME AND GAVE MY VEHICAL TO MY KIDS. ON THE WAY HOME, APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM MY SON'S DORM, I ATTEMPTED TO PASS A SEMI. WHILE PASSING THE ENGINE DIED. THIS LEFT ME IN A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. THERE WERE CARS IN FRONT AND BACK OF ME AND A SEMI ON THE RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VAN OFF THE ROAD WITH OUT AN ACCIDENT, BUT JUST BARELY. THE VAN WAS TOLLED BACK THE DENNISON'S. LATER THAT DAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN AND THAT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $3300.00 TO REPAIR.*AK