1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHIN MINUTES OF BEING STARTED. HE NOTICED THICK, WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE "LOW COOLANT" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

DT: 1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD 3.8. THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ENGINE PROBLEM ON OCTOBER 3, 2005. TOOK VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY WANTED $4600 TO PUT IN A NEW ENGINE. IN DECEMBER 2003 VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE FROM TIMING CHAIN GASKET. HAD VEHICLE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT NOR HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE. POLICE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE . THE CONSUMER CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY, AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKETS ON 1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD. *LA

VEHICLE SMOKING FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD AND LEAKING COOLANT.*MR CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE, A BILLOW OF WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE LEAKED COOLANT . THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A HEAD GASKET LEAK WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THE COOLANT CONTAMINATED THE OIL AND WAS LEAKING OUT THE REAR OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE MAY BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL/EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE RECALL ONLY COVERED 1994 MODELS NOT 1995. THE CONSUMER LATER LEARNED THE PART WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. FORD WOULDN'T COVER THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WASN'T DIAGNOSED/REPAIRED AT A FORD DEALER. CONSUMER STATED THAT IF THE WOMAN AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP WOULD'VE CONFIRMED THE WARRANTY ON THE PART, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT A FORD DEALERSHIP. CONSUMER FELT FORD SHOULD HAVE REIMBURSE THEM...

BY NOW IT IS QUITE APPARENT OF THE NOTORIOUS FORD 3.8L HEAD GASKET FAILURE ISSUE. WELL, JUST TO KEEP PEOPLE UP TO DATE ON FORD'S BUSINESS PRACTICES. MY WIFE BOUGHT A 1995 FORD THUNDERBIRD IN NOV 1995. (I MUST FIRST START OFF BY SAYING THAT I AM THE COMPUTER LITERATE ONE, THAT IS WHY I AM COMPLAINING, AND I AM THE ONE WHO WILL BE FORCED TO FIX/PAY FOR THE HEAD GASKETS IN HER THUNDERBIRD). TODAY IS APRIL 9TH 2003, I AM BEGINNING TO NOTICE SYMPTOMS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR (LOSING COOLANT, ERRATIC TEMPERATURE CHANGES) WHICH WOULD INDICATE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. IN DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE WEB, I CAME ACROSS SOME INFO THAT THERE WAS (2) EXTENDED WARRANTIES PUT OUT ON THE 3.8L ENGINE BY FORD, THAT SHE HAS. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BULLETINS STATING WE NEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE...

WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF. VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING BADLY, AND SMOKE CAME OF TAILPIPE DUE TO HEAD GASKET BLOWNING OUT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STARTED TO BOUNCE A BIT, AND THEN CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND FOUND OUT THAT HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWEN. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *TT

OIL PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSED THE 3.8L V6 ENGINE TO LOCK UP. DEALER AN MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK

SEAL FAILED KNOWN PROBLEM WITH V 6 3.3L FAULTY DESIGN ACK BY FORD WILL NOT REPLACE CAR CAN BLOW UP NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DRIVING SEVERE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT SMOKE WAS OFF DUE TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT TO START THE VEHICLE, HE HAD TO TRY COUPLE OF TIMES AND WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HE NOTICED ENGINE OVERHEATING POINTER MOVING TOWARDS HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND LOWERED HIS SPEED TO 40 MPH AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE, WHILE BACKING UP, THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING, WHEN PUTTING IN DRIVE IT RAN NORMALLY THEN NOTICED ABNORMAL SMOKE COMING OUT OF MUFFLER, THE SERVICE ENGINEER TOLD HIM THAT HEAD CYLINDER GASKET WAS BLOWN, AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO ENGINE AND TO THE MUFFLER. *YD

THE HEAD GASKET IN MY CAR HAS FAILED AS HAVE MANY OF THE 3.8L FORD V6'S FORD HAS PRODUCED ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR FELL OFF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE RAOD THERE WAS NO SIGN OF TAMPERING WITH IT NO SCRATCHES NO DENTS JUST FELL RIGHT OFF THE CAR AND ON TO THE ROAD!!!!. *AK

HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM FOR THUNDERBIRDS.*AK

I HAVE ANTIFREEZE POURING FROM MY TAIL PIPE. FORD MECHANICS MISSED THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM WHEN IT WAS SMALL AND FIXED PARTS DAMAGED BY THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM. NOW THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAS WORSENED--THE CAR ISN'T DRIVABLE. AND HAS EXCEEDED THEIR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. MY CAR WAS UNDER THE WARRANTY WHEN THEIR MACHANICS OVERLOOKED MY HEAD GASKETS. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. CONSUEMR FEELS VEHICLE IS OVERHEATING.*AK

HAVE HAD HEAT PROBLEMS ALL WINTER. HAD NO IDEA THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. *AK

CONSUMER HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE ACCELERATING AND LOSING POWER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECK UP, DEALER FOUND OUT THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE LETTER INDICATED WORK IS COVERED IN MAY, HOWEVER THIS WORK WAS COMPLETED IN APRIL, CONSUMER FEELS FORD SHOULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE. *SLC

THIS INQUIRY THROUGH NHTSA IS A RESULT OF LITTLE ASSISTANCE FROM FORD MOROR CO. IN REFERENCE TO A DESIGN RELATED DEFECT ON 1995 V6, 3.8 LITER ENGINES. MY PROBLEM DEVELOPED AT 85000 MILES AND UPON INQUIRY WITH FORD FOUND THAT "ONLY" THE 1995 SABLE AND TAURUS WERE INCLUDED IN AN EXISTING RECALL/EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM RELATED TO HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. FORD SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME WITH MY THUNDERBIRD, BUT IF I CHOSE TO REPAIR IT, I COULD SAVE MY RECEIPTS AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST LATER IF AND ONLY IF THE THUNDERBIRD WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL/EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM. THE PRIMARY SYMPTOM OF SUCH A PROBLEM IS THE ILLUMINATION OF A YELLOW ENGINE LIGHT. IN MY CASE, SINCE I DRIVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE SINCE ADEQUATE COOLING AND REDUCED ENGINE STRESS OCCURS AT THAT TIME. HENCE I WAS ABLE...

HEAD GASKET ON MY 1995, 3.8 L THUNDER BIRD, FAILED AT 41000 MILES. *AK

I HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAT IN THE COOLER MONTHS, THEN THERE WAS A SURGE OF POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME, I PULLED OVER. WHEN I STARTED IT UP AGAIN IT SEEMED OK, I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME OF THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS WITH THE 3.8L ENGINES. I CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL DEALER OF THE CAR THEY SAID BRING IT IN TO CHECK. THEY CONFIRMED HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND ALSO TIMING COVER GASKET FAILURE, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. I PAID FOR THE TIMING COVER GASKETS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THERE COULD BE AN ENGINE FAILURE IF I DIDN'T AND IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED. APX 2 MONTHS LATER I BEGAN HEARING A FAINT KNOCK, I HAD THE OIL CHECKED AND IT WAS FINE. THE KNOCK GOT LOUDER, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS...

THE SAFETY CONCERN AT STAKE IS WHEN YOU HYDRO-LOCK A MOTOR AT 50 M.P.H. ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, AND THE MASSIVELY THICK PLUME OF WHITE SMOKE THAT SUCCEEDS THE BLOWN HEADGASKET. MY VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS SHY OF REPLACING THE CHEAP PAPER GASKET THAT THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED WITH A QUALITY FELPRO GASKET OR THE LIKE AT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHY AM I FINDING HUNDREDS INTO THE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT FORD 3.8L ENGINES IN THE RANGE OF 1995 FOR EVERY MODEL OF VEHICLE, BUT YET FORD ONLY ACKNOWLEDGES A FEW CHOICE MODELS FOR A RECALL. (ALL MUSTANGS, THUNDERBIRDS, COUGARS, AEROSTARS, ETC. HAD IDENTICAL 3.8 L ENGINES.) I CAN PROVIDE A LIST OF WITNESSES TO THE EVENT, ALONG WITH A LIST OF MECHANICS WHO I HAVE INTERVIEWED...

I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD PAY THE ENTIRE REPAIR BILL DUE TO THE KNOWN 3.8L HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I ALSO HAD TO RENT A CAR WHILE THE REAPIR WAS DONE, FOR A WEEK IN THE AMOUNT OF $277.00 THANK YOU PATRICIA PATTERSON EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]. *AK

OVERHEATING AND WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM TAIL PIPE. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT ANY FRONT WHEEL VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. *AK

NOTICED LOSS OF ANTI-FREEZE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. TEMPERATURE GAUGE DIDN'T GET HOT. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON TO LET CONSUMER KNOW THAT ANTI-FREEZE WAS LOW. DROVE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT ONE MILE AND SMOKED STARTED COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE, SMELLED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. EVEN AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF EXHAUST. HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC. HE SAID THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

THE HEDGASKET IS COMPLETELY GONE. FORD REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE A DESIGN PROBLEM IN THE T-BIRD FOR HEADGASKETS EVEN THOUGH THE Y HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN SEVERAL OTHER MODELS. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BLOWN ENGINE HEADS. THIS IS CAUSES VEHICLE TO MISS, AND SPUTTER WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED. NLM

AT THE TIME OF FAILURE, MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING @40MPH. A THICK WHITE SMOKE, WITH AN ODOR, WAS EMITTED FROM EXHAUST. THE CAR HAD NOT OVERHEATED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. UPON BRING THE CAR TO A LICENCED FORD DEALER (ISLAND FORD, IN STATEN ISLAND NY), I LEARNED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN REQUIRIN $1500 IN REPAIR CHARGES. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS OF THE SAME CIRCUSTANCE WITH OTHER FORDS OF THE SAME YEAR THAT ALSO HAVE 3.8L ENGINES. RECALL 98-M01 WAS ISSUED TO COVER THE OTHER VEHICLES, HOWEVER, THE THUNDERBIRD MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED.

UPON RESEARCH OF THE 3.8 FORD ENGINES, I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH BLOWN HEAD GASKETS, MOST SPECIFICALLY IN THE TAURUS. HOWEVER, THE THUNDERBIRD IS ALSO EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. FORD HAS RECALLED THE TAURUS, BUT NOT THE THUNDERBIRD. THERE WERE NO PRIOR EVIDENCES OF GASKET TROUBLES. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT BY 2 KNOWLEDGEABLE MECHANICS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, AND BY MY REGULAR MECHANIC PRIOR TO THE USED WARRANTY. ALL AGREED IT TO BE A CLEAN CAR AND GOOD DEAL. THE HEAD GASKETS JUST BLEW WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS WITH FORD, THEY REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THE DEFFECT. *AK