1995 FORD WINDSTAR Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

PURCHASED VAN USED FROM FORD DEALERSHIP. 2 MONTHS OR APPROX 2,500 MILES LATER HEAD GASKET FAILED LEAKING COOLANT INTO OIL AND DESTOYING ENGINE. FORD DEALER WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE SALE AND ALSO SAID THAT IT NEW OF NO KNOWN PROBLEMS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE REPLACING GASKETS IF VEHICLES HAD 60,000 MILES OR LESS. I BELEIVE I WAS DECEIVED BY PEOPLE WHO KNEW THERE WAS A POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND CHOSE TO SAY NOTHING.

FORD HAS A HISTORICAL PROBLEM WITH THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE 3.8L HEAD GASKETS. ALSO, IN 1994-95, ALUMUNUM FORWARD CLUTCH PISTONS WAS USED IN THE AXOD TRANS. WAS REPLACED WITH STEEL PER FORD. FORD MUST STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!

FIRST HAD PROBLEM WITH COOLING SYSTEM. CAR GOT HOT ABRUPTLY ON MORE THAN 4 OCCASIONS. WATER BOTTLE WAS NORMAL ON LAST 3 TIMES.. ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING HEAD GASKET SO STOP LEAK ADDED AND PROBLEM STOPPED. ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER THE ROD BEARINGS LOCKED UP. COST $1700 TO FIX. OUT OF WARRANTY BY 2000 MILES. FORD SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AS THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF SAME PROBLEM AND BELIEVE IT MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL YEAR DESIGN. CAN YOU HELP PLEASE?

ON NOVEMBER 19 '98 I TOOK MY '95 FORD WINDSTAR VAN TO TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. I TOOK THE VAN IN BECAUSE I HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD REGARDING A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME THE VAN HAD 59,000 MILES ON IT. I PICKED UP MY VAN THAT EVENING AND WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS O.K. ON SEPTEMBER 12 '99 THE VAN OVERHEATED AND A MECAHANIC TOLD ME THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. THE MECHANIC SAID HE HOPED THE HEAD WAS NOT CRACKED AND/OR THE MOTOR DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR ($2500 TO $3500 IF MOTOR DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR). I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, HARPER'S FORD, AND THE ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER SAID HE THOUGHT FORD WOULD REPAIR THE DAMAGE OR I WOULD "HAVE A GOOD LEGAL CASE". THE VAN NOW HAS 68,OOO MILES ON IT. WELL A WEEK LATER THE DELAERSHIP TELLS ME THAT THEY CAN NOT GET...

HEAD GASKET FAILURE-LEAKED COOLENT INTO ENGINE, ENGINE FAILURE, NOW WE NEED NEW ENGINE, HAD EXTENDED WARRENTY, FORD WILL NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY ON THIS DEFECT. I CANNOT GIVE YOU THE VEHICLE NUMBER BECAUSE FORD HAS HAD THE CAR SO LONG, I CAN BARELY REMEMBER THE COLOR.

A LEAK WITHING ENGINE HEAD GASKET CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND FLOOD WITH ANTIFREEZE. CONSUMER HAD ENGINE REBUILT. *AK * MJS

DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKET LEAKED FUEL ONTO ENGINE MANIFOLD WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN HIGHWAY,TOWED TO DEALER DIAGNOSED AS HEAD GASKETS/RELATED FORD WOUILD FIX UNDER RECALL/WORK DONE/WENT TO PICK UP VEHICLE/WORK COMPLETED/RELATED FORN PAYES FORALL WORK/ TEN MINUTES LATER THEY RELATE WORK NOT COVERED/BILLME FOR $2,000 WORK

DUE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKET, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE, AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK

CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. OIL WAS CHANGED WHEN DEALER NOTICED OIL LEAKING ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. DEALER ALSO NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVVERTER, CAUSING A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

HEAD GASKETS BLEW WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSED THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO SEIZE REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF 3864.73. I WAS TOLD IF I HAD TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR THE ENGINE COULD'VE STARTED ON FIRE. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD AND FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE 3.8 LITER ENGINES IN THE '95 WINDSTARS. IN ADDITIONAL TO THE SAFETY HAZARD OF THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM... THE CONDITION GOES UNDETECTED UNTIL THE HEAD GASKETS "BLOW" WITHOUT WARNING. I AM VERY UPSET WITH FORD'S RESPONSE TO THIS MATTER. I CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO EXPRESS MY DEEP DISSATISFACTION WITH THEIR HANDLING OF THIS MATTER . I BELIEVE THE HEADGASKET PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. IF IT HAD I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH A NEARLY $4,000 REPAIR BILL FOR A RELATIVELY NEWER CAR. I BELIEVE THE POSSIBLE HARM TO MY FAMILY IS ALSO...

HEADGASKET ON ENGINE FAILED; THIS FAILURE PROMPTED ENGINE DAMAGE THAT WAS IRREPARABLE. HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE. NOW TRANSMISSION IS FAILING AND IT WILL NOT EASILY ENGAGE AFTER A STOP. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, ACCORDING TO MECHANIC *AK

IE98-080; WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDTIONING ON, THE AIR CONDITIONER CUT OFF. ALSO, ENGINE OPERATED ERRATICALLY AND WHITE SMOKE COME FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. DEALER HAS REPLACED ENGINE HEAD GASKET AND OTHER PARTS. ENGINE OVERHEATED VERY QUICKLY.

THE WINDSTAR BEGAN TO BLOW OFF VACUUM LINES WHEN WE WERE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR THEN STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND LOST POWER. *AK

SINCE 1997 WE HAVE REPLACED 4 HEATER CORES, 2 RADIATORS, HEAD GASKETS TWICE, WE ARE FACING REPAIRS AGAIN ONLY A FEW WEEKS AFTER REPLACING THE 3RD HEATER CORE. DAMAGE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. WE WISH TO SELL THIS MINIVAN, BUT FEEL IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO BURDEN AN UNSUSPECTING CONSUMER WITH THIS POORLY DESIGNED VEHICLE. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE ON #4 CYLINDER. *AK

3.8 L ENGINE FAILED 1 YR AFTER HEAD GASKET REPLACED. I BELIEVE THAT AN ENGINE SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 86,000 MILES.

DUE TO THE FAULTY HEAD GASKET, 2 DAYS LATER NOTICED A KNOCK (CONFIRMED BY DEALER TO BE A BAD ROD BEARING CAUSED BY THE ABOVE )CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE 2WEEKS LATER

CONSUMER WAS SENT A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING HEAD GASKETS . CONTACTED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL, DEALER STATED THAT HE HAS ALREADY PERFORMED RECALL REPAIRS, AND THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. THERE WILL BE A CHARGE FOR FURTHER RECALL. REPAIRS. PLEASE NOTE RECALL NOT LISTED IN NHTSA DATA BASE. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED. NLM

HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING SMOKE TO COME OUT FROM EXHAUST. MJS

ON 12/21/98 (50,795 MILES), OUR WINDSTAR HAD BEEN BUCKING AND BEGAN OVERHEATING. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED, THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED, AND THE COOLANT FLUSHED. ON 12/27/98 WE BEGAN TO EMIT WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. THE FOLLOWING DAY IT WAS TOWED TO FORD WHICH REPLACED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET UNDER RECALL. HOWEVER, WE HAD TO REPLACE WITH A RE-BUILT TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $1,993 SINCE WE WERE OVER 50,000 MILES. A TRANSMISSION LEAK REPAIRED ON 5/17-18/99 (56,866 MILES) UNDER WARRANTY. ON 8/7/99 WE HAD OUR GAS TANK REPLACED AT A COST OF $445 DUE TO WHAT THE TECHNICIAN CALLED A STRESS FRACTURE - AN INHERENT DEFECT.

THE HEAD GASKET BLEW WHICH CAUSED THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" TO COME ON AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISS. THE DEALER HAD ADVISED TO WATCH COOLANT LEVELS BECAUSE THIS ENGINE KNOWN FOR BLOWING THE HEAD GASKET. DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT ACTUALLY REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET UNTIL IT BLEW. WHEN IT BLEW, THEY SAID THAT FORD WOULD ONLY COVER VEHICILES WITH LESS THAN 60000 MILES OR UNDER 60 MONTHS. THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY FORD MOTOR CO!

WAS DRIVING 45-50MPH WHEN ANTIFREEZE WAS COMING OUT OF TAIL PIPE, THEN VEHICLE DIED. VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC, WHO REFUSED TO REPAIR DUE TO TSB ON HEAD GASKETS. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER & INFORMED THE 02 SENSORS NEEDED REPLACING. *AK

VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TYPE OF CRASH WHEN THE HEAD GASKET BLEW.

MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THIS IS HIS 28TH HEAD GASKET REPAIR TO A FORD CAR THIS YEAR SO FAR. I CONTACTED MY DEALER'S SERV. DEPT. AND THEY TELL ME THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1998 FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR MY TYPE OF CAR. I DID NOT GET A NOTICE. I CALLED FORD'S 800# AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.

ONE MONTH BEFORE "THROWING ROD" IN ENGINE, ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS BADLY. MIDDLETON FORD SAID IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET, AND WOULD BE COVERED BY RECALL WARRANTY, BUT THAT IT ALSO NEEDED A FRONT TIMING COVER GASKET. THEY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE HEADGASKETS AND THE TIMING COVER GASKET USUALLY FAIL TOGETHER, FORD WOULD NOT COVER THE TIMING COVER GASKET. OUR BILL WAS $810.81. ONE MONTH LATER, WE STARTED ON A TRIP TO MONTANA, AND GOT AS FAR AS SOUIX FALLS, S.D., WHEN AT 2:00AM, THE ENGINE LOST MOST POWER, AND BEGAN MAKING A LOUD CLANKING SOUND. WE MANAGED TO GET TO A GAS STATION, WHERE WE ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST FORD GARAGE (SIOUX FALLS FORD, PO BOX 89120, SIOUX FALLS, SD). WE BARELY MADE IT THERE, WHERE WE SLEPT IN THE PARKING LOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THE GARAGE WAS ABLE TO GET IT IN THE NEXT MORNING,...

HEAD GASKET FAILED, RECALL ON COMPONENT HOWEVER NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO CONSUMER AND THE DATE HAS RUN OUT, CONSUMER DENIED RECALL SERVICE. MJS

HEAD GASKET BLEW, COOLING FLUID (ANTI-FREEZE) LEAKED DOWN INTO THE OIL GALLEY AND CONTAMINATED THE ENGINE OIL AND RESULTED IN DESTROYING THE BEARINGS (ROD,MAIN & CAMSHAFT), CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BE REBUILT. *YC

HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING A LOUD CLUNK AND WHITE SMOKE TO BE EMMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. NLM

THIS FORD VEHICLE HAS HAD AN EXTREME NUMBER OF FAILURES. STARTING WITH THE HEAD GASKET THAT THE DEALER WANTED US TO PAY FOR AFTER THEY MADE THE MISTAKE OF SAYING IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. AT A PREVIOUS REPAIR THE DEALER HAD REPLCED THE DASH BECAUSE OF THE SPEEDOMETER CABLE AND THE DEALER SERVICE PERSON HAD FORGOT TO ADD IN THE PREVIOUS MILEAGE. LATER FORD RECALLED THE HEAD GASKETS. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED YET BUT CONTINUES TO SHIFT POORLY. I DO NOT WANT TO PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE AMOUNTS SPENT ON POOR QUALITY PARTS SEPARATE THAN NORMAL MAINTENANCE. SO FAR ALL THAT FORD HAS OFFERED IS $1000.00 CASH. THIS IS NOT A RESPONSIBLE OFFER. WE HAVE SPENT ALMOST $8000.00. IT IS FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS HURT WHEN THESE PARTS FAILED. THESE SIX DEFECTS WERE NOT THE ONLY...

THIS IS THE 2ND TRANS. (NEW TRANS. HAD TO BE INSTALLED APPROX. 2MONTHS AFTER ORIGINAL SALE) AND 3RD MAJOR REPAIR (ENGINE PEPLACED LAST YEAR DUE TO DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS). THERE ARE TONS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/MESSAGES/460.MECHGOBLINS.HTML SO IT SEEMS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM/ DEFECT. PLEASE HELP US !

WIFE NOTICED CAR JERKING ON INTERSTATE FROM BURKE TO NORFOLK, VA. TOOK CAR TO FREEDOM FORD, WHERE PURCHASED NEW. LINDA CREASON (BLUE TEAM) TOLD WIFE AND ME THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING. NEED TO REMOVE HEADS AND SEND TO MACHINE SHOP FOR HEAT CHECK OF CRACKS. ESTIMATE = $68 (DIAGNOSIS) + $780 (REPLACE 2 HEAD GASKETS) + $200 (MACHINE SHOP CHECK) + $300 (PLUGS, SENSORS, FLUIDS, ETC) = $1350. MS. CREASON TOLD ME FORD SERVICE PROGRAM 98M01 DOES NOT APPLY BECAUSE CAR PAST 60000 MILES. WHEN I ASKED FOR REGIONAL SERVICE MGR SHE CALLED BACK AND OFFERED: (1) FORD WOULD PAY FIRST $1000 OF REPAIR OR (2) IF I BOUGHT 75000 MILE/6 YEAR POWER TRAIN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR $495 THEN FREEDOM FORD WOULD COVER ALL THE REPAIRS. I CHOSE (2). VISIT TO WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/HVE/YOURLEMON/10.HTML THEN SCROLL TO POSTING BY "CK1712" AND YOU'LL SEE THE SAME PLOY. MY CALLS TO FORD...

I HAVE REPLACED BLOWN HEADS 3 TIMES IN 2 YRS. PUT A REBUILT ENGINE IN 1 YR. AGO

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT . ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASE IT STARTED SKIPPING AND HESITATING, BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP WITH 46,000 MILES ON MARCH 25 1997 HAD BLOWN HEAD GASKET. RECEIVED AN "OWNERS NOTIFICATION" ON HEAD GASKET TOOK IT IN TO DEALERSHIP THEY SIGNED OFF STATING NOTHING WRONG. TEN MONTHS LATER ON AUGUST 12TH 1999 BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP WITH 96,000 MILES ON IT FOR A TUNE UP AND AGAIN HAD BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. THEY WILL REPAIR AT A COST OF $1200. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS TO BE FIXED AS THEIR PARTS HAVE FAILED WITHIN SUCH LITTLE TIME OF "OWNERS NOTIFICATION". WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS MY PROBLEM

HEAD GASKET FAILED WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO ACKNOWLEDGED FORD QUALITY PROBLEM, CAUSING $2,200 IN DAMAGE TO CRITICAL ENGINE PARTS. FORD WAS REPAIRING OR REPLACING ENGINES FREE OF CHARGE FOR OTHER OWNERS REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH IN WHICH THE FAILURE OCCURRED. REFUSED TO REIMBURSE OUTSIDE REPAIR BILLS FROM QUALIFIED SHOP AFTER NUMEROUS WRITTEN AND VERBAL APPEALS TO DEALER, REGIONAL REP, AND NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CHANNELS AT FMC IN DETROIT.

ENGINE HEAD GASKET CRACKED CAUSING FAILURE. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES FOR THE HARD GASKETS. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *YC

VEHICLE IN FOR BRAKE SERVICE, DEALER REQUESTED PERMISSION TO REPLACE HEAD GASKETS UNDER FORD EXT. WARR. 98M01, ENGINE FAILED WITHIN 600 MI. OF REPAIR SERVICE, NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS PRIOR TO DEALER VISIT

HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND AT 42,300 MILES ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORD DID NOT ADMIT FAILURE OF ENGINE DUE TO HEAD GASKET, AND OWNER HAD TO PAY $3700 FOR REBUILT ENGINE.

ENGINE BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS AFTER OVERHEATING & WAS REPLACED 11 JUN 97. AFTER A FEW THOUSAND MILES, SAME PROBLEM EXISTED & THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW AGAIN AFTER OVERHEATING ON 19 AUG 97. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS REPAIRED AGAIN. THE LAST TIME ON 22 JUN 99, THE ENGINE BLEW THE HEAD GASKETS AFTER OVER HEATING. HAD LOST OF POWER & HEATING. WAS REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH THE ENGINE BLEW A HEAD GASKET. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF WARNING. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SHOULDER SAFELY. THE DEALER WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER HAD PROBLEM CORRECTED AT A LOCAL GARGAGE. *AK

WE KNEW WE HAD A PROBLEM WHEN WE WERE COMING HOME ON THE FREEWAY AND THE INDICATOR ARROW SHOWED IT WAS OVER HEATING. WE TOOK IT IN TO THE SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE RADIATOR CAP BECAUSE IT WASNT HOLDING PRESSURE. THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM A WEEK LATER WE TOOK IT BACK BECAUSE IT WAS LOSING POWER, BLOWING STEAM AND OVER HEATING AGAIN. IT TURNED OT TO BE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. UPON RECENT PERSONAL RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS WAS A RECALL ITEM/DEFECT. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT OTHER MAJOR SYMPTOMS WE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH OUR 95 WINDSTAR SUCH AS W/THE BRAKES,TRANSMISSION IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY GO ALSO. WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK ON THIS PROBLEM THANK YOU, DAN HIGUERA

JUST ONE MORE OF THE MANY 3.8L 95 WINDSTAR HEAD GASKET FAILURES.

I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE ACTING ABNORMALY AT 59, 925 MILES. MY VAN WAS DRIVEABLE, SO I DID CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED DURING THE WEEKEND. I CALLED IMMEDIATELY ON MONDAY MORNING, AND THE EARLIEST I COULD GET MY VEHICLE IN WAS TUESDAY EVENING. ON TUESDAY EVENING, MY MILEAGE WAS 60,057. FORD HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE HEAD GASKET TO 60,000. EVEN THOUGH THE TROUBLE OCCURRED BEFORE 60,000 MILES, I COULD NOT GET MY VEHICLE INTO A FORD SERVICE CENTER UNTIL AFTER THE 60,000. AS A RESULT, FORD DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE REPAIR. THE GASKET FAILURE ALSO DAMAGED OTHER ENGINE PARTS. AS A RESULT, I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY VAN.

ENGINE FAILED 50 MILES AFTER THE HEAD GASKETS WERE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED!

ENGINE OVERHEATED DUE TO MAJOR LOSS OF COOLANT. DIAGNOSED BY DEALER AS FAILED HEADGASKETS. FORD REFUSED TO PAY ANY PART OF REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ADMITTED THE ORIGINAL GASKET DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE. COST OF REPAIR = $1600

HEAD GASKET FAILED WITHOUT WARNING OR PREVIOUS PROBLEM (I.E. NO OVERHEATING, NO POOR HEATER OPERATION, ETC.). CAUSED VAN TO START RUNNING VERY ROUGH. ALMOST STALLED IN SEVERAL MID-INTERSECTIONS AFTER STOPPING, WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO REAR-END COLLISION. MANAGED TO MAKE IT SAFELY HOME (LESS THAN 3 MILES). ENGINE TEMPERATURE HAD INCREASED, BUT WAS STILL CLEARLY WITHIN "NORMAL" ZONE OF INDICATOR. TURNED OFF ENGINE AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART LATER IN THE EVENING. TOWED TO LOCAL SERVICE STATION. THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, ADVISED TAKING IT TO DEALER. DEALER'S "ENGINE PERSON" BOOKED SOLID AND UNABLE TO LOOK AT IT UNTIL 8/10 (TWO WEEKS!). HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALER (C&C FORD, HORSHAM, PA) WHICH CONFIRMED BLOWN HEAD GASKET, AND SAID IT HAD A SEIZED ENGINE WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. ESIMATED COST: $4600. FORD'S "OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM" EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE TO 60,000 MILES, BUT DID NOT ADVISE...

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND WON'T GO OFF, INDICATING THERE IS A LEAKAGE COMING FROM ENGINE HEAD GASKET. ALSO, SPARK PLUGS CAME OFF. *AK

VEHICLE KEEPS RUNNING HOT. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED BLOWN HEAD GASKET CAUSED OVERHEATING. NO REPAIRWORK DONE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. ENGINE CHECK LIIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ENGINE GOT REAL HOT DUE TO ENGINE GASKET BLOWING OUT. *AK