1993 Ford Thunderbird

HEAD GASKET(S) FAILED. ANTI-FREEZE WENT OUT EXHAUST CAUSING LARGE WHITE CLOUD - REDUCED VISIBILITY FOR DRIVERS BEHIND ME. CAR OVERHEATED - STOPPED ON ROAD CAUSING TRAFFIC BACKUP. A DEALER REP SAID PROBLEM IS BECOMING COMMON WITH T-BIRDS THAT HAVE 55-80K MILES. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. BUT ITS GOING TO COST $800-1000 TO FIX!!. *AK

HAVE A V6 3.8 LITER FORD THUNDERBIRD LX WITH A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. BROUGHT THIS CAR USED IN JULY OF 1999 AND IT HAD 63,000 MILES ON IT NOW HAS 68,000 TOOK TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE TALKED WITH THE FORD DEALER IN OUR TOWN AND THEY TOLD HIM THERE WERE 3 AUTO WITH SAME PROBLEM ON RECALL THAT WAS A TAURUS,SABLE AND WINDSTAR. CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO SOLD IT TO ME AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD ABOUT OTHER CARS MENTIONED. I CALLED FORD MOTOR TO REPORT PROBLEM THEY TOOK A COMPLAINT AND TOLD ME I HAD TO GO THROUGH A DEALER TO CONTACT A REGIONAL MANAGER. FORD DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT A FORD REGIONAL MANAGER. THAT HE HAD GOTTEN A CAR IN HIS DEALERSHIP WITH SAME PROBLEMS AND THAT IT IS BASICALLY JUNK MATERIAL IT WILL HAVE TO BE SALVAGED. THE ONLY HELP WOULD BE TO HAVE A NEW OR USED MOTOR PUT IN THIS AUTO. I AM ON A LIMITED INCOME MY HUSBAND IS DUE TO BE PUT ON A LIVER LIST. AND THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. THIS CAR WAS PAID FOR AND I HAVE HAD IT LESS THAN A 8 MONTHS AND THERE IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY A PIECE OF JUNK. IF YOU FIGURE OUT HOW MANY MONTHS I HAVE THIS CAR IT EQUALS TO 750.00 A MONTH TO HAVE OWNED THIS I COULD HAVE PURCHASED A NEW AUTO AND MADE PAYMENTS WITH WHAT I HAD SPENT ON THIS. AND NOW WITH THE REPAIRS IT WILL COST ME MORE THE FORD DEALER SAID THESE CARS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED ON MY THUNDERBIRD WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED - THE CAR EMITTED A HUGE CLOUD OF VAPOR, OBSCURING THE ROAD BEHIND ME AND CAUSING ME TO IMMEDIATELY LOSE POWER. FORD HAS DECLINED TO COVER THE REPAIR COST, EVEN THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME ENGINE IN A TAURUS OR WINDSTAR VAN IS COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTLY PROGRAM FOR EXHIBITING THE SAME FAILURE. THIS DEFECT CAN PRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE, BY OBSCURING THE VISIBILITY OF CARS FOLLOWING AND CAUSING THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER IN MY VEHICLE.*AK

DESPITE HAVING REGULAR SERVICE AS FORD MANUAL DETAILS, ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED OCT 23,1999 AT 65,975 MILES. I HAD NO WARNING OF ANYTHING WRONG UNTIL THAT SATURDAY MORNING WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO THE GROCERY AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING FROM MY TAILPIPE. I WAS LESS THAN 1 MILE FROM HOME, SO I RETURNED. LIQUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE WHERE THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $1100.00. I HAVE CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CALL THE FORD CUSTOMER HOTLINE. I HAVE DONE THAT SEVERAL TIMES BUT HAVE NOT BEEN HELPED. I HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF FORD MOTOR DATED MARCH 8, 2000 BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPLY AS OF MARCH 29. FORD HAS ADMITTED PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE ON THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES, BUT MY MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAS HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS ON REAR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES SUCH AS MY CAR. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET CRACKED, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. FORD HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON VARIOUS MODELS. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED TWICE, AND OWNER WAS TOLD THAT HIS CAR WASN'T COVERED BECAUSE IT HAD A DIFFERENT COOLANT SYSTEM, AND BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T A LARGE ENOUGH AMOUNT OF STATISTICAL OCCURENCES REPORTED OF THE HEAD GASKET FAILING IN THIS MODEL FOR A RECALL. *AK *ML