1994 Ford Thunderbird

I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AAA DIAGNOSIC AND FOUND OUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER WHO SAID I WAS NOT COVERED SINCE THE CAR HAS 103,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AS PER FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. IT HAS HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND HAS NEVER OVERHEATED. I HAVE ALL MAINTANENCE RECORDS SHOWING DILIGANT MAINTENENCE PRACTICES. THE HEADGASKET BLEW FROM DEFECT, YET FORD REFUSES TO COVER IT, FIRST STATING THE MILEAGE LIMIT AND THEN FURTHER STATING THAT, SINCE I WAS NOT THE ORGINIAL OWNER AND SINCE PRIOR REPAIR WORK HAD NOT BEEN DONE AT A FORD DEALERSHIP I WOULD NOT BE COVERED ANYWAY. FURTHERMORE THEY STATED THAT IF I HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO REPLACE THE GASKETS, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FIXED GASKETS THAT WERE NOT YET BLOWN. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE ABOVE PHONE REPRESENTATIVE OR SERVICE MANAGER. THE REGIONAL MANAGER (TARA OLSEN) WAS SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THE COMPANY'S REASONING BEHIND THEIR REFUSAL AND DISCUSS MY CONCERNS WITH ME YET SHE HAS YET TO RETURN MY CALLS AND HER DIRECT NUMBER IS "NOT ACCESSABLE TO THE PUBLIC." THE REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE TO AT FORD HEADQUARTERS (DUNCAN ALDERSON) REFUSED TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE BEYOND A BLANKET REFUSAL, AND INSTEAD OF BEING TRANSFERED TO HIGHER-UPS, I WAS TRANSFERED TO SECURITY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SPLIT THE COST WITH FORD IF THEY WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH ME REASONABLY, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DISCUSS OR NEGOTIATE A FLAW THAT THEY HAVE ADMITTED IS THEIR FAULT. INSTEAD THEY INSIST ON SETTING ARBITRARY CUT-OFF TIMES THAT THEY CANNOT OR WILL NOT JUSTIFY AND THAT WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE MET BY MOST OF THE FORDS IN QUESTION. THEY WILL NOT SUPPLY STATISTICS ON THE PROJECTED LIFE EXPECTANCY OF NON-DEFECTIVE HEADGASKETS OR TRANSMISSIONS (ANOTHER SERIOUS PROBLEM) NOR WILL THEY DOCUMENT IN WRITTING ANY OF THEIR PHONE REFUSALS TO HONOR THE RECALL. I HAVE PAID FOR REPAIRS AND NOW LOOK FOR REIMBURSEMENT.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VEHICLE HAS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND MANY MILES WILL WITHOUT WARNING EITHER DOWNSHIFT FROM OD WITHOUT ANY ALTERATION IN ACCELERATOR PRESSURE OR WILL JUMP INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE RPM WILL RAPIDLY INCREASE AND THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL PULLING POWER. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN CLIMING A HILL ON AN INTERSTATE OR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATES WITHOUT ANY WARNING TO TRAFFIC TO THE REAR. REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN FILTER AND FLUID CHANGE, FLUID LEVEL CHECKS ON A REGULAR BASIS, LINKAGE LUBRICATION, AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE IN GENERAL. I AM WONDERING IF THERE ARE INHERENT ISSUES WITH THIS STYLE OD TRANSMISSION. THE OTHER MAJOR FAILURES WERE LEFT SIDE HEAD GASKET AND SEVERE FRONT BRAKE PULSATION. THE DEALER FINALLY REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTORS WITH WHAT SEEMED A BETTER UNIT, AND I CONDUCTED THE REPAIRS ON BOTH SIDE HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY KNOWN ISSUES REGARDING THIS TRANSMISSION AND WHAT, IF ANY, RECOURSE FOR REPAIR I MIGHT EMPLOY. I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. GKW. *AK

FORD KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM, AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 7 YEARS AND/OR 100,000 MILES. THEY "CLAIM" THEY SENT ME A NOTICE IN APRIL OF 2,000, AND I KNOW I NEVER RECEIVED IT! NOW, THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT'S OUTSIDE COVERAGE, AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. REQUESTING YOU INVESTIGATE OTHER CLAIMS ON THIS AND SINCE IT'S WIDESPREAD WITH THIS VEHICLE TYPE, CONSIDER RECALLING THE T-BIRD FOR THE FAULTY HEAD GASKET. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED. CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY. SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKETS BUT IT WAS ONLY UP TO 100000 MILES OR 7 YEARS WAS NOT COVERED ANY MORE. I DO BELEIVE THE PROBLEM HAD STARTED SOME TIME AGO AS THE MOTOR KEPT USEING ANTIFREEZE. I THOUGHT THE RADIATOR HAD A SLOW LEEK BUT NOW I REALIZE IT WAS PROBABLY PUSHING THE ANTIFREEZE OUT THE OVERFLOW WHEN THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING. SO BEING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HEAD GASKETS I DO FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE HELP ON AT LEAST SOME IF NOT ALL OF THE REPAIRS. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTREME VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING. VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE A DEFECT ALL TOGETHER. ROTORS AND CALIPERS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. IN DECEMBER, ROTORS AND DISCS WERE CHANGED AGAIN. CURRENTLY, 12,000 MILES LATER, ROTORS AND DISCS HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. REAR BRAKES WERE CHECKED, AND ORIGINAL WERE STILL ON. BRAKES WERE NOT EQUALIZED TO KEEP FROM SO MUCH WEAR ON FRONT.*AK