1995 Ford Thunderbird

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 TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A MAJOR PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY FORD DID NOT RECORD MY ORIGINAL INQUIRY THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SO WHEN FORD FINALLY INCLUDED THE THUNDERBIRD IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOUND ON SABLES AND TAURUSES, I HAD WENT BEYOND THE 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY LIMIT. AS A RESULT, THEY NOW CONCLUDE THAT THEY CANNOT ASSIST IN REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE. I'M EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUT OF POCKET COST I NOW AM FACED WITH FOR A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE A FORD DESIGN ISSUE. WORSE YET, THE DEALERSHIP IN SPRINGFIELD, OH (WHERE I LIVE), HAS DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE BLOCK AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM IS INDEED THE SAME ONE THAT HAS AFFECTED THE 95 SABLE,TAURUS AND NOW THUNDERBIRD. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE INABILITY OF A CUSTOMER TO PROCEED BEYOND THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE REACHED THROUGH THEIR 800 PHONE NUMBER. EFFORTS TO DISCUSS MY SITUATION TO A MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE REPRESENTATIVE AT PERHAPS A HIGHER LEVEL IN THE COMPANY HAVE BEEN FUTILE. THATS WHY I'VE CONTACTED NHTSA.*AK

THE ELECTRIC FAN STOPPED WORKING BUT I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN. THE FACTORY CHARGES OVER $200 FOR THE FAN ALTHOUGH USUAL ELECTRIC FANS RANGE AROUND $50. AUTO PARTS STORES DO NOT CARRY THE FAN (POSSIBLY A DESIGN LOCK BY THE COMPANY) I HAD TO GET ONLINE TO FIND ONE BUT I STILL NEEDED MY CAR FOR TRANSPORTATION (I'M IN THE ARMY) THE ENGINE BARELY GOT HOT AND BLEW THE HEAD GASKET. I WAS ONLY DRIVING ABOUT 2 MILES ROUND TRIP TO WORK. I KNOW IT ALL HAS TO DO WITH FORD'S POSSIBLE MONOPOLY ON THE ENGINE FAN. I ALWAYS BELIEVED TH FAN IS A SAFETY FEATURE AND THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF MAKING IT UNAVAILABLE WHEN I NEEDED IT. I'M REPORTING THE HEAD GASKET AFTER SEEING HOW MANY OTHER FORD 3.8L OWNERS HAD PLOBLEMS WITH THEIRS. I'D LIKE TO GET SOME SATISFACTION OUT OF THIS, PLEASE RESPOND. I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING MY COMPLAINT, THANK YOU.*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 A ROD KNOCK, DUE TO CORROSION OF COOLANT FROM THE ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET FAILURE. FORD SAYS THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. I AM DISABLED WITH A RARE BRAIN MALFORMATION AND BROKE DOWN ALONE, I THOUGHT THIS PRODUCT WOULD GIVE ME SAFE TRANSPORTATION. IT DID NOT AND NOW I HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION TO MY DOCTOR APPTS.

THIS CAR HAS EXPERIENCED SMALL ENGINE COOLANT LEAKS.WHEN I RECEIVED A NOTICE (# 00M10) FROM THE DEALER CONCERNING HEAD GASKET FAILURE, I TOOK MY CAR TO MATHEWS FORD TO CHECK OUT THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD I DID NOT HAVE HEAD GASKET FAILURE, BUT I DO HAVE A CRACKED FRONT COVER ENGINE GASKET . $870 TO REPAIR AND FORD WOULD NOT OFFER ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. I LEARNED OF FORD'S OWNER NOTIFICATION #99B29 WHICH OFFERS FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION FOR OWNERS OF THE 1996 THUNDERBIRDS. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS HE INFORMED ME MY CAR WAS TOO OLD AND AGE HAS CAUSED THE GASKET TO CRACK. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR FLAW IN THIS ENGINE, AND FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND OFFERS NO HELP. THIS ENGINE ANDGASKET ARE DEFECTIVE. A GASKET SHOULDN'T BLOW AT 27000 MILES. I AM RISKING MY SAFETY BY DRIVING THIS KNOWN DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.

CAR WOULD VIBRATE WHEN CHANGING GEARS OR TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS, PARTICULARLY FROM 3RD-4TH GEARS. VIBRATED VIOLENTLY AT HIGH SPEED WHEN EXCELERATING FOR DECELERATING. BRAKING AT HIGH SPEED CAUSED THE CAR FRONT TO SHAKE AND STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE CAUSE THE CAR TO UNCONTROLLABLE. SUDDEN BRAKING CAUSED THE CAR TO PULL STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT. FAILURE OF THE ENGINE COOLING FAN MODULE CAUSED THE FAN NOT TO SHUT OFF WHEN INGNITION WAS TURNED OFF.*AK

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 CONCERNING 3.8 L HEAD GASKET DEFECTS. THEY ALL AGREE.... IT'S SPREAD OUT AMONG ALL MODELS... NOT JUST THE FEW THAT FORD SPECIFIES. WHY DOES PROPERTY DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE HAVE TO OCCUR TO PRODUCE A JUSTIFIED RECALL? ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MANUFACTURER SEMI-CONFESSES TO A HEADGASKET PROBLEM WITH A PARTICULAR MOTOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME... MY ENGINE ISN'T THE ONLY THING THAT IS STEAMED! *AK