1994 Ford Mustang

ON MAY OF 2000, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY STATING THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE. UPON RECEIVING THIS LETTER MAY 11, 2000 I CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR CO. AND ASKED THEM IF I COULD BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM HAD TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN BEFORE IT COULD BE DETECTED. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND A HALF AND NOW THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURED. MY SON WHO WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME WAS PLACED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE CAR VIBRATED AND DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AN ORANGE LIQUID LEAKED OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE AND WHITE SMOKE ALSO POORED OUT OF THE PIPE. HE MANAGED TO PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC I HAVE KNOW FOR QUITE SOMETIME, HE INFORMED ME IT WAS DEFINATE HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO, THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE HANDLED WITH THEM BECAUSE IT WAS PAST THE WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS 85,000 MILES AND I HAVE ONLY HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. MY COMPLAINT IS WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO SUFFER FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE. I WAS NOT TOLD WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT THERE WAS ANY SORT OF PROBLEM THAT MIGHT OCCUR BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE PART. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ASAP. WHEN I WAS ON-LINE I FOUND NUMEROUS MUSTANG OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ME. I FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE THIS COMPANY PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE, ESPECIALLY A MISTAKE THAT COULD BE FATAL. THANK YOU, [XXX] [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

ORDERED VEHICLE IN 1994, HAD IT 2 DAYS WHEN A RATTLING STARTED FROM UNDERNEATH, WAS AN UNTIGHTENED BOLT. IN SUMMER/1995, A/C DIDN'T WORK. IN SPRING/1996, TRANSMISSION WAS VIBRATING ON INCLINES AT 25 TO 30 MPH. IN SPRING/SUMMER 1997, TRANSMISSION WAS CAUSING TACTOMETER TO RACE TO 3000RPM WHEN ONLY GOING 25 MPH. IN WINTER OF 2000, VEHICLE OVERHEATED, REPLACED THERMOSTAT TWICE. AFTER OVERHEATING 3 TIMES, AND FINALLY HAVING TO BE TOWED, IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET CAUSING PRESSURE TO BUILD WITHIN THE COOLING SYSTEM FORCING COOLENT OUT OF THE OVERFLOW RESERVE. MECHANIC SAW THIS ONLY HAPPEN IN 3 OTHER VEHICLES.*AK

WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE CAR IT WASNT EVEN A MONTH AND THE FIRST HEADGASKET BLEW, NEXT IT HAPPENED ONE YEAR TO THE DATE AS SOON AS COLD WEATHER CAME AROUND. THEN THE 3RD HAPPENED A YEAR FOLLOWING THAT DATE (COMING AGAIN INTO COLD WEATHER. ) NOW I'M INTO ESTIMATES REACHING UP TO OVER $2000 IN REPAIR AND MACHINED HEAD WORK. FINALLY, I AM AT MY 4TH!!! NOW I AM INTO AN ADDITONAL HEAD GASKET REPAIR. THIS IS VERY AGGRAVATTING BECAUSE I LOVE MUSTANGS. PLEASE CONTACT IF ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE WILL HELP ME. *AK

CAR OVERHEATED. WATER PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED DUE TO LEAK IN JULY 2000. CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN 11/2/00. RADIATOR CHECKED, AND SHOWED MINIMAL LEAK BUT WAS REPAIRED ON 11/3/00. TEMP REMAINED NORMAL THAT NIGHT AFTER REPAIR. THE NEXT MORNING, 11/4/00, CAR OVERHEATED. PUT WATER IN OVERFLOW CONTAINER. CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT. RETURNED CAR HOME AT WHICH TIME WHITE SMOKE AND WATER WAS BLOWING OUT THE TAILPIPE. UPON INSPECTION, HEAD GASKET ON DRIVER'S SIDE WAS BLOWN. WILL CHECK THE HEAD TOMORROW TO FIND OUT IF IT HAS BEEN DAMAGED.