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Mechanics who've taken it apart and
peered inside say the 3.8L V6 engine in Ford Mustangs and Thunderbirds
is the same one that's in the Windstar and Taurus/Sable models.
For awhile Ford dug in its heels and said the engines were different and thus not covered by its partial recall. But on May 1, the automaker recanted and announced a similar program for 1994 and 1995 Mustangs, Sables and Lincolns. Other models are still unaccounted for.
Dennis of Cincinnati, OH:
I own a 1995 Mustang with a 3.8L-V6 engine. A head gasket
blew and I took it into the dealer for repair and the day
after, I learned of the extended waaranty that covered this
problem for Tauruses, Sables and Windstars. I spoke with several
people at Ford who said that the engines in these vehicles
are the same as the Mustang, but only front wheel drive cars
are covered; the reason, which has never been explained fully,
is the difference in the coolant flow in the front and rear
wheel drive vehicles. The consequence is that I will be forced
to pay for the repair since I can't afford to buy a car that
is same condition as my low mileage car. Also, it has been
extremely frustrating knowing that depsite having the same
engine as the covered cars, I will have to pay a defect that
Ford knew about. Each rep at Ford's customer service has said
that there have been complaints about the rear wheel drive,
but fewer than for the front wheel drive; I would venture
a guess that the conditions for settling the class action
suit were determined more by demographics than drivetrain
(Mustangs/T-Bird ownwers vs. Taurus/Sable/Windstar owners.
Tim of Evansville, IN:
I own a 1995 Mustang that is 6000 miles out of warrenty
(5 year - 60,000 extended). I'm now having to replace head
gaskets on a car that has been garage kept and treated like
a baby since I've owned it. All service work that has been
performed over the years has been done at the dealer the car
was purchased, including oil changes. All scheduled maintenance
work that Ford recommends in its owners manual was also performed
at the dealership. This head gasket replacement is going to
cost me about $2,000. Needless to say I'll never buy another
Ford product if Ford doesn't come through for the Ford owners
with rear wheel drive 3.8L engines. I've discussed the problem
with Ford Customer "NO SERVICE" and they can only tell me
Ford is still looking into the rear wheel drive model complaints.
Hopefully this will get resolved soon.
Chris of Hampton, NH:
I would like to point out that the Windstar is not the
only vehicle having these problems. I own a 1995 Ford Mustang
with the 3.8L V6 engine. Most of the miles have been long-distance
travelling or commuting to work down I95 (a 45 minute to 1
hour drive each way). In March 1999 the heater stopped working,
and white smoke appeared from the tailpipe while I was on
my way to work on I95. I had the vehicle towed and repaired
at my own expense - the head gasket was blown and the repair
bill was over $1500. Because the milage was at 75,000 miles,
I was not covered by the (previous) warranty extension. Worse,
days after I had my car "repaired", the engine self-destructed
apparently because coolant had mixed with the oil. I had to
replace the short block at a cost of nearly $3000. I couldn't
afford a new car, and was forced to spend the extra money
to fix the damaged engine. I won't buy another Ford - how
can I trust that they will not sell me another problem vehicle
and leave me stranded when it breaks because of some design
flaw? I suspect they knew the failures were most likely to
occur after 60,000 miles, and figured most people would not
question the validity of the warranty extension. Total cost
(so far): More than $4000.
Laurie of Glasgow, MT:
I have a 3.8L 1995 Ford Mustang. These rear wheel drive
cars are neglected in the extended warranty for the faulty
head gaskets. I have blown two head gaskets two different
times. My engine was ruined and replaced by Ford warranty.
16,000 miles later the gasket blew again costing me $934.27
out of pocket in repairs. If there isn't a problem with their
gaskets in the 3.8L Ford rear wheel drive. PROVE IT TO ME!!
My car has less than 50,000 miles on it. I am tired of being
treated like a fool by Ford. I am tired of Ford "Customer
Service" not giving me to a person who knows something. I
am tired of giving Ford my money for a problem that is theirs
to begin with. I want them to pay up!
Traci of Arlington, TX:
I have seen info on Ford extending its warranty on the
3.8L V6 engines in the 95 Taurus, Le Sable and Windstar vehicles,
but nothing on the 95 Mustang 3.8L V6 which has the same exact
engine in it. The headgasket is failing on this engine and
when I attempted to get information from Ford Customer Service
I got the run around. First talked to the Customer Service
center which said my engine was not covered under the new
extended warranty deal. When I asked why since it was the
same engine they told me to call the local dealer. I did and
they said to call the customer service center. I called them
back asked to speak to a supervisor and was given Lucy P who
could not answer my question. She again said to call the local
dealer when told this had been done she said there was no
one that could tell me the differance in the engines.
Barbara of Bloomington, IL:
Own a 1995 Mustang Coupe with a 3.8 L V6 engine. About
3 months ago the car started to overheat. We had to have the
head gaskets replaced. The car only had 72,000 miles on it.
We spoke with Ford and they stated that they hadn't had any
problems with the 3.8 V6 engine. However, after some investigation
it appears they have had many problems with this engine and
the head gaskets. We are out $500 already and today the car
started overheating again.
Tami of Clendenin, WV:
Recently I have been reading about the lawsuit and extended
warranty Ford is offering on the Windstars, Taurus, Continentals
and Sables. When I ordered my 94 Mustang I was told there
was a delay in receiving it because Mustangs used the same
motors that the Windstars did and both vehicles were in demand
that year. My Mustang engine is a 3.8 V6 also and I just had
to have the head gaskets replaced. Should 94 Mustangs be included
in the extended warranty? I have invested approximately $1400
in my Mustang due to the head gaskets and at this time I am
still unable to drive it due to a leak somewhere.
Andrea of Kalamazoo, MI:
My '94 Ford Mustang blew a head gasket, a common problem
from what I've heard. I'm upset over the very expensive repair
because I feel Ford had the responsibility to warn me of this
problem with their 3.8L engines. Consequently, I lost time
at work because I was stranded out of town and my parents
lost work letting me use their car so I could return home
for school. Not to mention the expensive cost of the repair.
Leigh of Lake Stevens, WA:
A head gasket blew on my 1995 Ford Mustang in November
of '99. At first I didn't think anything about it but when
I mentioned it to a co-worker who had the exact same car as
I did, I found out that her head gasket had blown six months
earlier. That got me wondering, so I got on the Internet to
see what I could find out. I found the "Class Action Lawsuit
Against Ford 3.8 liter 95 Windstar". Again, I think it is
very odd because I have the same engine with the exact same
problem. The mechanic I went to told me he had replaced six
of these in a three-month period for my exact car. Something
is fishy here. I have spent over $1200 getting it fixed.
Carey of Crowley, TX:
We have a 1995 Ford Mustang with a 3.8L engine with 76,393
miles. It has a blown headgasket. The current estimated costs
are between $1200 and $1500 but they have not determined if
the engine block is OK. If not, then the damages will be substantially
more.
Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.
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August 20 2008
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