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"Can someone explain to me why Ford is only covering certain vehicles with a headgasket failure. I own a 93 Thunderbird & had to replace the head gasket at 55,000 miles. I thought the same engine,i.e. the 3.8L V6, was the same engine in the Windstar, Taurus,etc. Can someone tell me why it isn't covered by Ford?"
-- Kevin

March 20, 2000

Ford 3.8l V-6 Unanswered Questions •Ford Extends Warranty •Ford Extends II •1995 Windstar •1996 Windstar •1997 Windstar •1998 Windstar •Taurus/Sable •Mustang •Transmission Problems •Lightning Strikes Twice •Refund Problems

Kevin's question was partially answered May 1 when Ford extended the warranty on 1994 and 1995 rear-wheel-drive models, just as it had earlier done for 1995 Windstar vans and 1994 and 1995 Taurus and Sable models with the 3.8-liter V6 engine. But that doesn't help Kevin, whose vehicle is a 1993 model, and it leaves many other questions unanswered..

For example, what about the depressed resale value of 1995 Windstars? What about the car rental, towing and other costs many Ford owners incurred during the often-lengthy repair of their engines. What about the many other engine problems that often occur after head gasket failure? What about other models that have the same engine but are not covered?

These and many other questions might have been resolved by the court if a class-action lawsuit that was pending at the time of Ford's decision had been permitted to run its course. Consumers who felt they had been overlooked could have appealed to the court. They now have nowhere to turn, except to Ford

Legalities
Contrary to what many consumers think, automakers are generally not liable for defects that become apparent after the warranty expires. Federally-mandated recalls are only for safety-related issues, not for mechanical problems.

In the Ford case, the class action suits were based on a narrow legal issue involving the wording of Ford's original warranty extension to cover head gasket failure.

Consumer groups proclaimed victory after Ford's Feb. 28 announcement that it was extending the warranty on the models listed above. But the victory is very limited and fragile.

The unilateral action by Ford established no precedent that will help other consumers in similar circumstances, either now or in the future. And it leaves individual consumers at Ford's mercy, as documented in these reports from owners of various Ford models, including both those covered and not covered by the warranty extension.

And how about those refunds and rebates? There do seem to be a few problems here and there.

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