CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 1999 - Ford Motor Company is named in a class action lawsuit alleging major defects in the 3.8-liter engine used in thousands of vehicles, including the 1995 Ford Windstar minivan.

The suit filed on behalf of Lance Lhotka and other Ford owners by Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates charges that the defect in the engine results in premature failure of the head gaskets and that Ford has refused to assume responsibility for the defect.

Claims brought against Ford include breach of warranty, breach of contract and violations of the Illinois and Michigan statutes prohibiting unfair and deceptive acts and practices.

Owners of the popular Windstar vans have aired their complaints on ConsumerAffairs.Com and other popular consumer sites.

One such Windstar owner - identified as Jeff of Okemos, Mich. - said the head gaskets on his Windstar failed at 67,000 miles on July 26, 1999. He learned from his local dealer that Ford was refusing to assume any responsibility for failures after 60,000 miles or five years.

"Since my car had 67,000 miles on it, I was out of luck," Jeff said.

Persons wishing to discuss this case or with questions regarding the rights of those affected by the lawsuit can contact Clifford W. Horwitz or Richard Daughtery at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates at http://www.mylawyers.com or by calling (312) 372-8822

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