Consumer Safety Complaints

WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE GUAGE STARTED GOING UP. AFTER A WHILE VEHICLE LOST WATER, AND ENGINE OVERHEATED. DEALER REPLACED ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

Incident date: Oct 12, 1999

WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT FROM COOL TO HOT IN SECONDS. THERE WAS SMOKE AND A STRANGE SMELL COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED . *AK

Incident date: Oct 12, 1999

DRIVING ON ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ALL OF SUDDEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOT UP AND THE STEERING COLUMN WOULDN'T MOVE. PULLED OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED T A MECHANIC SHOP. REPLACED POWER STEERING BRACKET.

Incident date: Oct 8, 1999

WHILE DRIVING TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES TO THE RED SIDE WHICH MEANS THAT CAR IS TOO HOT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND DLR FIXED PROBLEM . CURRENTLY, CAR IS OVERHEATING AGAIN. *AK

Incident date: Jul 4, 1999

FRONT END SUSPENSION SHIMMIES WHEN DRIVING. WOULD HAVE LOTS OF PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL. THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE WOULD RUN HIGH. THE CD PLAYER WOULD COME ON OR STOP. WOULD MAKE GRINDING NOISE. THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY DUE TO POWER LOCKS NOT WORKING. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *AK

Incident date: Sep 1, 1998

THERE IS A BAD ODOR COMING FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, MAINLY FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THERE IS A BURNING SMELL. ALSO, TEMPERATURE GAUGE ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY. *AK

Incident date: Aug 25, 1999

I WOULD LIKE A LIST OF ALL RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE SO THAT I CAN GET IT FIXED. THIS MAKES THE SECOND TIME THAT THE TEMP GAUGE HAS WENT OUT OF THIS CAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY PROFESSIONAL THAT IT IS THE WAY IT HAS BEEN WIRED FROM THE MANAFACTUOR. THANK YOU

Incident date: Sep 15, 1999

THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET UP, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. PULLED OVER, POPPED THE HOOD ,AND THERE WAS A FIRE DUE TO THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM OVEHEATING. *AK

Fire

Incident date: Sep 5, 1999

WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT A/C WENT WARM, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED CLIMBING. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT ENGINE COOLANT FAN WENT BAD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. ALSO, FUSES MELTED INTO THE DISRIBUTION BOX. VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

Incident date: Feb 5, 1999

OIL COOLER AND ADAPTER LINES ARE LEAKING. YH

HEAT INDICATOR ON DASH BOARD FAILED. YH

Incident date: Aug 16, 1999

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE & NOTICED TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATING HOT. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. HAD NO INDICATION A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE HEAD GASKETS. HAD NO LEAKING NOR WAS VEHICLE OVERHEATING. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED. AK

Incident date: Sep 20, 1999

THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE STOPPED WORKING 12/98. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ASKED TO LOOK AT IT SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THEY SAID IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT...PROBABLY SOMETHING IN THE WIRING OF THE GUAGE, AND IT MAY BE EXPENSIVE TO FIND IT. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN WORKING. WE COULD HAVE ENCOUNTERE... Read more

ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS SINCE THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE THE SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GUAGE HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 0 & 85 MPH, DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY KEPT THE VAN TO INVESTIGATE, NOTHING FOUND, THEY THEN HOOKED UP A COMPUTER READER THAT I DROVE WITH FOR 10 DAYS, AS STHIS INCIDENT ONLY HAPPENED SPORADICALLY AND I HAD TO HIT A BUTTON WHE... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 1999

VEHICLE WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE GAUGE RED LINE APPEARED AND THE BRAKES BECAME VERY SPONGY. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER SAID THAT WITH REDUCED TRAFFIC AND INCREASED SPEED, COOLING OCCURED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL EFFECTIVENESS RETURNED. CONTACTED DEALER. *ML

Incident date: Sep 14, 1999

TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS GOING BACK AND FORWARD TOWARDS THE HOT SECTION, AND THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING VERY HARD WHEN DRIVIING AT ANY SPEED. *AK

Incident date: Aug 28, 1998

THERMOMETER, TEMPERATURE GAUGE.

Incident date: Jul 13, 1999

WHEN DRIVING CAR APPROXAMETELY 30 TO 40 MILES THE TEMP LIGHT COMES ON AND SAYS THE CAR IS OVERHEATING AND THE FUEL SUPPLY SHUTS OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HAVE HAD THE CAR TO ONE PERSON AND HE PUT IN NEW TEMP GAUGE. THEN TO A DEALER HE PUT IN A NEW COMPUTER AND STILL DID NOT FIX IT. SAID HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.

Incident date: Sep 30, 1998

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER DUE TO OVERHEATING. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD BE INDICATING HOT (OVERHEATING). MECHANIC RULED OUT HEAD GASKETS, BUT DID REPAIR SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. FINALLY IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED DURING THIS TIME. DEALER / MANUFACTURER INDICATED OWNER SHOULD PAY. OWNER FELT MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY SINCE IT... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 1997

ENGINE COOLANT LEAK REPAIRED, HOWEVER VEHICLE DEVELOPED OIL LEAK AND IS STILL EXPERIENCING LEAKAGE FROM ENGINE. MJS

Incident date: Dec 1, 1998

TEMPRATURE GAUGE FAILED. YH

Incident date: Dec 23, 1998

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILED. *YC

Incident date: Jun 10, 1998

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILED. *YC

Incident date: Jun 27, 1999

DIAGNOSED PROBLEM WAS A SLIPPED CYLINDER SLEEVE. HEAT EXCHANGE BETWEEN ALLOY BLOCK AND STEEL SLEEVE HAS BEEN PREVALENT IN FAR TO MANY OF THESE CARS. CHECK OUT WWW.986BOARD.COM AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Incident date: May 9, 1998

SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR 01/17/97, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: EMERGENCHY/PARKING BRAKE POPS OUT WHEN PARKING THE CAR AND PUTTING PARKING BRAKE ON, BRAKES FAIL TO PERFORM PROPERLY AND BRAKE PADS WEAR DOWN EXCESSIVLY, DASH BOARD (CHECK ENGINE, ABS, ETS, SEAT BELT LIGHT BLINKS WHEN WEARING AND DOESNT BLINK WHEN NOT WEARING OCCASSIONALLY, THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON BUT I DO NOT HAVE A THEFT SYSTEM)... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 2, 1999

GETTING READY TO GET ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE REGISTERED HOT, ENGINE OVERHEATED. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A LEMON IN 96 BUT DEALER WOULD NOT PROVIDE A NEW VEHICLE. *AK *ML

TEMPREATURE AND DIRECTIONAL GUAGE FAILED. YH

Incident date: Aug 30, 1998

TEMPERATURE GUAGE FAILED. YH

Incident date: Jul 25, 1999

MOTOR HOME COULD NOT GO UP THE HILL WITHOUT OVERHEATING.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

Incident date: Jul 26, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE A/C UNIT STARTED TO GET HOT AND THEN TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY UP, AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE ANTI-FREEZE TO LEAK OUT OF THE ENGINE. *AK

Incident date: Jan 15, 1999

WAS TAKING VEHICLE OFF ROAD & NOTICED THE INFLUCUATION OF HEAT. HAD THE THERMOSTAT CHANGED & FLUCUATION HEAT STILL EXISTED. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOT TO BE SOLD & THE MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SOLD. MANUFACTURER INFORMED OWNER THE TSB ON HEAD GASKETS HAD EXPIRED. *AK

HEADGASKET BLEW OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. ALSO, TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED BETWEEN ON/OFF. *AK

WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THERE WAS NO GUAGE WARNING. DEALER SAID IT WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK

ANOTHER CHILD HAS DIED AS A RESULT OF HEAT EXPOSURE IN A CLOSED, LOCKED CAR - BAKING IN THE SUN. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE PARENT HADN'T PUT THE CHILD INTO THIS SITUATION. IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE CAR'S TEMPERATURE SENSOR, COUPLED WITH A MICROPHONE, WERE CONNECTED TO A LOGIC UNIT THAT COULD DETECT THE COMBINATION OF INTENSE HEAT, CLOSED DOORS, AND A CHILD'S ... Read more

1 deaths

Incident date: Jun 18, 1999

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATES WITH NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *AK

Incident date: Jun 27, 1999

OUR VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS USUAL PRIOR TO THE BREAKDOWN. WE HAD RECENTLY HAD THE VEHICLE TUNED UP, AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED DUE TO A SKIP PROBLEM AND LOWER THEN NORMAL GAS MILEAGE. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED A 45 MINUTE TRIP IN THE VEHICLE AND STOPPED FOR DINNER. WE WERE IN THE RESTAURANT FOR 45 MINUTES AND THEN RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETE OUR TRIP. UPON LEAVING THE RESTAURANT, THE... Read more

Incident date: Dec 15, 1998

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED ENGINE GASKET FAILURE A THIRD TIME. THE FIRST TIME IN APRIL 97,REPAIRED AND REINBURSTED, SECOND TIME, IN AUGUST 98, AND THE THIRD TIME IN DECEMBER 98. ALL THREE TIMES THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD FLUCTUATE AND CONSUMER NOTICED ALL THE COOLANT WAS GONE FROM THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM THIS TIME INVOLVES THE TIMING COVER GASKET GOING BAD. NOTICED THAT WHENEVER DRIVING ON INCL... Read more

CONSUMER'S ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON FOR DAYS, TAKES VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY'VE REPROGRAMED THE DASH ELECTRONIC BOARD. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME AND DEALER WILL BE TAKING OUT THE FUEL TANK AND SYSTEM. VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP AT THIS TIME.

Incident date: Jun 21, 1999

A LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THIS VEHICLE NEEDS A HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT. I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT A HEAD GASKET FAILURE SHOULD BE EXPECTED AT ANY TIME, ESPECIALLY IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS NOT SEEN SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS. IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, VARIOUS DEALERS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT SOME ISSUES THAT WERE MERELY ANNOYING (SPEEDOMETER WAVERING AND JUM... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 1999

VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING 65MPH AND WAS MAKING WEIRD NOISES. GAUGE INDICATED OVERHEATING. PULLED INTO GAS STATION. AFTER VEHICLE BEEN RESTARTED & DOWNSHIFTED, WHITE SMOKE APPEARED IN REAR. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY *AK

Incident date: Jun 13, 1999

AS A RESULT OF ABOVE COMPONENT FAILURE, ENGINE WAS DESTROYED BY HEAT. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ON COLD AND THE "ENGINE CHECK LIGHT" CAME ON ABOUT 20 SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALER IN CHATANOOGA. THEY REPORTED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND OIL IN THE WATER. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO ALL ENGINE PARTS. RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF SHORT BL... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 1998

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FAILED. *YC

Incident date: Apr 22, 1999

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN ENGINE TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND SMELLED ANTI-FREEZE. THEN CALLED TOW TRUCK, AFTER TOWING VEHICLE, GARAGE FOUND NOTHING. AGAIN, ON 22-APR-99, WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON. DRIVER PULLED OVER. THEN HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. DEALER FOUND A LEAK IN ENGINE HEAD GASKET. DEALER REPLACED HEAD GASKET... Read more

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP BECAUSE THERE WAS A LEAKY ENGINE HEAD GASKET THAT BLEW. DEALER SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FLAW. *AK

Incident date: May 14, 1999

ON MAY 14, 1999 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MODERATE CITY TRAFFIC, MY 95 FORD WINDSTAR'S ENGINE STARTED TO SKIP AS IF A SPARK PLUG WAS NOT FIRING. I WAS ABOUT 2 MILES FROM HOME AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE SLOWLY WATCHING FOR FURTHER SIGNS OF TROUBLE. AT ABOUT 1/2 MILE TO 1 MILE LATER THE "CHECK ENGINE" CAME, ON AND I SLOWED MY SPEED TO ABOUT 20 WHEN I NOTICED THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGAN TO R... Read more

NUMEROUS FAILURES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS...GAS GAUGE VARIES READS EXCESSIVELY HIGH.....ELECTRONIC TEMP GAUGE / COMPASS MALFUNCTIONS DURING RAIN

COMPUTERIZED ENGINE DESIGN DOES NOT INCLUDE MONITORING ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE FOR APPROPRIATE CYCLIC FUNCTION AND INDICATING PROPER THERMOSTAT PROTECTION, POOR PERFORMANCE. MJS

Incident date: Jan 1, 1994

TEMPERATURE GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Incident date: Mar 1, 1999

THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED TO GO UP AND DOWN. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS ANTI-FREEZE IN THE OIL, A SEAL WAS REPLACED. BUT THAT HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THAT ENGINE, AND SHOWED THE SEAL WHICH WAS BAD. HE STATED THAT IT IS A BAD DESIGN. *AK

Incident date: Mar 27, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS/ OVERHEATS, AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WILL GO UP TO HIGH. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. CONSUMER JUST GOT THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE REPAIR SHOP, AND THE SAME PROBLEMS HAVE REOCCURRED. *AK