1995 FORD MUSTANG Complaints

FIRST TIME FALIURE WAS NOTICED ...WAS GOING 65 DOWN THE INTERSTATE WE PROCDED TO PULL OVER CAUSE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A NORMAL EVERYDAY OVERHEAT,SO WE PULLED OFF TO A REST AREA TO LET IT COOL DOWN SO WE COULD THEN ADD SOME WATER IN HOPES THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY ..WE THEN STARTED TO DRIVE AT A SLOWER SPEED CAUSE WHEN WE GOT BACK IN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON .WE THEN GOT HOME AND WHEN WE GOT THERE WHICH IS A APROXIMATE MILES WOULD BE LESS THEN 30 MILES FROM WHERE FIRST CAME IN TO THE PROBLEM ..I THEN ADDED MORE WATER AND SOME ANTIFREZZE IN HOPES THAT WOULD HELP ..THEN I LET THE CAR SET FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND THROUGH THE NIGHT ..WHEN I WOKE UP TO GO TO WORK I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND SENN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON I ALSO NOTICED THE TEMP WENT BACK DOWN BUT OF COURSE TIME WOULD SHOW IT WOULD HEAT BACK UP TO A BUBBLING IN LESS THEN 15 MINS TIME FROM WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED ..I THEN TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL GARAGE AND THEY INFORMED ME THE LEFT HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED ..AND SINCE THEN IT HAS RAN LIKE A CHARM..THANK YOU SALLY

NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY; NO LAWSUIT - WE ARE REPORTING THIS SOLELY FOR YOUR INFO, IN CASE IT'S IN ANY WAY RELEVANT TO YOUR FIRESTONE INVESTIGATION. / AT THE TIME, WE HAD TWO AFFINITY TIRES ON THE REAR, AND TWO OTHER FIRESTONE TIRES ON THE FRONT. THE AFFINITIES WERE NEARING THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE; OUR MECHANIC (A LOCAL FORD DEALER) HAD JUST TOLD US WE SHOULD REPLACE THEM ON OUR NEXT VISIT, BUT DIDN'T NEED TO DO SO AT THIS TIME. THE REASON I BOTHER TO REPORT IS BECAUSE AT THE END OF A 200-MILE DRIVE TO LA, MY WIFE AND I EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT ON THE FREEWAY. NOTHING UNUSUAL THERE - BUT WHEN I MANAGED TO GET TO A GAS STATION AND WE INSPECTED THE DAMAGE, WE FOUND ONE OF THE AFFINITIES (THE ONE THAT BLEW OUT) SEEMED TO HAVE "EXPLODED": THERE WERE GIANT HOLES IN THE SIDE OF THE TIRE, AND WE COULD SEE THINGS THAT LOOKED LIKE STRINGS ON THE INSIDE WHICH I ASSUME WERE PART OF THE INTERIOR TIRE ASSEMBLY. (I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT TIRE MANUFACTURE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY REALLY WERE, BUT THEY LOOKED LIKE BIG PIECES OF STRING.) THE HOLES IN THE SIDE WERE EXTREMELY BIG - THE SIDE OF THE TIRE LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE A TIRE-SIZED BLACK PIECE OF SWISS CHEESE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PIECES OF TIRE THAT USED TO BE WHERE THE BIG HOLES IN THE SIDE ENDED UP. I HAVE EXPERIENCED BLOWOUTS BEFORE, BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS; SO IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT FIRESTONE ISSUES, THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED LOCALLY TO US, PROBABLY IN ABOUT 1997 OR SO - IF IT WERE IMPORTANT ENOUGH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIG OUT THAT INFO WHEN MY WIFE RETURNS IN A FEW DAYS. ANYWAY, WE AREN'T SUING, NO ONE WAS HURT, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BLOWOUT EXCEPT FOR WHAT WE SAW VISUALLY - I'M JUST REPORTING BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW.--MICHAEL( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/60R16 )

CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD REGARDING HEAD GASKET ( NO RECALL INFORMATION FOUND). MECHANIC LOCATED THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED & THE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED BY CONSUMER.*AK

GASKET FAILURE REQUIRED EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSIS; FORD REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIR BECAUSE DIAGNOSIS FINALLY HAPPENED 65 MILES PAST 60,000 MILE WARRANTY; AFTER RECALL, FORD ONLY REFUNDED $495 FORD COST, NOT RENTAL CAR OR RADIATOR REPLACEMENT COST.

VEHICLE STALLING ON ROADWAY, FORD UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM, RESTARTS AFTER COOLING

ENGINE LIGHT STAY ON, RETURN CAR FOR REPAIR, NEXT DAY ENGINE OVERHEATED; MADE A WHINING NOISE AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM ENGINE. RETURN CAR FOR REPAIR, ADVISED NEEDS NEW THERMOSTAT. NEXT DAY THE CAR WOULD NOT START, BATTERY WAS DEAD. TOWED CAR TO FORD DEALERSHIP, ADVISED BY SERVICE, MAY HAVE A HEAD GASKET DEFECT. SERVICE CHECKS AND CONFIRMED HEAD GASKET BLOWN.

ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL. DEALERSHIP REPLACED ENGINE GASKET/WATER PUMP/OIL PAN GASKET/ TRANSMISSION OIL PAN GASKET. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT SHE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT ENGINE WILL BE IN EIGHT TO TEN WEEKS. *AK

HEAD GASKET LEAKING. TECHNICIAN STATES THIS MODEL ENGINE HAS A PROBLEM WITH "ROTTED" OUT HEAD GASKETS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED EVERY 3000 MILES (ALL RECORDS AVAILABLE). SEALS TO THE INNER TIE RODS ON THE RACK & PINION BEGAN LEAKING, NOT SERVICEABLE, NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RACK ASSY. POWER STEERING FLUID CHANGED YEARLY. ALSO, REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSY REBUILT UNDER MANUFACTURES WARRANTY @ ABOUT 35000, DUE TO A "WHINNING" NOISE. NOISE RETURNED @ ABOUT 45000, NOW OFF WARRANTY.*AK

THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE HOOD SEPARATED AND FLEW OFF OF THE CAR AND LANDED ON THE GROUND AND WAS RUN OVER BY THE CAR BEHIND. THE HOOD SEEMS TO BE MADE OF 2 PIECES SANDWICHED TOGETHER. THE TOP HALF OF THE ENTIRE HOOD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE BOTTOM HALF. THIS WAS A SAFETY RECALL ITEM AND FORD CLAIMS IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER THAT DID THE REPAIR IN 1998 HAS CHANGED COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SAID THEY DONT HAVE A DETAILED RECORD OF REPAIR. DEALER AND FORD BOTH CLAIM THAT REPAIR WAS WARRANTED FOR ONLY 12 MONTHS. IT SEEMS THE REPAIR WASNT SUFFICIENT. I THINK WE SHOULD EXPECT OUR AUTOMOBILES NOT TO FLY APART AND BECOME MISSLES THAT MAY INJURE OR KILL PEOPLE. FORD ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER . I AM TAKING IT TO FREEHOLD FORD IN FREEHOLD, NJ 732-462-3131. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE HAD A LOT OF HESITATION WHEN SHE APPLIED GAS PEDAL. ALSO, TORQUE CONVERTED WAS DEFECTIVE. DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT INFORMATION.*AK