1993 Ford Thunderbird complaints

CAR HAS HAD UPPER ENGINE REBUILT, CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITH NO WARNING, COMPUTER READ NO DATE WHEN TESTED. CAR MAKES GROWLING SOUND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. BRAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN CHECKED, DIFERENTIAL FLUID HAS BEEN REPLACED AS SUGGESTED BY MANUFACTURER.

HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE WORN OUT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

HAD #99S30 DONE WELL B4 RECALL;HEADLIGHTS STILL GO OFF & ON EVEN WHEN FOG LIGHTS ARE NOT ON,FORD SAYS NOT RESPONSIBLE,PART OUT OF WARRANTY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRRIORS BEGAN SMOKING, AND THEN IGNITED INTO A FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT FIRE OUT. FIRE CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUIT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK DURING THE FIRE THE ALARM IS NOT WORKING. *YH

WHEN DRIVING IF FOG LAMP SWITCH IS ON FOR EVEN A FEW MINS THE LIGHTS GO ON/OFF SOMETIMES FOR LONG PERIODS.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE W/ 3.8 L ENGINE! *AK

WHY WOULD A 1993 THUNDERBIRD WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES HAVE IT HEAD GASKETS BURN OUT SO EARLY? I HAVE ALWAYS BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR IT'S ANNUAL UPKEEP. OIL ALWAYS CHANGED, TIRES ROTATED. I THOUGH I WAS BUYING A CAR THAT WOULD LAST ME FOR A LONG TIME AND 7 YEARS INTO IT I'M DOING MAJOR REPAIRS TO THE ENGINE? THAT IS NOT RIGHT! I COULD HAVE PUT THAT MONEY DOWN AS A GOOD DOWN PAYMENT ON ANOTHER CAR!!! I WOULD LIKE MY MONEY BACK AND I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS TO PROVE ALL THIS. WHERE OR WHO DO I SPEAK WITH TO GET SOME ACTION DONE?*AK

THIRD BRAKE LIGHT GOT SO HOT THAT IT MELTED THE LENS COVER AND HOUSING SOCKET, ALMOST RESULTING IN A FIRE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED .*AK BULBS ENLARGED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT ALSO. *YH

I'VE NOTICED NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME SPECIFIC PROBLEM THAT I HAD AND AM CURIOUS WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT? ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET HUT? I SUGGEST YOU RECALL FAULTY PARTS ON A VEHICLE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

HEAD GASKETS BLOWN @38000, MAIN BEARING FAILED 1 MONTH LATER, HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN @95000

UPON STARTING, WHITE CLOUD OF SMOKE EMITTED FROM EXHAUST, ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH, ENGINE TEMP. GAUGE ROSE QUICKLY. TEST REVEALED BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK

WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT COVERED BACK IN EARLY 2000, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT IS NOW COVERED. THIS VEHICLES ENGINE WAS FORDS MISTAKE, THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND IT. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 57,446 MILES 3.8L ENGINE ENGULFED IS WHITE SMOKE. BETWEEN 57.446 MILE AND 58,346 ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, E.E. MIRROR SWITCH, DOOR LOCKS, ODOMETER, TRIPOMETER, WINDOW SWITHCHES. THIRD TIME FOR DOOR LOCKS. ALL FORD MOTOR SAYS IS THEY WILL DOCUMENT THE COMPLAINT.

BLOWN HEAD GASKET, ENGINE SPEWED WHITE SMOKE VIA TAILPIPE. ENGINE WON'T FIRE NOR START.*AK

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO GASKETS, REPLACED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES AS WELL AS FUEL LINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS MALFUNCTION IN THE POWER MIRRORS AND THE POWER LOCKS, ILLUMINATION CONTROLS AS WELL AS MOTOR IN DRIVERS SIDE DOOR<POWER DOOR>, SEATBELTS WILL NOT ENGAGE AND SIGNALS FOR SEATBELT TO BE WORN , SEATBELT ALARM WILL NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS SOLVED.COOLENT SYSTEM FAILURE AT POINT OF ENGINE FAILURE , DECREASE IN COMPRESSION AND WHITE SMOKE FROM HOOD, LEVELS READ VERY HOT!!.*AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE WASN'T WORKING, AND WHEN WENT TO PULL THE SOCKETS, THE PLUGS WERE BURNED. DEALER WILL REPAIR AT OWNER'S COST. *AK *ML

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, BOTH GASKET WERE BLOWN.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE FIRST HAD A HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN 1997 W/ONLY 85002 MILES ON IT. IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY (75000 MI), SO FORD MADE ME PAY (TOTAL: $1135.36). IN JANUARY 2000 AFTER 50,000 ADDITIONAL MILES THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX THE VEHICLE, NOR WILL FORD. I HAVE SEEN ON YOUR SITE THAT A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS PENDING FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE WAS NOT MENTIONED. HOW DO I GO ABOUT GETTING MY MONEY BACK AND HAVE FORD FIX MY VEHICLE? I AM ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, AND TIRED OF WALKING TO WORK. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IS WAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK *ML

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT PUSHED THE DIMMER SWITCH TO PUT ON BRIGHT LIGHTS, AND HEADLIGHTS WENT TOTALLY OFF. CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE ANY LIGHT. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FRO ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NEWER VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR ENGINES HAVE HAD WARRANTY EXTENSIONS TO COVER THIS REPAIR. WHY IS THIS MAKE/MODEL WITH SAME ENGINE NOT BEING COVERED? *AK

HEADGASKET BLEW, CAUSING VISIBILILTY PROBLEM.FORD REFUSES TO INCLUDE THUNDERBIRDS IN ITS HEADGASKET RECALL.*AK

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE WAS STUCK IN OPEN POSITION. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

RECALL 99V275/ HEADLIGHT SWITCH. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE UNDER RECALL AND REMEDY HAS FAILED. THE DEALER HAS REINSPECTED VEHICLE, AND WILL REPAIR IT AGAIN AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 99V275000/ HEADLIGHTS, AND FOUND OUT FROM DEALER THAT PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WASN'T COVERED UNDER RECALL. CONSUMER HAS REPAIRED THE PROBLEM ONCE BEFORE OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET. *AK

3.8L ENGINE FAILURE, FORD WILL NOT COMPENSATE DUE TO MY VEHICLE BEING A 1993, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED DESIGIN DEFECT IN THE 3.8L ENGINES. *AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKETS TWO TIMES. 1ST TIME AT 57K - 2ND TIME AT 105K. *AK

COLD START, LOUD BANGING NOISE, SMOKE COMING FROM TAILPIPE, ANTIFREEZE LEAKING, DUE TO BAD HEAD GASKET.

THE DESIGN OF THE SEATS DO NOT CONTAIN A LOCKING FEATURE, THIS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY DURING REAR END COLLISION, POOR DESIGN. *MJS

SAME 3.8 ENGINE IN OTHER YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE HAS BEEN COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BY FORD. POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT FOR 1993 FORD THUNDERBIRD ?? *AK

BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET - REQUIRING MULTIPLE COMPONET REPLACEMENT & PRESSURE TESTING. *AK

EXPERIENCED HEAD GASKET FAILURE ON 3.8L FORD ENGINE. REPAIR COST $917. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED ON A PREVIOUSLY OWNED 1988 THUNDERBIRD WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE. A YEAR AGO MY SON HAD THE SAME FAILURE ON HIS 1995 FORD MUSTANG AND HAS SINCE RECEIVED NOTICE THAT FORD HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL AND THAT THE COST OF REPAIRS WILL BE REIMBURSED. IF FORD ADMITS TO THE PROBLEM IN THE 1994 MODEL YEARS AND YOUNGER, WHY WOULDN'T THE SAME BE TRUE OF EARLIER MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE? I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT REPAIRED ENGINES ON BOTH MY THUNDERBIRDS THAT HE HAD REPAIRED A NUMBER OF OTHER OUT-OF-WARRANTY FORDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT FORD IS OFFERING IS 7 YRS. OR 100,000 MILES. MY 1993 WOULD HAVE FALLEN IN THIS CATEGORY IF FORD HAD ADMITTED THE PROBLEM BACK IN APRIL OF 1998 WHEN IT WAS REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND ALL 3.8L COMPLAINTS. *AK

VEHICLE 3.8-V6 ENGINE; WHILE DRIVING NOTICED OVERHEATING AND SMOKE FROM TAIL PIPE DUE TO BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER PROCEEDED TO REPLACE GASKETS WITH ESTIMATE OF $1,800 FOR REPAIRS. AFTER ASSEMBLY AND TEST DEALER ADVISED THAT THE PISTON SHAFT BEARINGS NEEDED REPLACING AND THOSE REPAIRS WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $1,100 FOR A TOTAL ESTIMATE OF $2,900.*AK

MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 99V-275, CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

HEADLIGHT FAILURE HAPPENED IN '96, '97, & '99 (CHARGED FOR 2 REPAIRS). *AK

I AM MAKING THIS COMPLAINT ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET I HAD TO REPLACE RECENTLY. I CALLED FORD TO COMPLAIN AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. NOW I FIND OUT IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT. I ALSO READ THAT FORD WAS GOING TO REPLACE/PAY FOR SOME BUT NOT ALL THE 3.8 L ENGINES WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY 1993 THUNDERBIRD IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. THIS SEEMS TO BE DISCRIMINATORY ON FORD'S PART. I ONLY HOPE THERE IS SOME INFLUENCE NHTSA CAN HAVE IN THIS MATTER. THANKYOU. *AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKET

DEFECTIVE ENGINE HEAD GASKET CAUSED THE ENGINE TO EASE UP & FAIL. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED FOUR TIMES. DEALER SAID HEAD GASKETS WERE THE REASON WHY THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SO MANY TIMES. *AK

HEAD GASKET LEAKING ON CYLINDERS 1&2. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

HAVE HEARD OF POSSIBLE WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH HEAD GASKET OF THIS TYPE. WOULD LIKE INFORMATION BEFORE WE HAVE IT FIXED. IS FORD RECALLING, EXTENDING WARRANTY? *AK

SEATS DO NOT LOCK; I CALLED A FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IS HOW THE 1993 FORD'S WERE MADE THAT YEAR. TO ME THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS HAZARD; THEY HAVE THE "LOCK HANDLE" BUT SERVES NO PURPOSE; I ALWAYS USED THE "HANDLE" THINKING IT WORKED, UNTIL I FOUND OUT 'OTHERWISE'!!! I FEEL THIS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY SHOULD I GET HIT FROM THE REAR!

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAVE PREMATURELY BLOWN OUT FOUR TIMES, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET IS BLUE AT 82,00 MILES. *AK

BLEW A HEAD GASKET AT A LITTLE OVER 90000 MILES. THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST BLINDING DRIVERS BEHIND AND ON EITHER SIDE. THE CAR ALSO STALLED SEVERAL TIMES BLOCKING TRAFFIC AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS LEADING UP TO THE ENGINE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS COVERED FOR 1994 AND 1995 T-BIRDS UP TO 100000 MILES, BUT BECAUSE MINE IS A 1993, THEY ARE REFUSING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION OF ANY KIND FOR WHY THE 1994 IS COVERED, YET THE 1993 IS NOT FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *AK

HEAD GASKET BLOWN AT 72,000 MILES. THERE IS NO RECALL OR TSB ON THIS PROBLEM, YET IN CHECKING NHTSA COMPLAINT SECTION THERE APPEARS TO BE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. OF COURSE THESE ARE ONLY THOSE PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO FILE A COMPLAINT. MY LOCAL DEALER, JORDAN FORD IN MISHAWAKA, IN, SAYS THAT HE WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO GIVE ME A NUMBER FOR FORD THAT I COULD CALL TO REGISTER MY COMPLAINT. *AK