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.
1993 Ford Thunderbird engine complaints
Page 5 of 7: complaints 101 to 130 of 172, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Blown head gasket
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 the federal safety agency can have in this matter. Thankyou.
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.
Head gasket leaking on cylinders 1&2.
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?
Engine head gaskets have prematurely blown out four times, causing the engine to lock up. Please give any further details.
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.
Engine head gasket is blue at 82,00 miles.
Head gasket blown at 72,000 miles. There is no recall or tsb on this problem, yet in checking the federal safety agency 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.
Talking with other ford owners, this is a common problem with this motor, yet ford does not acknowlegde or assist in anyway with the thunderbird models.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Blown head gasket. The car wouldn't heat up and it would die on me when I would give it gas to acelerate or take off from a stop light. I almost got hit twice. There also was white smoke coming out of the exhaust.
I contacted you back in march because of my thunderbird's early engine head gasket failure,and my many letter's and phone calls to ford which went unanswered . I have not received any satisfaction in my complaints. In ford's first recall of their 3.8l head gasket failure my car was not included the reason being that it is a rear wheel drive vehicle, the cars being recalled were front wheel drive vehicles. I argued that it was the same engine with the same problem why cover only certain model's. Now I have read that ford is again going to extend warranties and cover repair bills for this problem in thunderbirds and cougars which were not included in the first program. They state that due to many complaints they will now cover this engine in rear wheel drive vehicles. I again phoned customer service at ford only to be told again that it did not include my thunderbird because it is a 93. I asked when my car was actually put in service, and was told april4,1993, when my head gasket failed it was not even seven years old which is the amount of years that they are extending the warranty for this problem. The mileage on my car was also way below the average miles on other cars that this happened to. The average being 65,000. My original question is still the same isn't the problem a defective engine, and it should'nt matter whether it's a 93 or 94. Ford is stating that the engine is a problem, but won't stand behind it. Thank you for your time with this .
I had a bad head gasket, problematic of most 3.8 litre rear wheel drive ford passenger cars from 1988 to 1996. Ford has recognized the problem with the '94 through '96 3.8 litres, but these are the same 3.8 litres in the earlier models. I own a '93 thunderbird that just needed the head gaskets replaced for $1000.00 . I should not be expected to pay for a problem that ford motor company has admitted having. I would like to be reimbursed for the entire amount of the repair, due to the fact that ford is and was aware of the head gasket problem. Thank you.
Head gasket failed at 70,000 miles / ford fails to recall vehicle.
Blown head gaskets-twice. Once at about 65000 miles and again at about 120000 miles. I believe it's due to manufacturing defect--iron block/aluminum heads--and incorrect assembly. I can't believe there hasn't been a recall. If the federal safety agency would check service records on a national basis then I think you'd find thousands and thousands of identical failures. Mechanics and service managers all over the country love to see us coming. Other t-bird owners (and other ford motor co. Automobile owners) have had the same problem. Why hasn't something been done?
I am on the fourth engine failure of this car, I feel it should be included in the buy-back that ford is holding on the 95 windstars.
Took car in to have a recall on a head lamp switch fixed. Told them car seems to have a hesitation when taking off after a complete stop. They told me it had to have the iac censor replaced. Had that done at a cost of 363.00. They also put in a new thermostat, sid engine wasn't getting hot enough? 2 days later car still hesitated and over heated. Was told head gasket needed to be replaced. Had that fixed 900.00. They also told me I should have the timing cover replaced because it has a possible crack? Took to an independent auto shop had them take a look, they said it looked fine?
Vehicle 3.8 - v6 engine; while driving noticed coolant leakages/overheating, and smoke from tail pipe due to a blowen engine head gasket. Dealer/ manufacturer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under manufacturer's extended warranty.
Engine head gasket blew out. There was white smoke coming from manifold pipe. *ak
Well maintained car. Never abused. Nosafety defect listed.
Head gasket(s) failed. Anti-freeze went out exhaust causing large white cloud - reduced visibility for drivers behind me. Car overheated - stopped on road causing traffic backup. A dealer rep said problem is becoming common with t-birds that have 55-80k miles. Luckily there were no accidents. But its going to cost $800-1000 to fix!!.
Have a v6 3.8 liter ford thunderbird lx with a head gasket problem. Brought this car used in july of 1999 and it had 63,000 miles on it now has 68,000 took to an independent mechanic and he talked with the ford dealer in our town and they told him there were 3 auto with same problem on recall that was a taurus,sable and windstar. Contacted the dealer who sold it to me and was told that there was a recall contacted the ford dealer and was told about other cars mentioned. I called ford motor to report problem they took a complaint and told me I had to go through a dealer to contact a regional manager. Ford dealer told me that it is impossible to contact a ford regional manager. That he had gotten a car in his dealership with same problems and that it is basically junk material it will have to be salvaged. The only help would be to have a new or used motor put in this auto. I am on a limited income my husband is due to be put on a liver list. And this is my only means of transportation. This car was paid for and I have had it less than a 8 months and there it sits in my driveway a piece of junk. If you figure out how many months I have this car it equals to 750.00 a month to have owned this I could have purchased a new auto and made payments with what I had spent on this. And now with the repairs it will cost me more the ford dealer said these cars are known for this type of problem.
Defective 3.8 liter engine head gasket blew out, causing anti-freeze to leak onto engine cylinder. This engine is recalled in other models, but not the thunderbird. Owner wants to be reimbursed for repairs. *ak
This failure is known by ford, and recalls of other vehicles with this engine have been done. But they refuse to acknowledge the problem with this model/year. No safety defect listed within summary.
The head gasket failed on my thunderbird when I was driving on an interstate highway at highway speed - the car emitted a huge cloud of vapor, obscuring the road behind me and causing me to immediately lose power. Ford has declined to cover the repair cost, even thought the exact same engine in a taurus or windstar van is covered under an extended warrantly program for exhibiting the same failure. This defect can present a safety issue, by obscuring the visibility of cars following and causing the immediate loss of power in my vehicle.
Engine was overheating due to head gasket failure which also caused coolant to leak into the oil.
My head gaskets blew at 80,000 miles. Ford has has a recall on this engine. They rerfuse to recall my 1993 thunderbird.
Despite having regular service as ford manual details, engine head gasket failed oct 23,1999 at 65,975 miles. I had no warning of anything wrong until that saturday morning when I was driving to the grocery and white smoke started pouring from my tailpipe. I was less than 1 mile from home, so I returned. Liquid was leaking out of the tail pipe. I had the car towed to a garage where the head gasket was replaced at a cost of $1100.00. I have contacted my ford dealer who told me to call the ford customer hotline. I have done that several times but have not been helped. I have written a letter to the chairman of the board of ford motor dated march 8, 2000 but have not received a reply as of march 29. Ford has admitted problems with this engine on the front wheel drive vehicles, but my mechanic told me he has had several repairs on rear wheel drive vehicles such as my car.
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