1994 FORD AEROSTAR Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATED 1994, FORD VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE ON THE FREEWAY ON 8-8-05. SHE WAS NOT HAVING PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE FIRE SEEMED TO BE ELECTRICAL AND ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. *AK *JB UPDATED 2/7/2006 - THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 97V204000 ON NOV 13, 1997 FOR THE TRANSFER CASE/DRIVESHAFT BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. THIS FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM NHTSA ON TWO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. ONE WAS 99V028000 FOR THE ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE HOOD AND THE OTHER ONE WAS 99V029000 FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. *NM

Mileage: 100,000

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF COOLANT AND OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED OF A HEAD GASKET FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND THEN CEASED TO FUNCTION ALTOGETHER, VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO DEARLERSHIP AND CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED AND THAT THE ANTI-FREEZE WAS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE, CONSUMER PURCHASED A REBUILT ENGINE. *JB

MY CLIENTS, THE FREDERICK FAMILY (FATHER, MOTHER AND 3-YR-OLD DAUGHTER) SUSTAINED THIRD DEGREE BURNS WHEN THEIR 1994 FORD AEROSTAR VAN SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TRAVELLING ON I-40 NEAR NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA. FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF THE TRANSFER CASE OUTPUT SHAFT BUSHING DISPLACEMENT, THEREBY FAILING THE DRIVE SHAFT WHICH STRUCK THE PAVEMENT, THEN RICHOCHETED INTO THE FUEL TANK AND PIERCED THE TANK, ALLOWING RAW FUEL TO ESCAPE AND IGNITE, PROBABLY FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OR SPARKS FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT STRIKING THE PAVEMENT. THIS CASE IS IN LITIGATION IN UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, BEING CASE NO. CV-S-00-0444-KTD-RLH. PETER CHASE NEUMANN, ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS, 136 RIDGE STREET, RENO, NV 89501. 775-786-3750.

EGO SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *SLC

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ENGINE FAILURES, CYLINDER HEADS, RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, AND THERMOSTAT WERE ALL REPLACED, VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND MISSING. *SLC

TRANSFER CASE PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN FLUID WAS LEAKING. TOOK TO MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE GASKETS. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, AND WAS REBUILT BY DIFFERENT MECHANIC. FLUID CONTINUED TO LEAK, GASKETS WERE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. FLUID SPEWED DURING DRIVING, WHICH MECHANIC SAID WAS DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER BLOWING HOT AIR ON TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAUSING ITS RELEASE. REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER. FLUID STILL CONTINUED TO SPEW, ALL OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS DRIVEN 120 MILES, A QT. OF TRANSMISSION FLUID ADDED, AND BACK 120 MILES, WITH ANOTHER QT. ADDED. MECHANIC TAKES TRANSFER CASE APART, FINDING THE BEARINGS WORN TO A NON-ROUND SHAPE, AND THE SHAFT END WORN DOWN. CHECKED FOR RECALL, AND THERE IS ONE, 99V094000 BUT FORD SAYS OUR VAN DOESN'T FALL INTO THIS RECALL AND REFUSES TO HELP.

WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF ENGINE FAILURE AS A RESULT OF A DEFECT OR LEAK IN THE TIMING CASE GASKET OF THIS VEHICLE. WE FEEL THIS LEAK DIRECTLY RESULTED IN THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE WHICH WE NOW HAVE TO REPLACE AT GREAT EXPENSE. AFTER CONTACTING FORD, THE MANUFACTURER OF OUR MINIVAN, WE FIND THAT WE HAVE NO RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER OTHER THAN TO CONTACT YOU AND MAKE IT PART OF YOUR RECORDS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OUR VEHICLE. WE WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU AS TO WHETHER OR NOT ANY OTHER REPORTS SIMILAR TO OURS HAVE BEEN MADE WITH REGARD TO THE L994 FORD AEROSTAR 2WD, 3.0L VEHICLE. THANK YOU. *AK

THE ENGINE HAD STARTED TO OVERHEAT. HAD HEARD A TICKING NOISE PRIOR TO VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC ENGINE LOST COMPRESSOR PART & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM, ALSO AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE OVERHEATING. VEHICLE BEEN HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR REPAIRES ON 11 OCCASIONS, AND NOTHING APPEARED TO WORK. CAN NHTSA HELP OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

COMPLETE RADIATOR FAILURE, TOLD EPOXY BROKE LOOSE, REPLACED WITH NEW, SUSPECT OVERHEATING OF WIRING HARNESS CAUSED RELAY OR FUSABLE LINK FAILURE IN COLUMN/DASH INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL, THEN FULL LOSS, HORN LASS AT SAME TIME, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AT SAME TIME. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED CAUSING LEAKAGE INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT, REQUIRED COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. MJS

OUR AUTOMATIC HEAD LIGHTS HAVE WORKED OFF AND ON .OFF MORE THAN ON.WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS AND LOVED OUR MINIVAN UNTILL YESTERDAY IT STARTED MAKING A FUNNY NOISE ,AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BROKEN.WHEN A YOU OWN A NEWER MODEL VEHICLE YOU EXPECT ,AND IT BRAKES DOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU EXPECT AN ALTERNATER/STARTER AND ,BATTERY,ETC,BUT NOT A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT. *AK

THERE ARE 4 BOLTS HOLDING THE FAN ONTO THE WATER PUMP. ONE FELL OUT AND DESTROYED THE SERPENTINE BELT, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL ACCESSORY FUNCTIONS. ANOTHER BOLT LACKED A LOCK WASHER (THE CULPRIT MAY HAVE, TOO.) *AK

THERE ARE 4 BOLTS HOLDING THE FAN ONTO THE WATER PUMP. ONE FELL OUT AND DESTROYED THE SERPENTINE BELT, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL ACCESSORY FUNCTIONS. ANOTHER BOLT LACKED A LOCK WASHER (THE CULPRIT MAY HAVE, TOO.) *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON, AND VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLS. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE HEAT SHIELD UNDERNEATH VEHICLE KEEPS FALLING OFF. WAS INFORMED SOLDER JOINTS WERE PREMATURELY CORRODED. THIS CAUSED THE SHIELDS TO DRAG ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE ENGINE GETS HOT AND THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DON'T WORK. DEALER CAN'T TELL WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

EA98016; WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A FIRE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. CURRENTLY AT DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

SMOKE POURING OUT FROM BEHIND THE VEHICLE.

DASH GETS HOT BEHIND THE TEMPERTURE CONTROL FOR HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

THERE IS A BAD GAS SMELL IN THE TRUCK.PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

EXHUAST FUMES ARE LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSE THE PASSENGERS TO BECOME SICK. TT THE ODOMETER MALFUNCTIONS. OIL LIGHTS AND ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUE TO COME ON BECAUSE THE VEHICLE BURNS 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY WEEK. BRAKES STICK AND THERE WAS BRICKS RUBBING KIND OF SOUND WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS. THE HORN FAILED. THE WEATHER STRIPPING AROUND THE SLIDE DOOR KEEP COMING OFF. *YH

EXHUAST FUMES ARE LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSE THE PASSENGERS TO BECOME SICK. TT THE ODOMETER MALFUNCTIONS. OIL LIGHTS AND ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUE TO COME ON BECAUSE THE VEHICLE BURNS 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY WEEK. BRAKES STICK AND THERE WAS BRICKS RUBBING KIND OF SOUND WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS. THE HORN FAILED. THE WEATHER STRIPPING AROUND THE SLIDE DOOR KEEP COMING OFF. *YH