Faults:

Power steering leak, replaced the starter at about 162K (don't know if it had been replaced before that)

General Comments:

This car is reliable, I feel secure driving it a long distance.

I feel comfortable driving it.

It doesn't get very good gas mileage unless you fill it up. Which now gas is average $1.80 per gallon, and it would probably take around $40.00 to fill up.

Faults:

Currently, this car sits with a blown head-gasket which is scheduled to be fixed this week. From what I have been told, Ford had a problem with headgaskets on a 3.8L engine. I guess I'm just another statistic.

The electric seats no longer work. One day on the way home from school they just stopped.

About six months ago it make a trip to the garage for a bad fuel throttle positioning censor.

No more than a month later it went back for a bad mapping censor.

Last April, the water pump went out on the way home from Columbus, Ohio.

Most generally the only thing that has to be replaced frequently is the number six spark plug. From what I have been told, it has blow by from the number six cylinder. Plug wires are also a common replacement part.

The cap and rotor have also been replaced.

We had to put all new fuses in the car not too long ago when they all blew at the same time. We still are puzzled by what caused them to blow at the same time.

For some unknown reason, I constantly have to replace the center tail light. I think it has a short in it.

Within the next week the rear break drums will also be replaced.

General Comments:

Other than the numerous problems that we have had with this car, it has been an extraodinarily nice car to drive. I have always felt comfortable and safe in the car.

For its age, the body is in excellent condition. Being a 1987 car you think it would have a lot of rust on it. Only a few tiny specks are present. If you added them all up they probably do not equal the size of a quarter.

For the size of the engine under the hood it gets really good gas mileage. On an average day when everything is working correctly and its completely tuned up I can expect to get about 25-27 miles per gallon.

Honestly, I love this car. When we found it had a blown head-gasket my father wanted to get rid of it; his exact words I do believe were " That car has been nothing, but trouble. I will never buy another one of those gas guzzling cars again." After begging and pleading to fix it, I got my way. If it were up to me this car would stay with me for the rest of my life. My intentions are to do a complete restoration using only original factory parts.