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An Open Letter to SHO Club members, SHO enthusiasts and Ford Management
There has been a lot of talk the last several years about the cam problems with the V8 SHO (1996 through 1999). S.H.O. Club has done its best to inform members and advise them about this situation. The Detroit Free Press has published a major news report on the situation and Ford has responded publicly on it for the first time. To read the DFP article, go HERE. As President of the independent S.H.O. Club, I would like to address this issue. Some time ago, my son brought me several old magazines he found at a garage sale. One of them was an AUTOMOBILE magazine from 1996 featuring the new SHO V8. The article fairly gushed with praise and pride that Ford, an American company, had created such a fine automobile. At the time the article was written, I personally didn't like the V8 SHO. It took me about four years to warm up to the V8, and I bought a nice used 1996 in late 1999 and have since fallen in love. It is everything Automobile magazine said and more. A great car, an American BMW at a 30% discount (or more if you bought used). And other than the cam problem, the V8 SHO appears to be well built, dependable and sturdy, as well as entertaining and enjoyable. Let me state, for the record, that S.H.O. Club is first and foremost, a fan of the Ford Taurus SHO automobile. All years, all colors, all motors and transmissions. The fact that we still are able to put on a rather large convention every year is a testament to the basic goodness in the car. We are also fans of Ford Motor Company, and most members own several Ford products and don't just buy used cars. Most have a NEW Ford (or two or three) in the garage, sitting beside the SHO. The S.H.O. Club is also an advocate for owners of our favorite sport sedan. As such, I have had the unpleasant task of informing current and possible future owners of the V8 SHO about the cam failure situation, when they call or write the club about what they should do. My typical advice is: they should keep their V8 or buy one if they like it. They should also plan on spending at least $500 of the money they saved by buying it cheap, (the SHO has had horrible resale value for years, a good thing for those of us that just buy and don't ever sell!) and get the cams welded. It costs a bit more to get the cams pinned, but owners also have that option. I also tell them that not ALL cams will fail. But contrary to what Ford implies in their quotes in the DFP article, I and many others think that a pretty high percentage of V8 motors will fail. Also, Ford implies many were fixed under warranty. The evidence we have is that most failed at about 50,000 miles or more, but under 100,000 miles, which is the first tune-up is recommended. Some failed when new, before they were even sold! A few were repaired under extended warranty, but the bulk of the near 500 failures we have learned about through the club and V8SHO.com were NOT under warranty, and virtually nothing was done for these owners by Ford or Ford dealers. Yes this is an out-of-warranty situation, but the fact is that a cam is not a normal "wear" item and normally lasts the life of the motor or longer, certainly it should make it to the first tune-up. So I have lost a few potential members by being honest with the people that contact the club I can sleep at night. Only a few complaints have been made to the NHTSA. This is understandable since most people wrongly assume that the NHTSA is only for problems resulting in personal injury. This impression comes because, usually, the only stories that get much press, are those where people die or are injured. I hope that nobody has been injured or died as a result of their SHO V8 motor stopping (and the power steering and brakes that depend on the motor also stop) while they are in heavy traffic. Certainly that possibility exists. When Ford says that "only a small number of engines are potentially affected." I can agree, with this qualifier: 20,000 IS a small number to Ford, when they sell hundreds of thousands of trucks or the regular Taurus. And yes, not ALL of the near 20,000 SHO V8 engines will fail. A predictable percentage have been taken off the road prematurely by wrecks. A percentage won't ever fail. But our best guess, and it is only a guess, is that 50-80% OR MORE of SHO V8 motors will have a cam failure by the time they need their first factory recommended tune-up at 100,000 miles. This is a BIG problem to Ford SHO V8 owners. Also, there is no way to tell if your cams will fail. The problem has happened to all four cams in all four model years. The price of delaying the repair and taking a chance is huge, and some that have claimed the SHO enthusiast community is shouting "the sky is falling" have come back shortly thereafter with a dead car and a huge repair bill they can't afford. That is why we let people know they could have a problem, and advise them to take appropriate action. Ford has publicly characterized the recommendation by us and others of welding or pinning the cams as "Unnecessary and Inappropriate". I find that statement totally at odds with reality. So this isn't a big problem in the scheme of things at Ford Motor Company. It is a HUGE problem for V8 SHO owners. What should be done? First, if you have had a V8 SHO cam failure, contact the NHTSA and lodge a complaint. Make sure that your complaint goes in the same "file" as others, or they won't be counted. Contact Ford Motor Company at the Ford Customer Resource Center at 1-800-392-3673. Also,
write a letter to: And contact V8SHO.com
to let them know, if you haven't done so already. Ford jumped through hoops to fix a TINY number of Cobra's when they came up with a minor problem, a lack of horsepower. The V8 SHO cam problem is worse, as the entire engine can be ruined. How to fix the problem is not up for me to decide, but something should be done. I implore, no, I beg Ford to step up to the plate and show the automotive world that you really do care about your customers. Prove that all those commercials by Bill Ford aren't just so much hype and sales bull. This is a problem that can be fixed. And it isn't near as expensive as some other problems that afflict many manufacturers these days. The SHO community is a lot more than just the 1000 S.H.O. Club members. Many thousands more inhabit the internet lists and others just enjoy driving the nicest sport sedan America has ever offered, from a native manufacturer. I am proud to drive my SHO's (I own three now, and my son has one) and I want to be able to buy Ford products in the future. For now, any thought of a new Ford is off my radar scope, as anyone can understand. This situation can be salvaged, and Ford customers brought back to the fold. SHO Club will be the first to shout to the garage tops when all Ford customers are treated fair and taken care of, I just hope it is soon. Don Mallinson,
President
SHOClub.com |
