1995 Ford Escort

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SLOWLY DIED FIRST THE RADIO SHUT OFF THEN THE WIPERS STOPPED, LIGHTS SHUT OFF THEN THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED ON ABOUT 8 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE I HAD MY 2 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND HAD OVER $1,200 PUT INTO IT IN THE LAST YEAR AND THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED. THE MECHANIC AT FORD TOLD ME IF I WANTED THE CAR TO BE SAFE I'D BE BETTER OFF GETTING A NEW CAR. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THE CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED BEFORE I PURCHASED IT BUT I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT BY THE DEARLERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVE WAY WITHOUT RUNNING AND THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION AND THE FOUR WAYS WILL START FLASHING AS WELL AS IT HAPPENS AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. FORD TOLD ME THE LAST TIME IT WAS THERE TO BE FIXED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS COLLAPSED BUT WHEN I HAD ANOTHER MECHANIC GO TO CHANGE THE STEERING COLUMN HE FOUND THAT IT WASN'T COLLAPSED AND THAT FORD HAD LEFT OUT 5 BOLTS THAT HELD IT IN AND IT WAS ONLY IN THERE WITH 2 BOLTS WHICH WERE NOT TIGHTENED AND COULD BE TURNED BY HAND WHICH WAS CAUSING THE COLUMN TO ABLE TO BE PULLED OUT TOWARDS THE DRIVER BY ABOUT 3 INCHES AND THEN PUSHED BACK INTO PLACE.*AK

WE PLEASE SEND ME TWO SIGNATURE CARDS FOR BOTH VEHICLES JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR ARE DAUGHTER ON 7/01/01 WHAT WAS FUNNY IS THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD WHEN WE GOT IT THEN 9 DAY'S LATER THE RAIDIATOR SATRTED TO LEAK THE SAME PLACE MY 92 TAURUS WAS LEAKING FROM THE DRIVE SIDE SEAL OF THE RAIDIATOR SO I CALLED FORD AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY THERE MAKING PARTS THAT ARE FAILING IN NOT ONE CAR MADE BUT TWO DIFFERENT CAR'S AND I ALSO WAS TOLD BUT VARIOUS MECHANICS THAT FORD KNOWS OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH BOTH THE TAURUS AND ESCORT BUT WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM WHY WOULD TWO DIFFERENT CARS FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS FORD KNOWS THE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE US HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE 3 MAIN THINGS TRANSMISSION RAIDAITOR AND EGNITION SWITCHS SO WHY ARE YOU NOT LOOKING IN TO THIS CONSUMER FRAUD I'LL BE GLAD TO FILE A CIVIL SUIT AGAINST FORD IF NEED BE AS THEY ARE SCREWING THE PUBLIC. *AK

CONSUMER HAS REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH 3 TIMES WITHIN 5 YEARS. VEHICLE HAS CAUGHT ON FIRE ONCE FROM IGNITION, THE DAY AFTER THE STARTER HAD BEEN REPLACED. STARTER, STARTER SOLENOID, IGNITION SWITCH(WHICH HAD MELTED TO THE SWITCH), AND O2 SENSOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE BEING COLD, IT WOULD CRANK SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NEVER START UNTIL TURNING KEY OFF AND BACK ON. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE LIGHT BECOMING ILLUMINATED, DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP, HOWEVER THE ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON OCCASIONALLY. PCV VALVE WAS ALSO REPLACED. *SLC

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN !995, AND FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM. DURING THE PERIOD OF 6/3/97 THRU 6/17/97 ALONE, THE PROBLEM OCCURED 5 TIMES. BERGE FORD HAS REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM EACH AND EVERY YEAR THAT I HAVE OWNED IT. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE WHAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM BUT THE SAME COMPONENTS ARE INVOLVED EACH TIME. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE RELAYS TO BURN OUT INITIALLY, OR THE WIREING HARNESS TO SUFFER DAMAGE AND THESE FAILURES CAUSE THE COOLING FAN TO EITHER BECOME INOPERATIVE OR BURN OUT AS WELL. I HAVE SERVICE RECORDS (SO FAR) FOR 15 SUCH REPAIRS SINCE 1995. THEY CONTINUE TO THIS DAY. THIS YEAR I HAVE ONCE AGAIN HAD TWO FAILURES, AND THE ONE THAT CAUSES ME TO CONTACT YOU HAPPENED ON 8/17/2000. THIS ONE WAS NOT A COMPLETE FAILURE BUT WAS AN INTERMITENT COOLING PROBLEM AND I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE DEALER SO I DROVE IN. THEY ACCEPTED THE VEHICLE AS USUAL, AND MY ADVISOR AGREED TO COVER THE REPAIR AT NO CHARGE AND PROVIDE ME A RENTAL CAR AS THEY HAVE DONE COUNTLESS TIMES IN THE PAST.. ONLY THIS TIME MY SERVICE ADVISOR MENTIONED THAT FORD HAD A "NEW" BOSCH RELAY AND WIRE SYSTEM WHICH HE CLAIMED WOULD SOLVE MY PROBLEM. OF COURSE I WAS INTERESTED, ALL I EVER WANTED WAS FOR THEM TO KEEP THEIR ORIGINAL PROMISE OF "REPAIRING IT RIGHT THIS TIME". THE DIFFERENCE ON THIS OCCASION WAS THAT NOW THAT THEY HAD THE "RIGHT" PARTS TO REPAIR THE CAR ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND THESE PARTS WOULD COST ME OVER $400.00 I TRULY FEEL THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR AS THE COST OF REPAIR HAS BEEN COVERED FOR THE MOST PART FOR OVER SIX YEARS WITH PARTS WHICH CONTINUE TO FAIL OVER AND OVER. AND NOW THAT THEY HAVE THE CORRECT PARTS, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COVER THEM. I HOPE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST ME AND OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IF NOT, CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY ADVISE AS TO WHAT MY RIGHTS ARE IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU.