1995 Ford Escort

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE SMELLED OF GASOLINE. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE WAS OBSERVED IN THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION, CRACKS WERE OBSERVED IN THE GAS TANK. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 97V144000 PERTAINING TO THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I OWN A 1995 FORD ESCORT LX [XXX] WHICH HAS A LEAKING FUEL TANK. I CHECKED YOUR (NHTSA) WEB SITE AND FOUND "TWO RECALLS" FOR THIS PROBLEM. I WHEN TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS,(A.C. COLLINS FORD, PASADENA TEXAS) AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR MY CAR BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER. BUT THE VIN NUMBER CLEARLY STATES THE ENGINE SIZE 1.9 L, ASSEMBLY PLANT: WAYNE IND. AND IT WAS SOLD AND STILL IS REGISTERED AND USED IN PASADENA /HOUSTON TEXAS. WHICH IS THE SAME INFORMATION AS SHOWN IN THE NHTSA'S RECALL NOTICE. NOTE: THE MILEAGE AND PURCHASE DATES ARE ESTIMATES DUE TO THE CAR BEING AT THE DEALER AT THIS MOMENT. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THE VEHICLE HAD A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK WHICH WAS DISCOVERED AFTER A LONG TRIP. CONSUMER DISCOVERED SMALL DROPLETS OF GASOLINE ON THE GROUND. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER NOTED THERE WAS A RECALL 97V144000, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN . NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT CONSUMER HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE DUE TO THE LEAK AND THE HOT SUMMER CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA WHERE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT. THE DEALER THINKS IT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE BECAUSE CONSUMER TRAVELED FORM EAST COAST TO THAT STATE. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1995 FORD ESCORT. RECALL 97V145000 WAS ISSUED BY FORD CONCERNING GAS TANK LEAKAGE. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED HE SMELLED GAS AND WHEN HE LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE HE DISCOVERED GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THE TANK ONTO THE HEAT SHIELD AND THE EXHAUST. *JB

FUEL TANK OF A 1995 FORD ESCORT, VIN [XXX] IS LEAKING GAS FROM HEAT SHIELD MOUNTS ON FUEL TANK. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM OF ESCORTS IN THIS YEAR, AND FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON 64,000 ESCORTS CITING A POSSIBILITY OF LEAKING FUEL RESULTING IN FIRE. ALTHOUGH MY ESCORT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1995, HAS THE 1.9L ENGINE, WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE AFFECTED HERMOSILLO, MEXICO PLANT, AND WAS SOLD IN THE COVERED STATE OF FLORIDA, BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND AND FORD'S NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE STATE MY VIN IS INELIGIBLE FOR RECALL SERVICE. THEY STATE IT IS MOST LIKELY NARROWED EVEN FURTHER TO SPECIFIC DATES, BUT NEITHER DEALERSHIP NOR FORD THEMSELVES ARE WILLING TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER, AND NEITHER CAN STATE WITH SURELY THE CAR IS NOT COVERED. THE NHTSA RECALL IN QUESTION IS RECALL NUMBER 97V144000. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 1995 FORD ESCORT, WITH THE ENGINE SIZE OF 1.9 LITTERS ESI. ON 6-29-05 THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE GAS TANK WAS LEAKING FUEL. SHE HAD TO GET A WRECKER TO TAKE IT TO THE REYNOLDS FORD DEALER 7320 NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 71312 PH. NO. 405-728-2411. AFTERWARDS SHE HAD FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE ON THE YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF HER VEHICLE; NHTSA CAMPAIGN I. D. NO. 97V145000 AND 97V144000. WHEN HER HUSBAND CONTACTED THE DEALER BY PHONE THEY TOLD HIM THEY KNEW NOTHING OF THE RECALLS. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE FORD MANUFACTURER AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THE VIN NO. OF HER VEHICLE AND THAT IT WAS TEN YEARS OLD. THERE ARE NO OTHER KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. *JB