1995 Ford Escort

PLASTIC FUEL TANK STARTED LEAKING CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. I CONTACTED TWO LOCAL FORD DEALERS AND BOTH TOLD ME THAT THE PLASTIC FUEL TANKS IN FORD ESCORTS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS AND WERE SUBJECT TO EMERGENCY MAJOR RECALLS. AFTER RESEARCH ON RECALLS 97V144 AND 97V145, BOTH DEALERSHIPS TELL ME THAT FOR SOME REASON MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED BUT BOTH DEALERSHIPS FEEL IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DEFECT AND POSES A "SEVERE" SAFETY HAZARD TO LIFE. I CONTACTED FORD CONSUMER SERVICE ND THEY BASICALLY SHINED ME ON. I FEEL FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. WHY IF THEY RECALLED 64,600 OTHER 1995 FORD ESCORTS WITH LEAKING PLASTIC FUEL TANKS WOULD THEY EXCLUDE MY VEHICLE. THIS DEMONSTRATES GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY. AND , FOR A CONSUMER THAT HAS BOUGHT 6 "NEW" FORD CARS SINCE JANUARY 2001, IT TELLS ME THAT I DON'T WANT TO BUY ANYMORE NEW FORDS. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER TO CONVINCE FORD TO STAND BEHIND THE OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THANKS, JASON HOLLAND, ESQ. **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**770830

CONSUMER STATES HE NOTICED A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK WHICH CAUSED A LEAK . NLM CONSUMER NOTICED GAS LEAKING UNDER VEHICLE. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY FOUND A CRACK IN THE GAS TANK NEXT TO THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT. REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT OTHER 1995 ESCORTS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AS SHOWN IN THE SAFETY RECALL. *MR

OUR FAMILY CAR'S FUEL TANK LEAKS GASOLINE AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO REPAIR IT JUST BECAUSE THE STATE WHERE WE PURCHASED IT(WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER) AND REGISTERED IT IN DOESN'T HAPPEN TO BE INCLUDED IN FORD'S SELECTIVE GEOGRAPHIC RECALL, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURING LOCATION(HERMOSILLO, MEXICO) AND DATE OF ASSEMBLY IS THE SAME AS THE 64,600 1995 FORD ESCORTS UNDER THEIR GEOGRAPHIC RECALL. GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE TANK ONTO A HOT EXHAUST PIPE IS A HUGE SAFETY DISASTER JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN, BUT APPARENTLY A LIFE IN IOWA IS NOT WORTH AS MUCH AS A LIFE IN ARKANSAS, A STATE COVERED BY THE GEOGRAPHIC RECALL. ONE ALLEGED JUSTIFICATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC RECALLS IS IT IS SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS REGIONS WHERE PROBLEMS ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR AND IN THE CASE OF THE LEAKING FUEL TANKS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE HOTTEST AREAS. PROBLEM IS, THIS KIND OF THINKING IGNORES THE REALITY OF TODAY'S MOBILE SOCIETY. OUR VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM WILLEY FORD IN AMES, IA, BUT WE HAVE DRIVEN IT TO FLORIDA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, OKLAHOMA AND MICHIGAN, WHICH ARE ALL COVERED BY FORD'S SELECTIVE GEOGRAPHIC RECALL. YET CONSISTENCY IS LACKING BECAUSE ONE OF THE HOTTEST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY APPARENTLY ARE NOT COVERED BY THE GEOGRAPHIC RECALL, DEATH VALLEY, CA, WHILE MUCH MORE TEMPERATE REGIONS, SUCH AS MICHIGAN, ARE. AND METEOROLOGISTS MAY CONFIRM THAT THE IOWA SUMMER HEAT INDICES CAN OFTEN SURPASS MANY SOUTHERN STATES. IT IS WITHOUT QUESTION TOTALLY UNFAIR THAT TWO GEOGRAPHIC RECALLS EXIST (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 97V14400 & 97V145000) THAT CLEARLY PLACE IOWANS' LIVES AT RISK JUST TO SAVE A HUGE AUTOMAKER SOME MONEY. FURTHER, THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC & MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT REQUIRES RECALLS FOR SAFETY DEFECTS AND TREATS ALL VEHICLES EQUALLY REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE SOLD OR REGISTERED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY ALERT.*AK

CONSUMER HAD SEEN DRIPPING GAS FROM THE FUEL TANK. VEHICLE CHECKED BY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED CONSUMER THERE WERE CRACKS IN FUEL TANK. CURRENT RECALL 97V144 DID NOT INCLUDE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE DUE TO VIN. *AK CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND THE SUPPORTING TABS FOR A HEAT SHIELD WAS CRACKED, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THAT FORD REPLACE THE GAS TANK. *SCC

THERE WAS A GAS SMELL, THE NEXT DAY WENT IN FOR A ROUTINE CHECK. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A GAS LEAK. DEALER REMOVED HEAT SHIELD AND HELD DOWN THE END TABS, AND REPLACED THE GAS TANK. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED FROM THE TABS. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL A STRONG GAS SMELL. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT SMELL IT. (DEALER CHECKED COMPLETELY AND CLEANED PADS UNDER TANK AND SAID THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE SMELL) AS OF 7-31-02, THE SMELL STILL EXISTS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THE PADS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DRY AND THE SMELL SHOULD GO AWAY, THEY FOUND NO LEAKS. *SCC