1995 Ford Escort

THE DRIVER'S SIDE RETRACTABLE SHOULDER HARNESS HAS FAILED AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. IT LOCKED IN THE MID-TRACK POSITION CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT DRIVING AND SAFETY HAZARD. THE BELT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 49,000 MILES BY GRASS VALLEY FORD, CA, UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS AGAIN FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER AT 98,000 MILES. FORD WILL NOT REPLACE THE RESTRAINT AFTER 50,000 MILES UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PAYS FOR IT. I GUESS THEY DON'T MIND THE LIABILITY INVOLVED WITH LAWSUITS AND INJURIES CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE BELTS. FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE EVERY BROKEN SEATBELT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM A KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL BY NHTSA!!!*AK

WE ARE RETIRED AND HAVE A 95 FORD ESCORT STATION WAGON, GARAGE KEPT. IN AUGUST OF 2003 WE NOTICED A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE, WHICH IS PART OF THE BASEMENT. IT WAS SO STRONG AT TIMES I DID NOT USE THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER. I CHECKED MANY TIMES AND COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. ABOUT THIS TIME I ALSO NOTICED I WAS NOT GETTING AS GOOD AS GAS MILEAGE AS I USED TO. ON THANKGIVING DAY, I WENT TO MY LOCAL GAS STATION, AND FILLED THE TANK AS I ALWAYS DO. I THEN WENT INSIDE TO GET A NEWS PAPER. WHEN I CAME OUT I NOTICED A LARGE WET SPOT UNDER THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, MAYBE ABOUT 3 FT IN DIA. I THOUGHT SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING THERE. I WENT HOME AND I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT IT. I WENT BACK DOWN TO THE GARAGE, STARTED TO CHECK THE TANK, AND FOUND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT NEAR THE TOP. 1.5 INCH BY ABOUT 8 INCH. SO WHEN I FILLED THE TANK, THE FUEL NOZZLE WAS ALSO PUTTING FUEL OUT THE ROTTED OUT AREA, WHICH THEN RAN DOWN A PLASTIC SHIELD AND RAN ON THE GROUND, WHERE YOU WOULD NOT SEE IT IF YOU JUST FUELED THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FORD DISTRICT REP. LOOK AT IT. THE SERVICE REP HARDLY LOOKED UP AND SAID THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THE CAR HAS THE ORGINAL EXHAUST SYSTEM, BUT THE FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT. I HAD THEM REPLACE IT. THEY CHARGED ME FOR TWO HOURS OF LABOR, WHEN THEY ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ONE HOUR, AND ONLY SPENT 45 MINUTES WORKING ON THE JOB. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED THE JOB AND FOUND THEY ONLY PUT TWO OF THE THREE FASTNERS TO HOLD THE SHIELD ON. WE TRANSPORT TWIN GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND OTHER PLACES IN THIS CAR, AND ONE OF THEM IS HANDYCAPPED. THE CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, OR OUR HOME BLOW UP. I HAVE THE REMOVED PIPE, AND I TOLD THEM IT WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE WELDING PROSSES. NO ONE CARED. I CHECKED THE NEW PIPE ON 3-6-04, THREE MONTHS AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED, AND THE NEW PIPE IS STARTING TO RUST ON EACH SIDE OF THE WELD SEAM. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL REGARDING FUEL TANK. CONSUMER NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED. INSPECTION WAS MADE, AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKAGES COMING FROM THE CRACK ON THE TAB OFF THE HEAT SHIELD, WHICH WAS MOLDED INTO THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

THE FUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING GAS DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC TANK. THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT FROM SOME UNKNOWN REASON THIS CAR'S VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BUILT IN HERMOSILLO, MEXICO AND IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CALIFORNIA WHICH ARE BOTH CRITERIA OF THE RECALL. I CONTACTED FORDS CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPT. AND THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE OR EXPLAIN WHY IT IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL.

ON APRIL 11, 1995 I PURCHASED A NEW 1995 FORD LX, 1.9L SEFI , VIN# [XXX]. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS AND SETTLING INTO IT, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM WHAT TO ME SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE AREA ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE STEERING COLUMN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TEST DRIVEN AND I WAS SIMPLY TOLD THAT IT WAS PROBABLY JUST NEW ENGINE NOISE AND IT WOULD STOP. AS TIME WENT ON THE CLICKING CONTINUED. I CALLED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES THEN I JUST GAVE UP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING OKAY AND HAD CAUSED NO CONCERN. ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1997 (CLICKING NOISE STILL THERE) I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR OTHER PROBLEMS. AS INVOICE STATES, NOISE MAY BE COMING FROM ENGINE AREA. ON MAY 22, 2002 WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED!!!!! REFERENCING NORTH CENTRAL FORD INVOICE NO. [XXX] (WHICH IS ATTACHED) YOU CAN SEE THE WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED. IN REFERENCE THE ABOVE-MENTIONED INVOICE, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED, ONE OF THE PHONE CALLS I RECEIVED WAS TO EXPLAIN THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SNAPPED. PLEASE NOTICE THAT YOU WILL FIND NOWHERE MENTIONED THAT VALVES OR ANYTHING ELSE WAS CHECKED. BY THE TIME ALL OF THIS TOOK PLACE, THE CLICKING NOISE HAD BECOME MORE APPARENT AND THEY WERE MADE AWARE THAT IT WAS STILL THERE. NOW FOR THE GRAND FINALE, ON APRIL 29, 2003 I DROVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY STORE AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT THE CLICKING NOISE TURNED INTO A NOISE AS IF THE ENGINE WERE GOING TO EXPLODE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND IT WAS TAKEN TO NORTH CENTRAL FORD. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MECHANIC THOUGHT PUSH ROD HAD GONE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MORE THAN ONE MECHANIC (ASE CERTIFIED) WHO CLEARLY BELIEVES THAT THE VALVES SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST CHECKED WHEN THAT BELT BROKE. THIS [XXX] VEHICLE WAS MY PRIDE AND JOY IT WAS PAMPERED. THE MILEAGE ON IT WAS A MERE 74,639. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR