1999 Ford Escort

ON 06/30/99 AT 02:10 HOURS THE CRYSTAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE BACK LOT OF ELK COUNTY FORD. THE DEPARTMENT FOUND A NEW, 1999 FORD ESCORT SE (VIN #[XXX]) BURNING IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AND WHEEL WELL AREA. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SHORT IN THE WIRING IN THE VICINITY OF A "BLOCK" OF RELAYS AND FUSES IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS CAUSED THE WIRING TO BURN AND IGNITED NEARBY PLASTIC ITEMS AND THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS JUST MANUFACTURED (JUNE 1999) AND HAD ONLY BEEN SITTING ON THE LOT FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN OPERATED RECENTLY (2:00 AM IN A SMALL COMMUNITY CAR DEALERSHIP). ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE DID NOT BELONG TO ANY CONSUMER, THIS REPORT IS BEING FILED IN ORDER TO DOCUMENT A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. [XXX] , FIRE CHIEF, CRYSTAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

SINCE THE CAR WAS FIRST BOUGHT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY LOUD AS WELL AS SHAKING OCCASIONALLY WHEN STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I SPOKE WITH MY SALESPERSON, WHO WAS FRIENDLY AND TOOK IT ON A TEST DRIVE AGAIN, AND HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER, BUT TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AS A PRECAUTION. I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME THEN SO I ASKED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A BETTER TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT NO APPOINTMENTS COULD BE MADE AND THEY ACCEPTED CARS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. SINCE NEITHER DEALER IS LOCATED CLOSE TO ME, I DECIDED TO WAIT A WHILE TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST THE WEATHER. IN FEBRUARY, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF FOR 2 DAYS AND SINCE THEN IT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON FOR A WHILE, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL TURN OFF AFTER A FEW DAYS. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO COME OUT UNEXPECTEDLY OR TO FAIL WHEN NEEDED. I WENT TO THE SAME LOCAL DEALER 2 DAYS AGO AND THEY WOULD NOT SEE ME. AT FIRST, THE MAN TRIED TO MAKE ME THINK IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD, BUT AFTER INSISTING ON HAVING IT CHECKED OUT ANYWAY, HE TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT SEE ME AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TRIED TO BEFORE, BUT WAS TOLD I COULDN'T AND HE BASICALLY TOLD ME TO CALL LATER TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. SINCE A FAILURE COULD CAUSE A TRAGIC ACCIDENT I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO HAVE FORD CHECK THE CAR. IT IS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD AND THIS IS THE 4TH TIME I HAVE HAD TO SEE ABOUT IT WHICH MAKES ME LEARY OF EITHER THE QUALITY OF FORDS OR THAT MY CAR IS NOT UP TO THE SAME SAFETY STANDARDS AS IT SHOULD BE. PLEASE HELP. I ALSO SAW ON THE NEWS LAST NIGHT THAT SEVERAL FORD CARS ARE BEING RECALLED NOW DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE MY CAR IS SAFE BEFORE ME OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS HURT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT STEPS TO TAKE. *AK

THE CAR WILL INCONSISTENTLY NOT START. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM SINCE JULY OF 1998 (IT BEGAN MILDLY AND CONTINUED TO GET WORSE), AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THEY HAVE REPLACED ONE PART, BUT AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE PROBLEM BEGAN AGAIN. NOW I AM WAITING FOR FORD TO COME OUT WITH SOME COMPUTER CONFIGURATION. WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY SOMETIMES IT WILL BE TOTALLY DEAD, SOMETIMES IT WILL BEGIN TO IDLE, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR (RECOMMENDED BY MY DEALER), HOWEVER, THE SECOND YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR "SHUTS OFF."ONCE THE CAR DOES START (USUALLY AFTER TRYING 10 TIMES) IT RUNS VERY ROUGH. WHEN I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE UNABLE TO DO SO. ABOUT 10 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTAMS, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY DEALER AND THEY AGAIN, FOR THE THIRD TIME OR SO ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY RETURNED MY CAR TO ME THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN I LEARNED OF A POSSIBLE COMPUTER CONFIGURATION THAT FORD WAS COMING OUT WITH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED WHEN THEY FIRST CHANGED THE INITIAL PART. THEY HAVE RUN VARIOUS TESTS AND FEEL THAT THE PART REPLACED (FUEL INJECTION CENSORING)IS NOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM AFTER ALL. THIS IS WHERE I CURRENTLY STAND WITH MY CAR. SOME MORNINGS IT STARTS AND SOME IT DOES NOT. I HAVE HAD OCCURRENCES WHERE THE CAR WILL START IN THE MORNING, I WILL DRIVE 20 MIN. TO WORK. PARK THE CAR AND ATTMEPT TO START IT 4 HOURS LATER AND IT WILL NOT START. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT IT WILL NOT EVEN START AFTER 20 MINUTES OF RESTING TIMES. *AK