1999 Ford Escort

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO A DEALER AND STAYED OVER NIGHT. THE CONSUMER WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR AND WHEN HE GOT IN THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE STARTED IT HE REALIZED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. HE WAS TOLD TO PUMP THE GAS PEDAL AT WHICH TIME BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AS WELL AS THE DEALER, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT IT WAS CAUSED FOR AFTER MARKET PRODUCTS THAT WERE INSTALL IN THE VEHICLE. *NLM

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF MY CAR AT 12,000 MILES, IT HAS SHAKEN AND VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. WHEN I RUN MY DEFROST OR A/C THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE AND MY CAR STALLS OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 30,000 MILES AND REPLACED EVERYTHING THE DEALERSHIP INSTRUCTED. ON JULY, 18, 2003 I MADE MY FINAL ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER AND AGAIN SPECIFIED THE PROBLEM AND SHOWED THEM EXACTLY WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING. I PICKED IT UP LATER THAT AFTERNOON THEY HAD REPLACED THE VALVE AGAIN THAT I HAD JUST REPLACED IN JANUARY 2003. I TURNED ON MY CAR AND RAN THE A/C AND I SAW NO IMPROVEMENT. SO I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A MANAGER WHO TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT MY CAR SHOULDN'T STALL ANYMORE BUT THEY HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN DO TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. BASICALLY, WE PURCHASED A $13,000 DOLLAR CAR THAT NEVER RAN RIGHT AND CAN NOT BE REMEDIED. NO ONE HAS A SOLUTION AND I'M EXPECTED TO BE SATISFIED WITH A CAR THAT SHAKES NON-STOP. IF FORD KNOWS THIS IS OCCURING THEY NEED TO NOTIFY CUSTOMERS BEFORE THEY PURCHASE THE VEHICLE, INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM DRIVE AWAY IN A CAR THAT CAN NEVER BE FIXED. I HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT FOR FORD AND WILL NEVER PURCHASE A VEHICLE FROM THEM AGAIN. *AK

1) HEADLAMPS: ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THERE WAS A LOOSE WIRE BECAUSE RIGHT LIGHT WOULD WORK PERIODICALLY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC FOUND THE CONNECTION TO WHICH THE "BULB" WAS PLUGGED HAD MELTED SOME WHAT. HE SUGGESTED THAT I RETURN TO THE DEALER TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, WHICH I INTEND TO DO TOMORROW. 2) BRAKE PEDAL: RECENTLY I FOUND IT NECESSARY TO HAVE NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED. PART OF THE PROBLEM (FOR ME) WAS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS TOO SOFT AND TOO LOW (THE BRAKES WERE BAD ALSO). THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY AN EXTREMELY REPUTABLE MECHANIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS STILL TOO SOFT AND TOO LOW. *JB