1997 Mercury Tracer

I OWN A 1997 MECURY TRACER, THAT HAS BEEN IN FORD, LINCOLN, MERCURY AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN WAS WHEN MY " ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS ON 1/18/2000, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED THAT MY #3 WAS MISFIRING AND THAT THEY NEED TO REPPLACE MY SPARKPLUGS AND GIVE THE CAR A TUNE-UP. ON 1/27/200, MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALSHIP AND THEY FOUND AN OIL LEAK AND TOLD ME THE COMPUTER READ OUT WAS THE SAME AS BEFORE "#3 WAS MISFIRING". WELL THAT NIGHT AFTER I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME BACK ON. SO THE NEXT DAY I CALLED TTHE DEALERSHIP OCE AGAIN AND I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THEM AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE SAME CODE AND THAT THEY WOULD CHECK INTO IT. THEY GAVE ME MY CAR BACK AND INFORMED ME THAT YES THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD PROBABLY COME BACK ON AGAIN AND THAT TO INFORM THEM IF THE CAR STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. WELL THE NEXT WEEK, I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY STARTING TO STALL WHEN I WAS DRIVING IT AND THEY MADE ME AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY 2/7/2000 TO BRING THE CAR IN. WELL, THE CAR HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINCE. FIRST I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE VALVE GUIDE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT MY EXTENTED WARRANTY COMPANY WOULD PAY A PORTION OF THE COST INCLUDING ONLY SEVEN DAYS ON A RENTAL CAR. THEN ON 2/22/2000 I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FORD NO LONGER MAKES THE VALVE GUIDES FOR THE 1997 MERCURY TRACERS AND IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON THE SECONDARY MARKET. I HAVE ALREADY PAID OUT $340.00 TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN FIXED, PLUS NO WHAT EVER THE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE NOW. PLUS I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL CAR, BECAUSE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY WILL ONLY PAY FOR 7 DAYS. I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND THINK THAT FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURES PROBLEM, BUT WHEN TALKING WITH FOR

THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY "SEPARATED" RUINING THE BELT AND THE PULLEY, REQUIRING THAT BOTH BE REPLACED. I DID NOT THINK THAT I SHOULD HAVE THESE TYPE OF PROBLEMS WITH A CAR THAT ONLY HAD 40,600 MILES ON IT. I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY THE MANUFACTURER OR THE DEALER WHO WORKED ON THE CAR. I AM RELUCTANT TO BELIEVE THAT I WILL NOT HAVE FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR OR THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHY AND HOW THIS HAPPENED, OTHER THAN BEING TOLD THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST ONE IT HAS HAPPENED TO. I FEEL LIKE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE THAN IT WAS, ONLY BECAUSE I NOTICED IT WHEN I DID AND TOOK IT TO BE REPAIRED DID I NOT HAVE MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE THAN I DID. BUT, I STILL DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH. THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR FREE. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT I WILL KEEP THE CAR AFTER HAVING HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH IT.

STEERING, SHIMMERING LIKE THE FRONT END WAS OUT OF LINE, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT OFF 2 TIMES THIRD TIME WENT TO DIXIE AND SET UP TO HAVE IT CHECK SINCE THE LIGHT STAYED ON THIS TIME AND DID NOT GO BACK OFF. SEATBELT, WILL NOT LATCH AT TIMES I HAVE TO KEEP TRYING TO PRESS IN THE RELEASE BUTTON FOR IT TO FINALLY LOCK. AT TIMES WOULD COME OFF WHILE DRIVING. DIXIE SET UP AN APPOINTMENT 1 WEEK AFTER I WENT THERE TO HAVE ALL OF THE ABOVE CHECKED.DATE DIXIE MOTORS LOOKED AT CAR JULY 24,1998. KEEPED CAR ABOUT 7 HRS. TOLD ME THEY CLEANED SEATBELT, DID NOT TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH STERRING AND THE ONLY THING FIXED WAS SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. ON JULY 30,1998 3 DAYS AFTER BRINGING MY CAR IN TO BE FIX THE STEERING GRAB TO RIGHT COMING OUT OF CURVE AND SEATBELT CAME OFF WHEN THE CAR HIT A POLE. INJURING MY ARM,NECK AND LOWER BACK. ALL HAVE HEALED EXCEPT MY ARM. CALL A FORD REPERSENTIVE THEY HAD THE CLAIM DIVIONS CALL ME. I WENT TO BRUMFIELD FORD IN AMITE SINCE I DO NOT TRUST THE DIXIE MOTOR. MR RAFF CALLED DIXIE MOTORS LAST WEEK THEY TOLD HIM I HAVE NEVER BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO BE SERVICE. I SHOWED MR. RAFF THE WORKORDER PAPER 42094 CUSTOMER#35145, HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SAID I DID NOT BRING THE CAR THERE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE, I HAVE A NEW CAR I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU JANELLE NEGROTTO( DOT NUMBER: AP7JJKUU TIRE SIZE: P185/65R14 )