NHTSA Complaint #10018717 — 2000 FORD TAURUS

THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON THIS CAR UNDER A "SAFETY RECALL" BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY STATED THAT THE SWITCH MAY FAIL, AND COULD CAUSE THE BRAKE LAMPS TO STAY LIT, OR NOT COME ON AT ALL. THIS WAS DONE AT AROUND 15,000 MILES. AT 39,000 MILES THE SWITCH HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE BRAKE LAMPS WILL NOT COME ON, I CANNOT MOVE THE GEAR SELECTOR OUT OF "PARK", AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT DISABLE WHEN YOU PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, AND FORD HAS ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE SWITCH, BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE REPLACEMENT SWITCHES ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE. THE DEFECT OBVIOUSLY CAUSES SEVERAL SAFETY HAZARDS AND SERIOUS RISK OF AN ACCIDENT. THE WORST PART IS, MY DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE RECALL HAS ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED, AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE AGAIN. FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE CONFIRMED THIS DURING PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. THIS CONCERNS ME BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SAY YOU HAVE FIXED A DEFECT IF THE DEFECT KEEPS OCCURRING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY HAVE NOT DONE. I HAVE ALSO HAD A WIPER MOTOR COVER REPLACED ON THIS CAR UNDER RECALL. THIS WAS DUE TO A RISK OF FIRE. DOES THIS MEAN THAT I STILL HAVE A RISK OF FIRE? THEY TOLD ME THE RECALL FIXED THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM, BUT IT DID NOT. COULD IT BE THAT MY WIPER MOTOR MAY STILL CAUSE A FIRE, BUT IT IS OK, FORD HAS ALREADY FIXED IT, SO THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE? THIS IS VERY POOR JUDGMENT. I HOPE THE NHTSA WILL COMPEL FORD MOTOR TO FIND A PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND REIMBURSE THOSE THAT HAVE PAID FOR THIS REPAIR OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS. *NLM