NHTSA Complaint #10031176 — 2002 FORD RANGER

ON 2 OCASSIONS IN JULY 2002; FORD RANGER JUST STOPPED RUNNING...ALL SYSTEMS NON FUNCTIONING; RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WITH MILEAGE< 15,000. THERE WAS NO TIME TO PULL OFF ROAD AS NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON; ALL SYSTEMS SIMPLY FAILED. FIRST TIME IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN A WEEK LATER. I MIGHT ADD THEIR ROADSIDE SERVICE COULD NOT BE PROVIDED AS THEY HAD NO ONE AVAILABLE. I SAT FOR 2 HOURS UNTIL POLICE CAME BY & OBTAINED A TOW FOR ME. VICTORY FORD IN STOUGHTON MA. DID FIRST REPAIR & TRUCK WAS NOT RUNNING RIGHT. WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK THE NEXT DAY; THEY STATED IT WAS ROAD TESTED. HOW CAN THEY ROAD TEST WHEN IN MILEAGE WAS THE SAME AS OUT MILEAGE? SECOND TIME REPAIR WAS DONE AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP, WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH EXCEPT IT TOOK OVER A WEEK BEFORE THEY COULD GET TO IT. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE MAIN COMPUTER CHIP. BUT IN CASE IT HAPPENED AGAIN THEY GAVE ME AN EXTRA CHIP AND SHOWED ME HOW TO INSTALL IT !!! REAL CONFIDENCE BUILDER!! TRUCK CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH BUT I WAS TOLD THIS WAS TYPICAL OF FORD BY THE MECHANIC. SECOND COMPLAINT...ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WHEN I WENT TO FORD GARAGE THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T GET TO IT FOR DAYS, BUT THAT IT WAS PROBABLY ALRIGHT TO DRIVE, BUT THAT I SHOULD HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. HOW DO I GET IT CHECKED OUT WHEN NO LOCAL FORD GARAGES COULD DO IT. TOOK MY CHANCES AND WENT ON VACATION. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION; A MALE RELATIVE CALLED A FORD GARAGE IN N.H. THE PROBLEM..A DPFE SENSOR & IT WAS PROMPTLY REPAIRED. THIS GARAGE IN CONWAY N.H. (MACDONALD MOTORS) TREATED ME THE WAY I FELT ALL CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE TREATED. MUST I GO OUT OF STATE NOW TO GET TRUCK FIXED WHICH IS STILL UNDER WARRENTY AND <18,000 MILES ON IT. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT & ALLOWING ME TO VENT. I HAVE BEEN A FORD OWNER FOR MANY YEARS & TRADE VEHICLES EVERY 2 YEARS. GUESS IT'S TIME TO SEEK ANOTHER AUTO MAKER.*AK