NHTSA Complaint #10070658 — 1989 FORD PROBE

I PURCHASED A DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ON 8/17/02. I PAID 131.00 FOR THE PART .ALL FORD PARTS ARE WARRANTED FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. INCLUDING SEAT BELTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AFTER THAT WARRANTY EXPIRES THEY KEEP MY MONEY AND I HAVE A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT THAT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. I DECIDED TO SAVE MONEY AND INSTALL IT MYSELF. THE SEAT BELT WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN IT SEIZED AND WOULD NOT PULL DOWN OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER. I GOT ANOTHER UNDER WARRANTY, INSTALLED IT MYSELF AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WENT BACK TO PENINSULA FORD OF SAN BRUNO AND PAID THEM 198.00 TO INSTALL MY THIRD WARRANTED SEAT BELT. I CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND PROVED IT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY AGREED AND ORDERED ME A NEW ONE. THIS IS MY FOURTH SEAT BELT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I WAS ANGRY BECAUSE I WAS LOSING HOURS (WAGES) AT MY WORKPLACE. I HAD A FEW WORDS WITH THE MANAGER AT THE TIME AND GOT MY 198.00 BACK. THEY INSTALLED THE SEAT BELT AND AGAIN IT DID NOT WORK. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE UNPROFESSIONALLY WROTE DOWN MY INFO TOLD ME HE'D ORDER THE PART LATER THAT DAY AND THAT IT SHOULD ARRIVE IN 2 DAYS. I CALLED BACK 2 DAYS LATER, SPOKE TO HIM AND HE SAID HE WAS HOPING IT WOULD COME TODAY BUT IT'S NOT HERE YET. I REASONABLY CALLED BACK 7 DAYS LATER AND ASKED FOR HIM. HE NO LONGER WORK'S HERE SIR WAS THE ANSWER. I WAS DRIVING AROUND WITH NO SEAT BELT. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL HAD BECOME MORE STRICT ABOUT THE SEAT BELT LAW AT THAT EXACT MOMENT. I TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND DEMANDED MY MONEY BACK AND HE TOLD ME TO COME BACK TOMORROW. NEXT DAY, I CALLED AND SPOKE TO ANOTHER MANAGER WHO WAS EXTREMELY RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND CONFRONTATIONAL. I WASN'T GETTING ANYWHERE ON THE PHONE SO I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THERE WITH A SEAT BELT THAT DID NOT WORK. I ARGUED FOR HALF HOUR TO GET MY MONEY BACK AND THEY DISCREETLY HINTED NO. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD ALL THEY COULD DO WAS ORDER ME ANOTHER SEAT BELT. MY WARRANTY EXPIRES ON AUG 17, 2003. I AM AN UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER.