NHTSA Complaint #10079121 — 1991 FORD TAURUS

I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY MECHANIC THAT MY 1991 TAURUS-STATION WAGON HAD A RECALL REGARDING THE SUB-FRAME. HE SUGGESTED I CALL RIZZO-FORD IN NO. PROVIDENCE, R.I. ON MINERAL SPRING AVE. WHEN I CALLED I SPOKE TO REPRESENTATIVE RICK MARRCONTE AND HE AGREED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND HE WOULD FIX MY CAR, BRING IT IN HE SAID. A FEW DAYS LATER RICK CALLS ME BACK TO INFORM ME THAT NOT ONLY THE NUT OF THE SUBFRAME WAS ROTTED, BUT ALSO THE SUBFRAME ITSELF WAS ROTTED AND IT WOULD COST $900.00 TO FIX AND HE TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT WORTH IT. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I PLAYED PHONE TAG WITH THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HOT LINE WHICH SEEMED LIKE FOREVER. A SHEILA INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR IF THE COMPANY AGREED TO REPAIR IT. SHE LATER EXPLAINED THEY REFUSED TO FIX MY CAR. THIS FAULT IN MY CAR ALMOST HAD ME AND MY 6 YEAR OLD GRANDSON IN AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I TOLD THE WOMAN SHEILA THIS SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHEN BUYING THIS CAR THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECALLS. THIS I DO NOT UNDERSTAND...SHE WANTED ME TO CALL AND FIND OUT IF MY CAR WAS A 'LEMON'? NOW BECAUSE THIS DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HELP ME IT NOW MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO PERHAPS GO TO ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP THAT MAY HAVE BE ABLE TO HELP ME. I AM A STUDENT @ URI/CCE, ALSO WORKING, AND TAKING CARE OF MY 80 YEAR OLD FATHER. PRIOR TO THIS DAMAGE I HAD JUST FIX THIS CAR FOR $750.00, WHICH I COULD NOT AFFORD IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS APPEARS TO BE DISHONEST AND A WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO GIVE FORD EVEN MORE MONEY TOWARDS THEIR 'DAMAGING POOL'. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE I CAN TAKE? PLEASE ADVICE. MARIA D. O'CONNOR *JB