NHTSA Complaint #10093761 — 2002 MERCURY SABLE

1. VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S 3 YR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY BUT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR A RUPTURE IN THE BODY (FATIGUE?) WHICH HAS ALLOWED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK TO COME LOOSE. THE RUPTURE IS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING. BROUGHT TO ATTENTION OF DEALER, MALL OF GEORGIA FORD IN BUFORD GA, TEL. 770-932-4060, ON 10-27-2003. DEALER PROMISED TO ORDER PART AND CALL MY WIFE AT HOME ON ITS ARRIVAL. I WENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR 4 MONTHS. MY WIFE NEVER REC'D ANY CALL. ON MY RETURN, I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD "SORRY! PROCEDURE HAS NOW BEEN CHANGED. BRING IN VEHICLE, WE'LL PHOTOGRAPH IT, SEND IT TO FORD FOR A DECISION. AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS PROCEDURE I WAS TOLD "FORD DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT" AND WILL NOT PAY. TALKED TO FORD MERCURY PEOPLE BUT THEY SAY THE DEALER DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER SAYS FORD MERCURY MADE THAT DECISION. I AM STUCK IN THE MIDDLE TRYING TO ARGUE WITH BOTH, WITH EACH SIDE PUTTING BLAME ON THE OTHER. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE BODY WHERE THE BODY RUPTURE EXISTS AROUND THE LOCK ASSEMBLY HOLE IN THE DOOR BODY: THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT, NOBODY TRYING TO JIMMY OPEN THE LOCK TO STEAL THE CART ( AN ALARM IS INSTALLED IN THE CAR) AND I CAN FIND NO OTHER REASON FOR THE BODY TO START SPLITTING AT THE HOLE WHERE THE LOCK ASSEMBLY FITS. I NEED YOUR HELP TO HAVE FORD MERCURY LIVE UP TO THEIR WARRANTY AND, IF APPROPRIATE, HAVE A NEUTRAL PARTY EVALUATE THE PROBLEM. 2. ON 5-31-2003 WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON I-75 ABOUT 30 MILE SE OF ATLANTA, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SKID WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED EVEN THOUGH IT HAS AN ABS SYSTEM INSTALLED AND A SCRUNCHING SOUND WAS HEARD AS THOUGH METAL WAS RUBBING AGAINST METAL. THE SAME EXACT SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN ONCE MORE ON HWY 29 NEAR MY HOME IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OCCURS OCCASIONALLY, NOT EVERYTIME THAT THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND HAS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE WHENEVER A MECHANIC HAS TRIED TO DIAGNOSE IT. *NM