NHTSA Complaint #10096398 — 1989 FORD TAURUS

WHILE DRIVING MY 1989 FORD TAURUS, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, AND THE CAR BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT NEAR ANY OTHER CARS, AND ONLY 1 BLOCK FROM HOME, SO WITH BRUTE FORCE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY. INSPECTION FOUND THAT BOTH REAR CORNERS OF THE SUB FRAME THAT THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND SUSPENSION HAD DROPPED DOWN, SEPERATED FROM MAIN CAR CHASSIS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL, SO I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND OUT THAT FORD HAD ISSUED RECALL NOTICE 98S36 THAT DESCRIBED EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. EVEN THOUGH I NOW LIVE IN TEXAS, I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 1990 IN NEW YORK, AND OWNED SINCE. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN IN NEW YORK FOR THE 1ST 4 YEARS I OWNED IT. THE RECALL DESCRIBES A SUBFRAME RUST PROBLEM FOR CARS DRIVEN IN STATES THAT USE SALT IN THE ROADS IN WINTER. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER REQUESTING MY CAR BE REPAIRED WITH A KIT OF PARTS THE IS SUPPLIED IN THE 98S36 RECALL. I EVEN OFFERED TO PAY. I WAS TOLD MY VIN IS NOT ON THE LIST FOR THIS RECALL, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I THEN CALL FORD DIRECTLY AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I ARGUED THAT MY CAR HAD THE EXACT FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE LETTER, AND IN SAME CONDITIONS, SO MY CAR MUST BE ON THE LIST. BUT FORD SAID NO, VIN IS NOT ON LIST, AND THERE NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY REFUSED TO GIVE ME A TECHICAL REASON FOR THAT POSITION. MY ISSUES ARE; 1. IF FORD MISSED MY CAR IN IN RECALL NOTICE, THERE MUST STILL BE MANY FORD TAURUS'S DRIVING AT RISK OF AN ACCIDENT DUE THIS PROBLEM. 2. I WANT THE KIT OF PARTS THE COMES IN THE RECALL TO FIX MY CAR, SINCE THE CAR RUNS FINE AND IS GOOD CONDITION. THE VIN NUMBER OF THIS CAR IS: [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)