NHTSA Complaint #10130599 — 1997 FORD ESCORT

THIS IS PERTAINING TO A 1997 FORD ESCORT, VIN [XXX] 1. MY HEATER CORE DEVELOPED A LEAK 2. I HAD THE HEATER CORE REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP--IN THE SERVICE TICKET THEY NOTED "AIR BAG LIGHT WILL BE ON. COOLANT DAMAGED AIR BAG MONITOR WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED" (PRIOR TO THIS, THE AIR BAG MONITOR APPEARED TO BE WORKING--I.E. THE DASH LIGHT SHOWED NORMAL OPERATION.) SINCE THEY HAD ALREADY PUT THE DASH BACK ON AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ABOUT $800 TO TAKE IT BACK OFF AND REPLACE THE MONITOR, I WAITED UNTIL I HAD BOTH THE MONEY AND TIME. 3. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE (02S44): THIS WAS TO HAVE A SHIELD PLACED OVER THE AIR BAG MONITOR TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM WATER AND OTHER LIQUIDS. 4. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FACT THAT THE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY OCCURRED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL ONLY COVERED PUTTING IN A SHIELD AND NOT THE REPAIR OF THE DAMAGE. 5. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ASKING THEM TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE RECALL AT NO COST TO ME BUT I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WILL ONLY INSTALL A SHIELD TO PREVENT FUTURE DAMAGE. (THAT SEEMS TO ME LIKE CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE ANIMALS HAVE LEFT). *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)