NHTSA Complaint #10139590 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

FIRST OF ALL MY WIFE CAME OUT TO THE CAR AFTER WORK TO FIND OUT SHE HAD A DEAD BATTERY. I JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND SHE DROVE IT HOME. I THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY, THINKING IT WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD AND IT MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. SHE THEN DROVE IT HOME. FIVE DAYS LATER SHE NOTICED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR WASN'T WORKING. I CHECKED THE FUSES AND THEY WERE OK. I THEN CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND DISCOVERED THE BLOWER COMPARTMENT WAS FILLED WITH WATER CAUSING THE BLOWER MOTOR TO SHORT OUT. WHEN THE BLOWER MOTOR SHORTED OUT IT ALSO CAUSED A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY, WHICH CAUSED THE DEAD BATTERY. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH IF I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED WOULD I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN? HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE MADE CHANGES IN THE SEAL AND ALSO HAVE PUT IN A DRAIN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. NOW THAT TELLS ME IF FORD HAS MADE CHANGES TO THE BLOWER MOTOR COMPARTMENT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FORD COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT AND GOT NOWHERE WITH THEM. ALL THEY SAID WAS THEY WERE SORRY FOR THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT IF FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IT SHOULD BE FIXED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *NM