NHTSA Complaint #10156691 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

PURCHASED USED '03 TAURUS SES FROM NON-FORD DEALER, ON 3/2/06. APRIL 22, AFTER HEAVY RAIN NOTICED PUDDLE OF WATER ON PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. FOLLOWING MONDAY MORNING DURING DRIVE TO WORK...STILL RAINING AND MISTY...WINDOWS FOGGING UP...TURN ON HEATER/DEFOGGER/AC...NOT WORKING! CALL DEALER TO ADVISE OF THE WATER AND HEATER/AC NOT FUNCTIONING...ADVISED STILL COVERED UNDER 3/36 FACTORY WARRANTY...HOWEVER, FORD ADVISED WARRANTY EXPIRED 3/31/06. DEALER THEN HAD THEIR MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK...ADVISED THERE'S A LEAK BEHIND FIREWALL CAUSING WATER TO GET IN...AND ALSO CAUSE OF MOTOR BLOWER NOT WORKING...EST. $500-600 TO REPAIR...NOT INCLUDING PART FOR MOTOR BLOWER! THEY WOULD NEED TO CONTACT FORD ABOUT PRICE ON MOTOR BLOWER...I DECIDE TO CHECK PRICING ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS! CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS ASKING IF THEY COULD MAKE AN EXCEPTION ON HAVING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS IT WAS NOT QUITE 30 DAYS BEYOND EXPIRING. THEY CONTACTED SERVICE MGR. AT FORD DEALER CLOSEST TO ME...TOLD THAT THEY WOULD AGREE TO REPAIR WORK ACCORDING TO FORD'S GUIDELINES AND DISCOUNT REPAIR COST...I DROPPED CAR OFF TODAY FOR THEM TO "ASSES" THE PROBLEM WHICH WILL COST $80 ON TOP OF THE $109 PAID TO OTHER DEALERS MECHANIC. I'D LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES WITH SERVICE MGR...TO DISCUSS...NEVER CALLED BACK! I PUT $4K DOWN PAYMENT ON THIS VEHICLE AND ONLY ABOUT TO MAKE 2ND CAR NOTE...I'M CERTAIN THAT I, LIKE MANY OTHERS WHO'VE COMPLAINED, WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTLY REPAIR. *NM