NHTSA Complaint #10159924 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

I JUMPED A CAR AND GROUNDED THE CABLES ON THE BRACKET AT THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER JUMPING THE CAR, A STRONG FUEL ODOR WAS NOTED. THE LAKE BLUFF POLICE WITNESSED THE ENTIRE EVENT. LATER THAT NIGHT AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, I NOTED A FUEL LEAK FROM THE LINES ADJACENT TO THE BRACKET. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE COINCIDENCE OF THE CAR JUMP AND FUEL LEAK MADE ME SUSPICIOUS AND I FOUND THAT MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED UNDER ID NO. 98V060000 FOR A WARNING LABEL AND NEW GROUNDING BOLT. I CALLED ED MATEO AT HIGHLAND PARK FORD IN IL AND GAVE HIM MY VIN, [XXX]. HE AGREED THAT THE CAR WAS SUBJECT TO THE RECALL AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FUEL LINE(S) AND INSTALL THE WARNING AND NEW GROUNDING BOLT. I PICKED UP ME CAR FROM MY LOCAL REPAIRMAN THIS MORNING AND DROPPED IT OFF WITH ED AT HIGHLAND PARK FORD. HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING UNDER THE FORD RECALL NO. 98S09. HE CALLED ME A HALF HOUR LATER AND SAID THAT HIS MANAGER WOULD NOT LET HIM REPAIR THE CAR UNDER THE RECALL SINCE IT DIDN'T COME UP IN THEIR SYSTEM UNDER MY VIN - EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ALREADY CLEARED THIS EARLIER. I CALLED JESSIE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, 800-392-FORD, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REASON IT DIDN'T COME UP UNDER MY VIN WAS BECAUSE THE RECALL WORK (WARNING AND NEW BOLT) WAS ALREADY PERFORMED ON MY CAR, BUT SHE COULDN'T TELL ME WHO DID IT. THIS WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON MY CAR AND NOW FORD IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE RECALL. *NM UPDATED 0716/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)