NHTSA Complaint #10162352 — 2000 FORD F-150

THE VEHICLE STARTED HOWEVER, I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT IT INTO GEAR. AFTER THREE CALLS TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, I WAS ADVISED TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL, START IT THEN SHIFT IT INTO DRIVE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME HOWEVER, THE POWER WINDOWS & WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NOT WORKING. I HEARD "CLICKING" NOISES COMING FROM THE FUSE BOX. AFTER PLACING IT INTO DRIVE, THE RADIO WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN I PLACED IT IN PARK, THE RADIO STARTED WORKING. WHEN USING THE PANEL/FLOOR DEFROST, I HEARD AN ELECTRICAL SHORTING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ON 1/23/05, IT WOULD NOT START; ONLY THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON; I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL; THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO KRIEGER FORD. INITIALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW STARTER. AFTER FURTHER TESTING, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUSE BOX AND GEM WERE WATER-LOGGED DUE TO WATER LEAKING INTO THEM AS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY SEAL IN THE WINDSHIELD WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED WINDSHIELD. I FOUND AN ARTICLE IRONICALLY TITLED "QUALITY IS THE PRIME IMPERATIVE WITH FORD". THE 1ST PARAGRAPH STATES "INSTALLING WINDSHIELDS IN VEHICLES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PAIN. FIXING WATER LEAKS IS THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IN A VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PLANT". THE 2ND PARAGRAPH STATES "...HAS BROUGHT THE NUMBER OF WINDSHIELD LEAKS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER 1 PER 20 HOURS OF PRODUCTION..." THE 3RD PARAGRAPH REFERENCES THE WORD "DEFECTS". I WROTE A LENGTHY LETTER DATED 2/5/05 TO THE CEO OF FORD WITH ATTACHMENTS OF THE ARTICLE, ONLINE COMPLAINTS STATING THE SAME PROBLEMS & QUESTIONED THE SEPTEMBER 2004 TIE ROD INSPECTION PROCEDURE MAILED TO ME FROM FORD WITH REGARD TO PREMATURE WEARING AND SEPARATION. I HAD ALSO SPOKEN TO INDIVIDUALS IN FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I PAID KRIEGER FORD OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE THE STARTER (THEIR "QUICK" FIX), REPLACE THE GEM & FUSE BOX & REMOVE & RE-SEAL THE WINDSHIELD. FORD RESPONDED TO MY LETTER BY PLACING ME ON THEIR PROMOTIONAL MAILING LIST. DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE. *JB