NHTSA Complaint #10167579 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

MY 2004 FORD EXPLORER WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR IN 8/12/05 BECAUSE THE AC STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO WORLD FORD OF KENDALL IN MIAMI, FL ONE OF THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASKED ME IF HOW MY TRANSMISSION WAS WORKING AND AT THE TIME IT WAS FINE. UPON RECEIVING MY CAR BACK ON 8/16/05 THE AC WAS FIXED AND MY RECEIPT STATED THE AC WAS FIXED BUT IT ALSO MENTIONED SOMETHING REGARDING A RECALL IN MY TRANSMISSION. THE RECEIPT SAID THERE WAS AN OIL ADDITIVE PLACED IN MY TRANSMISSION. 1 YEAR AND 1 MONTH LATER MY TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN SLIPPING AND HESITATING. WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO WORLD FORD OF KENDALL IN MIAMI, FL TO SPEAK TO THEM REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION I WAS TOLD THAT THEIR SERVICE WORK IS GUARANTEED UP TO 12 MONTHS SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. UPON DOING MY OWN RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THE OIL ADDITIVE THAT WAS PLACED IN MY FORD WAS TO PREVENT THE SLIPPING AND HESITATION OF MY TRANSMISSION. I CALLED THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS OF FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT FORD KNEW ABOUT MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS OR A RECALL SERVICE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE. THEY NOW WANT TO CHARGE ME TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION ON A CAR THAT WAS BROKEN WHEN IT LEFT THE MANUFACTURING PLANT. MY CAR HAS 45,000 MILES AND NO WHERE IN MY PAPERWORK OR MY CAR MANUAL DOES IT STATE I WOULD HAVE TO PUT AND OIL ADDITIVE IN MY CAR BY 45,000 MILES. WHEN I SPOKE TO FORD CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS THEY TOLD ME IF THE OIL ADDITIVE DOES NOT WORK ANOTHER PROCEDURE WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BUT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ESPECIALLY FROM A LARGE CORPORATION SUCH AS FORD. MY FAMILY DRIVES THIS CAR AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN UNSAFE CAR RESULTING FROM A RECALL IN MY TRANSMISSION. I ADDITION TO THE TRANSMISSION RECALL, THE AC IN MY CAR HAS ALSO BROKEN TWICE AND NOBODY WANTS TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THERE ARE SO MY PROBLEMS WITH A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE OR AT LEAST SOME GOOD ADVICE. THANKS AGAIN. *NM