NHTSA Complaint #10213617 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

2004 FORD FREESTAR VAN WITH 32,593 MILES ON ODOMETER WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A FLAT, STRAIGHT, STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AT A CONSTANT 60 MPH WHEN DRIVER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. DRIVER DANGEROUSLY MANEUVERED OUT OF TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY, BUT COULD ONLY COAST AND SOON DISCOVERED THERE WERE NO GEARS WORKING IN THE TRANSMISSION, NO DRIVE, NO REVERSE, NO LOW GEARS....NO ABILITY TO MOVE VAN AT ALL! WAITED FOR TWO HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK ON A COLD MINNESOTA WINTER NIGHT IN DECEMBER. CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD DEALER. WAS INITIALLY TOLD BY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT OUR FORD FREESTAR WITH 32,593 MILES (9 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY) NEEDED AN ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT FOR $3700, THEY TOLD US IT WAS TOO EXTENSIVE OF DAMAGE TO REPAIR ANY PARTS INDIVIDUALLY (THIS RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM THEM DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ADMITTED THEY HAD NOT EVEN PUT THE CAR UP ON A LIFT). WE CALLED FORD DIRECTLY TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE AND PLEAD OUR CASE FOR A VEHICLE THAT HAD EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE AND WAS BARELY OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US THEY WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP DIRECTLY TO DISCUSS PROBLEM. A DAY LATER WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD BE REPAIRING THE BROKEN PART, A TORQUE CONVERTER. FORD OFFERED $1000 TOWARDS THE REPAIR. IT TOOK 10 DAYS FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE BROKEN TORQUE CONVERTER. OUR COST WAS ULTIMATELY $1220.41. THIS WAS AN OUTRAGEOUS BALANCE DUE TO REPAIR A PART THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE! FORD DIDN'T GIVE US A LOANER CAR DURING THE REPAIR TIME AND THEN SLAPPED US WITH AN INSULT OF A BILL.*CN