NHTSA Complaint #10224111 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

I PURCHASED THE CAR ON 2/11/08 AND THEN TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE THE DOOR PANEL BROKE OFF AND THE CAR WAS IDLING HIGH WHEN I DRIVE IT. THEY KNOCKED $1,000 OFF OF THE SALES PRICE AND TOOK OFF THE FORD WARRANTY FOR THIS EXCHANGE AND THEY WROTE OUT ANOTHER SALES CONTRACT. A MONTH LATER, THE STARTER WENT OUT AND I PAID $200.00 TO FIX IT (OUT OF MY POCKET). THEN, ON 4/7/08 WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, THE CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND I CALLED RACEWAY FORD. THE CAR DEALER WHOM SOLD ME THE CAR TOLD ME THAT HE DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN HELP ME AND IF THEY DID FIX IT, HE SAID HE WOULDN'T KNOW WHEN IT'LL BE READY BECAUSE HE'S NOT A MECHANIC (IN A VERY SARCASTIC TONE). HE TOLD ME TO JUST CALL BACK WHEN THE MANAGER ARRIVE AT 3 P.M. TODAY. I HAD TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED THE SAME DAY SO I TOOK MY CAR TO GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOP IN MORENO VALLEY AND PAID $688.00 (OUT OF MY POCKET) TO GET IT REPAIRED. AFTER MY CAR WAS REPAIRED, ON 4/7/08, I WENT TO RACEWAY FORD AND WAITED 15 MINUTES TO TALK TO THE SALES MANAGER, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN HIS OFFICE, ONLY 20FT AWAY FROM WHERE I WAS WAITING, HE SENT HIS ASSISTANT MANAGER TO COME OUT TO TALK TO ME BECAUSE THE ASSISTANT MANAGER SAID THE MANAGER WAS TOO BUSY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION AT THIS TIME. SO, I EXPLAINED ALL THE PROBLEMS I?VE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH I PURCHASED FROM THEM. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER MADE COPIES OF MY REPAIR BILLS AND TOLD ME THAT HE PROMISE HE'LL TRY TO HELP ME AS BEST AS HE CAN AND HE'LL CALL ME BACK TOMORROW (ON 04/08/08). TODAY IS 4/10/08 AND I HAVEN?T HEARD FROM THE MANAGER OR THE ASSISTANT MANAGER IN REGARDS TO THIS DILEMMA. NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAS TRIED TO CONTACT ME. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IF THEY WOULD HAVE DID A DIAGNOSTIC ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THEY SOLD IT TO ME, THIS PROBLEM WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST. *TR