NHTSA Complaint #10292406 — 2002 FORD ZX2 (ESCORT)

RE: 2002, FORD ZX2 WE OWN A 2002 STANDARD MODEL FORD ZX2 THAT HAS ONLY 35,500 MILES ON IT. THERE ARE THREE NOTABLE PROBLEMS: 1.THE ENGINE IDLES VERY ROUGHLY 2.THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD 3.THE FRONT DRIVER DOOR HAS SAGGED AND WON?T CLOSE COMPLETELY. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE THE RESULT OF POOR DESIGN AND ESPECIALLY POOR QUALITY PARTS. THIS CAR, I SAY AGAIN, ONLY HAS 35,500 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN APPARENT FOR SOME TIME. THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING ALMOST FROM DAY ONE. THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE I?M TOLD STEMS FROM THE MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS PROBLEMS. THE DOOR SUPPORTS ARE TOO CHEAPLY MADE TO HOLD UP THE DOOR. OUR FATHER TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS JUST A CHEAPLY MADE CAR AND TO JUST DEAL WITH IT. WE DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE ISSUES. WE SEE ONLINE THAT OTHERS HAVE ALSO HAD THIS RESPONSE FROM FORD DEALERS. WE THEN DECIDED TO CONTACT THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER (800-392-3673) AND SPOKE WITH CHRIS. CHRIS TOLD US THAT THOUGH THEY RECOGNIZED THESE PROBLEMS THEY HAD AS YET NOT ESCALATED INTO A RECALL. FORD WOULD THEREFORE NOT BE WILLING TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIRS OF OUR ZX2. IT IS NOW OUR DECISION TO FILE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND REQUEST THAT FORD RECONSIDER ITS DECISION. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT FROM TROY AIKMAN FORD. THERE IS NO HELP THERE SINCE THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. ACCORDING TO OTHER COMPLAINTS WE'VE FOUND THESE PROBLEMS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS WHICH COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. *TR