NHTSA Complaint #10298949 — 2002 FORD TAURUS

VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE. NEXT DAY, NO HEAT. I HAD A MECHANIC BACKFLUSH THE LINE AFTER WHICH I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME(VERY LITTLE) HEAT FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH JUST TO GET ME THROUGH THE WINTER. FOLLOWING YEAR, I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE BACKFLUSHED AGAIN. SAME RESULTS, BUT NOW THE AC IS STAYING ON WITH THE VENT ON AND I HAVE NO HEAT ANY WHERE BUT AT THE FLOOR BOARDS AND THAT IS VERY LITTLE TO NONE. A MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT IT IS THE HEATER CORE AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE HEATER CORE SOUND TO BE A RESULT OF AN INCIDENT I HAD: WHEN I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE, I HAD A PROBLEM WITHIN 30 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP WHERE WATER WAS LEAKING UNDER THE HOOD FROM OUTSIDE. I WAS CHARGED FOR REPLACING A FAULTY COWLICK. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN WEEKLY WHEN THE CAR GOT WET IF THE COWLICK WAS NOT REPLACED. WHEN I QUESTIONED HOW THIS WAS POSSIBLE THAT I HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THEY NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THIS PART BEFORE; I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE NEVER GOT WET WHILE IN THEIR OWNERSHIP,(OPEN LOT WITH NO GARAGES TO PROTECT VEHICLES FROM RAIN). I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED. *TR