NHTSA Complaint #10475217 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING MY PARENTS AND MY TODDLER DAUGHTER BACK FROM VISTING A SIBLING (APPROX. 5 HOUR DRIVE) WHEN WE STOPPED BRIEFLY TO TAKE A BREAK ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR UP AGAIN, I RECEIVED WARNINGS RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FAILURE AND ADVANCE TRAC FAILURE. THE CAR HAD NO POWER STEERING AND THERE APPEARED TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BLINKERS AS WELL. ON TUESDAY, FOLLOWING LABOR DAY) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR REPAIR. MORE THAN A WEEK LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER WITH FORD UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST AND THAT THERE WAS A WAITING LIST TO GET THE PART AND THERE WERE ALMOST 1000 PEOPLE ON THE WAIT LIST AHEAD OF ME. I'M GREATFUL THAT I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER, EVEN UNDER THE WARRANTY THEY ONLY HAVE TO PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR FOR 10 DAYS. I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND KEEP ME IN A CAR UNTIL SOMETIME IN HOPEFULLY OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER WHEN THEY CAN REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND IS BOTH A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS POSSIBLY A DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. *TR