NHTSA Complaint #10515609 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE STORY IS THAT WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW FORD FIESTA THROUGH MILITARY CAR SALES IN JUNE OF 2011. AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH AND PUTTING 1,400 MILES ON IT, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON IT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR VACATION. WE LOST A DAY OF OUR VACATION AND SOME CASH IN NON-REFUNDABLE HOTELS STAYS BUT ENDED UP WITH A RENTAL CAR WHICH WAS FINALLY COVERED UNDER THE MILITARY CAR SALES WARRANTY. ONE MONTH LATER, WE GOT THE CAR BACK AND AFTER ANOTHER MONTH AND ANOTHER 1,500 MILES, THE SECOND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT... A MONTH AND A HALF LATER AND TWO MORE TRANSMISSIONS, WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR BACK. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO THE FORD DEALER FOUR TIMES TO CORRECT ISSUES WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (COMPUTER PROGRAMMING); ONE TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE MY WIFE EXPERIENCED WITH THE CAR AND WE WERE FORCED TO ACCEPT IT BACK AS IS. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND OUR LOVELY CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR THE PAST MONTH GETTING ANOTHER TRANSMISSION, WITH NO END DATE IN SIGHT. MILITARY CAR SALES WARRANTY DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO CLAIM THAT WE DO NOT MEET THERE GUIDELINES/THRESHOLD TO WARRANT THEM BUYING BACK OR REPLACING THE CAR. MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD TO TAKE COUNTLESS HOURS OFF OF WORK TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER, PICK IT UP, GET THE RENTAL CARS, RENEW THE RENTAL AGREEMENTS, GO TO PMO OR CUSTOM AND THEN GET A NEW GAS CARD; NONE OF WHICH WE GET COMPENSATED/REIMBURSED FOR. PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT SINCE THE VEHICLES PURCHASED ON BASE ARE U.S. SPECS, GERMAN FORD DEALER WILL REPAIR WARRANTED ITEMS, BUT ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE IF IT IS DEEMED TO BE A "LEMON"; THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MILITARY CAR SALES WARRANTY DEPARTMENT. HAD I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN THE U.S. I WOULD SIMPLY DRIVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND HE WOULD REPLACE IT, NOT QUITE THE CASE HERE IN GERMANY. *TR