NHTSA Complaint #10519297 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

FROM MY FORD EXPLORER LIMITED (WITH 5000 LBS FACTORY INSTALLED TOW PACKAGE), THERE WAS A HIGH SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FUELING VEHICLE. ODOR DID NOT DIMINISH. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MA DEALERSHIP, (5-17-13), WHERE MECHANICS DETERMINED THAT GAS TANK WAS LEAKING. PARTS NOT EASILY AVAILABLE. GAS TANK AND FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. I SPOKE WITH FORD NE REGIONAL MGR, [XXX], AND REQUESTED AN UPGRADE TO MY WARRANTY FROM 5YR TO 7YR. SHE SAID, "FORD DOES NOT PAY FOR PAIN AND SUFFERING," AFTER I SAID THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS FIRE SAFETY HAZARD. SHE TOLD ME THAT NOTHING HAPPENED SO IT CAN'T BE CONSIDERED. NO UPGRADE ALLOWED! AND SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT "PARTS BREAK, AND HAVE TO BE FIXED.!" AFTER 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS FIXED BY 5-28-2013. THE MYFORDSYNC SYSTEM HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED 10+ TIMES SINCE PURCHASE IN 9-2013. COMPLETE FAILURE TO WORK HAS HAPPENED. BLANK SCREEN, NO BACKUP CAMERAS. VERY EXPENSIVE VEHICLE. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP MANAGER ABOUT A WARRANTY UPGRADE, BUT HE HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS, EVEN THOUGH HE SAID THAT HE, "HAS NEVER SEEN THIS GAS TANK PROBLEM." THIS CAR HAS REQUIRED MORE THAN 15 DAYS OF REPAIR IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS, AND IT IS WELL UNDER 15,000 MILES. THE CURRENT GAS MILEAGE IS WELL UNDER THE STICKER MPG OF 26 HIGHWAY. IT IS RANGING FROM LOCAL OF A BEST OF 19 MPG TO A BEST OF (HIGHWAY) 21MPG. TOWING IT IS 14 MPG TO 15.4MPG. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR