NHTSA Complaint #10682486 — 2012 FORD MUSTANG

I WENT TO THE DEALER'S BODY SHOP TO GET AN ESTIMATE ON REPAIR AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ALUMINUM/IRON CONTAMINATION DURING THE CAR ASSEMBLY AND THAT A NEW PAINT JOB WOULD ONLY BE A BAND-AID. BROUGHT PROBLEM TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD DOCUMENT AND SEND TO FORD FOR RESOLUTION ... 3 MONTHS LATER I CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE. ON THE 2ND VISIT, THEY DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO FORD. THE RESULT WAS THAT FORD DENIED THE CLAIM BECAUSE IT WAS BEYOND THE 3 YEAR TERM. WHEN I RESEARCHED THE ALUMINUM CORROSION ISSUE I FOUND THAT SENDING A COMPLAINT TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE MIGHT ELEVATE THE CLAIM, I SENT A MESSAGE TO [XXX] AT FORD. SHE WAS VERY NICE AND SENT ME THE CONTACT INFO FOR MY AREA'S FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, [XXX]. SHE LET ME KNOW SHE WAS CHECKING INTO THE PROBLEM BUT THAT THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE HOOD. WHEN I HEARD BACK, SHE INFORMED ME THAT: "THE COST TO REPLACE THE HOOD OF YOUR MUSTANG WOULD COME TO APPROXIMATELY $2,483.32. I CAN ASSIST WITH 50% OF THIS REPAIR BUT NOT TO EXCEED $1,241.66 IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT ADDITIONAL REPAIRS ARE NEEDED. I HAVE CONTACTED [XXX] AT APPLE FORD AND ADVISED HIM OF MY OFFER. I CAN HONOR THIS OFFER FOR UP TO 30 DAYS FROM TODAY." I CANNOT AFFORD TO PUT OUT MONEY TO FIX THIS AND FEEL THAT A PROBLEM ORIGINATING IN THE ASSEMBLY PLANT, WHICH HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED, SHOULD NOT BE COVERED COMPLETELY BY FORD. IF THIS WERE A PROBLEM WITH THE MECHANICS OF THE CAR, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FULLY COVERED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR