NHTSA Complaint #11072166 — 2015 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT ABOUT 81,000 MILES, AND A WEIRD NOISE STARTED HAPPENING COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. I GOT INTO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT (DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR) AT ABOUT 81,500 MILES. THEY DIAGNOSED A BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER - IT WAS BREAKING UP. SEVERAL ISSUES AROSE FROM THAT: FIRST, I HAVE BEEN SMELLING CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE CAB FOR QUITE A WHILE AND DID NOT KNOW WHY (NOW I THINK I KNOW - CLOGGED CATALYTIC, REVERSION THROUGH THE ENGINE BAY). SECOND THE CATALYTIC WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 80,000 MILES. (THE LIGHT WENT ON AT 81,000). THIRD, AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE DEALER FINANCE GUY FORCED ME TO BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. HE SAID THAT FORD WOULD NOT FINANCE ME IF I DID NOT BUY IT SO I AGREED. IT WAS OVER $2000 TAKEN OUT OF MY DOWN PAYMENT. I FULLY EXPECTED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO COVER THE BROKEN CAT - WRONG - CATS ARE NOT COVERED. THE REPAIR WAS QUOTED AT ABOUT $1000. MY BEEF HERE IS SEVERAL FOLD: THE 1) FORD WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 80,000 AND THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AT 81,000 EVEN THOUGH THE CONVERTER HAD BEEN GOING BAD THE WHOLE TIME. 2) I HAVE BEEN BREATHING CO2 IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. 3) THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS USELESS AND I PAID A HEFTY SUM FOR IT. THE REPAIR IS QUITE EXPENSIVE AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY ANY OF THE WARRANTIES I HAVE, WHICH I THINK IS UNFAIR. I HAVE NOT BROUGHT THIS COMPLAINT TO THE DEALER TO ALLOW THEM A REBUTTAL - I SIMPLY LEFT IN SHOCK THAT I AM ON THE HOOK, AND NOW I'M BREATHING THE STINK OF A DECOMPOSING CAT IF I DON'T USE RECIRCULATE (AND A SLIGHT AMOUNT EVEN IF I DO USE RECIRCULATE, WHICH IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT - RECIRCULATE STILL LETS IN OUTSIDE AIR. IN TRAFFIC, YOU ARE ALWAYS BREATHING EXHAUST).