NHTSA Complaint #11133411 — 2015 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

AUTOMAX FORD KILLEEN INSTALLED RECALL 16S30 ON 6-16-17. ON 7-22-18, DOOR LATCH FAILED IN MANNER DESCRIBED BY RECALL. TOOK VAN INTO AUTOMAX ON 7-25, ON 7-31 WAS TOLD RECALL PART HAD FAILED, ON 8-1 TOLD I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR REPAIR. I THOUGHT PAYING FOR DUPLICATE FAILURE OF RECALL ISSUE WAS WRONG AND CONTACTED FORD NATIONAL OFFICE FOR HELP. FORD CORP. RESPONSE WAS FAVORABLE BUT NOT DEFINITELY COVERING COST UNTIL DEALER RESPONSE. ON 8-6 RECEIVED FINAL APPROVAL THAT FORD CORP. WOULD PAY DEALER. ON 8-8 REPAIR PICKED UP CAR AFTER REPAIR COMPLETED, ALSO PERSONALLY PAID FOR 2ND PART FOR PASSENGER SIDE (SINCE IT WAS LIKELY TO FAIL TOO IF DRIVER SIDE RECALL PART FAILED & BOTH WERE REPLACED DURING 2017 REPAIR). DURING PICKUP, NOTICED THAT FAILED PART THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED HAD A 07.10.2014 MFG DATE STICKER. SINCE RECALL WASN'T ISSUED UNTIL 2016, THIS PART COULD NOT BE A FAILED RECALL PART BUT WAS ACTUALLY AN ORIGINAL PART FROM MY VANS MFG IN LATE 2014. DEALER SUGGESTED THIS WAS NOT THE CASE BUT WOULD INVESTIGATE AND ALLOWED ME TO RETURN HOME WITH ONLY DRIVERS SIDE REPAIRED AND PASSENGER SIDE UNTOUCHED. RETURNED HOME AND PULLED DOOR TRIM ON PASSENGER SIDE, FOUND SEAL INSIDE DOOR UNTOUCHED AND DATED 2014 ALSO. COULD NOT HAVE PERFORMED RECALL IN 2017 WITHOUT BREAKING SEAL. RETURNED 8-9 WITH PROOF AND FINALLY GOT PASSENGER SIDE REPAIRED USING PART I PAID FOR. PROMISED REFUND BUT NOT RECEIVED UNTIL 8-21 AND AMOUNT SLIGHTLY LESS THAN PAID DUE TO TAX NOT INCLUDED. EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO HAVE VANS WITH RECALL DOCUMENTED BUT NOT ACTUALLY REPAIRED. ASSURED DEALER WOULD TAKE ACTION, BUT NEEDED TIME TO DETERMINE HOW TO FIX FOR OTHERS AND LET ME KNOW. ON 10-4 FOLLOWED UP AND DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO PLAN AND SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS FIXED, DANGER TO OTHERS WAS NOT MY WORRY. SUMMARY: DEALER DID NOT PUT IN RECALL PARTS, CHARGED FOR FIX, AND MAY HAVE DONE IT TO OTHERS.