NHTSA Complaint #11331703 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

MEMORANDUM FOR FORD CORPORATION, CLAIM DIVISION FROM: [XXX], OWNER OF 2013 FORD EXPLORER XLT, VIN#[XXX]. RE: PUNITIVE DAMAGES DUE A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. RECALL# 19S17 MA'AM, SIR, I OWN A 2013 FORD EXPLORER, VIN#[XXX]. IN DECEMBER 2015, I MOVED TO GERMANY IN UNDER US ARMY ORDERS AND EXPORTED MY SUV TO OUR MILITARY INSTALLATION IN VILSECK, GERMANY. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAR, EXPERIENCING STEERING PROBLEMS AND TWICE LOST CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN TWO ACCIDENTS IN MARCH, 2016 AND NOVEMBER, 2017. OVER MY DEPLOYMENT TO GERMANY, I SOUGHT HELP FROM LOCAL FORD SITES IN BAVARIA, SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS TO FIX THE ISSUE THINKING THE BRAKES ARE THE ISSUES AND IN TIMES CHANGING TIRES, BUT IN VAIN. WHEN, I ATTEMPTED TO IMPORT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE HOMELAND UPON MY RECENT PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) BACK TO HURLBURT FIELD, FL, I FOUND OUT THAT THE SUV WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR A DEFECT IN THE REAR TOE LINK, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF CRASH (FORD RECALL# 19S17 AND NTHSA RECALL# 19V435). I OBTAINED A WAIVER TO IMPORT THE CAR AND CALLED WORLD FORD PENSACOLA AS SOON AS MY CAR LANDED IN THE US ON JANUARY 27, 2020 TO SCHEDULE A FIX. THEY FIXED THE ISSUE ON JANUARY 29, 2020. IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT FORD HAS MY UPDATED ARMY POST OFFICE (APO) ADDRESS BUT HAD NEVER NOTIFIED ME OF THIS IMPORTANT RECALL (I HAVE MAIL FROM FORD TO MY APO ADDRESS BUT NOT FOR THE RECALL). FOR THE FOREGOING REASONS, I DECIDED TO FILE A CLAIM WITH FORD CORPORATION FOR ALL OF THE EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE MISHAP, INCLUDING MY ACCIDENT IN 2016 AND 2017. I CONTACTED YOUR HQ ,BUT IN VAIN. HE IGNORED MY PHONE CALLS AND MY EMAILS. THEREFORE, I AM REACHING OUT TO YOU IN WRITING. I AM ASKING, AT THIS POINT, ONLY FOR REPAIR EXPENSES AND NOT ASKING FOR MEDICAL BILLS STEMMING FROM THE ACCIDENTS ($ 1732.90 AND 5000.04 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR