NHTSA Complaint #11589448 — 2019 FORD FUSION ENERGI

Last year on or about May or June 2023, I received a Safety Recall 23S33 from Ford. I had experienced a similar recall with my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. Up until the time a fix was identified, Chrysler offered monthly debit cards of $200 to compensate for additional expense of gasoline that would not have been incurred but for the recall. Later, Chrysler offered reimbursement for the the additional expense of a rental vehicle. The only benefit or compensation for the inconvenience and expense of not being able to charge my 2019 Ford Fusion PHEV is a single $200 debit card sent during the holiday season in late 2023. I have called Ford asking the status of a fix as well as any customer benefit available for this recall for which I was told my Ford there was none. This month will be one full year since the recall and Ford has failed to 1) provide periodic updates on the status of a fix, 2) provided any customer benefit such as debit cards, rental car reimbursement, or buy back benefit. I am extremely concerned that if the NHTSA does not immediately sanction or fine Ford for - at best - poor customer service or - at worst - negligent business practices, the result will be little to no incentive for automobile manufacturers to promptly rectify defective parts in their vehicles or, even worse, little to no incentive to avoid manufacturing vehicles with a foreseeable risk of serious defects. Given almost an entire year since the recall, I strongly advocate that the NHTSA take immediate and meaningful action on behalf of impacted Ford customers to require Ford to provide cash compensation (debit cards), reimbursement (for alternative car rental), or customer friendly buy-back options for those subject to the recall since May 2023.