NHTSA Complaint #715328 — 1994 FORD TAURUS

CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 09/09/1999 WHEN PROBLEM DETECTED IN STARTING THE CAR. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, ENGINE WILL CRANK AND START BUT IT STALLED WHEN KEY SPRING WAS LET GO AT RANDOM BASIS. DEALER CLAIMED TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED MULTIFUCTION SW AND IGNITION SWITCH, AND REPLACED BATTERY AND CLEANED THE TERMINALS. THIS COST ME $474 AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON 09/13/1999. ON 09/20/1999 DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS JUST THE ADJUSTMENT IN SAFETY SWITCH. DEALER CLAIMED THAT THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. AFTER THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY AND CONTINUE TO HAPPEN ON RANDOM BASIS. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY WILL CALL ME BACK WHEN THEY ARE READY TO FIX THIS. AS OF 11/22/1999 I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM FULLERTON FORD DEALER. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE NOW AND I CAN NOT EVEN START THE CAR. SO I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AT 1-800-392-3673 AND SPOKE WITH DUANE. I TOLD HIM THAT DEALERSHIP HAS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DESCRIBED THE CAR PROBLEM. I ASKED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HELP DEALER TO IDENTIFY AND FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE DEALER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN FIXING THE PROBLEM AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. DUANE REPLIED THAT ONLY DEALER IS AUTHORIZED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I SHOULD TAKE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THERE IS NOTHING FORD MOTOR COMAPNY CAN DO FOR ME. I ASKED DUANE THAT WHAT IS THE POINT IN TAKING CAR BACK TO THE FORD DEALER WHEN AFTER TWO UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS THEY HAVE NOT FIXED. DUANE REPEATED THE EARLIER STATEMENT OF TAKING CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING FORD MOTOR CO. CAN DO. AS FAR AS THE COOLING SYSTEM GOES, I ASKED THE FULLERTON FORD DEALER TO CHECK THE LEAKING COOLANT ON 05/17/1999. THEY CONDUCTED PRESSURE TEST AND REPLACED COOLANT AND TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO LEAK. HOWEVER AS OF 11/26/99 IT STILL LEAKS UPON STARTING THE CAR NEAR RADIATOR.