NHTSA Complaint #719313 — 1995 FORD ESCORT

MY NAME IS: STEVEN ENCARNACION. ADDRESS: 1204 ST. JOSEPH WAY, PETALUMA, CA 94954-5360, E:MAIL [email protected]. TELEPHONE #(707)763-7437. THIS IS THE SECOND (1ST ODI#: 719304) OF FOUR COMPLAINTS (OF WHICH THE THIRD ONE IS ABOUT A SAFTEY DEFECT THAT CAUSED AN INJURY) AGAINST G&C AUTOBODY, RE:RENTING VEHICLES WITH THE GROSS KNOWLEDGE OF SAFTEY DEFECTS. ON 01/15/2000 I RENTED MY SECOND VEHICLE FROM G&C AUTOBODY, A FORD ESCORT (CUSTOMER RENTAL AGREEMENT #25745, REPAIR ORDER#000676, COST: $5.00 PER DAY) AS A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED. THE FORD ESCORT WOULDN'T ALWAYS START, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I WAS STALLED FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD DECIDE TO START, BUT USUALLY I WOULD JUST SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO THE ENGINE TURN OVER AND OVER BEFORE IT WOULD START. I WAS STUCK IN THE PARKING LOT ONE DAY AT COLLEGE FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH A STALLED ENGINE, WHEN IT FINALLY STARTED I DROVE IT TO G&C AUTOBODY TO TELL THEM THAT THIS CAR HAS PROBLEMS. THEY CALLED A MECHANIC TO CHECK IT OUT AND HE SAID HE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE MECHANIC ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT TO BRING IT BACK. I DROVE TO THEIR SECOND BODYSHOP DOWN THE STREET TO PICKUP SOME THINGS I HAD IN MY CAR THAT WAS BEING REPAIRED AND WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TO LEAVE, IT WOULDN'T START AND THE ENGINE WOULD JUST TURN AND TURN. A CROWD OF BODYSHOP REPAIRMEN STARTED TO GATHER AROUND BECAUSE THAY COULD HEAR ME TRYING TO START THE CAR. SO I DROVE RIGHT BACK TO G&C AUTOBODY AND TOLD THEM THAT I WANT A DIFFERENT CAR, THAT THIS FORD ESCORT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE ON IT. SO THEY RENTED ME A THIRD VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT YOUR AGENCY BY CONTACT 4 (CHANNEL FOUR NEWS IN THE S.F. BAY AREA). NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK