NHTSA Complaint #719566 — 1994 FORD TAURUS

ON OR ABOUT 2/26/2000 WHILE DRIVING IN AIKEN, SC I ATTEMPETED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND MY CAR DISENGAGED WHILE IN GEAR AND MY CAR WAS ALMOST HIT BY A SEMI-TRACTOR TRUCK. MY FATHER AND MY HUSBAND HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY QUALIFIED MECHANICS, AND THEY TELL US IT IS THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON IN THE TRANSAXLE. THERE HAVE BEEN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLITENS (TSB) PUT OUT BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY SINCE 1991 ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THEY MADE MY CAR WITH A DEFECTIVE PART AND BOTH MYSELF AND ME TWO CHIRLREN COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE ALERT TRUCK DRIVER. FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THROUGH TSB'S 91-5-7,92-1-4,92-26A-6, 93-9-11 AND 94-24-7 WHICH EVEN TELLS THE DEALERS NOT TO USE THE ALUMINUM PISTON AND IF THEY HAVE ANY IN STOCK TO RETURN THEM TO THE PARTS DEPOT FOR CREDIT. MY FATHER MR. BOB PATTERSON HAS CONTACTED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT LAWYER WHO HAS REVIEWED THE TSB 94-24-7 AND HE FEELS THAT FORD IS TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE. MR. PATTERSON HAS CALLED THE DEALER WHO REFERED HIM TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-800-392-3673(JOY) WHO STATED IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. HE FURTHER CONTACTED MR. RON SUMNER FORD MOTER COMPANY PRIORITY SECTION 313-322-3000 WHO SAID IT WAS UP TO THE DEALER TO INITIATE ANY ACTION TO GET ASSISTANCE AND THEN STATED THAT HE DIDN'T THINK FORD WOULD OFFER ANY. WHEN YOUR OFFICE WAS MENTIONED HE SAID THAT FORD WASN'T SCARED OF YOU. ALSO HE WOULD NOT PUT ME IN CONTACT WITH MR. JAQUES NASSER (CEO FORD) WHEN ASKED TO FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. IN CALLING BACK THE DEALER AND TALKING TO MR. SATCHER HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT HIS RESPONSIBLITY TO CONTACT FORD FOR A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT, BUT FORD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT TO IT. AS A CERTIFIED ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA I ASK HOW MANY FATAL ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FORD VEHICLE HAVE BEEN LISTED AS DRIVER ERROR JUST BECAUSE THE INVESTIGATOR DIDN'T KNOW OF THIS SITUATION. *AK