NHTSA Complaint #731229 — 1998 FORD RANGER

BOUGHT THIS TRUCK WITH 16,000 MILES ON IT FROM EARNHEART DODGE. DEC . 11,1999.ON JAN 24,2000 TOOK IT TO BERGE FORD SERVICE DEPT. FOR NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE (LIKE MARBLES RUNNNING AROUND IN IT) TRUCK STAYED THERE TO HAVE ENGINE LOOKED AT FOR 5 DAYS. IN THE MEANTIME I HAD TO PAY FOR RENTAL.GOT TIRED WAITNG FOR TRUCK TO BE LOOKED AT AND CALLED EARNHEART FORD SERVICE TO COME PICK UP AND TAKE TO THEIRS. SERVICE REP SAID COULD BE JUST CARBON IN IT. SO THEY DECARBONED IT.THE NOISE STILL WAS THERE. AFTER 20,000MILES ON THE TRUCK TOTAL ,THEY PUT IN FORD FACTORY REBUILT ENGINE IN IT. OKAY FOR ABOUT 1,000 MILES , NOISE CAME BACK.TOOK BACK TO FORD SAID IT WAS PROBABLY CARBON AGAIN.HOW COME SAME PROBLEM WITH NEW REBUILT ENGINE ? THEY DECARBONED IT.WHEN TRUCK PICKED UP THERE WAS STILL NOISE. SERVICE SAID DECARBON STUFF STILL HAD TO WORK MORE. NOISE GOT LOUDER. GOT IN TOUCH TO SEE WHAT NOW THEY WERE GOING TO DO.SERVICE MANAGER SAID WOULD BE IN TOUCH.NO CALLS. TRIED CALLING AND LEAVE MESSAGES NUMBER OF TIMES NO ANSWER. FINALLY ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF SERVICE MANGER AND HE SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING MORE FOR ME EVEN THOUGH STILL UNDER WARRENTY.SAID HIS MECHANIC CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF SOME OF THE RANGERS HAVING THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE ,BUT IT WOULD NOT HURT THE ENGINE . IT HAD TO DO WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VALVES IN SOME OF THE ENGINES. I SAID WAIT A MINUTE NOT ONLY I FEEL MY TRUCK IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE MAKING THIS RACKET AS I DRIVE THE FREEWAYU TO WORK 4-5 TIMES A WEEK 40 MILES 1 WAY,BUT WHY SHOULD I BE STUCK WITH A NOISY ,UNSAFE VEHICLE AFTER PAYING ALL THE MONEY I HAVE FOR IT AND TO BE UNHAPPY WITH IT? QUESTION.. IF THIS ONLY A NOISE PROBLEM WHY WAS THE CONSUMERS NOT WARNED ABOUT IT WHEN THEY BOUGHT IT.AND WHY DID THEY CHANGE THE FIRST ENGINE?I THINK THESE ENGINES SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED TO FIND OUT THE TRUE PROBLEM BEFORE IT BECOMES ANOTHER "FIRESTONE" DISASTER. PLEASE RESPOND.