NHTSA Complaint #736730 — 1995 FORD WINDSTAR

ON 9/15/00, AFTER ABOUT 3 DAYS OF RESEARCH, JERRY'S FORD OF ANNANDALE (703) 256-5000 CONCLUDED THAT THE NOISE I WAS HEARING AT 35-40MPH, 50MPH, AND 60MPH WAS DUE TO A LEAKING PISTON AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 85,548 MILES. MY INVOICE READ: NEEDS ENGINE. FORD OFFERED 50/50 SPLIT. OWNER ADVISED. AFTER I WAS TOLD THAT FAILURE WAS NOT IMMINENT, I DECIDED TO WAIT. BY NOVEMBER, THE NOISE HAD WORSENED, BUT JERRYS FORD COULD NOT GET A REPLACEMENT ENGINE UNTIL JANUARY. I CALLED SHEEHY FORD ON 11/3 AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DAVID GARRETT FOR 11/6. I TOLD DAVID ABOUT THE 50/50 OFFER FROM FORD ON THE INVOICE, SHOWED IT TO HIM ON 11/6 WHEN I DROPPED OFF MY VAN, AND FAXED A COPY THAT DAY. HE CALLED ME LATER AND SAID ALL THE WORK WOULD NOT BE DONE UNTIL NOON ON 11/7 AND THAT IRENE BERRY, THE FORD REGIONAL REP, HAD NOT ANSWERED THEIR CALLS ABOUT THE 50/50 PROMISE. I CALLED SHEEHY DAILY AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT GET HOLD OF IRENE. ON 11/15, I ASKED FOR THE PHONE NUMBER OF IRENES BOSS. HE REFERRRED ME TO FORDS NORTH AMERICAN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER. THEY SAID FORD POLICY DENIES CUSTOMER SERVICE ACCESS TO THE PHONE NUMBER OF IRENE BERRY OR HER BOSS. THEY PROMISED TO SEND IRENE AN E-MAIL ABOUT MY PREDICAMENT AND MENTION MY REQUEST TO BE REIMBURSED $233.91 FOR A RENTAL CAR DUE TO HER DELAY IN CONTACTING SHEEHY FORD. ON 11/16, SEAN TOLD ME THAT IRENE HAD TO TALK TO JERRYS FORD TO REFRESH HER MEMORY ON THE 50/50 PLEDGE. I CALLED FRED JAVIER AT JERRYS. HE SAID IRENE HAD LEFT A MESSAGE FOR HIM TO CALL HER WITHOUT SAYING WHY. I EXPLAINED MY DILEMMA AND 9-DAY WAIT AND ASKED HIM TO CALL HER. LATER, FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED TO SAY IRENE APPROVED THE 50/50 PAYMENT, BUT REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL CAR. I PICKED UP MY VAN ON 11/16. HOW COULD AN ENGINE FAIL AT 85,548 MILES? *AK