NHTSA Complaint #739838 — 1996 FORD CONTOUR

MY 1996 FORD CONTOUR'S (W/V6 2.5L DURATEC MOTOR) ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AROUND JAN 2 OF 2001. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AT THE CLOSEST FORD DEALERSHIP IN MODESTO, CA. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE NEXT AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT WAS ON FRIDAY JAN 05, 2001, LATER ON THAT WEEK. ONCE I TOOK IT IN, THEY HAD DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY (3) CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND MY THROTTLE BODY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR THEN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TO CHECK WITH FORD BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT THE WORK WAS COVERED UNDER A FORD RECALL 97E61. THE NEXT DAY HE RESPONDED TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT FORD HAD SAID THAT IT WASN'T COVERED AND THAT MY BILL WOULD BE $1,300.00. I THEN ASKED HIM WHY IT WASN'T COVERED AND HE TOLD ME BECAUSE MY VIN# DOESN'T SHOW IT. HE THEN ASKED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH FORD THE ACTUALL COMPANY. SO I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON IT MYSELF AND HAVE COME UP WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INFO. FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS TOLD ME THAT THE REASON MY CAR IS NOT COVERED IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE 97E61 CRITERIA FOR RECALL. SO I ASKED WHAT ACTUALL PART DOES NOT FALL UNDEER THE CRITERIA. THEY ASKED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH NHTSA AND THEY CAN GIVE ME THAT INFO. WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS THAT CARS THAT WERE BUILT AT 2 FORD PLANTS, CAUTLIN, AND KANSAS CITY PLANTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE AFFECTED. WELL MY CAR WAS BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY PLANT. THE OTHER CRITERIA I KNOW ABOUT IS IF THE CAR WAS BUILT WITHIN MARCH OF 95 THRU MARCH OF 96. WELL MY CAR WAS FIRST SOLD IN FEB. 96 AND IT'S A 96 MODEL SO IT WOULD HAVE TO FALL WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME. I AM CURRENTLY HAVING MY CAR FIXED AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP BUT MY COST IS STILL OVER $1,100.00. PLESAE HELP ME. CESAR GARCIA CALL ME ANY TIME AT 408-674-9315 TO LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED MY LETTER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE A COPY E-MAILED TO ME OF WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN SO I HAVE A RECORD AT [email protected]. *AK