NHTSA Complaint #750154 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE BUSY HIGHWAY @ 55 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND IT STOPPED MOVING. THE CAR BEHIND ME JUST NARROWLY MISSED REAR ENDING ME. THERE WAS TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME, IN BACK OF ME AS WELL AS ALONG SIDE OF ME. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. CALLED NELSON FORD AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT, BUT COULD NOT FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON AUG. 6, 2001 AND THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED JAN. 6, 01, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY INTO 2ND GEAR, JUNE 8TH, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK IN, BECAUSE THE OVERLIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. ON JULY19TH I BROUGHT IT IN , CAUSE IT NOW SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE, ERRATIC SHIFTING AND SURGE. TODAY 8/9/01 IT DOESN'T SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE CORRECTLY, THERE IS SEVERAL SECONDS DELAY BEFORE IT SHIFTS. THE FORD COMPANY WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE SECOND STAHL ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE OVERDRIVE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. THEY WILL NOT TAKE IT APART AGAIN. AND THEY CAN NOT VERIFY THAT THE CAR STALLED FOR ME SO THEY WILL NOT ACKNOWLEGE THE PROBLEM. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE IF I AM IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. FORD STATED THAT THEY WILL SELL ME ANOTHER FORD AT COST, THEY WILL TAKE MY EXPLORER AS A TRADE IN AND FORD WILL KICK IN SOME MONEY. "YOU,MAY BE HAPPPY AND THEN MAYBE NOT ." THE MAN I AM TO DEAL WITH IS ON VACATION, SO I AGREED TO WAIT TO TALK TO THEM ON MONDAY. I AM NOT SAFE IN THIS CAR. I MAILED A CERTIFIED LETTER TO FORD TELLING THEM THAT I WANT IT CONSIDERED A LEMON. THEY STAT THAT IT DOES NOT MEET THE LEMON STANDARDS, IT WAS ONLY REPAIRED 3 TIMES. THERE IS NOT A FORD PRODUCT THAT I WANT TO BUY AT THIS TIME. I JUST WANT OUT OF THIS DANGEROUS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP ME WITH OPTIONS. I DO NOT WANT THE SAME SITUATION AS IN CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).