NHTSA Complaint #751023 — 1985 FORD THUNDERBIRD

MY FIRST COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. WHILE ATEMPTING TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY DIED AS IF I HAD TURNED OFF THE KEY. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND JUST BARELY AVOIDED BEING HIT. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART UNLESS I JIGGLED THE KEY. I CALLED A FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BUT THE TOLD ME HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I REPLACED THE SWITCH AND THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE NOW. HOWEVER IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO REMOVE THE SWITCH DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT HAD MELTED TO THE WIRING HARNESS. I STILL HAVE THE PART IN MY POSSESSION. MY OTHER COMPLAINT IS REGARDING THE STATOR PICK-UP ASSEMBLY UNDER THE BASE OF THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP. NOT ONCE BUT TWICE I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS ASSEMBLY DUE THE FACT THAT IT HAD MELTED AND FELL APART. IN THIS INSTANCE MY FAMILY WAS WITH ME AT A VERY DANGEROUS INTERSECTION WHERE IT TOOK ME ROUGHLY 20 MINUTES TO GET THE CAR TO REFIRE ENOUGH TO MOVE IT OUT OF HARMS WAY. ALL THE CAR WOULD DO IS START UP RUN ENOUGH TO ROLL IT A LITTLE MORE FORWARD. I ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE CAR BUT BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC I GAVE UP RATHER THAN BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. AGAIN I CALLED FORD AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS IF THERE IS SOME ORGANIZATION THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME OR PERHAPS YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH INFORMATION AS TO WHAT LEGAL GROUP I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTACT.*AK