NHTSA Complaint #756746 — 2001 FORD MUSTANG

ON FEB. 24TH, 2001, I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH ONLY 21 MILES SHOWING ON THE ODOMETER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME AND THE NEXT DAY, I CRANKED THE AUTO AND THE SERVICE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DAY WAS SUNDAY AND THE DEALERSHIP, NOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WERE OPEN. I WAITED UNTIL MONDAY MORNING TO DRIVE THE CAR, AND THEN WENT STRAIGHT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC AND SAID THE CATALYTIC SENSOR WAS ACTING UP AND THEY WOULD TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND THAT SHOULD FIX IT. HOWEVER, IF THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, I WAS TO BRING THE CAR BACK. I HAD TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES, DUE TO THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. I WAS TOLD AFTER THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OF A SENSOR IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR, THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN GIVEN BAD GAS BEFORE I HAD PURCHASED IT, CAUSING THEM, THE SERVICE REPAIRMEN, TO HAVE TO COMPLETELY TAKE APART THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLEAN IT FROM ENGINE TO EXHAUST. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED UNTIL AFTER THEY COMPLETELY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR. INFORMATION WAS WITHHELD CONCERNING REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE BEFORE I PURCHASED IT. THE REPLACEMENT WAS FINALLY COMPLETED BY APRIL 15TH, 2001. MY NEXT PROBLEM OCCURED ON JULY 13TH, 2001. I WAS RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO COLORADO WITH MY FATHER, WHEN AS WE WERE TRAVELING, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN FELT WATER HIT MY FOOT. I HAD BEEN RIDING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AT THE TIME. WHEN I NOTICED THE WATER, I LOOKED TOWARD THE FLOORBOARD AND ALSO FOUND THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND FALLEN FROM THE WINDOW. WE ARRIVED AT HOME LATER THAT DAY AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT IN AND DO A COMPLETE ONCE OVER TO SEE WHAT HAD CAUSED THE LEAKING. I TOOK IT IN ON JULY 17TH. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DASH OR COULD NOT FIND A LEAK. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES THUS FAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THREE FOR THE FRONT END. *AK