Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTHER | |||
| 01/23/2005 | 43930 | 1 | 10/01/2000 |
| The vehicle started however, i was unable to shift it into gear. after three calls to a ford dealership, i was advised to shift it into neutral, start it then shift it into drive. i was able to drive it home however, the power windows & windshield wipers were not working. i heard clicking noises coming from the fuse box. after placing it into drive, the radio would not work. when i placed it in park, the radio started working. when using the panel/floor defrost, i heard an electrical shorting noise coming from under the hood. on 1/23/05, it would not start; only the lights on the dashboard came on; i was unable to shift it into neutral; the engine did not turn over. the vehicle was towed to krieger ford. initially, i was told that it needed a new starter. after further testing, i was advised that the fuse box and gem were water-logged due to water leaking into them as the result of a faulty seal in the windshield which is the original factory installed windshield. i found an article ironically titled quality is the prime imperative with ford. the 1st paragraph states installing windshields in vehicles has always been a pain. fixing water leaks is the last thing you want to do in a vehicle assembly plant. the 2nd paragraph states ...has brought the number of windshield leaks significantly under 1 per 20 hours of production... the 3rd paragraph references the word defects. i wrote a lengthy letter dated 2/5/05 to the ceo of ford with attachments of the article, online complaints stating the same problems & questioned the september 2004 tie rod inspection procedure mailed to me from ford with regard to premature wearing and separation. i had also spoken to individuals in ford's customer service center on several occasions. i paid krieger ford over $1,000 to replace the starter (their quick fix), replace the gem & fuse box & remove & re-seal the windshield. ford responded to my letter by placing me on their promotional mailing list. documentation available. *jb | |||