About 4 months after I purchased my 2001 SuperCrew the Pitman arm fell off while driving down the road - ended up in the ditch on that one! Ford says that can't happen - must be a fluke. Well I found on NHTSA that it happened to at least two others. Ford refused to even replace the lock washer that was lost in the incident. I went in the ditch at about 40 mph - the back right door doesn't shut correctly since then - Ford refuses to have the frame checked, they wouldn't even have the front end realigned for me. So now about a year later, the truck starts puffing blue smoke on startup - once again Ford says this is normal since it only happens in the morning and not every morning at that. Does anyone know of someone at Ford that would at least listen to my complaints seriously? That Pitman arm issue could have killed someone. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks -- JFK

 

Who are you talking to at this dealership? For anything beyond routine maintenance, I go directly to the Service "Manager" first to get a feel for things. If that doesn't work, I ask for the phone number of his boss. Getting the Zone Rep involved is relatively common next. After this, get a good lawyer.

 

First thing to do is file a complaint at www.nhtsa.gov It amazes me how many people have serious safety issues with their vehicles and never tell the ones in charge of regulating the manufacturer. Every complaint counts towards an eventual TSB or recall.

Yes, you do need to keep going up in the chain of command when complaining about service at a dealership. If you don't get a response, call Ford customer service. Their normal course of action is to call the dealership you've been working with while you're on the other line and find out their side of the story. This really bothers dealers. It's like mommy asking why they didn't do their chores. If this goes nowhere, you can find your regional rep at http://www.blueovalnews.com

Ford seems to have a policy of denying responsibilty as long as they possibly can.

Again though: I don't understand why your insurance agent isn't the one dealing with Ford service on this.

 

Send me an email at wheckma1@ford.com I'll send you the number for warranty trouble and customer service. I'll also see if theres anywhere I can submit your complaint from inside the company. I remember seeing something about helping the customer and filing a complaint for them, etc. As long as you haven't messed with the front suspension at all then they should cover it.

Will