SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE RUSTED WITH MARKS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A AUTO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC FOUND THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER CALLED MANUFACTURER & WAS TOLD THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM, BUT WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. VEHICLE WAS FIRST TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP AT 5,000 MILES BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED & THE DEALER SAID IT WAS FINE.*AK
2004
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
WE PUT TWO NEW TIRES ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IN JULY 2006 ON OUR 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER AWD. IN DEC 2006 WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER SOUTH HILLS LINCOLN MERCURY FOR A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND STATE AND EMISSION INSPECTION. THE DEALER FIXED PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION, AND DID INSPECTIONS. THEN TWO WEEKS LATER,ON NEW YEARS EVE, WE BROKE DOWN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NEAREST FORD DEALER IN BEDFORD, PA. THE BEDFORD DEALER SAID DUE TO THE DIFFERENT "CIRCUMFERENCE" OF THE NEW TIRES ON THE FRONT AND THE OLDER TIRES IN THE REAR IT RUINED THE DIFFERENTIAL AND TRANSFER CASE ON THE HIGHWAY. OUR MANUAL STATES NOTHING ABOUT THIS ONLY SAYS TO PUT ON THE SAME STYLE AND TYPE OF TIRE WHICH WE DID. THEY SAID THE CIRCUMFERENCES OF THE TIRES CAN NOT BE MORE THAN 1/4" DIFFERENT. THE FACTORY REP SAYS IF WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR TIRES THEY WOULD HAVE TOLD US THIS. THEY ARE BLAMING THE TIRE DEALER FOR NOT KNOWING THIS TOLERANCE. THE TIRE DEALER SAYS 1/4" TOLERANCE IS RIDICULOUS. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND RENTAL CAR IS OVER $5000.00 SOUTH HILLS LINCOLN MERCURY IN PITTSBURGH WAS GOING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY SECRETLY FOR ME, BECAUSE THEY SYMPATHIZED WITH MY PROBLEM AND I THINK THE SERVICE MGR THERE KNOWS FORD HAS A BAD ENGINEERING DRIVETRAIN. HOWEVER BEDFORD FORD NOTIFIED THE FORD FACTORY REP AND NOW SOUTH HILLS MERCURY IS BACKING OUT OF HONORING WARRANTY. MY COMPLAINTS ARE: WHY DOESN'T THE MANUAL STATE ANYTHING ABOUT THE TIRE CIRCUMFERENCES? IS THIS REALLY THE CAUSE? 1/4" TOLERANCE IS WAY TO SMALL IN THE ENGINEERING OF THE DRIVETRAIN? - IF ONE TIRE GETS DAMAGED AFTER 10,000 MILES YOU HAVE TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES I GUESS? WHY WAS ONE DEALER GOING TO HONOR WARRANTY AND THE OTHER NOT? WHY DIDN'T THE DEALER NOTICE THIS PROBLEM WHEN THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM? PART OF THE INSPECTION PROCESS IS TO MEASURE TREAD DEPTH. IF THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE SHOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN A RED FLAG. *JB