1995 Ford Escort

> FROM: GALLY > COMMENTS: > GREETINGS, > > PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THE ABOVE SUBJECT VEHICLE, AND NOW WE ARE EXPERIENCING A FUEL LEAK FROM THE PLASTIC GAS TANK. THE LEAK COMES FROM THE SAME LOCATION THAT THE NHTSA RECALLS (REFERENCED ABOVE) OCCUR. > > I HAVE SPOKEN ON THE PHONE BOTH WITH FORD CORPORATE AND THE LOCAL DEALER ( HELLER FORD, ESCONDIDO, CA. ) AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, NOR WOULD THERE BE ANY ASSISTANCE IN HAVING THE REPAIR MADE AT THE MANUFACTURER OR DEALER EXPENSE. > > IN MY RESEARCH OF THE VEHICLE AND RECALLS SPECIFIC TO THE 1995 ESCORT MODEL, I CAME ACROSS VARIOUS DOCUMENTS ONLINE WHICH LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT ANY VEHICLE OF SIMILAR MAKE/MODEL AND YEAR WHICH HAD SIMILAR DEFECTS AS THE VEHICLES SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL MENTIONED ABOVE, SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE MANUFACTURER OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE (THE DEALER) AND REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WOULD THEN BE RECOVERED BY THE DEALER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE REFER TO FORD RECALL SERVICE BULLETIN 97S79 PAGE TWO. > > AN ADDED NOTE. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS THE SOLE SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION FOR MY GIRLFRIENDS DAUGHTER AND HER 1 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER. THEIR SAFETY IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. > > PLEASE ENSURE A TIMELY RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE. WE WISH TO HAVE THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY AND HOPE TO DISCOVER THAT FORD STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, THEIR REPUTATION, AND EXISTING AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS. > > PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AT THIS ADDRESS OR CALL ME DIRECTLY.> ?*TR

STARTED SMELLING PROFUSE GAS FUMES IN MY 1995 ESCORT LX. TOOK IN TO MEINEIKE TO BE REPAIRED. THEY FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED DUE TO HEAT SHIELD. THIS IS THE MONTH OF AUGUST IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE HEAT FACTOR HAS BEEN OVER 100 FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT CERTAIN ESCORTS HAD NO GAP BETWEEN HEAT SHIELD AND GAS TANK AND WAS UNDER RECALL FROM 1997. THIS MODEL CAME UP NOT UNDER RECALL BUT PROBLEM WAS INDICATIVE OF RECALL MODELS. FORD REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE MY CLAIM. THE REMEDY FOR FIXING RECALLED MODELS WAS TO MAKE A GAP BETWEEN HEATSHEILD AND GAS TANK. THERE IS NO GAP BETWEEN HEAT SHIELD AND GAS TANK ON MY CAR. THIS MODEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER THE RECALL.

FUEL STARTED LEAKING. CAR TAKEN TO GARAGE. GARAGE DETERIMINED THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK CRACKED NEAR A RETAINER FITTING AT THE FRONT OF THE TANK DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTER OF THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE SAFETY RECALL STATUS. THIS PROBLEM IS NOTED BY FORD AS A SFETY RECALL BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE BY VIRTUE OF ITS VIN. I LIVE IN SOUTH TEXAS WITH ALL OF THE ASSOCIATED HIGH TEMPERATURES IDENTIFIED IN FORD'S RESEARCH AND SAFETY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THESE TANK FAILURES. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE TANK AS A SAFETY RECALL. PLASE ADVISE WHAT I DO NEXT. CAR IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE.*AK

WE ARE RETIRED AND HAVE A 95 FORD ESCORT STATION WAGON, GARAGE KEPT. IN AUGUST OF 2003 WE NOTICED A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE, WHICH IS PART OF THE BASEMENT. IT WAS SO STRONG AT TIMES I DID NOT USE THE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER. I CHECKED MANY TIMES AND COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE. ABOUT THIS TIME I ALSO NOTICED I WAS NOT GETTING AS GOOD AS GAS MILEAGE AS I USED TO. ON THANKGIVING DAY, I WENT TO MY LOCAL GAS STATION, AND FILLED THE TANK AS I ALWAYS DO. I THEN WENT INSIDE TO GET A NEWS PAPER. WHEN I CAME OUT I NOTICED A LARGE WET SPOT UNDER THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, MAYBE ABOUT 3 FT IN DIA. I THOUGHT SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING THERE. I WENT HOME AND I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT IT. I WENT BACK DOWN TO THE GARAGE, STARTED TO CHECK THE TANK, AND FOUND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT NEAR THE TOP. 1.5 INCH BY ABOUT 8 INCH. SO WHEN I FILLED THE TANK, THE FUEL NOZZLE WAS ALSO PUTTING FUEL OUT THE ROTTED OUT AREA, WHICH THEN RAN DOWN A PLASTIC SHIELD AND RAN ON THE GROUND, WHERE YOU WOULD NOT SEE IT IF YOU JUST FUELED THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FORD DISTRICT REP. LOOK AT IT. THE SERVICE REP HARDLY LOOKED UP AND SAID THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I TOLD HIM THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THE CAR HAS THE ORGINAL EXHAUST SYSTEM, BUT THE FILLER PIPE RUSTED OUT. I HAD THEM REPLACE IT. THEY CHARGED ME FOR TWO HOURS OF LABOR, WHEN THEY ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ONE HOUR, AND ONLY SPENT 45 MINUTES WORKING ON THE JOB. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECKED THE JOB AND FOUND THEY ONLY PUT TWO OF THE THREE FASTNERS TO HOLD THE SHIELD ON. WE TRANSPORT TWIN GRANDCHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND OTHER PLACES IN THIS CAR, AND ONE OF THEM IS HANDYCAPPED. THE CAR COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, OR OUR HOME BLOW UP. I HAVE THE REMOVED PIPE, AND I TOLD THEM IT WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE WELDING PROSSES. NO ONE CARED. I CHECKED THE NEW PIPE ON 3-6-04, THREE MONTHS AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED, AND THE NEW PIPE IS STARTING TO RUST ON EACH SIDE OF THE WELD SEAM. *AK