1999 Ford Escort

I DRIVE CAREFULLY AND I MAINTAIN MY CAR WELL. MY FORD ESCORT WAGON IS A 1999 MODEL. AS SUCH, I STILL CONSIDER IT QUITE NEW. WITH ONLY 44,000 MILES ON IT, I CONSIDERED IT TO HAVE LOW MILEAGE. LAST WEEK MY CAR FAILED ITS ANNUAL AUTO INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC (HAMILTON'S GARAGE OF PORTLAND, ME) TOLD ME THAT BOTH REAR COIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES ON MY CAR WERE BROKEN. HE SAID THAT THIS HAS BECOME A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COMMON PROBLEM ON LATE MODEL FORD ESCORTS. HE SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY RARE ON OTHER CARS. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF FORD HAS INITIATED A RECALL OF THE ESCORT'S DEFECTIVE REAR COIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES. THE FORD DEALER (ROWE FORD OF WESTBROOK, ME) INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF A RECALL FOR THAT SPECIFIC PART. THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE BROKEN REAR COIL SPRINGS MYSELF AS THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE HAD EXPIRED. THE REPAIR JOB ON MY CAR AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP COST ME $400. MY WIFE CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HEADQUARTERS AND REPORTED THE DEFECT PROBLEM WITH BOTH BROKEN REAR COIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES ON OUR CAR. THE FORD HEADQUARTERS ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL OF LATE MODEL FORD ESCORT DEFECTIVE REAR COIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES. THEY "CLAIMED" TO BE UNAWARE OF SUCH A DEFECT PROBLEM WITH THE LATE MODEL FORD ESCORTS. I DO NOT BELIEVE FORD. I REMEMBER FORD'S LIES CONCERNING THE SCANDAL WITH THE FORD PINTO'S EXPLOSIVE GAS TANK. THIS DEFECT PROBLEM WITH THE FORD ESCORT'S REAR COIL SPRING ASSEMBLIES CAN POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO GET KILLED DUE TO THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT BEFORE FORD WILL ADMIT THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE PAID THE $400 REPAIR BILL REQUIRED TO REPLACE THEIR DEFECTIVE BROKEN REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MY CAR. THE FACT THAT THEY REFUSED ILLUSTRATES THE POOR MORAL CHARACTER OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.*AK