2001 Ford Ranger

I HAVE A 2001 FORD RANGER SUPER CAB 4X4. I WAS TOLD BY THE DELAWARE CO. HEALTH DEPT. CHILDSEAT TECH. THAT THIS VEHICLE WILL NOT SAFELY ACCEPT A CAR SEAT DUE TO THE SEATBELTS BEING MOUNTED TO THE DOORS. SHE REFERED ME TO YOUR SITE FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MATTER. IS THIS A TRUE STATEMENT? WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? *AK

ON FEBRUARY 27,2004, I PURCHASED FOUR (4) NEW TIRES (HOOSIER TIRES - DOT ADYK 9J0037) FROM A K&D OFFROAD AUTO ACCESSORIES,702 S.COLLINS STREET, PLANT CITY FLORIDA, 33563 (MIKE TAYLOR-OWNER). ELEVEN MONTHS LATER (JANUARY 15, 2005), MY VEHICLE SHOWED SIGNS OF SEVERE TIRE VIBRATION IN THE RIDE AND HANDLING. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST TIRE SERVICE COMPANY, LONG TIRE & AUTO SERVICE (AUTHORIZED GOODYEAR DEALER) AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWED TIRE SEPARATION AND ALL FOUR (4) TIRES HAD CRACKING AS A RESULT OF DRY ROT FOR AGE. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED IN 1997, APPARENTLY, SEVEN (7) YEARS BEFORE THEY WERE SOLD TO ME AS NEW TIRES IN 2004. *NM

ON MARCH 22ND, 2004 MCLEAN FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN PINE PLAINS, NY REPLACED THE ROOF SUPPORT ON MY FORD RANGER 2001, WHICH WAS CRACKED. TODAY, DECEMBER 19TH 2004, I WENT TO MCLEAN FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ROOF SUPPORT HAS AGAIN CRACKED. THE INITIAL REPAIR WAS DONE UNDER THE 36K MILES/36 MONTHS ORIGINAL WARRANTY. MCLEAN FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS SAYING THAT IT IS NOT UNDER THE 12K MI/12 MONTHS PARTS AND SERVICE WARRANTY, SINCE IT WAS DONE UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY AND IT DOES NOT EXTEND BEYOND IT. SINCE THE ROOF SUPPORT HAS CRACKED AGAIN I CONSIDER THIS A PART DEFECT, BUT NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR FORD CO. WANTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS.*AK

AFTER 15,000 MILES ON GOOD YEAR TIRES I HAD STRANGE WEAR OF ALL 4 TIRES. I WENT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP BURT FORD 303-643-9020 AND APPROVED THROUGH FORD ALL TIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED. (THIS WAS BOUGHT NEW OFF OF FORD LOT WITH GOODYEAR TIRES) THEY STATED THE TIRES HAD COUPLED? BAD TIRES AND REPLACE. 20,000 MILES LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED ALL 4 TIRES AND I WAS TOLD BY FORD CUSTOMER CARE, 1-800-241- FORD, AND BURT FORD THAT AGAIN IT WAS THE TIRES AND AGAIN THE NEW TIRES HAVE STARTED COUPLING. I FEEL THIS IS THE FORD RANGER 2001, 4 WHEEL DRIVE, BUILD DEFECT THAT IS MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I AT THIS TIME FEAR THE VEHICLE HAS A MAJOR DEFECT AND THIS WILL MAKE THE TRUCK UNSAFE AND POSSIBLY CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE. FORD STATED THEY CHECKED FRONT END ONLY. THEY ARE NOT TAKING THIS AS A REAL ISSUE AND HAVE NOW PLACED ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. *JB

CONSUMER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN NHTSA RECALL 01V227001. PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND MINIVANS. EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELTS SUPPLIED BY TRW. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVER'S AND/OR FRONT PASSENGER'S OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLES MAY NOT FULLY LATCH. THIS RECALL FAILED. DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO CONSUMER THE RECALL WAS DONE, SORRY.*AK RQ04011.*PCO *TC OWNER GIVES PERM. TO RELEASE INFO.*PCO

THE BRAKES FAILED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT VACUUM PRESSURE UNDER CERTAIN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THERE IS NO BRAKE POWER IF THE ACCELERATOR IS OPEN ENOUGH FOR THE ENGINE SPEED TO REACH 2500 RPM, DURING COLD IDLE (AFTER START UP), FREQUENTLY AFTER RAPID ACCELERATION IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE THE BRAKES ARE THEN APPLIED. DEALER AGREED THAT THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER (TWICE), BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER, AND FINALLY THE ENTIRE ENGINE. CONDITION REMAINS THE SAME. DEALER AND FORD ENGINEER NOW STATE THAT IT IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED - EVIDENTLY DESIGNED TO FAIL IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS.*AK

I AM WRITING THIS MESSAGE TO INFORM JOE THE AUTO DRIVER ABOUT A SITUATION I ENCOUNTERED. I OWN A 2001 FORD RANGER EDGE WITH 28000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THE EXTENDED FORD WARRANTY KICKED IN WITH ZERO DEDUCTIBLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LABORING OR BUCKING WHEN IT WOULD COME TO A STOP. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO RED MCCOMBS FORD OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THEY PROMISED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE THE NEXT DAY. I RECEIVED A CALL THE NEXT DAY THAT THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETE AND I COULD PICK UP MY VEHICLE. I GAVE MY NAME TO GIRL AT SERVICE DESK FOR THE PAPERWORK. SHE SEEMED TO HAVE A PROBLEM FINDING MY PAPERWORK. AFTER SPELLING MY NAME IN ENGLISH, SPELLING IN PHONETICS (ECHO, DELTA, ETC), AND FINALLY WRITING IN A PIECE OF PAPER SHE STILL COULD NOT FIND THE PAPERWORK. THEN, SHE CALLED SERVICE ADVISOR WHO BROUGHT HIS PAPERWORK AND STILL COULD NOT FIND MY PAPERWORK. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT AFTER FORTY MINUTES THE PAPERWORK WAS FOUND ON ANOTHER PILE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SERVICE GIRLS DESK. SHE THEN PRESENTED ME WITH A BILL OF $65.00 FOR THE REPAIR. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE. SHE CALLED THE TOP SERVICE MANGER AND HE TOLD ME, THAT REPAIR DIDNT INVOLVE A PART CHANGE; I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSIS FEE. MY PATIENCE HAD JUST BEEN SURPASSED AND I DEMANDED TO SEE THE TOP GUN AT THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TAKEN INTO THE OFFICE OF CHARLES HYLTON, SERVICE DIRECTOR WHO PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THE SAME STORY. AT THIS POINT I WAS AT MY WITS END AND DECIDED I WOULD SPLIT THE BILL; HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE LAST TIME THEY WERE GOING TO SEE ME. HE THEN TRUMPED ME AND OFFERED TO PAY THE WHOLE BILL. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFFERED AT FIRST. I FEEL THEY ATTEMPTED TO WEAR ME DOWN, SO I COULD JUST PAY THE $65.00 AND MOVE ON BY MY BUSINESS. I HAVE NO CO-PAY AND THEY KNEW IT! I WONDER HOW MANY JOE DRIVERS HAVE FACED AN ISSUE LIKE THIS. *AK