Dude, Where's My Car?

I'm an American car buyer. I have never owned a foreign car and find them inferior to the domestic product. My only issue is the internal conflict of buying a, 'country destroying union product' vs. a right to work product. Currently, I own a Ford Escape. At least I think I do. In June, I took my Escape in for it's scheduled maintenance. The dealer explained I had a power steering hose that was going bad and an air conditioning compressor with a worn seal. They said I could skip the A.C. seal, but had to get the power steering line fixed. Well, I told them to go ahead on both. They gave me a 2010 Ford Focus loaner, for the weekend, until the Escape would be ready.

Here is where the fun began. The following Monday, I received a call from the dealer. A new power steering line could not be found and with my original one on the blink, my car was escalated to VIO(Vehicle InOperable). OK, I had a loaner, no biggy. A week went by and I called the dealer back. They escalated to Ford Motor Company. I called Ford Motor Company. Wow! Ford customer service reps. are STUPID! I'm not talking low S.A.T. score stupid, I'm talking unable to spell S.A.T.. After telling the rep the story, she asked me, not once, not twice, not three but FOUR TIMES, how I knew the hose was bad. She then insisted that the power steering hose for the Escape NEVER goes bad. After twenty minutes, on the phone, she assured me that it would be taken care of and I'd be getting a call four days later, on Thursday.

That Friday, I called Ford motor company and asked why I had not been contacted. The rep explained that the regional manager had gotten involved and should have talked to me. He then explained, that because my 2005 was such an old car, parts would be hard to come by.

Let's think about this. A part that was used until at least 2006. A 60 month loan on a car. Hmmm? If I hadn't bought the car outright, my loan would just be getting paid off and it would be old enough that, there are no parts for it? I won't even mention the fact that they are out of a part that, “Never goes bad”. Oh wait, I just did.

My dealer called a few days later and explained that the part was on 'nationwide back order'. That's code words for, “The entire network of Ford dealers and Ford Motor Company do not have that part in stock and have no idea when they are getting more in.”. They then asked me to bring the loaner back for it's scheduled maintenance.

It's now two months later. My part has been escalated to the regional VP. My Escape is late on it's state inspection. The part is slated for October release. Ford Motor Company sees no issue with this. Alan Mulally keeps claiming Ford is on the right track. Their loaner has 5500 more miles on it and will need an oil change soon.

In a way, I guess I came out ahead. I had to pay GM billions of dollars and not get a car. Ford won't take my money and I have a car to drive until I get my Escape back.

This post was written over the last month. Now It looks like October could be a pipe dream.