Michael Graves Cam Failure #412

new 07/23/2004

Vehicle: 1999 Taurus SHO
Mileage: 72,628
VIN: car is at Friendly Ford in Springfield, MO for repair estimate I will get VIN tomorrow.
Purchased: Used in May of 2002 with 29,000 miles.

I noticed a ticking sound coming from the engine yesterday morning as I was sitting in a drive-thru waiting for coffee. I resolved to take the car in to Pep Boys for a tune-up this weekend. Then, as I was driving home from work yesterday evening, I had just pressed down on the accelerator after being stopped at a light when the whole car began to shimmy and the engine began to splutter and then died. I had the SHO towed to Pep Boys thinking that maybe it was just contaminated fuel. This morning, Pep Boys called me at work to say that they would not charge me anything for the diagnostic (which is normally $85.00) because I had just been screwed so royally by the Ford Motor Company. The tech went on to say that the cam gear was stripped and that the inside of my engine was a wreck. He suggested I have the car towed to the Friendly Ford Service Center for an estimate and to go to your web site to see the rest of the story. So, here I am. The Friendly Ford tech said that Pep Boys is fine for an oil change, but were not qualified to do engine diagnostics. He said that it could be something very minor and easy to repair, but that he would not be able to look at it until Monday or Tuesday. I would like to get the number for a Ford complaint line and would like to know who else I can complain to.

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07/26/2004

1. VIN#s- 1FAFP54N9XA202835
2. Date of malfunction- 07/22/2004
3. Where did the malfunction take place (highway, city streets, driveway,
parking lot, etc.)- City Street
4. Odometer reading at time of malfunction- 72,628
5. How fast were you traveling?- <5 mph
6. Were you accelerating or staying at a constant speed?- Accelerating
7. Estimated date of purchase, new or used?- Used May 2002
8. Estimated Odometer reading at time of purchase- 29,000
9. Full Name, address, and a good phone# to reach you at during the day and
night.- Michael Graves
10. Brief description of the time of events leading towards the malfunction.
(what did you hear and see before, during, and after the malfunction)
I noticed a ticking sound coming from the engine yesterday morning as I was
sitting in a drive-thru waiting for coffee. I resolved to take the car in to
Pep Boys for a tune-up this weekend. Then, as I was driving home from work
yesterday evening, I had just pressed down on the accelerator after being
stopped at a light when the whole car began to shimmy and the engine began
to splutter and then died. I had the SHO towed to Pep Boys thinking that
maybe it was just contaminated fuel. This morning, Pep Boys called me at
work to say that they would not charge me anything for the diagnostic (which
is normally $85.00) because I had just been screwed so royally by the Ford
Motor Company. The tech went on to say that the cam gear was stripped and
that the inside of my engine was a wreck. He suggested I have the car towed
to the Friendly Ford Service Center for an estimate and to go to your web
site to see the rest of the story. So, here I am. The Friendly Ford tech
said that Pep Boys is fine for an oil change, but were not qualified to do
engine diagnostics. He said that it could be something very minor and easy
to repair, but that he would not be able to look at it until Monday or
Tuesday. I would like to get the number for a Ford complaint line and would
like to know who else I can complain to.

11. Customer service phone # you called and the name of the person you
talked to. (if you can remember)- 7/26/2004 Called Ford Customer Support
(800) 392-3673 talked Carlos- Employee #2050
12. Did you feel satisfied with the answers customer service provided?
Explain.-No. Carlos said that because there is no recall, Ford, as the
manufacturer has no responsibility to replace or repair the automobile. He
told me to call Friendly Ford (my local dealership) at (417) 883-4330 and
talk to the Service Manager, Joe Mahard. I left a message for him a few
minutes ago.
13. Which dealership did you take your vehicle in for service? (name,
address, phone#)- Friendly Ford, 3241 South Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO
65804, (417) 883-4330
14. What was the cause of failure determined by the dealer?- Dennis (the
service tech handling my SHO) said "A few of the SHO's had a problem with
the attachment of the cam sprocket. The rear sproket on your cam spun free
and independent of the cam. These things should have been machined and
pinned. In my opinion, welding is not even a good option based on the
ammount of torque these engines can generate."
15. What was the cause of failure determined by you?- The same as my tech's,
poor design.
16. How much was your statement? (I hope you kept your receipt)- Still
generating quote. He's up to two pages of parts and a little over $12,000
right now. I will update you when all of the pricing and availability has
come in.
17. What can FOMOCO do to make you a satisfied Ford owner?- I want my car
fixed and I want them to pay for it, but I am not unreasonable. Since Ford
has washed their hands of it, I have offered to sell my SHO to Friendly Ford
for $8,000 AND, in return, I will buy a new Mustang Cobra SVT. They are
considering the offer.

Michael Graves
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07/27/2004

Total repair estimate- $13,884.00 Lead time- 6 weeks to ???

Michael Graves

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