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I am still trying to get anyone in the Koons organization to respond to me. I have sent a letter to Jim Koons, No response. I sent an email to Jim Koons. No response. I called Jim Koons. My phone call got sent to someone else's voice mail box. I asked for a call back. No response. I just sent out 10 letters yesterday to everyone I could dredge up the name of in the Koons organization . . . business addresses and home addresses. If I don't get a response within a few days, I am moving on to any consumer protection organization I can think of. Any suggestions? And I will be contacting the television and radio stations in the Washington area to see if I can get them interested in this problem. If they think I am going to get bored and tired and let go of this thing, they better think again. I have already paid 3 car payments for this useless van since it broke down and February's payment will be due shortly. Any of you willing to talk to the media if I get something stirred up?
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
send an e-mail to corpabuse@gmail with the items I need, and check for the pdf letter on http://corporateabuse.net on about February 16th 2009. or you can send a request for an e-mailed version by sending me an e-mail
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
NO WARNING, WAS COMING OFF A FREEWAY EXIT.....
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned Phil Edmonston's Lemon-Aid book in all of these postings along the way, but I found it interesting to discover that in Canada, we have had several Small Claims successes in which the judge ordered Ford to pay for engine and transmission repairs, even when the original warranty had expired. The book also provides precedent letters and instructions on how to proceed with your own claim. Not sure what would be available for American residents and I know a lot of people have been pursuing legal avenues here but I thought I'd mention this anyways.
C.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Based on the posts thus far, the 2004's seem to be the winners.
Or have our 2005, 06, and 07's just not hit that magic number when our trannys will die.
I have tons of problems with my 06 Freestar Limited, 24,000 miles but so far the tranny hasn't been one. It would lose all power while driving. I just had the power control center/ box?? fixed on the van before moisture was getting in there and causing issues. This has helped 90% of my problem.
Something may already be in the works. In the meantime, stay tuned, report your transmission failure to NHTSA via their website, and do let us know if you have success finding an attorney. I couldn't hurt to have more than 1 firm working on it.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
NO WARNING, was pulling out of my driveway. I'm going to be calling some attys
to see if i cant start a class action lawsuit i will post as soon as i find something out.
Please e-mail me at ambersowards2006@yahoo.com if you would like to talk about this problem!!!!!!!!!!
Ford Motor CompanyMain Topic: VehicleServiceIssuesEmail Questions: My transmission has died at 69,000 miles. After researching this online, I have found hundreds of the same issues with this 2004 Ford Freestar. I purchased this van as a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle from Clarke Ford, Hudson, Ohio and have been told that the estimated cost for repair/replacement would be $3,600. I would like to know what you can help with about this issue, since it seems to be a manufacture defect? I have not had the van fixed yet as I can not afford that amount for repairs. In this economy who can?There are several posts stating that there is/will be a class action law suit filed. I thought I would pursue this avenue first and hope that you will stand behind your consumer and take the necessary steps to correct this issue. Thank You for your time.Owner: YesVehicle Identification Number: 2FMZA51654BA33970Mileage: 69000Vehicle Location: InPossessionIf Contacted Dealer: YesDealer Name: Clarke Ford, Montrose FordOwner First Name: ChristinaOwner Last Name: Owner Email Address: Owner Address1: City: TState: OhioZipPostal: Country: United StatesDay Phone: Client Browser : Firefox 3Client OS : Windows
Dear Christina,
Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the transmission concern on your 2004 Ford Freestar.
We apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused you. However, we have documented your concerns and your information will be sent to your Dealership. Your Service Manager is in the best position to assist and should contact you within 4 business days.
Sometimes e-mail communication does not allow us to gain additional information that may be helpful in responding to your inquiry. Should you feel that we have not adequately addressed your questions, please feel free to contact us via telephone at (800)392-3673 between the hours of 8am and 5pm, local time, Monday through Friday. Hearing-impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact 1-800-232-5952. Please provide your 10 digit reference number - 1356130579.
Sincerely,
France
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
It makes me really sad that we are no further than we were two years ago. The problem with the transmission in the Ford & Mercury minivans is this... the transmission is too small for the engine. This causes the torque converter to come apart under stress (normal every day use). The impeller vanes sheer off. If you do not replace the too-small transmission with a bigger one you will continue to have transmission failures. Ford will apparently never own up to this obvious factory caused problem. Under any other company (please google Acura with the same problem) there would be a recall. Ford must have many Government agencies in their pockets. Why hasn't any news agency contacted us? This is so blatent. Just keep trying and keep reporting this to anyone and everyone who will listen. I was so trying to get to testify on the hill as to why Ford DID NOT deserve a bailout. They are a piece of s--- company who deserves to go under. We all owe Jim G. a huge debt of gratitude. He has been the #1 advocate for all of us. We all know that the Ford dealerships have circled the wagons regarding this whole thing. Keep giving them hell Jim!
Kelly L.
You are absolutely correct about the root of the problem and have articulated it very well. You are also correct about Acura. My neighbor had an Acura in which the transmission failed and it was replaced FREE OF CHARGE because Acura did the RIGHT THING, unlike our friends at Ford. Also, I have the same speculation about the realtionship between Ford and the government agencies that would otherwise be all over this situation and force a recall. After all this time and all of the reports to NHTSA, I can't think of another explanation that makes any sense. As I have said many times before, I guess it is going to take a fatality and a really sharp attorney to get this thing the attention and scrutiny it deserves. In the meantime, everybody needs to keep the faith, keep spreading the word, and keep thinking of great ideas to help our cause.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Get this. I just took my van in for a tune up and oil change. It was a new place so I asked the guy there if he had heard of the transmission problems with the Ford and Mercury vans. He said he had not but with something so blatent there would obviously be a recall. I just laughed and told him to look up this message board. Since the problem is so basic why are we having so much trouble getting anyone to listen, especially since this is the kind of thing TV stations usually love?
What more can we do?
Thanks,
Kelly
"Odds are your looking at a concern where as your trans is making no pump pressure caused by the pump shaft not turning caused by the teeth on the gear inside the torque converter stripped out. I fix this concern quite often and just finished one last week on friday. Normally all you need is to drop the trans and replace the converter and hub seal and drop the pan and replace the fluid and filter. My bill at my dealer normally is 1300 for this task parts and labor.
Since you bought the vehicle used and its now out of the warranty you bought then most likely ford will not cover it. You would need to contact a dealer or ford to see if they would help out. I am only a tech and have no control over this end of things. I have seen some claims go through and some not. Being as you did buy a ford and did buy a extended warranty then preach about yourself being a ford owner and trusting its worth but you now are discouraged. They may offer some assistance based on keeping your business since the car makers are hurting for business. Even some help would be better than none. Good luck "
I hope this may help some of you get your problems addressed. I am now printing up little cards to put on any Freestars I see to warn them and direct them to this site, hopefully before their vans break down, and trying to figure out how to get rid of my van before it breaks again. I don't know how, since I still owe more than it is currently worth. Good luck to you all.
Oh, and a couple of days after I had set the repair up, I did finally receive an email from Jim Koons. It said basically, not one of my dealerships, sorry, can't help. I ignored him like he ignored me.
I was told, off the record by a TV insider, that it was a fear of losing ad revenue. Yes, sadly, it is always about the money and not about the safety of the consumer.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
What they are going to have a hard time explaining when this thing does make it in front of a jury, and it will, is how they paid for some and not for others. At the end of the day, it is the same lousy van with the same defective transmission in every case.
How are they going to explain how the Ford rep, who flew in from Detroit, told Bob Norris Ford in Easton, MD to fix a customer's van because it was defective and then turn around and tell the rest of us to go pound sand?
They must think they are operating in a vacuum and the internet doesn't really exist. I'm pretty sure this is exactly why they will eventually go the way of the people who thought Earth was flat.
What a bunch of cowards and thieves. Hey Ford, step up to the plate, stand by your product and do the right thing by your customers before you don't have any more buyers for your product! Its Business 101 in case you forgot. Maybe you've all gotten light-headed from jetting around in your multi-million dollar planes begging the taxpayers, (ME!,) for money. Maybe if you built a decent product and stood by your loyal customer base you wouldn't have to have your hand out. Last time I checked, I didn't see Toyota, Nissan, or Honda trying to slip their hands in my pocket! There's nothing in there anyway because I'm still paying for the new transmission I had to put in my van that only had 45K miles on it!
I cannot wait until our day in court when I get to play, for all the world to hear, the frantic and panicked voice mail message from my wife that I have saved since the day she left it, when our Freestar left her and 5 of my kids stranded in the middle of an intersection, without warning, and with nowhere to go. It is a miracle they didn't get hit by another vehicle. It is even more of a miracle that it happened where it did and not in front of a loaded semi on the highway. Thank God there was one good Samaritan there to help her push it out of the road and get her and my kids out of harms way!
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Needless to say I had the van towed to Art Hill Ford in Merriville IN where I have purchased my previous 3 vehicles. Now when I bought the van I decided to get the extra extended coverage just incase. I had them take a look at it and they said it WASN'T the tranny, it was the scm or some 3 letter abbrv. for a computer chip. They told me that the cowl panel where the windshield wiper arms come out was leaking on to the scm or whatever causing a short in it. They also told me that it wasn't covered under my warranty even the extend one. So I asked, since I bought a vehicle from the dealership ( a defected vehicle ) that I was still reasponsible for fixing it?All they could say is sorry we sold you a defected piece of crap, now you have to pay us to fix it.
I would just like to say thanks to the Ford Family and one more thing... You just lost another otherwise loyal customer. By the looks of it from this forum I wasn't the first and more then likely I won't be the last. PS. I hope you pricks don't get anymore bailout money!
We all understand your frustration. These vans are riddled with defects, many of which affect the drivability and safety of the vehicles. The transmission, (yours will fail, its just a matter of when), is merely the most expensive problem to fix. That is why it gets so much attention on this website. Overall, these defects are the reason Ford couldn't compete in the marketplace with these vans. It is not so much that the other manufacturers build a perfect vehicle every time, it is mostly because they respond differently to their customers. When is the last time you heard a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda customer complain about the way they were treated by the manufacturer. It rarely, if ever, happens.
To be fair though, Ford has not yet taken bailout money - that we know of. That said, I would love to know the real reason why. I am no conspiracy theorist, but could it be that there is some sort of arrangement that is not as public as the deal that Chrysler and GM got? Is it possible that it involves NHTSA and their inaction in the Freestar fiasco? At this point, because neither Ford nor NHTSA has offered no alternate explanations, and, believe me, I have asked, one can only guess.....
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Yes it is sad but not one bit surprising.
It is just a matter of time before this becomes a deadly issue. Someone will most certainly get killed in a crash due to transmission failure in their van. Ford will again claim innocence and it sounds like they will get away with it.
I tell you how they sleep at night. On 2000 thread count sheets on $15000 mattresses. Ford is always about the money.
Let's keep trying.
Kelly
Had it towed to the dealership we have been very loyal to - all of our oil changes, just bought 4 tires for the van last month, a set for our F150 King Ranch last year, etc. Thank goodness I became educated by this forum before they had a chance to look at it.
His argument was that this was mostly 2004 and 2005 vans with problems - not 2006's. We told him someone had to have the firsts. My van has 44,000 miles and has only been driven by two middle-aged adults and no kids. We're incredulous that it would go out so soon.
Although the Ford dealership didn't contribute it to this, we think the AdvanceTrak is part of the problem. We have experienced problems with it since almost the beginning with it being in the shop several times for it malfunctioning. It would engage for no reason leaving me with my foot all the way down on the gas to slowly reach the whopping speeds of 25-30 mph. I would have to pull off to the side of the road (most often a highway because of my commute) and turn off the vehicle. It would be usually be okay when I restarted it. The AdvanceTrak light would still stay on for a bit though. It did this numerous times and that just cannot be good for a transmission.
Our dealer had initially quoted around $3600 to repair. Because of our loyalty, brought it down to no more than $1800 and they put in a call to Ford to see what they would do. They threw in $500, making our total investment $1300. (But after reading the latest posts it sounds suspiciously like what was quoted to fix it.) We were told it was a problem with the converter.
We will be keeping an eye on this forum and posting with the NTSV(??) to keep them also aware.
Am also printing up business cards with this website and a bit of a warning to place on the windshields of other Freestars I see, as this is still just not right.