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Kenneth all Fords are not this way. You somehow have just got stuck with two lemons. The Mustang is a very reliable car. Dear Ford Motor Company, I am a 16 year old Mustang enthusiast named Kenneth Pilcher. My parents have always owned at least one Ford at any point in time. Some include a 1969 F150, 1972 Ranchero, 1977 LTD, 1983 Cobra, 1986 F350, and now a 1995 F250. Ever since we bought the '83 Cobra Mustang I have been in love with your infamous Mustangs. My personal favs are the '67 convertible, '69 fastback, '71 Mach I, '88-'90 GT's, and the '94-'95 GT's. At about fourteen I began to dream, but when I first saw the new body style of the Mustangs I was disappointed. I thought it was not in the "style" of the traditional Mustang. That phase lasted only until I sat in a '95 GT. I was drooling all over the bucket seats. I was determined to own a Mustang by the time I was twenty. I began building models of my dream cars, hanging up the posters and even collecting little Mustang emblems from the junk yards. When I neared my sixteenth birthday we began to look for a car for me. We looked at all kinds of cars, from an old Chevy Corvair to a Pontiac Feiro. What I wanted was not any of these cars. I wanted a Mustang. We looked at a few but they were either too much or they were falling apart, some were both. We looked and looked until I found one. It was a 1988 LX, close enough for me. My parents agreed to let me get it if I got a job to help pay for it, I gladly agreed. On my birthday I remember gathering my friends and crusin' to the mall to show off my new wheels. Everything was great for the first few months. Just me and my 'Stang. But eventually it began to need stuff like oil changes and tune ups. This was OK because I knew cars needed this. One day I was on my way to school when my radio started to shut off and on. I could not figure out what was wrong. When I finally got to school I tried putting my windows up, but they wouldn't go. Everything electrical stopped working, and the next day I took it to the shop. They said it had a bad ignition and they would have to fix it. I told them to go ahead. It bugged me having to spend more money on my car but it was OK, after all it was my baby. So, I get my car back and I am the happiest person alive, but about a week later on my way to work the same thing happens. I was getting annoyed now. I took it to my dad and he said it was the alternator this time. I went and bought an alternator for it and we put it in. By now I'm about out of money, but it's OK because I have my car back. During the next month it was hell. I had to put in another alternator and a new battery. Then a new distributor. I was in debt up to my ears. But I was happy because my car was running great. Now that my car was finally running, my girlfriend and I went out. I spent all day washing and waxing my car. When I went and picked her up in my shinny car she was very impressed. We were going to dinner then a movie. We had a great time at dinner and were on our way to the movies when my clutch went out. That was the last draw, I was furious. After the clutch I was sick of putting money into it. My parents and I decided that I needed something a little more reliable. The next day my dad, my best friend, and I went to Friendly Ford. My friend kept trying to tell me not to get a Ford. I backed up Ford for each little comment he made. He told me, "Look at your little pony, it's definitely a Ford, Found On Road Dead." Comment after comment rolled out of his mouth. I told him I thought it was just bad luck. He laughed and said, "All Fords are Bad Luck." I continued looking around the car lot. All around I saw cars, to my left were the trucks, to my right were the family cars, behind me were the vans, and straight in front of me were the Probes and Mustangs. I ran to the Mustangs and began reading the prices, they were all well out of my range. For a sixteen year old twenty-thousand dollars is a little much. We continued looking and when I was about to leave I saw a '95 GT just like the first one I sat in. It was black with gray interior and tinted windows. I fell in love again. After begging on my knees my parents said I could buy it as long as I could keep up the payments and my insurance. I agreed. My entire pay check gos to my new car. Working 40 hours a week and going to school is extremely hard but it's well worth it. All of my days I spend going to school, then work, then bed. On Saturday's and Sunday's I work ten hours each to make sure I have a big enough pay check to pay for my high insurance and high car payments. Having the car of my dreams is worth all the hard work. For the first two weeks I was having the time of my life while I was in that car. The 5.0 engine, power seats, Mach 460 stereo, the CD player, it was the best. All was well until it began to over heat. At first I though it was no big deal, but then it started doing it more and more. I took it into Friendly Ford where I bought it and asked them to fix it. They said no problem. It took about 3-4 days then I got it back. Once again my life was complete. Until it happened again, this time smelling like antifreeze. they said they would get it right this time. Another 3-4 days passed before it was done. It was finally fixed. I drove around worry free for about a week. Then one night on my way home from closing at work, which is about 1 A.M., it over heated again. This time it was so bad that the engine locked up in the middle of making a left turn into oncoming traffic. I was so scared. I thought someone was going to hit me. Luckily someone in another Mustang stopped and helped me push my new car off the road into a parking lot. They tried to help me start it again but it wouldn't start. I feared the worst. They ended up giving me a ride home at two in the morning. I thanked them and they went on their way. My dad was extremely mad that the people at Friendly Ford didn't get it right the first time. We took it in again and they said that they would have to replace the entire engine to get it to stop over heating. We told them to do what they had to to make it work right. They said they would take a look and have it back to us in about a week. So I waited and waited and heard nothing from them. I then called them on a Monday and asked if it was done, they said that the engine was not ready yet, but it would be done by Wednesday. I told them I needed it by Thursday at the latest because my Homecoming Dance was on Saturday and I wanted it to take my girlfriend in. They said it would be no problem and reassured me it would be done by Wednesday. So when Wednesday rolls around they call and say it would be done by Friday for sure. I asked why and they said they ordered some new door panels because mine were coming loose and were wearing at the handles. I told them to have it done by Friday morning, and like before they said OK. On Friday I call them and they give me some excuse about the engine not done. I asked them why they said it would be done by Wednesday if they were not sure. They answered with the excuse of there being some complications. I was disappointed that a Ford dealership would provide such unreliable service. My Homecoming was a disappointment too. I was depressed about not having my car and mad for them saying I would have it. Most of all I was disappointed in the quality of your products, the whole reason for buying this car was to get rid of the headaches of my previous Ford. Even after the dealership said it would be done, it wasn't. I waited another two weeks before they said it was finally done. They called me on a Thursday while I was in school. So my parents went to pick it up. On the way home the engine light comes on. So they turn around and take it back, mad as hell. Friendly Ford said it would be done by Saturday, But to my amazement I got it back the next day. I drove it to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Well on Monday night the battery goes dead. I could not remember leaving anything on. When I got a jump nothing was on. I left the car running for about twenty minutes to let the battery charge. When I shut the car off and tried starting it again I get nothing. The battery is still dead. I could not figure out why the battery was not charging. I knew it wasn't the alternator because I disconnected the ground from the battery and it continued to run. I was mad, I had just got it out of the shop and it was still messed up. My boss' boyfriend gave me another jump and told me not to shut it off or kill it and I should make it home. Well I made it, and I was not happy. By the way this was last night. My friend began in again with his nasty anti Ford cracks, I think I am starting to believe him. I took my car to Friendly Ford again today to get the battery and alternator checked. We talked about trying to get our money back so I can go and buy a more reliable car. The people at the dealership only want to give me trade value, but I don't think I should have to loose out on this car because they could not get it fixed right. I feel I deserve to get what I paid for it, because it has literally been in the shop more days then I have driven it. My early experience with Fords has been a terrible one I am sorry to say and I am really disappointed that my dream car has turned out to be a nightmare. I wish that I could say I am looking forward to owning a 2000 Mustang, or any Ford in the future for that matter, but I am scared that if I was to buy one it would be just as much of a disappointment and headache as my first Ford Mustang. As long as I am dissatisfied with your products neither any of my friends, family or I will purchase or back Ford Motor Companies products. Thank you for Listening,
Dear Ford Motor Company, I am writing this letter in regards to a previous letter that I wrote on October of 1997. The last letter I wrote never received an apology letter nor a letter of acknowledgement. I have enclosed a copy of this letter just incase you didn't receive it the first time or you do not recall it. In the letter I told the story of a boy's dream car turning into his nightmare. Sadly this story continues. At the purchase of my 1995 Mustang GT it's odometer read 16,000 miles, practically brand new. Now the same cars Odometer reads 41,000 miles. What I am now writing you about is the story of a car whose had enough problems to have had over 100,000 miles on it instead of 25,000. I have driven this car for about 25,000 miles and have already had two new motors put in. The first was the one told in the first letter, and the second will be told in the following. I will try not to bore you with this but it is kind of necessary to get the full story. Also included is the history repair report of my car (10-21-98). The second engine was replaced due to the harmonic balancer being off and blowing the crankshaft and bearings. This was after a fender bender that occurred at a very low speed (This was not my fault). The extent of the damage was a slightly dented driver side fender and a nick in my rim. I think it was just a coincidence that the engine went out about a month after the accident. I have asked many mechanics including the ones whom fixed my vehicle and most agree that the harmonic balancer was improper from the installation of the first new motor. They say that a low impact accident could NOT have cause the fault in the dampener. Now even after these repairs have been made and a new motor (block, pistons, crank, ect.) installed the car continues to have problems. After about 10-15 minutes of driving the car the check engine light comes on, also it has a coolant problem that has NEVER been right since I bought the car. It is always loosing coolant, the car is always showing low coolant and its always running hot even if it has coolant. I have recently taken the car to Golden Ford, where the second engine was installed, and asked them to look at the check engine light and the coolant problem. While I was there they tried to hook up the computer but to their amazement it could not get any power to the hand held diagnostics computer. They say that they think it could be a big electrical problem but they are not sure. It is currently in their shop being looked at. These problems have been becoming less and less surprising to me and more and more annoying and disappointing. By making my first car a Ford product I put a lot of pride and trust into the cars of Ford but now that I have owned two Ford cars I have lost that trust and pride. Many people ask why I bought a Ford and now all I can reply is that I did not know of their unreliability. When a 16 year old puts all of his money and time towards a car hoping it will continue to please him, it is really heartbreaking when the car fails time after time. I am now 18 and still am disappointed with Fords products and I do wish that they can correct their errors and maybe someday I will grow to once again have the respect, pride and trust in Ford Motor Company that I had as a child
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