I Did My Part To Bail Out The Automakers

It is no wonder American car makers are failing. One of the rear lift gate struts on my Ford Freestar failed on Saturday. No problem. Mechanical parts fail and have to be replaced. I don't even mind buying new ones. They are generally about $50 each cheaper on the Ford than on my Jeep. That's good. On Sunday, I forgot it about it and pressed the button and up it went. It went up just fine, but then crashed back down! No gradually lowering of the gate, just crash. The next time I forgot about it, it also went up just fine. Then it started lowering mechanically and wouldn't stop! I grabbed it but no way could I stop it. It just kept going down. Help, Get OUT, GET OUT! I panicked. Poor Steve. He almost got trapped in the back. I think he would have been cut in half if he hadn't managed to fall down enough to beat the door closed. I actually strained my wrist trying to hold it up.



Steve wanted to order the part from a web site on Sunday, but I wanted to do business locally, so Monday morning I called our local Ford dealers. Autoway Ford in Bradenton told me the part would cost $51.60 and they didn't have it in stock and would take a couple of days to arrive. The internet price was about $35 with shipping of about $10 and no sales tax. I called Sarasota Ford where I take my car to get all the service done and they told me the price was $42.74. "Ok, order it please" I said. The parts guy tells me that I have to come there and order it and give him my credit card at the store. No numbers over the phone. What? I have to drive 40 miles to give them my credit card number and then 40 miles home and then in a couple of days drive 40 miles to pick the part up and another 40 miles home? How can this be? "That's the way it is. "



I try to look my part number up on the Ford parts web site, but it isn't working. I try to look for recalls because something has to be wrong if you can get knocked out or cut in half when your $50 strut fails. That Ford site isn't working either. I did find the phone number for Ford customer service and finally talked to a person. She was nice but she couldn't find recalls and her site to find part numbers wasn't working either. She gives me a name, web site and phone number of a company (not Ford or Ford related) to call to get the part number. Thanks and away I go! I call the number, explain what I need and ask if he has the part number. Yup, he does and better yet he can order the part. He doesn't think I should though because I would have to pay shipping if he sent it to me. So, how much is it? He gives me a discount after I tell him my sad tale and my part costs $30 + $9 shipping. He is sorry that I will have to wait a couple of days for my genuine Ford part to arrive.



Here's the total for the same Ford part:

Bradenton Ford: $54.96 + 50 miles + couple days.

Sarasota Ford: $45.73 + 160 miles + couple days.

Green Parts: $30.00 + $9 shipping + couple days + walk to mailbox.



After looking on the internet, I find a site that says there is a recall on my car for the liftgate. It is to reprogram the module so it won't crash on you when the strut fails. One part of the Ford site says my car has no outstanding recalls. The search for individual recalls still isn't working.

I call Sarasota Ford and explain to then what happened and ask if I have any outstanding recalls on my car. The guy says nope and when I tell him about what I found on the internet, he says that the internet isn't always right. Ok. So he searches, but the Ford website is down and he doesn't remember a recall for my car anyway. Goodbye.



I call Ford Customer Service again, but get an unhelpful person. His Ford website is down too, but at least takes my info. I read him the recall I found on the internet about reprogramming the module. He says, well, the dealer probably thought you wanted him to pay for your parts and labor too. WHAT? So, I say thanks and goodbye. Six hours from the start I have my part ordered, but still don't know if a recall or bulletin was issued, and don't know if anyone is going to call me back if there is one. Oh what a day.