Just because your company is on the verge of bankruptcy— well, that's no reason not to arrive in style. Right?

From ABC:

All three CEOs - Rick Wagoner of GM, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Robert Nardelli of Chrysler - exercised their perks Tuesday by flying in corporate jets to DC. Wagoner flew in GM's $36 million luxury aircraft to tell members of Congress that the company is burning through cash, asking for $10-12 billion for GM alone.

"We want to continue the vital role we've played for Americans for the past 100 years, but we can't do it alone," Wagoner told the Senate Banking Committee.

While Wagoner testified, his G4 private jet was parked at Dulles airport. It is one of eight luxury jets in the GM fleet that continues to ferry executives around the world despite the company's dire financial straits.

ABC estimated that the trip cost GM $20,000, as opposed to a first class ticket on Northwest Airlines flight 2364 from Detroit to Washington — which would have cost about $800.

Amazingly, private jets are a luxury that even free-spending AIG is reconsidering.

AIG, despite the $150 billion bailout, still operates a fleet of corporate jets. The company says it has put two out of its seven jets up for sale and is reviewing the use of others. Though there are no such plans by GM or Ford.

Big Three CEOs Flew Private Jets to Plead for Public Funds [ABC]
(Photo: Bonita Sarita )

Below I detail a problem I encountered with my 2005 F-150 pickup and what I thought were covered damages and repairs under the initial warranty or the ExtraCARE extended coverage.

Basically, my truck was making a pinging noise pretty much from the outset of purchase, the original dealer said it was normal, only to find out later that it was not and was going to be a very expensive repair.

Here is the letter Jeff sent to Ford:

This documents the events surrounding the engine noise problem experienced with our 2005 Ford F-150. We purchased the truck in April 2005. The truck was new and only had 5 miles on it. I purchased the ExtraCARE for four years/100,000 miles.

I also received free routine maintenance for the first 30,000 miles from the dealer, Koons Sterling Ford in Sterling, VA. I brought the vehicle in every 5,000 miles approximately for this service. Early on, the engine developed a pinging noise. I asked the mechanic and service manager at Koons about this and they said this was the normal sound of the fuel injectors. Since the truck ran fine otherwise, I took them at their word as this truck was more up to date than my previous 1993 Ford F-150. I never experienced any other mechanical problems with the truck and it ran fine, albeit with the pinging noise.

After the 30,000 mile free maintenance was up, I started taking the truck to Jiffy Lube – first the one in Leesburg, VA then the one in Ashburn, VA. I started going to the one in Ashburn because they had the newer equipment which could service the automatic transmission fluid. All during this approximately 28,000 miles nothing changed in how the truck performed or in how it sounded. The “fuel injector” ping was still there.

This changed when I drove my truck near a friend one day and he mentioned that we probably had a lifter problem. I said the noise was attributable to the fuel injectors. He advised that if that was so, why didn't all fuel injected Ford trucks make this sound? I realized he was right as I have never heard another vehicle make this sound, truck or otherwise. I made an appointment at Jerry’s Ford in Leesburg to have them look into the noise. If the noise was truly fuel injectors, they would know about it and tell me so. I advised that no other performance problem was being experienced, just the noise.

They advised that the problem stemmed from the camshaft position sensor. The said it would have to be replaced. They did so, but the problem persisted. They continued to work on the truck, and we (the dealership and I) agreed that the extended warranty covered us. This was the last week of February/first week of March 2007. A week later they still had not found the actual cause of the problem, but had continued to tear the engine down looking for it. In the meantime, since this was covered by the ExtraCARE and Jerry’s had agreed, I had rented a rental car, and Jerry’s even called Enterprise car rental to alert them to me having ExtraCARE maintenance plan work being performed and that the plan would pick up a portion of the rental car. They said it would pay for 10 days at approximately $28 per day.

On March 7 2007, the service employee at Jerry’s called me to alert me to the problem stemming from the use of an aftermarket oil filter. I reiterated that the problem predated the use of aftermarket filters, and that the true problem had to be caused by something else. They pointed me to a service bulletin (attachment bm3.jpg) which stated that the use of low quality aftermarket oil filters can cause pinging and would result in damage not covered by a warranty. This bulletin did not state what brand or which service, such as Jiffy Lube, might be suspect. This service bulletin also does NOT cover the actual engine installed in my truck. Please see attachment bo3.jpg, my buyer’s order, for detail of my vehicle. At this point they stated that the maintenance plan probably would not cover this repair. I once again alerted them to the fact that this noise predated the use of aftermarket oil filters. They checked their Ford records from our maintenance visits to Koons, but nothing of this detail was recorded on our records from that time period.

I started investigating my rights under the warranty, consumer protection services, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and what the proper procedure would be if a dispute continued. Jerry’s said a Ford inspector would visit on Thursday, 08 March 2007 to see the truck and make a determination of my case. Initially, Jerry’s said there was not enough debris from the filter in the oil to have caused the pinging. I again reiterated that the pinging predated the use of aftermarket oil filters. At this point, their tact with me changed and they pretty much ignored anything further I had to say concerning the condition which predated the use of aftermarket oil filters.

I received word late on Thursday, 08 March 2007, that my warranty claim was denied and that there would be a hefty bill for the repairs. The engine could be put back together for $2800, the cylinder head could be replaced for $6200, or an entire new engine could be installed for $7800. I chose the second option, giving them the benefit of the doubt that something had to be done to rectify the problem. I authorized Jerry’s to perform the work and they stated that the truck could probably be finished on Monday, 12 March 2007.

I then started to gather information on how to best challenge this maintenance plan denial. I called Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan) after talking to Jerry's service manager. The service manager advised this was going to be the best route to challenge the denial. I gave them all of the pertinent information, having to spell out in great detail where I purchased the truck and where I was getting it serviced. The representative of Ford ESP I spoke with was quite unfamiliar with the concept of going to different dealers. She did recommend that in order to get a favorable decision I should go to different Ford dealers in the area. I advised that the maintenance plan does not require that, since I had been dealing with an authorized Ford dealership and maintenance shop. She also did not know or understand what a “Jiffy Lube” was. I did not explain this to her further, but asked to speak to someone else who might be able to change the warranty denial for me.

I was connected to the technical manager, “Bill”. I gave him the full history and waited to find out what Ford ESP could do for me. He advised that they had not seen the inspection report yet, but that the failure of an oil filter which caused the damage would not be covered under the warranty. I reiterated to him that the noise was preexisting, explaining again about how I alerted the original dealership's service department to it. Bill advised that he had no evidence or documentation to back this up. He also stated that even Ford Motorcraft oil filters, had they been used and failed, would also invalidate any warranty claim for repair of damage. He said there was nothing else he could do for me. He gave me the phone number of an arbitration service. I continued to have to rent a rental car, but now completely out of pocket for the entire expense, until the truck is done. Ford ESP also stated that the inspection records and photos were the property of Ford and I would not be receiving a copy of it.

I called the Ford Customer Center in Dearborn, MI on Friday, 16 March 2007. After a lot of pleasant conversation, questions, answers, and being on hold, Ford informed me their guideline was to support the dealership and side with them. They stick behind the idea that an aftermarket oil filter was the culprit. They said if I wanted to get the inspection report I would have to talk to the dealership; the dealership said I would have to talk to Ford ESP. The answer from Ford ESP is stated above.

I also submitted my information to the Dispute Settlement Board to no avail. Based on this information, Ford is blaming an aftermarket oil filter even when the problem predated the use of aftermarket (i.e., Jiffy Lube) filters. Ford is not standing behind even the products they recommend and use. The failure of these replaceable parts could possibly damage warranty covered parts, which would invalidate the warranty. This could mean one of several things: this is a convenient excuse for voiding customer’s maintenance plans; Ford has no faith in even their own filters; Ford maintenance itself uses aftermarket filters of a questionable brand.

This also begs the question of whether or not Ford officially applied for a waiver to the tie-in sales prohibition of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Invalidating a warranty based on a claim such as this should create evidence which could be used against the aftermarket manufacturer or the service company (Jiffy Lube). Ford’s unwillingness to part with this information tends to make me think there is something wrong with even their filters, or they have simply found an easy scapegoat for invalidating customer’s warranties.

My intention all along has been to maintain the truck so it will last as long as possible, performing the service for which it was designed. I believe I have done everything practically possible to this end. I availed myself of the maintenance offered by Koons for the first 30,000 miles. While I notified them of the noise, they informed me it was “normal” and just the “fuel injectors”. Since they were being held up by Ford as the local experts, I believed them and took them at their word. Obviously, now I know they were wrong, lying, or incompetent. If they were improperly trained or too inexperienced to diagnose problems, shame on them. If they were lying to me, that is fraud. My vehicle was brand new, under warranty and they were choosing to not address a concern brought to them by a customer.

I respectfully request repayment of $5698.37 to cover that amount of the attached work order (wo10f3, wo2of3, wo3of3 jpgs) and remaining portion of the rental car expense. I have also provided a copy of the rental receipt (rental.jpg) and a copy of my title (title.jpg) and registration of the vehicle to show I own it (registration2.jpg).

Should you not consider this request deserving of a refund, I will be posting all of this information online (e.g., Consumerist.com) for others use in consideration of your products. A positive response can also be posted to show how well you take care of your long-term and repeat customers.

I have been a Ford truck owner since 1993 and truly enjoy the vehicles. I want to stay with the Ford brand for future truck needs. Your positive response to this request will go a long way to ensuring just that. Thank you in advance for your prompt and professional attention to my request.

Sincerely,

John Y.
[contact info redacted]

I worked through Ford’s Customer Relationship center, their Dispute Settlement Board and the BBB. Getting no satisfaction, I am now writing Consumerist. The above information was sent via EECB (Thank you Consumerist for this information!) to several high level managers and members of the board of directors for which I could come up with names. I ferreted out the most probable names of the e-mail addresses and sent the above letter. I starting getting a few delivery failures right away and kept track of those. I also received immediate responses from a few people at Ford who have since moved on to other duties within the company and do not handle these areas. I also started to get phone calls from a local Ford rep who wanted to quickly offer me a one time Goodwill payment of ½ of the repair costs. I stated that was not good enough and told her to check with her superiors over the weekend for a better offer. I reiterated that this would not go away and I would definitely make a stink of this on the Internet.

The next week I also started to receive phonecalls from Detroit from Ford’s headquarters and executive offices. I thought this was directly related to the other phonecalls. Apparently, when you send an EECB to a large company and to several people, you might get independent responses that do not know about each other. Detroit called to say they were standing behind their inspectors and were going to offer me nothing. I do not know why they felt compelled to call me to say this. I again reiterated that this was unacceptable and I and the issue were not going away quietly. I thought that was over then. I started receiving calls again while I was out of the office with several voicemails being left by Detroit. I thought they had changed their mind when they said they had an “exciting offer” for me. The offer was for the X-Plan to purchase a new vehicle at a low cost. This just goes to show how out of touch Ford is with their truck buying customers.

I have since received a check for half of the repair costs from the original Ford rep. It came through one of the local dealers with no stipulations about keeping quiet if I cashed it. I cashed it and am now making good on my promise to write this up for all to read on your site.

I feel Ford still owes me for the other half of the repair work and the cost of the rental car. This totals $3567. The rental car alone was almost $900.

At this point I think it is fair to say I will not be doing business with any of the Koons dealerships or the Jerry’s dealerships in the Washington, DC area, nor buying any more Ford products. They are dead to me. However, if they choose to respond to this posting in a positive fashion (e.g., money) I would be willing to write you with a positive update.

As an aside, it was very interesting to find out what the Better Business Bureau can, and cannot, do for you. Their response to my complaint letter said that since the mileage on my truck at the time was outside the initial warranty, they could not help me at all. Good to know what the scope of your interest is, BBB.

Thanks a lot for all you do for all of us consumers. It really helps.

Also, here are the email addresses of Ford executives which did NOT receive a delivery error:

Lbooth@Ford.com
Dleclair@ford.com
Bfowler@Ford.com
Pdaniel@ford.com
Dhazel@ford.com
Eford@ford.com

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering loaning at least $25 billion to GM, Ford, and Chrysler, possibly as part of a second economic stimulus package. If so, they'll have to move fast. Congress will go on break at the end of this month and may not reconvene for the rest of the year.

"House leadership weighs loans for automakers" [Reuters]
(Photo: Getty)

11 Least Fuel Efficient Hybrid Vehicles

1-2) (tie) Chrysler Aspen Hybrid & Dodge Durango Hybrid 19 MPG

3-5) (tie) Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, Lexus LS 600h L, GMC Yukon Hybrid 21 MPG

6) Lexus GS 450h 23 MPG

7-8) (tie) Lexus RX 400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid 26 MPG

9-11) (tie) Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Mazda Tribute Hybrid 32 MPG

Hybrid Cars [HybridCars]

"Anywhere you want to look, credit conditions, the job market, stock market, you can see the consumers are getting hammered," Schnorbus said. "If there was ever a time when you want to sit back and wait out the storm, now is the time to do it."

But automakers also suggested some of the weakness in car sales could be due to the short supply of many fuel-efficient models after a rush to buy those vehicles in May.

"That limited supply we believed had an impact," said George Pipas, the director of sales analysis for Ford

Automakers are rushing to increase production on cars like the Prius in order to catch up with demand. Do you want a Prius or are you waiting for something even better? Or are you just, you know, already upside down on your current car loan and barely able to find the money to drive to the grocery store — let alone buy rapidly shrinking food?

Auto sales plunge [CNNMoney]
(Photo: Fast Fords )

Ford says it plans to sell F-Series trucks "at employee-discount prices this month," according to Bloomberg, but that's too late to help Ford return to profitability this year.

Declining pickup sales contributed to Ford's announcement last month that it would abandon a target of returning to profit by next year. The company had combined losses of $15.3 billion in 2006 and 2007, mostly because of its North American unit.

The automaker is slashing North American production for the rest of 2008 in response to the lower truck sales.

GM, the largest U.S. automaker, said today that it will close four truck plants, build more small cars, and may drop its Hummer brand of large sport-utility vehicles. The company's May sales fell 28 percent, including a 37 percent plunge for pickups, SUVs and vans.

Here are the top five spots for May sales, from the Kicking Tires blog:

• Honda Civic: 53,229 (including hybrid)
• Toyota Corolla: 52,826
• Toyota Camry: 51,291 (including hybrid)
• Honda Accord: 43,728 (including hybrid and coupe)
• Ford F-Series: 42,973

"Honda, Toyota Cars Outsell Ford's F-Series Pickups" [Bloomberg]
"Honda Civic Best-Selling Car in the Country" [Kicking Tires]
(Photo: Kevitivity)

On Wednesday, Kieffe & Sons posted a statement on their website, apologizing to "all who were offended." As commenters pointed out, saying you're sorry that someone got offended is not the same as actually apologizing for what you said. Now, according to the Bakersfield Californian, we find out even the non-apology wasn't genuine.

“I don’t regret the sentiment at all,” said Kieffe, who bought the 48-year-old dealership from his father in 1974. “It’s what we believe.”

. . .

The dealer’s Web site Thursday bore a statement about the ad that included an apology “to all who were offended.” Kieffe said he’d been contacted by Ford Motor Co. after the manufacturer heard complaints from numerous “blog-lo-dites.” The company asked him to post something saying he was sorry if he’d offended anyone, Kieffe said.

Kieffe said he will continue using J.W. Horne for the dealer's ads. Horne also confirmed that he wrote the trolling, single-entry blog that went up on Thursday.

Ford Says "Shut Up" Ad Was a Mistake, But Dealer Stands Behind It [Bakersfield Californian]
PREVIOUSLY: California Ford Dealership Radio Ad Tells Non-Christians To "Sit Down And Shut Up"
(Photo: Amy Watts)

According to the Bakersfield Californian, Rick Kieffe, the dealership owner, said he doesn't remember approving the ad (emphasis added):

“It’s just something that went by us,” said Kieffe, who does not attend church but considers himself “a Christian spirit.” “We’re obviously sorry that it offends a given segment who identifies themselves as atheist.

Kieffe said he received a flood of angry phone calls from people around the world who saw blog posts about the story. Kieffe's advertiser, or someone claiming to be him, apparently didn't get the memo, as he has posted an unapologetic screed conflating gay marriage with the purchase of a Japanese car (seriously).

PREVIOUSLY: California Ford Dealership Radio Ad Tells Christians to "Sit Down and Shut Up"
Car Dealer Regrets Ads Telling Non-Christians to "Sit Down and Shut Up" [Bakersfield Californian]
(Photo: Amy Watts)

The ad reads:

Did you know that there are people in this country who want prayer out of schools, "Under God" out of the Pledge, and "In God We Trust" to be taken off our money?

But did you know that 86% of Americans say they believe in God? Now, since we all know that 86 out of every 100 of us are Christians who believe in God, we at Kieffe & Sons Ford wonder why we don't just tell the other 14% to sit down and shut up. I guess maybe I just offended 14% of the people who are listening to this message. Well, if that is the case, then I say that's tough, this is America folks, it's called free speech. And none of us at Kieffe & Sons Ford are afraid to speak up. Kieffe & Sons Ford on Sierra Highway in Mojave and Rosamond: if we don't see you today, by the grace of God, we'll be here tomorrow.

The ad has been running on radio stations in southern California since at least February, according to one blogger. She wrote to Ford headquarters, but received a reply that because the dealerships are independently owned and operated, she should get in touch with the management at the dealership.

Here's the audio of (most of) the ad:

The Underground Unbeliever [via BoingBoing]
(Photo: Amy Watts)
(Audio: Karen Peralta)

I got some more info from the folks at cafepress and according to them, a law firm representing Ford contacted them saying that our calendar pics (and our club's event logos - anything with one of our cars in it) infringes on Ford's trademarks which include the use of images of THEIR vehicles. Also, Ford claims that all the images, logos and designs OUR graphics team made for the BMC events using Danni are theirs as well. Funny, I thought Danni's title had my name on it ... and I thought you guys owned your cars ... and, well ... I'm not even going to get into how wrong and unfair I feel this whole thing is as I'd be typing for hours, but I wholeheartedly echo everything you guys have been saying all afternoon. I'm not letting this go un-addressed and I'll keep you guys posted as I get to work on this.
I'm sorry, but at this point we will not be producing the 2008 BMC Calendar, featuring our 2007 Members of the Month, solely due to Ford Motor Company's claim that THEY own all rights to the photos YOU take of YOUR car. I hope to resolve this soon, and be able to provide the calendar and other BMC merchandise that you guys want and deserve! This thread will remain open for you to comment however you wish, and I'll update it as needed.

Ford: Car owners are pirates if they distribute pictures of their own cars [BoingBoing] (Thanks, Paul D!)
(Photo:morsteen)

If you have one of these trucks, expect a letter from Ford. or you can give them a call at 866-436-7332 or contact a local Ford dealer.

Ford recalling 1.2 million diesel trucks [CNNMoney]
(Photo:damageinc86)

The Washington Post has a fantastic article about Ford's belly flop:

Fifty years ago today, Don Mazzella skipped out of school to see the hot new car that everybody was talking about, the hot new car that almost nobody had actually seen.

Ford Motor Co. had proclaimed it "E-Day," and Mazzella and two buddies sneaked out of East Side High School in Newark, N.J., and hiked 13 blocks to Foley Ford so they could cast their gaze upon the much-ballyhooed new car that had been kept secret from the American public until its release that day.

It was called the Edsel.

"The line was around the block," recalls Mazzella, now 66 and an executive in a New Jersey consulting firm. "People were coming from all over to see this car. You couldn't see it from the street. The only way you could see it was to walk into the showroom and look behind a curtain."

Mazzella and his truant friends waited their turn, thrilled to be there. "Back then for teenagers, cars were the be-all and end-all," he explains. They'd read countless articles about the Edsel and seen countless ads that touted it as the car of the future. But they hadn't seen the car. Ford kept it secret, building excitement by coyly withholding it from sight, like a strip-tease dancer.

Finally, Mazzella and his friends reached the showroom. Finally, they were permitted to peek behind the curtain. They saw a cream-colored car with a strange oval grille that looked like a big chrome O.

"We looked at it and said, ' What?' " Mazzella recalls. "It was just a blah car. I remember my friend Joe Grandi, who later became a Newark cop — he had a gruff voice, and he said, ' This is what we waited all this time for?' We all felt betrayed."

The Flop Heard Round the World [Washington Post via boingboing]
(Photo:Edsel.com)

According to Ford, they're addressing "customer concerns about the potential for fires in their vehicles." Well, fires in vehicles are bad, we'll give them that. Apparently a few Crown Victorias went up in smoke. There were no injuries.

Here's a list of the recalled autos:

1998-2002 Ford Ranger, 1992-1997 Lincoln Town Car, 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria, 1992-1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, 1993-1995 Taurus SHO, 1999-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer.

Also covered are the 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 1992-1993 E150-350 vans, 1997-2002 E150-350 vans, 1993 Ford F-Series pickups, 1993 Ford Bronco, 1994 Mercury Capri, 2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning, and 1995-2002 Ford F53 motor homes.

An additional 177,000 vehicles in Canada, Mexico and Europe are covered by the recall.

Ford Recalling 3.6 Million Vehicles [Forbes]
Ford Recall Info

Only 4 brands have lasted 10 years on the poll: Ford (which was No. 1 in 1997), Sony (which was No. 3), Coca-Cola (which was No. 7) and Pepsi Cola (which was No. 10).

How Does It Work?

Poll takers give "spontaneous answers" when asked the following question:

"We would like you to think about brands or names of products and services you know. Considering everything, which three brands do you consider the best?"

The Results:

Microsoft jumped into the top 10 this year at #8, beating Apple at #9. Apple was #10 last year, Microsoft wasn't on the list. Dell slipped a few spots from #2 to land at #4.

Ford was the only American car manufacturer on the list, behind Toyota, but beating Honda. Honda slipped from #6 to #10. Toyota jumped up to grab the #3 spot from last year's #4.

The top 10 brands for 2007 are:

1) Coca-Cola

2) Sony

3) Toyota

4) Dell

5) Ford

6) Kraft Foods

7) Pepsi

8) Microsoft

9) Apple

10) Honda

Coca Cola On Top For First Time In Annual 'Best Brands' Harris Poll (Press Release) [Business Wire]
(Photo:Maulleigh)

•Toyota offers a $400 rebate to recent graduates, and requires proof of graduation;
•Nissan offers a $500 rebate to recent graduates;
•Ford offers a $500 rebate to recent graduates, or students in the last half-year of school.

Incentives from other automakers take several forms, including lower rates and deferred payments. Each offer varies, so be sure not only to ask the dealer, but to get details directly from the automaker. Though incentives help, greater savings can be earned by doing your homework before setting foot in a dealership. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

Some Automakers Offer Incentives to New College Grads [KABC]
(Photo: Justin Russell)

Update: Our resident car expert clarifies: "They do actually advertise these incentive deals — but they don't advertise them in the mainstream. What they do is either buy lists from alumni organizations and do mailings to them, or they advertise in school newspapers, etc. Dealers in big college towns, for instance in East Lansing and Ann Arbor, MI, are well aware of the incentive programs and actively push them to young-looking folks who come in to buy."

We're interested in negotiations, compensation, car brands, used cars, new cars, financing, customer satisfaction surveys...you name it.

Please organize your tips by the make of car you work with. Toyota, Ford, Chevy...etc. We can't wait to hear from you! Remember, helpful tips! Here are some good examples:

9 Confessions From A Former Enterprise Rental Salesman
8 Confessions of An Alltel Sales Rep
11 Confessions of a T-Mobile Sales Rep
6 Confessions Of A Former Sprint Sales Rep
MORE CONFESSIONS....

(Photo: morsteen)

When Justin finally took the 1994 Ford Taurus home from the mechanic's twenty-four days later, the car made strange new noises. It also was missing its front disc brakes.

He had the car towed back and repaired. When driving the newly repaired car, it stalled in the middle of a freeway intersection. He took it back for further repairs. Driving it afterwards, the transmission once again slipped out.

Justin contacted AAMCO corporate, who told him that the franchise owner refused the refund.

Initially, Sunflower Bank approved Justin's chargeback, but later refused it, saying...

UPDATE: Justin writes, "We spoke to a rude lady who kept changing her story. First, she said that we can't have a dispute if they put a new transmission in (working or not). I told her that made absolutely no sense. After 10 minutes of going back and forth, she changed her story to: "take it to another mechanic, pay them to look at it, and have them send us something saying it's not working right." My concern with this: Could Aamco could blame another mechanic for opening the transmission (possibly voiding the warranty)?"

When Justin asked his bank to do a chargeback, Sunflower Bank said,

By signing the sales receipt you authorized the merchant to bill your account for the transaction and agreed to the terms and conditions of the sale. Since the transaction was face to face, the cardholder is responsible for determining what they are agreeing to prior to accepting the transaction. We cannot dispute verbal quotes or promises in situations involving a signed document.

Our advice to Justin is to shake the contact tree at Sunflower Bank and try to kick his issue up to a more senior representative. Their reason for refusing the chargeback makes no sense and we'd like to chalk it up to an inexperienced employee working in a tiny bank. If that's fruitless, small claims court may be the way to go.

Justin's official letter of complaint:

December 27, 2006 Aamco Transmissions Attn Franchise Owner 6144 Merriam Lane Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66203

Dear Aamco Franchise Owner,

This letter is in response to service rendered at the Aamco, located at 6144 Merriam Lane in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. The services were performed on a 1994 Ford Taurus, in accordance with invoice number 127117.

On the morning of October 16, 2006, I initiated a service call to Aamco to have our 1994 Ford Taurus towed into your shop. Two days passed before I received a call about the condition of our automobile. Your shop manager, John, told me that the vehicle needed a new transmission. John let me know the transmission would cost between $1100 (if it was only the transmission) and $1500 (if the torque converter needed replaced). After I received the pricing information, we spent the next two days discussing the investment in the automobile. I called John again on, or about, October 23, authorizing him to begin work on the automobile.

Throughout the next ten business days, I called five or six times to inquire about the status of our automobile. Each time I was told by John that he would call me by the end of the business day with an update. In those ten days, we never received a telephone call.

On the morning of Friday, November 3, I received a call from John. While I was expecting to hear that the car had been finished, he told me that the price was going to be $500 more than what he previously quoted, giving us a total of $2000 to repair the transmission. John assured me that he would have the automobile finished in two business days if we decided to accept this new price. At this point, we had been without our car for eighteen days. I told John that I needed to discuss my options with the rest of the people involved.

On Monday afternoon, November 6, I called John and authorized him to begin work on the car. Two days came and went, and once again I received no telephone call. On the afternoon of Thursday, November 8, I called John to inquire about the status of the car. John told me the car was being worked on, and he would do his best to get it done that day. He told me he would call me by noon the next day with an update. On Friday, 12:00 p.m. came and went, with no call from John or Aamco. I called John around 3 p.m. to find out if the car was going to be held through another weekend. He assured me the transmission was being put in as we spoke, and that he would try his best to have the vehicle ready by 5 p.m. At 4:45 p.m. I called John again, to see if the vehicle was ready. He told me that he planned to stay late to finish up the automobile.

At 5:45 p.m., Friday evening, John called to tell me the vehicle was ready to go. He then informed me that "the car needs brakes all the way around" and "it is leaking engine coolant." He then offered to put brakes on it. I declined this offer for two reasons: 1) there was nothing wrong with the brakes when we brought it in and 2) I didn't have much trust in Aamco's service at this point. I arrived at the Aamco shop around 6 pm to pick up the vehicle. I had John run the credit card payment through, and I signed the necessary papers. When I started to pull away in the automobile, it was making noises that it had never made before. The car was grinding and squealing as if metal was rubbing against metal. I drove the car home and got to my driveway. My driveway has a slight slope to it, and I was unable to stop the vehicle (as there were no front brakes). The vehicle slammed into the curb and finally came to a stop.

The next day, I jacked the car up and took off the tire to look at the brakes. Another witness, Larry McLary (whose notarized statement is available upon request) was with me as I looked at the braking system. The entire braking system was loose, and the caliper was grinding into the rotor. The brake pad, which was still relatively new, was not even close to the rotor. While we were looking at the brakes, we noticed they had left one of their bungee tie downs in the car, proof the work was done quickly and poorly. We put the tire back on, and lifted the other side of the vehicle. Before we even took the tire off, we noticed that the entire wheel moved back and forth without loosening the lug nuts. I took some video of the braking system with my camera phone, as further proof of the sloppy work.

On November 13, the Schmelzle's and I called Sunflower Bank to dispute the credit card charge Aamco had put on Friday night. I recounted the events leading up to that day with the representative, who approved the dispute on the charge. I then left a message with the Aamco corporate office, to let them know what had happened. Within a couple hours, I received a call back from a representative of Aamco corporate office. They recorded the incident, and told me I would receive a follow up call shortly. At that point, I received a call from you. You informed me that John would be calling me to have the vehicle towed back to the shop.

Two more days passed, and I received a call from John to let me know that the vehicle had been repaired. He told me the braking and wheel system had been replaced. I thanked him for taking care of the situation, and picked up the car that afternoon. I drove the car for a week, and determined the services paid for had been satisfied. The bank was then notified that the dispute could be removed, and payment could be released.

On Monday, December 4, my fianc e Sara and I were attempting to cross the freeway. As we went to cross the freeway, the car stalled. It sounded as if the vehicle was in Park and it did not move. After a short period of fear, the car shifted into gear and we made it across the dangerous intersection. I immediately drove the car over to Aamco and let them know the vehicle was still not fixed. After another two days in the shop, I received a voicemail from John. He told me he had figured out what was wrong, and that I should call him to pick up the vehicle. I called him and he let me know that they had forgotten to hook up the "power steering switch". I was unsure what this exactly meant, as my knowledge of the inner workings of an engine is foreign to me. I picked up the vehicle, and drove it back to work to make sure everything was working fine. As I was crossing the intersection of 95th and Quivira, the vehicle's transmission once again "slipped" and I was stuck again. After a few seconds the vehicle jerked hard, and began to move. This was the final straw for me. I called Sunflower Bank to have them reopen the dispute case, and begin the chargeback process.

This whole experience has not only been a nightmare financially, but has also put our lives in danger due to the poor work performed. Twice, Aamco admitted to, and fixed, things they had neglected to do right the first time. Having no front brakes on the vehicle could have endangered me, or my fianc e, and whoever else would have been unfortunate enough to come into contact with this vehicle. Having the transmission slip while we were crossing a busy freeway could have caused serious harm or death, due to improperly hooking up the power steering. I will not allow my life, or the lives of my loved ones, to be put in jeopardy over careless work. We have been lucky nothing has happened to us so far, but I will not wait until I am about to be run over by a semi to find out what new Aamco mistake will be found. We have been without an automobile for almost a full month, though I will admit that we took five of those days for decision making. This has caused thousands of miles, wear and tear, and gas to be used on other personal vehicles as a result of the vehicle being out of commission.

As a result of this, we refuse to make payment on services rendered. The bank has been informed of the dispute, and has taken the necessary steps to begin the chargeback procedures. We do not authorize any further work to be done on this vehicle. Please let us know what steps you would like to take to rectify this situation.

Sincerely,

William E. and Judith A. S.
Justin R. R. and Sara J. S.

Bill

Receipt

— BEN POPKEN

(Thanks to ca choppers!)

At what point does horrific misogynism become absolutely hysterical? When a mustachioed ape at a Ford dealership, while talking to a deaf woman over the phone via a Relay Service, makes an offhand background comment to his coworkers that he's "talking to the ideal woman — deaf, dumb and blonde." And then the Relay Service worker types that sentence back verbatim to the customer.

Who's the ape? It's Steve Davis, Assistant Service Manager of the Ford Dealership at 13401 Balt-Wash Boulevard in Laurel, Maryland (unbelievably, our tipster supplied us with photos!). The ideal woman in question — whom, by virtue of her moxie, we have no doubt would be ideal even if she weren't a blonde — was naturally outraged. And one of the perks of the Relay Service is you have a text transcript of all your conversations! So she went on the warpath, supplying the transcript to Steve's manager. For her trouble, she got $100 off, which she seems happy with. Of course, she has no idea if the manager intends to do anything about it: a bit of sensitivity training might be in order, here.

The ideal woman speaks out against Steve, after the jump, by proxy of her friend, Sophia.

My friend, a Deaf Woman had to take her car to a local Ford Dealership to get it check out because it's that time again. She call the place using Relay Service and was hung up on by a man named Steve. Now she dealt with Steve before and always does business with him. So why is it now that when she called back the second time using Relay Service to make an appointment that he told his coworkers that he was talking to a "Ideal Typical Woman Deaf Dumb Blond"? She was extremely pissed off and called back the next day to speak to the manager. Don, the manager told her that he couldn't do anything about it without proof. She has the transcript of the whole conversation. So today, we both went to the Dealership and she gave Don a copy of the transcript while she was getting her car taken care of. Don told us that he will discuss this with Steve. He was really nice to her and gave her $100 off. Now we don't know if he's really going to do anything about this. That comment was ignorant and unprofessional.

Steve Davis
Assistant Service Manager
Ford Dealership
13401 Balt-Wash Blvd.
Laurel, MD 20707
301-419-2700

silver@academyfordsales.com

www.academyford.com

Schwarzenegger's state have decided to quickly follow their recent pledge to reduce emissions by 25% by 2020 with a huge lawsuit against the nation's biggest automakers.

Brought forth by Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the lawsuit named Ford, GM and Toyota, claiming that emissions from their vehicles are costing California millions.

Naturally, this sort of lawsuit is inherently hypocritical. According to the World Resources Institute, Electricity & heat emit a full quarter of the world's emissions. Deforestation's the next big contender, followed by a tie between transport (including planes, trains, whirlybird gyro-copters) and agriculture.

Of course, it's hard to imagine California naming all those planet-killing farmers.

California Sues Automakers Over Global Warming

Yes, it's the best Dell explosion yet, set amongst the idyllic splendor of Nevada's Lake Mead National Forest on July 13th, 2006. Rom Forqueran and Rob Riddle were on a macho man two-day fishing trip. Forqueran left his laptop in his truck, perched upon a make shift desk made up of boxes of ammo. Next thing you know...

"Flames were shooting about three feet out the window," the 62-year-old Forqueran said. "I ran to the driver's side door and the flames were rushing at me and the three boxes of bullets in the glove compartment. It was extremely accelerated. It was like someone was firing napalm."

So why are Dell's laptop batteries exploding in a fiery hell storm of bullets and razor sharp metal? It's because Dell isn't using a thermometer that automatically shuts down the computer when the battery gets too hot. "As the temperature rises, the conductors and plates buckle because they have no room to expand..." said Ronald Riley of the Professional Inventors Alliance USA. Then boom. Hell, even my MacBook Pro doesn't get that hot.

"Exploding" Dell Laptop Destroys Truck, Imperils Outdoorsmen [Consumer Affairs]

Pictures inside, along with the letter Thomas wrote the National Park Services.

7/21/06
Statement to;
National Park service
601 Nevada way
Boulder City, Nevada 89005

on 7/13 about 1 PM while getting ready to load up our camping gear @ Gregs Hideout My truck (a family heirloom, ) burst into flames. 3 minutes previously my companion had just put a towel, T-shirt and tobacco can on the seat . All was well (He later said he heard a "popping" noise) then I smelt smoke looked up and flames were shooting out the passenger side window, I ran opened drivers door and saw flames shooting from my Dell laptop already engulfing passenger side and rushing towards me and the 3 boxes of "ammo" in the glove box. I just barley got "ducked down behind my quad when they started going off, and then the gas tanks began exploding.

The truck had aside from "laptop" GPS, metal detector ,cell phone ,wallet, camera, Winchester and other expensive toys inside .

It took 8 hrs. in 110 degree weather to get a tow truck there ($500 )

Only saving grace was park ranger Brandon Marsmaker who made an extra 1 hr round boat trip to bring ice water. my fishing buddy suffered heat exhaustion and dizziness all day. I had only a few scrapes and minor burns.

I can never replace "Grandpa's truck" or all the hours of fun at the "Route 66 Fun Runs" or the daily compliments on my "fine " truck (Grandpa bought it new and kept it that way).

Thomas

After thirty years with a company, it's always nice to have your shafting quickly followed by a twist of the corkscrew rigidly standing from your behind.

When Ford downsized last January, Michael Stawasz, an employee of over thirty years, was one of the guys canned. Stawasz argues that he was fired precisely because he was an employee of nearly three decades... mere months away from being able to cash in on the sizable full benefits and pension of a long term Ford employee.

Then he received the above plaque by mail, in which the president of Ford heartily congratulated him for thirty years of service. The package also contained numerous plastic rings, allowing Stawasz to size himself for the massive loop of Ford-emblemed bling that is the reward for all workers who spend most of their lives toiling in dedication to the company.

Of course, he was still fired. It was all just one further 'fuck you' from Ford for a job well done!

Is Ford's parting gift to ex-workers 'cruel joke'? [Detroit News]

comment on this post

While many companies seem to do the right thing and respond to these criticisms with a clear, concise, non-political message, a lot of companies seem to panic. For example, Ford responded to complaints that it was prejudiced against homosexuals by switching sides, outraging family values advocates. At the end of the day, Ford simply came across as looking hypocritical, where as other companies like Miller dialogued with those who were outraged and tried to reach compromises.

And listen to this:

Although [Wendy's] hamburger chain's PAC has given 93% of its campaign contributions to Republicans over the past five years, it views itself as a "nonpolitical company" that does not take positions on controversial issues, says spokesman Denny Lynch: "We serve customers on both sides of the aisle." Wendy's backs winners, he says, and today those incumbents are mostly Republican. "We're not a red company," Lynch says. "If Democrats start winning, we'll move our money to Democrats. It's just business."

Isn't it refreshing to hear a corporation just straight out admit that it has no political values and is simply gaming the system? Paying the bribes where they're due!

Impromptu poll time. Have you ever boycotted a company for political reasons? What company was it? What were the reasons?: Let us know in the comments section.

Companies In The Crossfire [Business Week]

Mark Thornsby, ICA's executive director, cites the Fusion's "moldings, bumpers, mirrors and wipers that are securely attached, its smooth lines, and its lack of dirt-trapping indentations and crevices."

"We salute Ford for its design of a truly exemplary vehicle," he said.

Related: Fusion Not So Good in Crash Tests

[via Jalopnik] (Thanks to Clampants!)

On February 4, George Georgettis, an apparently mild-mannered performance arts theater manager, purchased a new SUV from a Miami Ford dealership. When he arrived home and checked the paperwork, he discovered the price was vastly higher than he agreed to on the lot. Feeling scammed, he took action. But rather than quietly seethe, blog about it or even complain to the Better Business Bureau, he crashed his new Ford Escape through the dealership's window, doused the SUV in gasoline and lit a match.

Witness Denise Cruz was standing near Georgettis when he started his arson. The next thing you heard was BOOM, and you saw flames all over the place, she said, as reported by CBS-4.

Eleven cars were destroyed in the conflagration, including an extra-special 'limited-edition' Ford GT worth $150,000.

This otherwise darkly comic tale of vigilante consumer activism turned tragic last night when the suspect allegedly committed suicide, hanging himself in the restroom of a flight from Washington to LA.

Note to Ford: live consumers make for better return customers.

Customer Torches Dealership [ CBS-4 ]

This ad is all over the place. For one thing, it's a car ad that shows people happily Rollerblading and riding the subway. Weird. The ad also flicks at the idea of fuel conservation (in that announcer's line "a car shouldn't just use energy"), but the car is not a hybrid and its fuel efficiency is just so-so.

The oddest part by far, though, is that the spot as it opens masquerades as an iPod ad. There's the iPod, clear as day. Center of the frame for several seconds. But this isn't an iPod ad at all. Why the misdirection?

"We're clearly going after the 25- to 35-year-olds," says Linda Perry-Lube, car communications manager for Ford. "And this plays into that generation's love of technology and their love of music. Also, the iPod is so iconic that people stop to watch the ad."

Yes. Because people think it's a new iPod ad. And iPod ads are often fresh and entertaining. When it turns out to be an ad for a midsize sedan, I imagine that people mostly lose interest.

The problem with abandoning any level of relevance to the actual product you're trying to sell in your advertisements is that the betrayed viewer immediately asks, "Hey Ford, as long as you were busy non-sequiturizing, why didn't you just go all the way and link the Ford Fusion with naked girls? Or naked girls holding iPods? Maybe they could be standing up through the sunroof, bouncing up and down." Which is a much better idea, and would definitely sell more cars. After all, everyone knows a nice looking car is never going to get you an iPod, but might just get you a shallow, superficial girl!

Still, Ford's advertising tactic is as pitiful as it is innovative. We at the Consumerist have never heard of any company trying to sell its product by advertising another. Anyone out there remember any similar ploys from different companies? Let us know in the comments.