Star News — Ford Ranger From Hell

I bought my Ranger as a demo from CMH Hatfield on the 08/02/2012. The ford went for all its scheduled services and have done 83 230km to date. My problems began in September 2013 when the ford left me next to the road close to Brits. The engine just cut out. There was no warning from the heat gauge indicating that the ford was over heating, I was towed into Ford Brits. The mechanic opened the fords bonnet and immediately said that the engine have seized due to overheating, and show me where a rat have eaten a hole in a water pipe. My response was the why did the heat indicator in the ford stay on normal and why did the engine not cut out before overheating. His response was it is because the rat bit the pipe (very professional).Ford Brits quoted me R 50 000.00 to replace the fords engine. I complained to Ford SA but response I received was the fact that the rat bit the pipe made it my fault. I have never denied the fact but where I differ from them is the fords engine never indicated that it was overheating, and that was my argument which they did not want to even look at. My ford was at ford Brits for 4 months being repaired, and no new engine replacement was done, but a recondition engine installed on my ford. Will give reason of knowledge of that Ford Brits replaced the engine; they called me on the 10/10/2013 to ask for my present e-natis and ID document to register the "new" engine. HAHAHA the same happened to their mechanic when he took the ford for a test drive. The engine overheated and seized, the same happened to them like what happened to me; the heat gauge did not indicate that the engine was overheating. They called me and said to me that I will have my vehicle in 3 weeks time because they have to replace the engine. I have managed to obtain the job cards from Ford Brits, and have discovered that they never replaced the second engine, it was repaired and never replaced, one more lie from ford. I did some shopping around before this happened, and found a engine in Johannesburg for R 40 000.00, I called them and they said they will only ask me R 20 000.00 for the replacement. That was done and they told me they had to replace the turbo on each occasion. That was Turbo no 3. After I received my ford back from Brits I had to have it towed in after fetching it from the dealer because it just died on me on the way home. The vehicle was taken back on 4 occasions, to sort oil leaks, and a terrible noise that came from the turbo. During September 2014 we had to go to Port Alfred. My ford went into ford Brits for a service (75 000) and to have the turbo replaced. They replaced the turbo in July 2014. While driving to Port Alfred the turbo broke. My ford was towed into the dealer in Port Alfred. There the mechanic took of the turbo and showed me my wife and two children 17/18 and to ford employees the bad workmanship done by ford Brits. A paper seal was used for a washer and he discovered a loose steel nut inside the turbo. The whole turbo was full of oil. I did request a report to be sent to my email (that was never done, because the workshop manager Charl did not see the reason why he must report what was discovered). While they were testing the rest of the engine Charl asked me if I bought a used Ranger, my reply was no, I bought a new ranger of the floor at CMH Hatfield. He said that the computer on my vehicle have never been reset since the replacement of the first engine. He said that the engine indicated that the vehicle was registered to a Mrs. Mhlanga. That was the 6th of October 2014. I feel that I have been lied to cheated out of money and have been treated like a scumbag and this because of a heat censor that did not indicate that the engine is busy overheating. So who is to blame for this? This letter was mailed to Ford on the 11th of May 2015. I have managed to get a mail from Ford Port Alfred confirming the fraud committed by Ford Brits. The Ranger has been at Ford Hatfield for nearly a month, the replaced the gearbox. As state before, I have all the job cards, and there is warranty claims fraudulently done by Ford Brits, for example Ford Brits claimed a Roll-bar and Torque cover, and I have proof on my purchase contract that I had all this installed on the Ranger when I bought it. So why claim for something that the vehicle already had? The list goes on and on, at this stage the Ranger has had replaced: (3) Engines, It`s second gearbox, 5th Turbo. The right back window motor has been replaced 3 times. After the last major repairs/replacements done by Ford, I came to the conclusion, this Ranger will never be in a good mechanical state, and I will never have trust in it, to undertake a road trip to Cape Town, because it will not get there, due to mechanical failure. The latest in the saga is Ford does not want to admit there is a problem, and they have offered a laughable amount of R 30 000.00 towards my trade-in if I bought a NEW Ranger, to compensate me for the nightmare I bought fully trusting Ford. The problem is I can’t afford a new Ranger (Auto), and they only want to compensate me if I buy a new vehicle, so I can’t, I lose any compensation from Ford, is that not discrimination? All I am asking is to have my vehicle replaced, with an automatic (due to my 82% whole body impaired, paralyses on my left side). I have documented proof of everything; please help me to rectify this problem as a consumer.