²the vehicle identification number (VIN) listed on your vehicle
ownership license
If you still have a complaint involving a warranty dispute, you may wish
to contact the Dispute Settlement Board.
A warranty dispute must be submitted to the Dispute Settlement Board
before taking action under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, or to the
extent allowed by state law, before pursuing replacement or repurchase
remedies provided by certain state laws. This dispute handling procedure
is not required prior to enforcing state created rights or other rights
which are independent of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or state
replacement or repurchase laws.
THE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BOARD
The Dispute Settlement Board is:
²an independent, third-party arbitration program for warranty disputes
²available free to owners and lessees of qualifying Ford Motor Company
vehicles
The Dispute Settlement Board may not be available in all states. Ford
Motor Company reserves the right to change eligibility limitations, modify
procedures and/or to discontinue this service without notice and without
incurring obligations.
What kinds of cases does the Board review?
Unresolved service or product performance complaints on Ford, Mercury
and Lincoln cars and Ford and Mercury light trucks which are within the
terms of any applicable written new vehicle warranty are eligible for
review, except those involving:
²a non-Ford product
²a non-Ford dealership
²a vehicle sales transaction
²request for reimbursement of consequential expenses. Expenses
incidental to the warranty complaint being reviewed are eligible for
consideration
²items not covered by the new vehicle limited warranty
²items covered by a service contract
²alleged liability claims
Contacting the dispute settlement board
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²property damage where the damage is significant when compared to
the economic loss alleged under the warranty dispute
²cases currently in litigation
²vehicles not used primarily for family, personal or household purposes
(except in states where the Dispute Settlement Board is required to
review commercial vehicles)
²vehicles which are no longer in the customer's possession
Complaints involving vehicles on which applicable new vehicle limited
warranties have expired at receipt of your application are not eligible.
Eligibility may differ according to state law. For example, see the unique
brochures for California and Wisconsin purchasers/lessees.
Board membership
The Board consists of:
²three consumer representatives
²a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealer
Consumer candidates for Board membership are recruited and trained by
an independent consulting firm. Dealers are chosen because of their
business leadership qualities.
What the Board needs
To have your case reviewed you must complete the application in the
DSB brochure and mail it to the address provided on the application
form.
Your application is reviewed and, if it is determined to be eligible, you
will receive an acknowledgment indicating:
²the file number assigned to your application
²the toll-free phone number of the DSB's independent administrator
Your dealership and a Ford Motor Company representative are asked to
submit statements at this time.
To properly review your case, the Board needs the following information:
²legible copies of all documents and maintenance or repair orders
relevant to the case
²the year, make, model, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) listed
on your vehicle ownership license
²the date of repair(s) and mileage at the time of occurrence(s)
The Dispute Settlement Board
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