2000 FORD CONTOUR service

Customer assistance
229 GETTING ROADSIDE
ASSISTANCE
To fully assist you should you have
a vehicle concern, Ford offers a
complimentary roadside assistance
program. This program is separate
from the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. The service is available:
• 24-hours, seven days a week
• for the Basic warranty period
(Canada) or New Vehicle Limited
Warranty period (U.S.) of three
years or 60,000 km (36,000 miles),
whichever comes first on Ford and
Mercury vehicles, and four years or
80,000 km (50,000 miles) on
Lincoln vehicles.
In the United States, you may
purchase additional roadside
assistance coverage beyond this
period through the Ford Auto Club
by contacting your Ford or Lincoln-
Mercury dealer.
• Roadside assistance will cover
• changing a flat tire
• jump-starts
• lock-out assistance
• fuel delivery
towing to the nearest Ford of
Canada or Ford Motor Company
dealership, or towing to your
selling dealership if within 56 km
(35 miles). Even non-warranty
related tows, like accidents or
getting stuck in the mud or snow,
are covered (some exclusions
apply, such as impound towing or
repossession).Using roadside assistance
Complete the roadside assistance
identification card and place it in
your wallet for quick reference. In
the United States, this card is
found in the Owner Guide portfolio
in the glove compartment in Ford
vehicles and is mailed to you if you
own a Mercury or Lincoln. In
Canada, it's found in the Roadside
Assistance book in the glove
compartment.
To receive roadside assistance in
the United States for Ford or
Mercury vehicles, call
1-800-241-3673 or if you own a
Lincoln vehicle, call
1-800-521-4140. In Canada call
1-800-665-2006.
Should you need to arrange
assistance for yourself, Ford will
reimburse a reasonable amount. To
obtain information about
reimbursement, call
1-800-241-3673 in the United
States for Ford or Mercury
vehicles; or if you own a Lincoln
vehicle, call 1-800-521-4140.
Call 1-800-665-2006 in Canada.
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Customer assistance
230Ford extended service plan
You can get more protection for
your new car or light truck by
purchasing Ford Extended Service
Plan (Ford ESP) coverage. Ford
ESP is an optional service contract
which is backed by Ford Motor
Company or Ford Motor Service
Company (in the U.S.) and Ford of
Canada (in Canada). It provides:
• Protection against repair costs
after your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty period expires
and
• other benefits during the
warranty period (such as
reimbursement for rentals and
towing).
You may purchase Ford ESP from
any participating Ford or Lincoln-
Mercury or Ford of Canada dealer.
There are several plans available in
various time, distance and
deductible combinations which can
be tailored to fit your own driving
needs. Ford ESP also offers
reimbursement benefits for towing
and rental coverage. (In Hawaii,
rules vary. See your dealer for
details.)
When you buy Ford ESP you
receive Peace-of-Mind protection
throughout the United States and
Canada, provided by a network of
more than 5,200 participating Ford,
Lincoln-Mercury and Ford of
Canada dealers.If you did not take advantage of the
Ford Extended Service Plan at the
time of purchasing your vehicle,
you may still be eligible. Please
contact your dealer for further
information. Since this information
is subject to change, please ask
your dealer for complete details
about Ford Extended Service Plan
coverage options.
Also, please be aware that some
dealers offer service contracts that
are not backed by Ford Motor
Company or Ford of Canada. On
the surface, many independent
plans appear to be like Ford's. The
problem is that they can often
require the use of non-factory
approved parts and have much
more complex and restrictive
claims coverage terms than Ford.
At Ford Motor Company and Ford
of Canada, we are dedicated to
providing Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury vehicle owners with
programs that will enhance your
ownership experience and protect
you from unexpected repair bills.
Genuine Ford ESP is the only
Extended Service Plan that enables
us to provide that service.
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Customer assistance
231 Getting the service you need
At home
Ford Motor Company and Ford of
Canada have authorized
dealerships to service your vehicle.
When you need warranty repairs
your selling dealer would like you
to return to it for that service, but
you may also take your vehicle to
another Ford Motor Company
dealership authorized for warranty
repairs. Certain warranty repairs
require special training though, so
not all dealers are authorized to
perform all warranty repairs. That
means that depending on the
warranty repair needed, the vehicle
may need to be taken to another
dealer. If a particular dealership
can not assist you, then contact the
Customer Assistance Center.
If you are not satisfied with the
service you receive at the
dealership, speak with the service
manager. If you are still not
satisfied, speak with the owner or
general manager of the dealership.
In most cases, your concern will be
resolved at this level.
Ford Motor Company and Ford of
Canada dealerships also carry
genuine Ford parts and
accessories, providing you with
original equipment reliability.Away from home
If you are away from home when
your vehicle needs service, or if
you need more help than the
dealership could provide, contact
the Ford Customer Assistance
Center to find an authorized
dealership to help you in the
United States
Ford Motor Company
Customer Assistance Center
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48121
1-800-392-3673 (FORD)
(TDD for the hearing impaired:
1-800-232-5952)
In Canada:
Customer Assistance Centre
Ford Motor Company of Canada,
Limited
P.O. Box 2000
Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4
1-800-565-3673 (FORD)
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Customer assistance
232Please have the following
information available when
contacting Ford Customer
Assistance:
• Your telephone number (home
and business)
• The name of the dealer and the
city where the dealership is located
• The year and make of your
vehicle
• The date of vehicle purchase
• The current odometer reading
• The vehicle identification
number (VIN)
If you still have a complaint
involving a warranty dispute, you
may wish to contact the Dispute
Settlement Board (U.S.) or the
Mediation/Arbitration Program
(Canada).
In the United States, 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 (U.S. ONLY)
The Dispute Settlement Board is
• an independent, third-party
arbitration program for warranty
disputes
• available 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 per applicable state law.
What kinds of cases does the
Board review?
Unresolved warranty repair
concerns or vehicle performance as
designed concerns on Ford,
Mercury and Lincoln cars and Ford
or Mercury light trucks which are
within the terms of any applicable
written new vehicle warranty are
eligible for review, except those
involving:
• a non-Ford product
• a non-Ford dealership
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Customer assistance
233 • sales disputes between customer
and dealer except those associated
with warranty repairs or concerns
with the vehicle's performance as
designed
• a request for reimbursement of
consequential expenses unless a
service or product concern is being
reviewed
• items not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty
(including maintenance and wear
items)
• alleged personal injury/property
damage claims
• cases currently in litigation
• vehicles not used primarily for
family, personal or household
purposes (except in states where
the Dispute Settlement Board is
required to review commercial
vehicles).
• vehicles with non-U.S.
warranties
Concerns are ineligible for review if
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty
has expired at receipt of your
application and in certain states
eligibility is dependent upon the
customer's possession of the
vehicle.
Eligibility may differ according to
state law. For example see the
unique brochures for California,
West Virginia, Georgia and
Wisconsin purchasers/lessees.Board membership
The Board consists of:
• three consumer representatives
• a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealership representative
Consumer candidates for Board
membership are recruited and
trained by an independent
consulting firm. The dealership
Board member is chosen from Ford
and Lincoln-Mercury dealership
management, recognized for 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 acknowledgement
indicating:
• the file number assigned to your
application
• the 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.
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Customer assistance
234To properly review your case, the
Board needs the following
information:
• legible copies of all documents
and maintenance or repair orders
relevant to the case
• the year, make, model, and
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) listed on your vehicle
ownership license
• the date of repair(s) and mileage
at the time of occurrence(s)
• the current mileage
• the name of the dealer who sold
or serviced the vehicle
• a brief description of your
unresolved concern
• a brief summary of the action
taken by the dealer(s) and Ford
Motor Company
• the names (if known) of all the
people you contacted at the
dealership(s)
• a description of the action you
expect to resolve your concern
• You will receive a letter of
explanation if your application does
not qualify for Board review.Oral presentations
If you would like to make an oral
presentation indicate YES to
question #6 on the application.
While it is your right to make an
oral presentation before the Board,
this is not a requirement and the
Board will decide the case whether
or not an oral presentation is made.
Oral presentation may be
requested by the Board as well.
Making a decision
Board members review all available
information related to each
complaint, including oral
presentations, and arrive at a fair
and impartial decision.
Every effort is made to decide the
case within 40 days of the date that
all requested information is
received by the Board. Since the
Board generally meets once a
month, it may take more than a
month before the Board can
consider some cases.
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Customer assistance
235 After a case is reviewed, the Board
mails you a decision letter and a
form on which to accept or reject
the Board's decision. The decisions
of the Board are binding on Ford
(and, in some cases, on the dealer)
but not on consumers who are free
to pursue other remedies available
to them under state or federal law.
To request a DSB
brochure/application
For a brochure/application, speak
to your dealer or write/call to the
Board at the following
address/phone number:
Dispute Settlement Board
P.O. Box 5120
Southfield, MI 48086-5120
1-800-428-3718
You may also contact the North
American Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-392-3673 (Ford).
TDD for the hearing impaired:
1-800-232-5952 or by writing to the
Center at the following address:
Ford Motor Company
Customer Assistance Center
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48121UTILIZING THE
MEDIATION/ARBITRATION
PROGRAM (CANADA ONLY)
In those cases where you continue
to feel that the efforts by Ford and
the dealer to resolve a factory-
related vehicle service concern
have been unsatisfactory, Ford of
Canada participates in an impartial
third party mediation/arbitration
program administered by the
Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration
Plan (CAMVAP). The CAMVAP
program is a straight forward and
relatively speedy alternative to
resolve a disagreement when all
other efforts to produce a
settlement have failed. This
procedure is without cost to you
and is designed to eliminate the
need for lenghty and expensive
legal proceedings. In the CAMVAP
program, impartial third party
arbitrators conduct hearings at
mutually convenient times and
places in an informal environment.
These impartial arbitrators review
the positions of the parties, make
decisions and, when appropriate,
render awards to resolve disputes.
CAMVAP decisions are fast, fair,
and final, the arbitrator’s award is
binding both to you and Ford of
Canada. CAMVAP services are
available in all territories and
provinces, except Quebec. For
more information, without charge
or obligation, call your CAMVAP
Provincial Administrator directly at
1 800-207-0685.
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Customer assistance
236If your vehicle must be serviced
while you are traveling or living in
Central or South America, the
Caribbean, or the Middle East,
contact the nearest Ford
dealership. If the dealership cannot
help you, write or call:
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
WORLDWIDE DIRECT MARKET
OPERATIONS
1555 Fairlane Drive
Fairlane Business Park #3
Allen Park, Michigan 48101
U.S.A.
Telephone: (313) 594-4857
FAX: (313) 390-9804
If you are in another foreign
country, contact the nearest Ford
dealership. If the dealership
employees cannot help you, they
can direct you to the nearest Ford
affiliate office.
If you buy your vehicle in North
America and then relocate outside
of the U.S. or Canada, register your
vehicle identification number
(VIN) and new address with Ford
Motor Company Worldwide Direct
Market Operations. GETTING ASSISTANCE
OUTSIDE THE U.S. AND
CANADA
Before exporting your vehicle to a
foreign country, contact the
appropriate foreign embassy or
consulate. These officials can
inform you of local vehicle
registration regulations and where
to find unleaded fuel.
If you cannot find unleaded fuel or
can only get fuel with an anti-knock
index lower than is recommended
for your vehicle, contact a district
or owner relations/customer
assistance office.
The use of leaded fuel in your
vehicle without proper conversion
may damage the effectiveness of
your emission control system and
may cause engine knocking or
serious engine damage. Ford Motor
Company/Ford of Canada is not
responsible for any damage caused
by use of improper fuel.
In the United States, using leaded
fuel may also result in difficulty
importing your vehicle back into
the U.S.
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