2003 FORD MUSTANG Owners Manual

In the United States:
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship 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)
www.ford.com
In Canada:
Customer Relationship Centre
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited
P.O. Box 2000
Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4
1-800-565-3673 (FORD)
www.ford.ca
If you own a Lincoln vehicle and are away from
home when your vehicle needs service, or if you
need more help than the dealership could provide,
after following the steps described above, contact
the Ford Customer Relationship Center to find an
authorized dealership to help you.
In the United States:
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48121
1-800-521-4140
(TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-232-5952)
www.ford.com
In Canada:
Customer Relationship Centre
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited
P.O. Box 2000
Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4
1-800-565-3673 (FORD)
www.ford.ca
Customer Assistance
177

In order to help you service your Ford or Lincoln
Mercury vehicle, please have the following
information available when contacting a Customer
Relationship Center:
•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.).
In some states (in the U.S.) you must directly notify
Ford in writing before pursuing remedies under your
state’s warranty laws. Ford is also allowed a final
repair attempt in some states.
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.
FORD 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
the following:
•Benefits during the warranty period depending on
the plan you purchase (such as: reimbursement
for rentals; coverage for certain maintenance and
wear items).
Customer Assistance
178

•Protection against covered repair costs after your
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty expires.
You may purchase Ford ESP from any participating
Ford and Lincoln Mercury and 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.
When you buy Ford ESP, you receive Peace-of-Mind
protection throughout the United States and Canada,
provided by a network of more than 5,000
participating Ford or 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, or visit the Ford ESP website at
www.ford-esp.com.
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 concerns as on Ford and Lincoln
Mercury cars and Ford and Lincoln Mercury light
Customer Assistance
179

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
•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
Customer Assistance
180

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. Some
states will require you to use certified mail, with
return receipt requested.
Your application is reviewed and, if it is determined
to be eligible, you will receive an acknowledgment
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 will then be asked to submit
statements.
To 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(s) 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.
Customer Assistance
181

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. An 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. Board review may be terminated at any
time by either party.
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 longer for the
Board to consider some cases.
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
Relationship Center at 1-800-392-3673 (Ford), TDD
Customer Assistance
182

for the hearing impaired: 1-800-232-5952 or by
writing to the Center at the following address:
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48121
UTILIZING 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
lengthy 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. For more information, without charge or
obligation, call your CAMVAP Provincial
Administrator directly at 1-800-207-0685.
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.
Customer Assistance
183

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 relationship 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.
If 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) 390-0804
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.
ORDERING ADDITIONAL OWNER’S
LITERATURE
To order the publications in this portfolio, contact
Helm, Incorporated at:
Customer Assistance
184