I am writing this letter today to address a very aggravating and concerning situation that I've been dealing with for a couple of weeks now. Let me preface by saying that I have been a loyal Ford customer for many years and currently drive a Ford truck in addition to the vehicle that will be discussed below. I'm simply looking for a fair resolution.
My car, 2014 Ford Fiesta ST w/ 27,000 miles, was recently involved in an accident where I believe with great confidence that a manufacturer defect is to blame. I was parked on the street of a co-worker's house (with the parking brake fully engaged) and over the course of roughly 2 hours it managed to disengage and roll down the hill, striking another vehicle (fortunately nobody was injured). As per my insurance company, the damages are over $9,000 and potentially even higher. I believe the car should be totaled and that Ford should be required to pay off the lien or provide a replacement vehicle. If there is already nearly $10,000 in damage in addition to the fact that I don't know if the factory parking brake is even competent to function properly, I believe I'm justified in my thought process. At this point, my confidence to operate it safely and without fearing that I'm putting my life, my child's life, or others in danger is completely tarnished. I have tried reaching out to Ford customer service and they continuously tell me to talk to my insurance company, who turns around and tells me to talk to Ford. This is unacceptable on both sides, Geico as well as Ford.
Not only will I feel unsafe driving this vehicle once it is "repaired", but my insurance premium is going to be taking a hit and the value of a wrecked vehicle is horrendous if I were to ever be in a position where I wanted to trade it in for a new model, etc. In researching, I have read multiple instances of similar damage where the repairs were not done properly and problems persist, whether it's a vibrating steering wheel at higher driving speeds or misaligned tires, causing additional expenses when I have to buy new tires much more frequently than I should have to. If I were at fault, then I would understand that the onus is on me, but this was a situation completely out of my control. I did my part to park safely, as I've done thousands of times before, only to be completely let down.
Timeline of Accident : 8/31/15
5:45pm - I arrived at a co-worker's to do some interior maintenance/re-modeling work. I had been at this house several times and parked in the exact location several times in the same car.
6:30pm - co-worker's husband arrived home from work and everything was still fine outside with my car.
7:20pm - the police officer whose car mine collided with arrived home and parked. Still no issues at this point.
7:40pm - neighbor knocks on the door and asks "Who owns the blue car?" I overheard, so I went outside thinking someone had hit my car or damaged it in some way. To my surprise, it had rolled down the hill in the neighborhood (forward) into the back of a Chevy Tahoe Police cruiser. The officer was the first one on site and verified immediately that he did see the parking brake pulled up, and in his affidavit, fully engaged.
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I am writing this letter today to address a very aggravating and concerning situation that I've been dealing with for a couple of weeks now. Let me preface by saying that I have been a loyal Ford customer for many years and currently drive a Ford truck in addition to the vehicle that will be discussed below. I'm simply looking for a fair resolution.
My car, 2014 Ford Fiesta ST w/ 27,000 miles, was recently involved in an accident where I believe with great confidence that a manufacturer defect is to blame. I was parked on the street of a co-worker's house (with the parking brake fully engaged) and over the course of roughly 2 hours it managed to disengage and roll down the hill, striking another vehicle (fortunately nobody was injured). As per my insurance company, the damages are over $9,000 and potentially even higher. I believe the car should be totaled and that Ford should be required to pay off the lien or provide a replacement vehicle. If there is already nearly $10,000 in damage in addition to the fact that I don't know if the factory parking brake is even competent to function properly, I believe I'm justified in my thought process. At this point, my confidence to operate it safely and without fearing that I'm putting my life, my child's life, or others in danger is completely tarnished. I have tried reaching out to Ford customer service and they continuously tell me to talk to my insurance company, who turns around and tells me to talk to Ford. This is unacceptable on both sides, Geico as well as Ford.
Not only will I feel unsafe driving this vehicle once it is "repaired", but my insurance premium is going to be taking a hit and the value of a wrecked vehicle is horrendous if I were to ever be in a position where I wanted to trade it in for a new model, etc. In researching, I have read multiple instances of similar damage where the repairs were not done properly and problems persist, whether it's a vibrating steering wheel at higher driving speeds or misaligned tires, causing additional expenses when I have to buy new tires much more frequently than I should have to. If I were at fault, then I would understand that the onus is on me, but this was a situation completely out of my control. I did my part to park safely, as I've done thousands of times before, only to be completely let down.
Timeline of Accident : 8/31/15 5:45pm - I arrived at a co-worker's to do some interior maintenance/re-modeling work. I had been at this house several times and parked in the exact location several times in the same car. 6:30pm - co-worker's husband arrived home from work and everything was still fine outside with my car. 7:20pm - the police officer whose car mine collided with arrived home and parked. Still no issues at this point. 7:40pm - neighbor knocks on the door and asks "Who owns the blue car?" I overheard, so I went outside thinking someone had hit my car or damaged it in some way. To my surprise, it had rolled down the hill in the neighborhood (forward) into the back of a Chevy Tahoe Police cruiser. The officer was the first one on site and verified immediately that he did see the parking brake pulled up, and in his affidavit, fully engaged.
- Luke V., Greenville, SC, US