Neal's Blog

So here are the Facts as of today, September 24, 2009:

We bought a Ford Freestyle in May of 2007.  We changed the oil and performed the routine maintenance according to the maintenance schedule.

July 2009 - Vehicle’s transmission light came on when starting it, vehicle died, restarted, light went off.

August 2009 – Vehicle’s transmission light came on when starting it, vehicle did not drive correctly until it was restarted.

September 2, 2009 – Brought the vehicle in for service, local Ford dealership could not get the vehicle to mess up; recommend bringing it back when it is messed up, without shutting it off. (I don’t fault them for this, they had good advice to bring it straight there)

September 18, 2009 – Vehicle’s transmission light came on when starting it; took it to the dealership for them to diagnose the problem

September 21, 2009 – Informed the bad part was the “Throttle Body” and that it was not covered under the 60k power train warranty.

September 23, 2009 – Talked to local dealership and told the part is NATIONALLY back ordered UNTIL DECEMBER 2009.

Praise to Ford for offering to:

• cover the cost of a rental car
• trying to expedite the part replacement
• cover all but $150 of the repair

Major Criticism to Ford for:

• Not covering a rental car for the entire time we are without our car. They will pay only up to $550, translation not much more than two weeks.
• Trying to expedite the replacement part – sounds good, but the millions of Freestyle owners having the same problem are probably being told the same thing?
• Not covering the cost of the entire repair.  This part was so poorly designed the supplier went out of business.  The new supplier is redesigning the part. I would call this a defective part. I was told because it is not a safety issue; there can’t be a recall on it. I understand that, but this same car had crappy brakes, and Ford extended the warranty for them, they could do the same.

More details:

• Ford has killed the Freestyle (which was renamed the Taurus-X for 2008 and 2009 models).  The 2010 line up does not include the Taurus-X, which has killed the resale/trade-in value. This problem leaves us up-side down in our payments if we wanted to try to replace this vehicle.
• This vehicle was our 6th (and our last) Ford between Jennifer and myself (others including Escort, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Explorer, & a F150).  None ever had any major problems and routine maintenance was done on all of them.
• While I appreciate what Ford has offered to do to help us, it is not enough when we are paying a $500 note for a vehicle to sit at the dealership and continue to depreciate for the next 3 months.
• Please feel free to share my experience with anyone you know.

Here are a few photos from Caden’s first game of his third season of Louisiana Tech Football!  He had a blast!

As of August 15, 2009 (through October 1, 2009), the Louisiana State Police will be stopping motorists and issuing warnings to violators to inform them of new changes to Louisiana highway safety laws.

Here are the new laws:

1. ACT 236 —  Makes it a criminal offense for driving with a suspended driver’s license due to a previous conviction for driving while intoxicated, vehicular manslaughter or vehicular negligent injuring.  Under the new law, a violator can now be physically arrested for driving under suspension if the suspension is the result of a DWI , vehicular manslaughter or vehicular negligent injuring conviction. Violators could face a minimum of 15 days in jail, with a possible maximum sentence of six months. This law is currently being enforced.
2. ACT 166 — Revises the current Seat Belt Law by requiring the driver and passengers seated in both the front and rear seats of vehicles to buckle-up. Violators are subject to fines of $25.00 for the first violation, $50.00 for a second violation, and $50.00 plus court cost for subsequent violations. The Louisiana Seat Belt Law is a primary offense law, meaning a law enforcement officer can stop and ticket a violator for that violation alone.
   
   
3. ACT 190 — Requires that any person operating a motor vehicle on a multi lane roadway in Louisiana must travel in the right lane and shall not drive in the left lane. If the motorist must travel in the left lane, it shall not be at a speed less than that of a vehicle traveling in the right lane. This is with the exception of vehicles preparing for a left turn at an intersection or private road or driveway, when passing another vehicle traveling the same direction, when the right lanes are congested, or when directed otherwise by law enforcement.
4. ACT 288 (Effective September 1, 2009)  – This revision increases the driver’s license suspension period for violators who refuse to submit to a chemical test when arrested for DWI. Under the revision, a person refusing to submit to a chemical test when arrested for DWI would now face a driver’s license suspension period of one year for the first refusal and two years for a second refusal within a five year period.
5. ACT 147 — Requires operators of a motor vehicle, when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, shall leave a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet and maintain that clearance until they safely past the bicycle.
6. ACT 175 — Revises and strengthens the current vehicle window tint laws, which currently exempts those with certain medical conditions from being required to have legal window tint on their vehicles. Under the new law, applicants for the exemption will need to have their physician provide a sworn affidavit to law enforcement outlining the specific medical condition and their necessity for darker than legal window tint. Only certain medical conditions designated by the World Health Organization will be recognized as valid reasons for exemption.

Troopers will be issuing warnings only for Acts 166, 147 and 190 through October 1, 2009. All other new legislation will be fully enforced on their effective dates.

Amazon now has a $5 deal on 50 different downloadable MP3 Albums!  A few of the artists include Marvin Gaye’s #1’s, James Taylor, Grateful Dead, Areosmith, Michael Franti, and Kenny Rogers.  A little something for everyone.

They still have a deal of the day, so check out their site if you are looking for new cheap music!

Enjoy!

Here are some Tax Day deals I’ve read about today. Not much for the Ruston area, but of you know of something else, feel free to comment! Enjoy!

Chick-fil-A
Visit a participating restaurant April 15 and hang onto your receipt. The “Tax Relief Day Special” lets you return before April 30 to receive the same order for free.

Cinnabon
Stop by Cinnabon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 15 for free cinnamon-roll bites (regularly $2.49 for four).

Jacuzzi
The Tax Relief Sale offers savings of up to $2,000 on select models purchased on or before April 15.

Kimpton Hotels
Through April 30, ask for the Sweet Tax Relief Package and the hotel will pay the tax on your room. (At the Sky Hotel is Aspen that saves you the 10% that would have been tacked onto the $187-per-night deluxe room.) Dine at a property’s restaurant, and they’ll pay the sales tax there, too.

Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery
On April 15, get one free scoop of ice cream.

McCormick & Schmick’s
On April 15, the chain offers a $10.40 menu of entrees. (Entrees regularly range from $16 to $33.) Each diner also receives a $10.40 “tax relief” gift certificate for a future meal.

PF Chang ’s China Bistro
Dine at one of P.F. Chang’s 130-plus restaurant locations across the country on April 15, and save 15% on the total bill.

Taco Del Mar
Sign up online to receive a coupon for a free taco (regularly $1.89) during the “Taxes Suck, Tacos Don’t” promotion April 15.

T.G.I. Friday’s
On April 15, diners receive a $5 gift card when they spend $15 to $25. They earn a $10 card for a purchase of more than $25.

Zazzle.com
Save 10.4% (it’s advertised as 10.40%) on all orders at this T-shirt and apparel web site using code TAXDAYZAZZLE at checkout. Offer only good on April 15.