Complaint Review: AutoFair Ford

On Tuesday, March 27th, 2007, my husband Bradley XXXXXX purchased a truck, a 2007 Ford Explorer Sports Track XLT Limited, from AutoFair Ford in Manchester NH. He drove out of the parking lot at 8:50 PM and was broken down on the side of Interstate 293 North at 9:05 PM. The truck began sounding like the truck had no oil and the lights on the dashboard began to flash he tried to pull over on the side of the road and the truck completely shut down, he had to struggle to get it off the highway. He tried to start the truck and it would not turn over. After 3 hours of being stranded on the side of the highway the safety hazard lights stopped working. He decided to leave the truck and go and find help. After being passed by by State troopers, sheriffs, and town police he finally got a ride by a young couple and a baby. They braught him as far as Hopkinton NH. Brad had no cell phone when he was on the side of the highway, but the couple let him use theirs and he called me at 12:30 AM and asked me to come and pick him up.

The following day, Wednesday, March 28th, 2007, After leaving messages when we returned home at 2:30 AM Travis Rowe, an associate from AutoFair Ford, returned Brad's phone call. He asked Brad what happened and assured Brad they would find out what was wrong with the truck and would put him in a rental car. I picked Brad up at his work at 12:30 PM on Wednesday afternoon and drove him to Manchester. When we got there they did not have a car for him and we had to drive to the Hertz car rental shop down the street from AutoFair Ford. An associate drove Brad down. When we got there, the associate that works for Hertz informed us that he could not rent a car without a credit card. The associate told him that AutoFair was paying for it and he said that did not matter. We then went back to AutoFair where Chris Baker tried to make it so Brad could get a car. After almost two hours of waiting Brad told them to call him when his truck was fixed. They said at the time it was a blown piston. Someone forgot to put antifreeze in the radiator. They said they would fix this problem right away so we left without a rent a car.

On Thursday, March 29th, 2007, Brad called AutoFair and spoke to Travis. Travis informed Brad that the truck now needed a whole new motor. He also told Brad that he would have a rent a car delivered to his work at the Bradford Lumber Barn, in Bradford, NH by noon. He did not get a car by noon and noone called him all day. When he got home from work, he called them and spoke to Ashlee Cantin, another associate for AutoFair Ford, she confirmed Travis Rowe's early phone call about the truck needing a new motor. She also assured him he would have a rental deliverd to his work by noon on Saturday, March 31st, 2007.

Brad called back to try and get more information on how long it was going to take to get the truck fixed and he spoke to Gil Martinez, another associate for AutoFair Ford. Gil informed Brad that they could no longer finance that particular truck. He said he was no longer approved for that vehicle. Brad has the temporary registration to the truck, but they are saying the truck is not his. He asked them if they were going to come get it in a week if this had not happened. They said this sort of thing happens all the time with banks, they just change their minds.

Here it is Sunday, April 1st, 2007, and we have heard nothing from the dealership.

Brad spent more than four hours on the highway in all, he was approached by the Hopkinton police because someone saw him walking towards the store at 1:00 AM and called the police. He has had to hitchhike to work, he has lost a days pay in all, and he has emotionally been through hell. I feel that AutoFair Ford should give him a new truck, the same as the one he had and let him get back to his life, he has nothing to drive at all now because he used his old car as a trade in and he can't even get that back.

(Last name redacted)

Katy
Bradford, New Hampshire
U.S.A.