Ford Contour (2000 year). Manual - part 58

Customer assistance

230

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:

• 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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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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Please 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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• 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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