Consumer Rights

[cobalto]

Hi All,

I bought early in June a Ford Escape V6. After some weeks of use I noticed that it was pulling to the right (a lot)!

I know that the Escape has some (not much) torque-steer, but this is not the case... If I accelerate the car, put in Neutral and let it go, it will slowly turn the steering wheel to the right. It happens faster if I pass a bumper or anything that makes the suspension bounce.

I have been to the Service Center already 7 times! Look at the history of my visits (Khun Ann is the sales lady):

1) 04/July - 800km - Visited Ford Lardprao and they said my front-right suspension was out-of-spec and needed to be replaced, but they did not have the part in stock.

2) 17/July - 1000km - I returned the car to the service center in order to replace that part. No success in solving the problem.

3) 19/July - 1050km - As the problem persisted, I went again to their service center. Again no success.

4) 23/July - 1200km - After following Khun Ann's instruction, the car was left at Ford Lardprao but still unsolved.

5) 31/July - 1400km - As per Khun Ann and Ford HO request, I left the car at Ford Sukhumvit for 1 week. Problem still unsolved.

6) 06/July - 1700km - Went to test drive the car but the problem persisted. Khun Ann and Ford's Technician were in the car when I demonstrated the problem.

7) 09/August - 1800km - Khun Ann, her Manager and the Technician came to my office to test the car, again I showed to them the problem and compared, in the same road, with my Honda, which does not have the same behavior. So it's more than clear to everyone that it is a car's problem, not road's.

Notice that since I bought the car, half of my usage have been vising Ford Service center every week and, worst, I did not had the car for the past 2 weeks (so far Ford Sukhumvit has used 400km to test it)!

Also notice that 33% of my warranty period (1000km out of 3000km) is trying to solve the problem since it has been first diagnosed.

Turns out that the car is a "Lemon"...

Yesterday I told the lady to take the car back and only return to me when it is really fixed.

I am planning to return the car to them and get my money back... Do you guys think Thailand has any consumer's right law that would back me up?

Thanks!

[Crossy]

I wish you luck! Thai consumer law is archaic.

Outside the US few countries have a 'lemon' law as such so I doubt you'll get your money back, but we can hope and it's certainly worth a try. My dad actually got a refund on a new Fiesta a few years back (in the UK) but that was only because the salesman lied and sold him last years model as being current.

Have you checked the tyre pressures? Swap the front wheels left to right / right to left and see if the pull reverses (tyre/wheel problem). I know these are things that you'd expect the garage to check, but we are in Thailand, I have to put my tyre pressures right every time I get my Ranger back from the Ford place on Chaeng Wattana.

[britmaveric]

[Losangels]

This reminded me of the incident a year or so ago when a lady bought a brand new Honda CRV from the dealer that continued to have problems eventhough she took it back numerous time to have it fix.

In the end she ended up smashing the windshields for the public to witness the substandard car.

I think the company reluctanly gave her the money back because of the bad publicity.

Consumers have few rights here in Thailand, once you bought a product or service its Sayonara, don't want to hear or see you again