Missing, impossible?

I wonder if you can help. Last summer I bought a second-hand 2006/56 Ford Ranger Supercab from a dealer with the remainder of the three-year warranty. Before the warranty ran out one of the rear windows on the Supercab became loose and I duly took it to our Ford dealer to be fixed. They agreed to fix it under warranty but advised they would have to order the part. FIVE months later I was still waiting for the part and the car was now out of warranty. However they did eventually find the part (or so we thought) and they booked it into fix (under the original warranty claim). However the part was wrong and could not be fitted, and whilst the car was there they found a worrying rattle from the timing belt tensioner. "No problem" said the service team, "we will fix that under warranty as you have been waiting so long for your original repair". "OK," I said and they kept the car. Four weeks later they still have my car, no sign of the timing belt tensioner, with latest estimates being first week of February. They have also requested details of my extended warranty (with the AA) and I have since found out they are claiming for the tensioner and labour to fit, but not for the belt or Idler. The car originally went in on Dec 16th and it is no looking like early February before I will see it again. This is my only company car for a small building firm that I run. It is a commercial pick-up that is used daily for the running of my business. Why does Ford not carry what would appear to be a standard service part for the timing gear? What recourse do I have with Ford, where any complaint hits the Customer Service Team and then stops with the response "the parts are on Backorder, Sir"? Your help would be much appreciate if only highlighting to others the appalling stock of parts that Ford keeps for vehicles that are barely three years old and still in production.

Asked on 20 March 2010 by A.B., via e-mail

Answered by Honest John
There was a long strike at the Alliance factory near Rayong in Thailand that builds the Ford Ranger and the Mazda BT50. Made the news in Thailand. Didn’t reach the news in the UK.
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