My Mustang is dead...ask me anything

[Bombero1956]

Either my son or my daughter's boyfriend spun a bearing on my 1999 Mustang GT. To say I'm pissed off is a massive understatement. I have an extended service contract for the car but they're asking for a complete rundown of all the service that was done on the car and I didn't keep receipts for all the oil changes. They're also asking for an oil sample. I guess what I'm asking is how do I fight this?

[Xithras]

1. Have you taken their licenses yet?

My dad had a simple rule that I plan on applying to my own kids: "You can drive any car you've paid for yourself".

That said, you're going to have a hell of a time getting them to cover that damage. There's only three things that can cause a spun bearing in a car that new: 1) Natural mechanical failure (dead oil pump, etc). 2) Neglect (not getting your oil changes) 3) Abuse (over-revving).

If the car has lasted four years without any prior problems, proving #1 is going to be difficult. In my experience, you'll probably have to sue in order to get them to cover #2 or #3. Good luck

[ima_sinnic]

2. repair shops usually keep everything in their computer

. . . if you can remember the various places where you've gotten oil changes you can ask for copies of their records. small consolation, I know, I'm sorry for your trouble and hope it works out okay.

[Bombero1956]

3. I did some

of the oil changes myself. I took automech in school and felt that in light of the high cost of car maintenance it was about the only thing I could do myself beside tire rotation. At this time they're blaming each other. I blame myself and my wife for badgering me into letting them take the car. She at one point called me selfish because she was lending them her Toyota.

[Another Bill C.]

4. In a similar circumstance,

my sister-in-law told them that her ex-husband and her brother-in-law (me) did the oil changes in her driveway. They accepted that and she got a new engine. The truth was that she drove 47,000 miles without changing the oil.

[ProudGerman]

5. Next time, be selfish

My car is no 99 GT, but its still mine, and my ex-girlfriend never drove it. Anything that breaks on my car is broken because I broke it, and I like it that way.

Sounds to me like one of the two came across a Honda with a fart can exhaust, or were attempting a burn out to show off. That would be the examples I would have pulled if I had access to a car like that at that age. Which is why my kids will drive beat up Datsun station wagons, lol.

Other than raising a big stink I do see how you can get them to pay for this. If you really think about it, a car shouldn't break the first time its abused. If I were you, I'd check out this bulletin board if you aren't already a member. Lots of good members there.

http://forums.stangnet.com

[CanuckAmok]

6. Just don't go to Fordmuscle.com....

...it's Freeper City.

Good luck with that. I recently spun a bearing on a 302--it's not easy to do, so my feeling is that either your kids had been abusing it severely for an extended period, or it had a flaw.

Either way, I think ultimately you'll end up paying for this. Sorry to be less than encouraging, but Ford knows that all too many Mustangs end up being abused, and they've covered themselves accordingly.

[Bombero1956]

7. This car has 66,300 miles

I bought an extended warranty which is carried by API. The service writer told me that as a whole they're being shits about people filing claims. I drove that car for 60,000 miles and only this year had to cave in to pressure from the wife.