Dealer Letter

December 9, 1992

To: All Lincoln-Mercury Dealers

Subject:
Mercury Villager Safety Recall Campaign (92S60)

As announced to you recently by Ford Parts and Service Division, the Villager is involved in a safety recall campaign for replacement of the fuel filler hose on affected units. Customer reaction to this recall notification is critical due to the master cylinder and seat belt campaigns announced just 2-1/2 months ago. All owners affected by the earlier campaigns will be involved in the fuel filler hose program. It is imperative that we work together to ensure a positive service experience for all owners.

The number of affected owners for the fuel filler hose campaign is five times greater than the owner universe for the earlier recalls. Despite this increase in exposure, the Division will again execute a "velvet glove" program to maximize customer convenience. Specifically, the Division will reimburse dealers $85 for each 92S60 campaign performed on sold units with a sale date of December 24 or earlier (this will allow sufficient parts ordering time to ensure that units sold after December 24 will have a replacement fuel filler hose). This reimbursement is intended to cover expenses for pick-up/delivery of the owner's Villager and the loan of a courtesy vehicle. Dealer payment will be triggered upon submission of an 1864 claim for the recall campaign.

Your commitment to the "velvet glove" program, through internal initiatives such as priority scheduling for each owner's service work and returning all Villager's washed and gassed, is key to maintaining the goodwill of our Villager owners. Current owner enthusiasm for Villager as evidenced in the Initial Buyer's Survey is worthy of repeating:
^ 92% of surveyed owners responded that they were either "Completely Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with their vehicle.
^ 93% said their Villager was either the "Best vehicle they ever owned" or "One of the best vehicles they ever owned".
^ 99% said they would "Recommend Villager to others".

The customer satisfaction actions discussed herein effectively respond to the fuel filler hose campaign. However, let me also assure you that every possible action continues to go into the entire production process to ensure that Villager represents Best-In-Class quality.

Thank you in advance for your support of these customer satisfaction efforts.