It's not that the car was a broken-down junker, or a flashy hot rod. Actually, it's a sensible Ford Escape SUV. But over the past few weeks, Hill has morphed the vehicle into a mobile campaign against Bill Pierre Ford of Lake City, and Starbucks wanted no part of it.
Hill, a handsome guy with short black hair and a crisp black T-shirt, moved here from Florida two years ago to look for a job in digital media (until he finds his dream job, or launches his electronica record label, he's doing freelance web design and working at places like Starbucks). Last year, he bought a new 2002 Ford Escape from Bill Pierre Ford. In April, 2003, Hill started having repeated trouble with the car. He wants the dealership to take it back, but the company has refused, so Hill's launched a crusade. "My friends think I'm out of my tree," he admits.
You might think so too, if you've seen his midnight blue Escape, with a yellow plastic bag blown up like a lemon tied to the top, and slogans written in white on all four sides of the car (like, "Hey Bill Pierre, this means war!") along with his web address, www.bewarepierre.com. Hill's also hung a clipboard on the side of the car, so he can gather signatures from folks who hear about his "shameful treatment" at the hands of the Pierre empire. He's got 150 names so far, and has heard plenty of stories from other folks who aren't fans of Bill Pierre's multiple auto dealerships. Better Business Bureau records, however, indicate that Bill Pierre Ford doesn't have an unusual number of complaints, and all recent complaints have been resolved.
Hill plans to keep up the crusade until Bill Pierre Ford agrees to take back his Escape (a smaller version of the ubiquitous Explorer SUV), which Hill says has been nothing but trouble. A sign taped to the inside of the car's window details the problems: A defective alternator, master brake cylinder cap, and coolant sensor were all replaced. The front brake rotors were so worn at 17,500 miles that they needed replacing, at a cost of $650. Brake pads and one bald front tire needed replacement. Hill's CD player refuses to eject discs. And lastly, a week after Bill Pierre's service department checked the car's suspension at Hill's request (he thought that caused the bald tire), the front axle snapped while Hill was driving downtown near the Seattle Art Museum. "People are yelling at me, 'Your wheel fell off!'" Hill says. "Japanese tourists were taking pictures." Cops had to direct traffic around the car.
After the dealership fixed the axle, Hill wanted to strike a deal. Hill wanted to walk away from the car and his five-year lease, and get a new car--anything but an Escape--from the Bill Pierre dealership. The dealership's manager said no, according to Hill, and referred his Escape gripe to Ford Motor Company, which built the car.
So Hill decorated his car, and fired off a letter about it to the dealership on July 17. (He also looked into Washington's Lemon Law, but doesn't think his situation qualifies yet.) A week later, dealership vice president Doug Nashif called Hill to try to resolve the situation. "It's evident that [Hill has] a product issue, but his attitude towards the dealer is a little bit different," Nashif says tactfully. "He's got these huge expectations on what a dealer should be able to do over and above fixing the vehicle." During their telephone conversation, Nashif also called the campaign extortion, Hill says. Nashif says the word did come up. "When you make a demand like this, especially when we're not at fault, that's what that word means," Nashif says. Hill hung up, and hasn't spoken to the dealership in a few days. Nashif says the situation's been turned over to Bill Pierre himself.
Meanwhile, Hill hasn't heard from Ford Motor Company yet (he sent them a letter, too). Ford Motor Company did not return The Stranger's calls. But Hill's not worried--he's got four more years on his lease, and says he'll keep up the crusade until Bill Pierre's folks take back the Escape. "As long as I'm making payments, so is [Bill Pierre]," Hill says.
