"First truck I looked at was a red one, and I said 'I like this one, I'll take this one.' And the guy said 'Oh, this one doesn't have AC,' and I'm like 'I don't want one without AC,'" Hilliker recalled.
Hilliker ended up paying cash for a 2009 Ford Ranger with AC, but he says about 6 months after driving the truck, there were problems.
"The motor was going ru, ru, ru, and I said something is wrong," said Hilliker.
Since it was under the Ford manufacturer's warranty, the repairs were covered. But even after a fix, Hilliker says he still had problems.
"Took it back to the dealer and they said 'Oh, it needs a damper kit.' They put on a damper kit. That didn't fix it. [I] went back and [they] said it's the motor mount. That didn't fix it," said Hilliker.
"Then, they said it has an after-market air conditioner unit and it's not covered by warranty. And, I said 'Excuse me, I just bought this thing brand new with two miles on it,'" Hilliker continued.
Hilliker says he then learned the dealership installed the after-market air conditioner before he bought it. That meant Crown Ford would have to cover the repair. He says he took it there, but says things didn't go well.
"Sat there for three weeks and [they] did nothing about it," he said.
Hilliker hired an attorney, and says he tried to get Crown Ford to take care of the issue. But with no truck and fed up, Hilliker turned to ABC11 Eyewitness News I-Team Troubleshooter Diane Wilson.
"They ignored my lawyer and everything else, and then you called them and boom, within an hour, they called me back and said I'm going to make you happy," said Hilliker.
The general manager of Crown Ford got involved, and within a day, Hilliker was in a brand new 2011 Ford Ranger.
"You saved the day for me," said Hilliker.
Hilliker says he's happy with the outcome. Crown Ford swapped out his 2009 Ford Ranger for a new 2011. He got a 2011 with several upgrades from his 2009. He only had to pay for those extra features.
As for Crown Ford, the general manager told ABC111 he was not aware of the situation until we called and he provided the following statement:
"We were very pleased to have had the opportunity to assist Mr. Hilliker with his concern, as customer satisfaction is our top priority at Crown Ford."
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