When I took my car in a few weeks ago to have the side mirror replaced (it was hit off this past winter by a snow plow 
), the guy at the dealer told me there was a recall out for my fuel pump. He explained that it wasn’t a safety recall, but more of a customer satisfaction recall. He couldn’t perform it that day because apparently you have to have less than half a tank of gas (they have to drop off the entire fuel tank) and I had just filled up that morning. So I decided to wait until I got back to Troy to get it done.
Now going back to my car troubles ealier this week. I ended up taking my car from the small Mobile station where I managed to get it to on Tuesday down to Latham Ford. Luckily the Mobile station only charged me $14, which is the price of the New York State inspection (which apparently my car passed, which is surprising giving that it barely started!). So I had to drive it about 10 miles from Troy to Latham to the Ford dealer, and the entire way my car was producing a thick cloud of black smoke, and on a road where the normal speed limit is 55 mph, I was really only able to keep it at about 30 (it kept puttering and dying on me!). I managed to roll it into the lot, and on Friday they called me up and said that they finally figured out what was going on.
They replaced the fuel pump as part of the recall, and apparently that fixed everything 
What would’ve cost me about $1200 (in parts, labor, and that stupid engine light diagnostic fee) was completely free! Now what they need to do is upgrade the status of that recall to be something slightly more important that just a customer satisfaction recall. I could’ve been in the middle of the interstate when my car died and then I would’ve had to pay for a tow!