LIVID - Ford Denied warranty on our 14' Fusion

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
Amazing how Toyota is the default "never again Chrysler/Ford/GM" place of refuge. (Yes they've had their own problems but as long as Chrysler/Ford/GM exists, they'll never lack for customers).


Originally Posted By: doitmyself


One incident here and many are ready to throw the baby (Ford) out with the bath water.

I don't get it.
...
Anyone who thinks vehicles other than the BIG 3 don't do the exact same kind of monkey business regarding customer satisfaction has their head buried in the sand.



Actually I said I was reserving judgement, and I also said of Toyota "they've had their own problems."

As for BIG 3 versus the world, I think that's a case where US brand warranty works against the BIG 3. Lots of Americans are loyal to only one of those 3 brands, and once burned, they would never think of buying from the other two, so they end up at the Toyota dealer.

 

[saberz]

Well the Regional CSM contacted me just a few minutes with an update. She is reaching out to the dealer and having them fill out an appeal process. She was under the same indication that if I had used something it would have been all over the area not just the one location. Said she will see how the appeal goes, and if it doesn't go through she will pay for it.

I did discuss the ridiculous process they have in place, especially having someone look at a picture and make a call like that. She also said that any petroleum based product should never be used on those peices.

So, no interior cleaners (most of them are petroleum based), no air fresheners (same thing) and another item she mentioned. Really a fragile interior IMO.

 

[saberz]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: HangFire
Others now own Toyotas. Amazing how Toyota is the default "never again Chrysler/Ford/GM" place of refuge. (Yes they've had their own problems but as long as Chrysler/Ford/GM exists, they'll never lack for customers).


One incident here and many are ready to throw the baby (Ford) out with the bath water.

I don't get it.

I Googled Toyota Customer Service Complaints and came with hundreds, probably thousands of recent comments like this:

" The (Toyota's)temporary fix broke while I was driving. Lost control of the vehicle. We opened a claim with Toyota and 2 months later we still don't have this issued resolved. It is being reviewed by their legal department,....."

"unbelievable ,no more toy, that design on the pump is bad,should be a recall to fix the problem,bad seals used on that pump,let's get toy to start fixing the water pumps, they should make the repair,very disappointed with my rav 4...."

"You just cannot see the screen to select audio, use apps, use the maps or navigation, or see the backup camera. IT IS WORTHLESS and Toyota will not do anything to correct the issue -- they just apologize. ..."

"For over 14 years I have been a loyal Toyota customer and have purchased 5 top of the line vehicles from them. I today am so upset to be a Toyota customer. Their corporate level customer service is the worst......"

"I have contacted corporate, the dealership and Toyota will not honor their product and I even have extended warranty. Dealing with Toyota for over 10 years and buying my cars and kids cars there, even sending friends and family there and yes they did buy, My Toyota days are over. STAND BY YOUR PRODUCT.Thanks Dis-satisfyed customer."

Anyone who thinks vehicles other than the BIG 3 don't do the exact same kind of monkey business regarding customer satisfaction has their head buried in the sand.



Correct, my intention wasn't really bashing the vehicles, but more so the process they are using to determine validity to a warranty claim. Jumping through hoops to get something fixed, especially on a vehicle with such few miles is a little silly. I mean out of all the things that could break or be defective, the trim is the one thing I wouldn't expect!!

Suffice to say, the experience with Ford themselves has been lackluster and will probably deter me from the brand in the future. If it was the dealer, I'd have no problem ignoring them, but if its the manufacturer themselves, it leads me to believe the future will be rife with similar experiences.

 

[Smcatub]

Originally Posted By: tcp71
Just to play devils advocate here: all it takes is some high content DEET laden bug repellent to do exactly that to plastics and actually melt nylon. The location of the peeling is somewhat local to where your hand might rest in the car and possibly near buttons on the damaged trim. The instant bashing of an entire manufacturer may be somewhat premature.


Acetone and other solvents will do the same thing, too. I've got a Kindle Fire with the exact same pattern on the back, from my wife getting some acetone on it while she was doing her nails.

I know it sucks for the OP, but if I were the dealer I'd assume that something that wasn't supposed to be there got used on the plastic.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Anies
She also said that any petroleum based product should never be used on those peices.

So, no interior cleaners (most of them are petroleum based), no air fresheners (same thing) and another item she mentioned. Really a fragile interior IMO.


That does sound like an incredibly fragile interior. I bet a LOT of Fusions will end up exhibiting similar issues in the near future. A lot of people like to pile on Armorall and air fresheners.

Did they make any note of that in the owner's manual? A lot of people are going to assume it's safe to use any off the shelf products they would normally use.

This is a major downside to the plethora of different pieces of trim and materials in modern interiors. It seems robot command center dash/console does not = durable dash/console.

 

[rjundi]

The only reason I would consider an Acura(not the best offerings) again is because that company goes above/beyond to make customers happy.

An example is the leather on center console after 4 years on my used(2nd owner) MDX was loose. I asked dealer if a known fix and they simply fixed it(free) with upgraded part. They have done multiple items that are not recalls but simply service campaigns like replacing power steering pump due to stiffness when cold. The bluetooth quit working so they just replaced it. I guess the 2007 MDX(first year) had lots of kludges.

Ford sends a bad message not just to OP but leaves a bad test on the internet like here. Not really worth it IMHO for the likely $100 it truely costs them to fix the problem. $600 is pure profit in Ford and tad into dealer pockets.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
It didn't used to be that way with them, not in my experience at least.

My truck had its belt tensioner replaced under warranty when it had 15,000 mi on it. My parents owned it at the time. My dad had tried spraying belt dressing on the belt when the tensioner was making noise, which made the noise worse obviously. He took it to the dealer (not the one he bought it from) without an appointment. He had the truck back in a couple hours with a new tensioner and new belt, all under warranty despite spraying belt dressing all over the belt.


This is where the stealership is everything. A smart operation would quickly take care to assure their client is pleased.

We will do almost anything in our business to please our client. It only makes sense...


That is true...in fact, as I type this, my parents are test driving a 13,000 mile used Ranger at the same Ford dealer that did the warranty repair I mentioned.

 

[doitmyself]

Hangfire - I interpreted your comment as a generalization of attitudes here and I understand your intentions. My comment was not directed at you personally.

Anies - you have every right to be upset at Ford. I have been in your shoes and have successfully pursued problems using the Lemon Law.

I imagine that individual dealer input might affect how corporate decisions are made, so maybe that is why some of these problems crop up with EVERY brand.

Everyone try to have a great weekend.

 

[saberz]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: Anies
She also said that any petroleum based product should never be used on those peices.

So, no interior cleaners (most of them are petroleum based), no air fresheners (same thing) and another item she mentioned. Really a fragile interior IMO.


That does sound like an incredibly fragile interior. I bet a LOT of Fusions will end up exhibiting similar issues in the near future. A lot of people like to pile on Armorall and air fresheners.

Did they make any note of that in the owner's manual? A lot of people are going to assume it's safe to use any off the shelf products they would normally use.

This is a major downside to the plethora of different pieces of trim and materials in modern interiors. It seems robot command center dash/console does not = durable dash/console.


I didnt see a mention of it in the manual when searching. The plastic trim should be up to the task of normal every day wear and tear. I am the one who maintains the vehicle and don't use anything like that in the car. Hands, hand oils and the like will make contact on these areas, and I am sure this should have been something that should have been accounted for (even lotions and the like). Again, never had this happen to any of our cars in the past, and find it quite silly that I essentially need to avoid touching it.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: Anies

I did discuss the ridiculous process they have in place, especially having someone look at a picture and make a call like that. She also said that any petroleum based product should never be used on those peices.

So, no interior cleaners (most of them are petroleum based), no air fresheners (same thing) and another item she mentioned. Really a fragile interior IMO.


I dono.

Armor All has Mineral Oil in it... http://www.armorall.com/PDFEnglish/AA Original Protectant _01-2013_.pdf

Meguiars Natural shine has none: http://www.meguiars.com/content/en/msds/G4100 MSDS.pdf

A Lot of the others also show no petroleum products either. I think most interior products are petroleum-free. You should use products formulated for those duties vs whatever they may have laying around.

Me? I have used Meguiars or 303 Aerospace Protectant in all my cars.

 

[KitaCam]

In reply to those curious about the Solara dashboard cracks...NO ONE knows the cause and it is NOT an isolated case...

Many 21st century Camry dashboards have melted and Toyota has no clue about THAT either....

Neither was addressed by Toyota in terms of repair or replacement under warranty.

 

[saberz]

I would guess maybe heat? My wrangler had these two bulbs behind the heater controls, and after some 10 years, it disintegrated the cover (essentially showing said bulbs). At 10 years, I paid no mind to it lol.

 

[sciphi]

Good it's on track to getting taken care of.

I wonder if the dealer actually sent in the picture, or made up a whole-cloth fabrication about it getting denied to avoid a time-consuming job they won't make much, if any, money on.

 

[saberz]

Hence why I'm also switching dealers. My Chevy dealer good willed a bunch of work when they didn't have to on my impala. Not sure why they wouldn't, or why they wouldn't have submitted an appeal.

Scheduling the service was a chore in and of itself. Their survey will be rather poor.

 

[jk_636]

My wife took her Escape for warranty work on the sunroof that was leaking and staining the headliner. A Ford dealership in the South Houston area did the following:

- Lied to my wife about when she could drop off
- Lied to her about when she could pick it up
- Told her it would only be one day, then told her it would be at least a week
- Told her it would be stored inside while they worked on it since there were thunderstorms rolling through the area...they ended up leaving it outside before it was fixed during a storm of biblical proportions
- Returned it 4 days later, repair NOT completed
- Returned it with dirt, grime and grease EVERYWHERE inside the vehicles interior
- Didn't clean the headliner
- Refused to give her a rental car
- And other general jackassery and took advantage of her because I wasn't around and she was a woman and didn't know any better.

Want to talk about livid?

At one point I thought about the old discount tire commercial and considered giving it back to them via driving it through the wall outside the managers office...

To make a long story short, I wrote a VERY extensive letter to Ford and within 24 hours the Dealerships GM is apologizing and has my wife a rental car, and problem was solved. Except it broke again a few months later.

Great. I went to another dealership just north of Galveston and they took care of it ASAP and treated her with respect.

If that dealership wont help you, write Ford a letter and take it to another dealership. There are some good ones out there.

 

[Mitch]

Originally Posted By: Anies
Hence why I'm also switching dealers. My Chevy dealer good willed a bunch of work when they didn't have to on my impala. Not sure why they wouldn't, or why they wouldn't have submitted an appeal.

Scheduling the service was a chore in and of itself. Their survey will be rather poor.

You will find they do not send surveys to people who might not give them a good rating. That way they have only good reviews.
Ford stole that idea from Chrysler and GM

 

[Jimmy9190]

OP could probably email or call Ford and request a Customer Satisfaction Index survey. I would think they would be bound to send him one if OP asked for it. OP could then really rip the dealer a new one. It does not matter what brand or make it is, new car dealers absolutely live and die by their CSI ratings and the big wheels and muckety-mucks at corporate really do pay attention to the CSI surveys from sales and service customers. CSI controls everything at the dealer from their level of service ratings to their floor plans to their allocation of different models to bonus and good will/warranty money from the manufacturer. A dealer can even lose their franchise if they get enough bad CSI reviews. Internet posts are one thing but if you really want to voice your opinion in a way that will have the most effect on the dealer, do it with a CSI survey.

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
In reply to those curious about the Solara dashboard cracks...NO ONE knows the cause and it is NOT an isolated case...

Many 21st century Camry dashboards have melted and Toyota has no clue about THAT either....

Neither was addressed by Toyota in terms of repair or replacement under warranty.


Toyota had the same problem with 4th gen 4Runner dashes cracking. I was always very paranoid about mine. The leading theory on the 4Runner forums was sun exposure.

 

[sciphi]

Dealers can make or break ownership experiences. I've heard of happy owners whose cars took some time to get sorted, and unhappy owners where a minor issue blew up.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Dealers can make or break ownership experiences. I've heard of happy owners whose cars took some time to get sorted, and unhappy owners where a minor issue blew up.


Exactly- again why I am very reluctant to change brands; the two dealers I patronize have excellent service departments.