Bad dealership experience ...

[SwampSurvivor]

I have found out the only reason we buy new cars is so we can have the new car smell ... and ability to buy OE parts from the manufacturer to fix stuff that should be warrantied.

It's a pretty common problem on Focii to have the hydraulic passenger motor mount fail. My Focus has started to get a bit ... vibrate-y and growl-y. Hard to explain, but the engine vibrations are transmitting into the cabin pretty good.

Exact symptoms of a bad hydraulic motor mount. Mine is a 5 speed with 47000 miles ... So, it's due for a motor mount. The hydraulic ones work great ... but they dont last that long.

I figured I'd bring it in to the dealer and get it fixed under warranty while I'm still under powertrane warranty. It is covered under the powertrane warranty.

I call the Ford dealer (I won't name names) and they say they have never heard of a Ford Focus with a bad motor mount, and that the passenger one is not hydraulic.

Whatever, I get there 8AM sharp. I'm walking around the parking lot looking at all the pickups that cost more than a small house. I see my focus move. They idled it out one side of the garage and into the other.

GREAT! I thought. They determined the motor mount to be bad quickly enough and are replacing it!

Nope. I get a call from the service manager telling my the motor mounts are in great shape and there's no vibrations at all.

I ask them how they determined it just by idling the car around. The vibrations that I experience all the time, apparently, do not exist.

He says that Focuses get "buzzy" when they get older. NO $@@@@ SHERLOCK, IT'S BECAUSE THE MOTOR MOUNTS ARE BAD!

I understand that this is a nicer part of the area, so a 25 year old with a $14K Ford Focus isn't exactly going to be your best customer ... and that they'd rather get 20 hours to do a 10 hour headgasket job on a 6.0 powerstroke, but just blowing someone off is unacceptable.

The good news is, if I buy a new Ford ... I know where I will NOT be buying it from.

So I get home and I did a bit of research. Turns out that you can actually see the motor mount fail. So, I popped the hood and took a picture. Guess what - the motor mount is collapsed, you can see the fluid trail where the fluid ran out, and the metal part that connects to the engine is directly touching the part that touches the fender. That's were my vibrations are coming from!

I called the Ford Dealer that I bought the car from. They were a bit nicer to me. I started to describe the problem and the service manager instantly said that my passenger side hydraulic motor mount collapsed and failed. I sent him pictures and a video and he said he would have a tech look at them to make sure it is bad before I drive 70 miles there for diagnostics.

... I haven't heard back from them yet. That was Saturday right before they closed at 12:00 (11:45 I sent the email) and they are closed Columbus day. I'll give them a day or two before I call again.

Anyway - here is a picture of my collapsed motor mount. If the dealer had opened the hood, they would have seen it. I can actually wiggle the engine around by hand!

Orange Circle: Where the metal part that connects to the front of the engine is touching the fender.

Red Circle: Fluid from motor mount.

If you compare to this one - this is how it's supposed to sit. Mine has clearly collapsed. Ebay


If the dealer I bought the car from does not replace it under warranty (it's likely that the first one 'blacklisted' me in OASIS) I will buy the whole set myself and replace.

Then I will send a "nice" letter, with pictures, to the first dealer and let them know that I will not be buying a Ford from them.

 

[supton]

I disagree: part of the reason to buy new is to get something that a) no one else has had a chance to screw up and b) to get something that hasn't rusted yet. Otherwise yes, it does seem to be that way. Dealerships exist to mostly annoy people unwilling to either trade often or do unnecessary work.

That mount seems awefully close to the fender. I realize its failed, but it seems like it'd be very close to the fender in an unfailed state.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Now, you do know that the so called new car smell is toxic out-gassing from plastic parts and foams?

 

[bullwinkle]

Dealership is closed on Columbus Day?? Thought it wasn't technically a holiday anymore? Your experience is why I wish my employer would drop the Ford vans, can't get them to repair anything under warranty unless the leasing company raises Cain with them, & then it's there for a month getting fixed!

 

[bullwinkle]

Also, you need to bump your issue up to Ford zone manager level & call corporate about it, you shouldn't have to drive 70 miles to get something that simple & obvious repaired.

 

[MCompact]

I have a good dealer and I usually buy a 1-3 year old CPO. Depreciation is my friend.
As for the OP, that dealer is just ridiculous. One hint: go with the Electric Focus lower mount. I installed one on my MS3- Less than $70 shipped...

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
they say they have never heard of a Ford Focus with a bad motor mount


Ha! That's a good one.

 

[rjundi]

Lots of Focus problems reported on this board.......

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: Miller88
they say they have never heard of a Ford Focus with a bad motor mount


Ha! That's a good one.

They must not work on a lot of Foci.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Now, you do know that the so called new car smell is toxic out-gassing from plastic parts and foams?



Yes. I really don't care for the smell.


Originally Posted By: supton
I disagree: part of the reason to buy new is to get something that a) no one else has had a chance to screw up and b) to get something that hasn't rusted yet. Otherwise yes, it does seem to be that way. Dealerships exist to mostly annoy people unwilling to either trade often or do unnecessary work.

That mount seems awefully close to the fender. I realize its failed, but it seems like it'd be very close to the fender in an unfailed state.


I agree on that - I know the entire service history of this car ... becuase *I* am the service history.

The middle part should be at the top. It's still pretty close when in good shape, though.


Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Also, you need to bump your issue up to Ford zone manager level & call corporate about it, you shouldn't have to drive 70 miles to get something that simple & obvious repaired.


That's an option, but I have a feeling that if I go to another dealer and have the service performed, or do it myself and write a letter to Ford and the dealer about it - I can make people feel bad. If I can drop $200 and have the service manager get in trouble or make someone lose their job - heck yes, that's what I'm going to do.

FWIW, I have a good track record of complaining and getting people fired. Other places, of course, but I hope I can continue that here

Originally Posted By: MCompact
I have a good dealer and I usually buy a 1-3 year old CPO. Depreciation is my friend.
As for the OP, that dealer is just ridiculous. One hint: go with the Electric Focus lower mount. I installed one on my MS3- Less than $70 shipped...



I have heard about the electric Focus mount on the 3rd generation. Would that work on my 2nd generation?






Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: Miller88
they say they have never heard of a Ford Focus with a bad motor mount


Ha! That's a good one.

They must not work on a lot of Foci.


Seeing that it's a Ford/VW dealer in one of the more affluent suburbs, my guess is they don't. They'd rather work on cowboy cadillac trucks that people have financed to the gills or high end VWs. A poor guy like me with a Focus isn't their priority, nor do they care about losing my sale.



Originally Posted By: rjundi
Lots of Focus problems reported on this board.......


I don't think so. The thing is - even with it bad, there's still a lot less vibrations in the cabin than other vehicles. I'd rather have something stupid like a motor mount go bad than experience electronic or mechanical failure.

 

[Noey]

I don't intend to sound like your dad here, but if you presented yourself to the service writer the same way you did here, that could account for the response you got from them. Being 25 doesn't automatically result in the dismissal of your concerns, but it often means that you have show some sensitivity to the dynamic of a kid bringing his car to the attention of someone older, yet perhaps of a different social status. Get my drift, sonny?

If you believed that the motor mounts were the issue, then you should have made the appt. and then asked to show the writer the evidence, so he could then show that to the mechanic. What you did was either a cheap test of their diagnostic abilities...even if they should have passed this one... or your difficulty with appropriate self assertion. Either way, you missed the opportunity to get your car diagnosed and repaired correctly the first time, which was the goal here. As they say, if you're going to take a shot, it's always a good idea to aim for the target.

 

[SilverC6]

I don't understand Ford guys that just assume this is normal for automobiles.

They just keep buying Fords.

Ford = car

 

[NHGUY]

A kid bought new Neon around 1995,in the summer you could smell that "smell" coming from the cars lowered side windows around 20 feet away.2 weeks later the smell got no better.The driver almost passed out driving it and almost crashed into a pole when he was in the process of dozing off.I figured it was coming from the dash pad gassing off,I told him to take it back and get it fixed.Dont know what happened,but his previous vehicle (a new Dakota) he gave back to them for repeated alternator/ECM failures.But not before he slid on ice into a phone pole and wiped out one side fender.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
I don't understand Ford guys that just assume this is normal for automobiles.

They just keep buying Fords.

Ford = car


Very ignorant statement, there. I am not a "Ford" guy. I buy the vehicle that presents the best value. If the only serious issue I have in 47K is a bad motor mount, that's not too bad.

I could have bought a Nissan and had a failed CVT at 50K miles. I could have bought a Chrysler and had some sort of crippling electronic or transmission failure at 50K miles. I could have bought a GM product and had it out of service for 3 months while they recall the entire car. This $12000 new Ford Focus doesn't seem like a bad buy, to me.

It has some features that I really don't find necessary on an entry level car such as 4 wheel steering "control blade" rear suspension and power windows and locks ... but I'm not going to complain about extra "stuff" on a $12K car that I got new for $12K

However, it appears that you are suggesting that, instead of buying a $12K car at 22 years old, I should have bought something in the $50-$60K range?

Originally Posted By: Noey
I don't intend to sound like your dad here, but if you presented yourself to the service writer the same way you did here, that could account for the response you got from them. Being 25 doesn't automatically result in the dismissal of your concerns, but it often means that you have show some sensitivity to the dynamic of a kid bringing his car to the attention of someone older, yet perhaps of a different social status. Get my drift, sonny?

If you believed that the motor mounts were the issue, then you should have made the appt. and then asked to show the writer the evidence, so he could then show that to the mechanic. What you did was either a cheap test of their diagnostic abilities...even if they should have passed this one... or your difficulty with appropriate self assertion. Either way, you missed the opportunity to get your car diagnosed and repaired correctly the first time, which was the goal here. As they say, if you're going to take a shot, it's always a good idea to aim for the target.



I'm not sure what you are getting at here? When I made the appointment, I stated the problems I was having with the vehicle. I guess I should not have assumed that the dealer would have done their due diligence in the matter.

 

[Nick1994]

My mom had an 03' Focus that shook and rattled and buzzed and vibrated like you wouldn't believe. I think it was a motor mount (had same miles as yours) but luckily that car died in 2012 of a wreck.

 

[Noey]

I'm not surprised you don't understand my post.

If you had the information or the evidence, you should have shared that directly with the writer. It's not about 'Due diligence' and their behavior, it's about your behavior in helping them help you...getting what you want. If you have information or 'proof' that will help them get you what you want then you have a responsibility to find a way to communicate that with them, and you didn't.


So although they might have not shown proper 'Due diligence' (which sounds arrogant on your part), you did not give them the information you had to facilitate that.

It's always easier to b*itch and moan when things don't work out the way we want,,,especially when we can blame someone else..than it is to look at our own part in our own dissatisfaction.

Yes?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Noey
I'm not surprised you don't understand my post.

If you had the information or the evidence, you should have shared that directly with the writer. It's not about 'Due diligence' and their behavior, it's about your behavior in helping them help you...getting what you want. If you have information or 'proof' that will heklp them get you what you want then you have a responsibility to find a way to communicate that with them, and you didn't.


So although they might have not shown proper 'Due diligence' (which sounds arrogant on your part), you did not give them the information you had to facilitate that.

It's always easier to b*itch and moan when things don't work out the way we want,,,especially when we can blame someone else..than it is to look at our own part in our own dissatisfaction.

Yes?


At the time I did not have a picture of the failed mount. Unfortunately, if I call them back they aren't going to have me bring the car in now. I have lost my chance with that dealer.

I understand what you mean, now, but my point is - I shouldn't have to diagnose and bring a lawyer to get something so simple fixed.

But, the good news is, instead of changing a bad motor mount on my Focus, they got to do flat rate on a head gasket job on a powerstroke or something ... so they made out.

 

[redhat]

I don't know... if I would try to judge Miller's attitude and demeanor when going to car dealerships from other posts, I'd expect him to be fine. If anything he sounds like a guy who doesn't take Bee-S and isn't the 25 y.o. who says "OK" and walks out with his tail between his legs and accepts that his J35 burning a quart and a half every 3k is normal.

The meat and potatoes of the whole deal is that 9 out of 10 dealerships don't want to fix a darn thing. They just want to up-sell wiper blades and that cabin air filter. They just do NOT care.

I tried two different dealers when trying to get the VTC actuator fixed on my Accord. Two dealers, because, uh, well they were only about 25-30 minutes away from me. I ended up going to the dealer that I bought the car from which was an hour away... they fixed it no problem.

Same garbage with trying to get the tranny in the Impala fixed. I've tried time and time again to talk civil with service writers, managers, front desk people, etc. But all they want to tell you is that your problem is moot and that it's "normal". Even when I've asked to talk to a tech or the dealerships tranny guy, all chances are dismissed.

After about the third time of being put on hold, and having the memories of the dealership's service writer telling you that you can go look for your car on the lot because they had no clue a flat bed via GM Roadside Assistance carted your 72k 2011 to their dealership after Saiid from GM 1-800 personally told them... you tend to snap.

 

[Noey]

Where'd you get the idea that you shouldn't have to diagnose? Accurate diagnosis is key to accurate repair. The point is, you HAD accurately diagnosed the issue, and the failure lies at least as much with your inability to communicate that effectively. You should have had the pics, and/or just taken the writer out to the car and shown him.

Pay attention here, no matter where you go in life, people will ultimately let you down if you're not willing to help them help you.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Here is a video I took as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efe0VVcg0HU