Ford Not Honoring Warranty (Front Splitter)

[Minn19]

I just got off the phone with most senior person at Ford who made the decision about not warrantying the splitter. He was actually willing to tell me why. After a long conversation where I made all of the above points, the conclusion more concisely came down to this...

-He says based on the pictures under my car, the side pieces of my splitter have scratch marks that indicate damage.
-I say nearly all of these cars have light scraping and I don't believe there is any precedent showing this is enough to cause a total failure. In addition to this, many splitters have been documented as being installed incorrectly and have failed due to this. An authorized Ford dealership has noted missing hardware consistent with an improper installation.
-He says there is no way for him to verify improper installation, this is between me and the installing dealer. He calls the splitter an "aftermarket part" and says again I damaged the car due to scraping.
-I explain that it is not an aftermarket part and is a part of a complete GT350 as delivered to the consumer.
-He says that's not how they see it and my issue is with the installing dealer.
-I then ask if He/Ford can help facilitate a solution with the installing dealer.
-Short answer is "No, but good luck with everything Sir"

Final answer is that Ford is unwilling to do anything at all to help.
I emailed a link to this forum post to Mr. Yates (Don't remember his first name) and he said he's pretty busy but might read it even though it's very unlikely to change the outcome. Either way, it is confirmed that I am getting strong armed whether i agree with it or not.
Now step 1 is to work out a solution with the original installing dealer. The service manager has been out recently so I am expecting to talk to him tomorrow.
Step 2 if necessary is to call my attorney for advice on the legal options and decide who to go after and at what cost to me.
Step 3 if necessary is to call it a day and pay for a new splitter.

Either way, This is my last Ford. Unfortunately, their poor system for handling legitimate customer concerns/claims has made this a more common sentiment as seen in other member's posts.

I can’t believe he had the balls to say it was an aftermarket part. Good luck and sorry about the headache.

Sponsored

 

[Minn19]

I’ve had excellent results dealing with my local dealership. Unfortunately, they are not all like mine. I’m sorry that your splitter fell off and no one is taking responsibility. $hit happens. You can get a new OEM non-R splitter on eBay for $385. The reason I recommended getting an R model splitter is that it looks way better, IMHO.

I had great luck with my dealer as well. But, this isn’t the point of his story.

He is going to have to get his selling dealer to admit to installing it incorrectly and then eating the cost to make it right. Which, as has been said is probably a lot more than the splitter when it is all said and done. As d-bag Ford guy he talked to said they are not going to warranty it period. Who here thinks the original dealer is going to admit to this and pony up for the damages? Maybe, but I and I’m sure most here think the odds are very small.

 

[jvandy50]

And remember he has to buy the engine splash guard, possibly a front fascia also...

Sorry OP, this is the perfect storm of ford fuckery

 

[f10550i]

When I reflect on this scenario, I'm truly dumbfounded. When the part flew off my car, I originally wasn't even concerned knowing that it'd be a warranty repair. This isn't right and I'm glad to have the support of everyone here and I hope to return the favor when this situation happens to other owners.

Today, I emailed a short description and link to this post to jalopnik.com who frequently covers this type of stuff along with anything else car related. If they aren't interested, I'll reach out to a few other publications and/or journalists in hopes that someone sees this as worth shedding some light on.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how we can make this sting enough for Ford to care?

 

[Atlas1]

Does ford have a Facebook page you can post to? I would blast your experience onto any and every forum/social media platform I can find. Keep hammering them. Is there someone above the last idiot you talked to at ford.....the “splitter is an aftermarket part” guy? He has to have a superior you can get to. Good luck

 

[Hack]

This aftermarket thing sounds similar to the same BS that Ford / Ford Performance used with the track pack transmission and cooler I installed into my tech pack car so that it would be track capable. I bought and installed a new transmission and lost my warranty coverage. The transmission I bought was a factory part, but Ford decided to perform some legal manipulations to save themselves the cost of warranty coverage.

 

[JT1]

That position from Ford is truly an unbelievable and utterly non sensical position.
You bought a complete car from Ford Motor Co, the fact that they require the dealer finish the assembly is on them, not the buyer.

And they can't figure out why they don't retain as many customers as they would like. Idiots.

 

[f10550i]

Finally Some Good News!

It's my understanding that the service manager was out of the office until today at the original dealership where the car was purchased.
He called me this morning and immediately asked where I would like the new splitter shipped. I was told they called and were unable to get in touch with my dealer in Houston but to let them know if/when we figure out what else is needed.
These guys were great to work with when I purchased the car and they seem very helpful now too. I'm glad I didn't name them in previous posts so they had a little time to evaluate the situation and make things right.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

These guys were great to work with when I purchased the car and they seem very helpful now too. I'm glad I didn't name them in previous posts so they had a little time to evaluate the situation and make things right.

Would have been nice if you didn't name Ford since it was 100% the dealer's fault for the damage and responsibility to make right.

 

[car crazy]

-He says based on the pictures under my car, the side pieces of my splitter have scratch marks that indicate damage.
-He says there is no way for him to verify improper installation, this is between me and the installing dealer. He calls the splitter an "aftermarket part" and says again I damaged the car due to scraping.

I've completely changed my mind. This is not an aftermarket part, it is a Ford part which is necessary to make a complete car. It is no more aftermarket than the throttle body, pistons, etc. Even more shocking is the fact that this person at Ford is 100% sure the tiny scratches in the splitter were the cause of the splitter falling off yet all the missing parts and fasteners as verified by the dealer are not enough evidence to indicate improper installation. The way Ford handled this is truly classless. This is 100% not your fault so you should not be paying for this. Ford made a mistake trusting dealers to properly install the splitters. Ford made a mistake not educating dealers about how to properly install the splitter. Ford made their biggest mistake by not standing behind their product and not honoring their warranty. I'm truly shocked at how Ford is handling this. I was going to buy an Expedition Platinum (don't care for the looks of the Navigator). Now I think I'll wait for the 2020 Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade which is also going to have a rear independent suspension and arrives at dealers about 10 months from now (which conveniently is when the warranty us over on my current BMW X5).

 

[Minn19]

Would have been nice if you didn't name Ford since it was 100% the dealer's fault for the damage and responsibility to make right.

So if you move across the country and a previous dealer did some warranty work that failed you are required to go back to that original dealer to make it right or the warranty will not be honored again?

This is 100% a Ford problem for the reasons stated in a previous post.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

So if you move across the country and a previous dealer did some warranty work that failed you are required to go back to that original dealer to make it right or the warranty will not be honored again?

This is 100% a Ford problem for the reasons stated in a previous post.

If you are asking if a dealer can screw you, the answer is yes. But Ford is not responsible for malfeasance by a dealer. In these types of situations, Ford can NOT possibly be the "bad guy". Now they could go beyond what should be required of them and be a hero, but could never be the bad guy for not paying for damage a dealer caused.

 

[Minn19]

If you are asking if a dealer can screw you, the answer is yes. But Ford is not responsible for malfeasance by a dealer. In these types of situations, Ford can NOT possibly be the "bad guy". Now they could go beyond what should be required of them and be a hero, but could never be the bad guy for not paying for damage a dealer caused.

Putting final assembly on the dealers shoulders is Ford's decision. They should 100% stand behind their decision and the problems that arise from it.

 

[f10550i]

Would have been nice if you didn't name Ford since it was 100% the dealer's fault for the damage and responsibility to make right.

I respectfully disagree for the same reasons mentioned by other members here. Mistakes happen, it's reasonable and okay as long as a business stands behind their product to make things right. The dealership is showing good faith to correct the mistake. Alternatively, Ford made it clear that they had 0 interest in being of assistance in any way.
It's also worth noting that this has been a one sided story from only my perspective so far. I would be happy to see a response from any Ford representatives who can share insight from another perspective. I have made sure as many people as possible have been sent a link to this forum post.
I was never interested in fighting to get my way here. I only wanted to fight for a reasonable outcome. If someone can show that I am being unreasonable or I was responsible for the part failure, I have always been more than willing to pay my share.

 

[f10550i]

Putting final assembly on the dealers shoulders is Ford's decision. They should 100% stand behind their decision and the problems that arise from it.

I completely agree. Apparently this isn't their current policy and it's going to lead to many more unhappy customers.

Sponsored