Really Long Service Wait

[rhexis]

im tempted now to reach out to dealers near me and see how busy they are. that wait time seems excessive wtf I don't see that many fords on the roads I guess they must be all at the dealerships

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[Schwerin]

I booked my inspection/oil change about a week ago. I had openings that I could have taken 2-3 days out. So near me the waits are less than a week.

 

[young at heart]

Really for the first time going to the dealer. Its probably a loose drain plug.

Do you trade your cars because it runs out of fuel?

No, but I have traded over a door nick.

 

[m3incorp]

Oil changes and getting a warranty item corrected are two different animals. My local dealerships are about 2 weeks for any kind of service work other than the quick lane stuff...ie oil changes, brakes, tires.

 

[ice445]

Yep. You have to hope nothing breaks, or have another car to drive. I really hate how manufacturers have disincentivized warranty work by not paying decent book times for a lot of the jobs. It saves them money, but screws over the people with broken products, who are absolutely the people that you should be taking care of as a company.

The only ones who are good about it are the luxury brands, really.

 

[fmc_smt]

Being a tech I fell for you , the reality is I am booked 2 weeks out . You would think that is because of poor quality product, but it is not . The main reason for the wait is not being able to find techs , and part back orders . We have a lot of customers set there appointments up and just drop it and leave it . Usually I'll try to get it looked at way before there appointments, we have some down time between appointments so I'll sneak it in to at least get eyes on it .

 

[Norm Peterson]

Or jack it up and get under there and see for myself.

That would be my approach.

At worst, I at least end up with some idea where the leak is coming from, and if it's obvious enough to me I'd be less likely to get talked into a more expensive shop visit than necessary.

Chances are, I'm going to find seepage from around some gasket or line fitting, which shouldn't be like rocket science to repair on a DIY basis.

Even if one of the hydraulic lines to the AT fluid cooler has an actual leak in it, that should still be a DIY-able repair (I've actually done this repair, might have been 20 y/o at the time).


Norm

 

[ice445]

That would be my approach.

At worst, I at least end up with some idea where the leak is coming from, and if it's obvious enough to me I'd be less likely to get talked into a more expensive shop visit than necessary.

Chances are, I'm going to find seepage from around some gasket or line fitting, which shouldn't be like rocket science to repair on a DIY basis.

Even if one of the hydraulic lines to the AT fluid cooler has an actual leak in it, that should still be a DIY-able repair (I've actually done this repair, might have been 20 y/o at the time).


Norm

To be fair, even as a DIY person with a lot of experience, the last thing I want to do is spend my own time and money on fixing a car that has warranty. That's the whole point of buying a new car, to avoid the hassle. But it seems like you just have to hope and pray you don't have issues to truly avoid hassle, unless you buy a Lexus or Audi.

 

[MikeHTally]

Really for the first time going to the dealer. Its probably a loose drain plug.

Do you trade your cars because it runs out of fuel?

Or fill up the ashtray?

 

[Soulja4187]

Or fill up the ashtray?

I at least wait until I run out of windshield fluid before I demand a trade in

 

[MikeHTally]

Or the blinker fluid reservoir.

 

[Al Reit]

I’ve learned a lot reading the comments. This issue is probably more related to warranty work (normally buy used) rather than a problem with Ford dealers vs Dodge etc. dealers. I did not anticipate that, and it seems odd to me.

There’s a significant risk of losing repeat customers if you treat them poorly when they have warranty issues. I’m a professor and I’ve written papers on incentive systems and how they can lead to suboptimal outcomes. This appears to be a case of a messed up incentive system. Ford/Dodge etc. has an incentive to keep car buyers happy, but Ford/Dodge etc. does not appear to have created a strong incentive for dealers to keep customers who didn’t buy from their dealership happy.

Enough academic crap. Hopefully I can get my fun machine back next week.

 

[Norm Peterson]

To be fair, even as a DIY person with a lot of experience, the last thing I want to do is spend my own time and money on fixing a car that has warranty.

I'm not saying I'd really want to have to do those things. But if I'm being told that the dealer can't even look at it for another one to three weeks it's going to be worth my time to see what's going on and go from there. If it's a loose fitting or fastener or even a leak in a hydraulic line I'm going to be better off spending a few $ of my own money to get my car back to the way it should be. If it ends up looking like a shaft seal leak I'll at least know that I'll just have to suck it up and live with the wait.

That's the whole point of buying a new car, to avoid the hassle.

And if this could be done on a walk-in, fix it while I wait basis I'd be far more willing to let the dealership handle it from the get-go. It all depends on whether there's more hassle in DIY'ing at least the inspection and diagnosis part or more hassle in having to put up with the wait


Norm

 

[Bikeman315]

Good advice. I wish I had tried that first.

If I'm reading this right your first try was a dealer. Long waits and a lot of down time. What is preventing you from doing this know? Find a good repair show and have them take a look.

You could also drive into your local dealer, find the service manager, slip him a $20 and ask them if they could throw it on a lift while you waited.

There’s a significant risk of losing repeat customers if you treat them poorly when they have warranty issues. I’m a professor and I’ve written papers on incentive systems and how they can lead to suboptimal outcomes. This appears to be a case of a messed up incentive system. Ford/Dodge etc. has an incentive to keep car buyers happy, but Ford/Dodge etc. does not appear to have created a strong incentive for dealers to keep customers who didn’t buy from their dealership happy.

A book on American car dealers and their relationships with their customers would make War and Peace look like a short read. Way to much to get into here but suffice it to say the current system could certainly use an overhaul.

 

[Torched10]

Really for the first time going to the dealer. Its probably a loose drain plug.

Do you trade your cars because it runs out of fuel?

Way too long.i rarely wait morvthan a day in my mustang or my caddy.sandy springs ford here in Atlanta has terrific service.if you run into something serious I'd give them a call. Good idea to have local guy look at it first,I'll bet on new car it's just a nut or cap that's not been tightened oroperly

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