Does Ford have any discounts for TAKING FOREVER?

[Deleted member 69311]

When my car was recently in the shop for a month for a weird issue when turning (turned out to be my steering rack), dealership had already asked Ford for me if they would help cover some of the cost and Ford agreed.

They ended up paying for about 70% of the bill.

I believe it helped that I have ordered two brand new Mustangs thru this dealership and continue to go there for service/etc. They have gone in my opinion above and beyond for me.

Would I need to call ford customer care for this?

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[geep81]

Would I need to call ford customer care for this?

I would, I don't know since I didn't have to do anything, but during my buyback I made a few calls to Ford customer care myself and it was helpful.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Lesson learned - do not take a car to a ford dealer for non-warranty work. Their service departments are like always always terribly slow. I'd be super pissed if ANY mechanic took that long to start working on my car. If they needed parts and those took a few days I'd understand, but taking in a car when you know you're not even going to start working on it for a week or more is terrible customer service.

Get some recommendations for good mechanics in your area.

This is also why I've got two cars and an ebike, but if I just had the one and didn't have any family or friends who could loan me a car, and if I didn't have the ebike, I'd probably minimize the travel and take an uber or something so I'm not on the hook for a full day rental car plus taxes.

 

[Deleted member 69311]

Lesson learned - do not take a car to a ford dealer for non-warranty work. Their service departments are like always always terribly slow. I'd be super pissed if ANY mechanic took that long to start working on my car. If they needed parts and those took a few days I'd understand, but taking in a car when you know you're not even going to start working on it for a week or more is terrible customer service.

Get some recommendations for good mechanics in your area.

This is also why I've got two cars and an ebike, but if I just had the one and didn't have any family or friends who could loan me a car, and if I didn't have the ebike, I'd probably minimize the travel and take an uber or something so I'm not on the hook for a full day rental car plus taxes.

Yeah this was my first experience with the dealer. Not going back. I still don’t understand why Ford stopped having loaner cars.

 

[Deleted member 69311]

Update: Called Ford customer service and they couldn’t help me cuz of the aftermarket part that was replaced. But I called my service rep and asked nicely if there was anyway he can help me out… saved me $600!! Still gotta pay $4.4k though :/

 

[luc]

Lesson learned - do not take a car to a ford dealer for non-warranty work. Their service departments are like always always terribly slow. I'd be super pissed if ANY mechanic took that long to start working on my car. If they needed parts and those took a few days I'd understand, but taking in a car when you know you're not even going to start working on it for a week or more is terrible customer service.

Get some recommendations for good mechanics in your area.

This is also why I've got two cars and an ebike, but if I just had the one and didn't have any family or friends who could loan me a car, and if I didn't have the ebike, I'd probably minimize the travel and take an uber or something so I'm not on the hook for a full day rental car plus taxes.

That’s too broad of a statement
It really depend on the dealership and more importantly of your relationship with the service advisor
My local dealer, and I didn’t bought any cars from them because they are way overpriced, always bend backwards to take me in
Very nice people ( the service dept)
And even did warranty work on my track car

 

[HAVOC_5.0]

Simple, go in to the Dealership and ask to sit with the Service Manager, Director, or Fixed OPS Director (whichever they have). If you look it up on the dealers website under the Meet us category, you should be able to find information.

A clutch job on these plays 5.1 hrs by the book. For ease of typing, $200 x 5 = $1000.

A new Ford clutch assembly retails in the $3K neighborhood (you should go aftermarket, to save money as this is not a aftermarket clutch issue, it was more of an install issue)

You seem to be getting raked over the coals my friend.

That is a in and out in 1 day job.

Not 3 months. Honestly, AT MOST youre looking at 2 hours of diag as well. If they want more than that, you are getting taken advantage of as well.

Just remember, you catch more flies with honey instead of vinegar.

 

[tdstuart]

Simple, go in to the Dealership and ask to sit with the Service Manager, Director, or Fixed OPS Director (whichever they have). If you look it up on the dealers website under the Meet us category, you should be able to find information.

A clutch job on these plays 5.1 hrs by the book. For ease of typing, $200 x 5 = $1000.

A new Ford clutch assembly retails in the $3K neighborhood (you should go aftermarket, to save money as this is not a aftermarket clutch issue, it was more of an install issue)

You seem to be getting raked over the coals my friend.

That is a in and out in 1 day job.

Not 3 months. Honestly, AT MOST youre looking at 2 hours of diag as well. If they want more than that, you are getting taken advantage of as well.

Just remember, you catch more flies with honey instead of vinegar.

Solid advice

 

[daSNAK3]

Soon as they said they wouldn't cover it, I would have taken the car with me and taken it somewhere else... that is crazy.

 

[AMC401V8]

If they disassembled the car far enough to properly diagnose it and they aren't waiting on parts then why is it just sitting there? I'm kinda lost as to just exactly wtf is going on. Obviously the process of putting things back together hasn't happened yet so is your car just sitting at the dealership waiting to be put back together with the new parts?

Perhaps a discussion with the service manager is in order here. This is unacceptable and I'm sorry you are having to deal with such bullshit. Good luck with everything.

 

[RagmopInKona]

Yeah this was my first experience with the dealer. Not going back. I still don’t understand why Ford stopped having loaner cars.

They do, for warranty customers. At least the ones I've taken my Fords to.
I am not them, but I am guessing they found more that what you listed screwed up for a 5k bill . EVEN IF it took the tech 5 hours to find the problem (doubtful) that isn't even a grand at 180.oo shop labor rate. and a clutch, flywheel , and a ring with odd and ends isn't 4 grand. not even on an alky funny car.
I am willing to bet, the clutch installed wrong, hurt the transmission.
But I tend to ask questions on what they found, what is being replaced, and done in WRITING even while they have the vehicle when I am footing the bill. I don't just say fix it, call me when it is done, and walk out.
Once they found the issue, I want to know what is being replaced, why, and how long it will take and cost BEFORE they go any farther than finding the issue.
This is what you do, no matter if it is a dealership or Joe blows auto repair or the home heating tech, or contractor or any work you farm out to others.
Only ones I don't is those I've had a working relationship with for years and trust, and they still call me any inform me before they fix the problem if it will be more than what one would expect in cost or down time.
People like to trash dealers, but come on, I and most everyone would have asked sternly the 2nd week what the hold up is, With a time line of when and if the part will be in.
Walk in to the service department and ask to talk to the service MANAGER , be stern but not a KAREN.
Something tells me, there is a lot more to this at 5 grand than a clutch job and some other parts.

 

[ice445]

This is the reality of getting your car serviced in 2023. Weeks to have it looked at, weeks to wait for parts, and weeks for the single competent tech to fix it. And that's assuming it's a clear cut diagnosis, which this was not.

I don't blame OP for expecting this to be warranty, how was he supposed to know the car had an aftermarket clutch? It's also not exactly simple to just tell them "okay I'm coming to get my car that's in pieces with the trans on your bench". Yeah, you can do that. But now you're paying for diag and tear down labor, and nothing has even started to be fixed yet. Most shops will comp you some of the diag if you let them fix it, and it sounds like they're giving a decent discount since it's taking so long, so that's something.

The loaner thing is unfortunate. If this was warranty, you would get one. But dealers have learned to be stingy with loaners ever since the great inventory shortage caused by covid, so there's no guarantee you'll get one for customer pay stuff. This is why I have two cars, but I get that's not an option for everyone. When my car was in the dealer for the tail light, it wasn't much of an inconvenience.

 

[RagmopInKona]

This is the reality of getting your car serviced in 2023. Weeks to have it looked at, weeks to wait for parts, and weeks for the single competent tech to fix it. And that's assuming it's a clear cut diagnosis, which this was not.

I don't blame OP for expecting this to be warranty, how was he supposed to know the car had an aftermarket clutch? It's also not exactly simple to just tell them "okay I'm coming to get my car that's in pieces with the trans on your bench". Yeah, you can do that. But now you're paying for diag and tear down labor, and nothing has even started to be fixed yet. Most shops will comp you some of the diag if you let them fix it, and it sounds like they're giving a decent discount since it's taking so long, so that's something.

The loaner thing is unfortunate. If this was warranty, you would get one. But dealers have learned to be stingy with loaners ever since the great inventory shortage caused by covid, so there's no guarantee you'll get one for customer pay stuff. This is why I have two cars, but I get that's not an option for everyone. When my car was in the dealer for the tail light, it wasn't much of an inconvenience.

I don't think anyone is blaming him for thinking it is or would be covered under warranty. But even if that was the thought, you still ask what is found, being done, what is COVERED or not.
A trend I am seeing is many taking their vehicle in and not asking questions, not touching base while they are looking at it, then repairing it.
When a service "adviser" states it be another week, I'd be asking why?
Not just going ok, then before the end of that week, calling or stopping in and asking where we at? and if they need more time, WHY? If waiting on parts, when is the ETA.
Like it or not, Service dept. are under staffed, and have been long before covid.
There are only so many hours in a day, and them calling up, would be nice, but the customer in the lobby or at their counter gets first dibs on their time. 8-10 hours goes by quick when you are being pulled in ten different directions all at once all day.
It isn't that they don't care, it is out of sight out of mind, or they planned on calling, but oh look it's 6pm. Time to go see the family for a few hours before I do it all again.
Some forget that dealership service dept. don't just have the walk in customers to deal with, they have the sales staff and sold vehicle prep on top of the walk in customers.
Those request are not scheduled it is put on them ATM. The Andy's auto repair (example)if a good shop had a waiting list and you have to be scheduled/penciled in and they don't have other dept's needing things done ASAP all day, every day.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Call the Ford 800#, request a Regional Rep and state your concerns. They will assign it a Case # that gives it priority, the Rep. will reach out to the Service Center and request status updates - which the Service Center will then need to provide what is holding them up and a timeline of when they can get the vehicle done and back to you.

I would also mention to the Regional Rep that you have been paying out of pocket for a Rental and the shop keeps leading you on to no finish line - which is costing you more every day you have the rental (and if you're paying a loan for the car, mention that too that you're paying monthly on a car that's been in service for 3 months).

While the prior owner modification issues are beyond moot at this stage, it's atrocious that a Ford Service Center is taking 3-Mos to repair.

Here ya go:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/the-ford-800-info-for-those-needing-it.111571/#post-3757658

 

[Deleted member 69311]

Call the Ford 800#, request a Regional Rep and state your concerns. They will assign it a Case # that gives it priority, the Rep. will reach out to the Service Center and request status updates - which the Service Center will then need to provide what is holding them up and a timeline of when they can get the vehicle done and back to you.

I would also mention to the Regional Rep that you have been paying out of pocket for a Rental and the shop keeps leading you on to no finish line - which is costing you more every day you have the rental (and if you're paying a loan for the car, mention that too that you're paying monthly on a car that's been in service for 3 months).

While the prior owner modification issues are beyond moot at this stage, it's atrocious that a Ford Service Center is taking 3-Mos to repair.

Here ya go:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/the-ford-800-info-for-those-needing-it.111571/#post-3757658

I called them, and they called my dealer, and the dealer told them about the aftermarket clutch, and they denied any financial help with my bill… they even said no for reimbursing my rentals. But it’s whatever at this point. Dealer bumped down my bill $600. So I paid $4,400. Still a lot, but I’m just happy to have my car back finally!

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