Dealership, question everything

[Torinate]

I see you’re in Toronto. So, at what stellar dealer did they try to pull this crap? Honestly, I’d be ticked with that sort of “service”!

Good luck!

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[EcoVert]

Has to be gremlins

 

[BlackandBlue]

If Ford makes cars with more problems the dealership makes more money.

If states didn’t have terrible monopoly laws on dealerships, independent shops could make these problems disappear. Buy a car directly from Ford and have it worked on at one of 25 authorized warranty mechanics/shops in your area.

Monopolies make this BS possible. It will only get worse as the good labor retires.

 

[ChaoticFury09]

So go get your car fixed by an independent, take their bill to your attorney and have him send it to the owner of your dealership. I’m sure an attorney can write a compelling letter explaining to him/her that paying the bill would be the cheapest thing they can do.

While that is definitely a good option I don't think I am there quite yet. They will fix the problem, I just need to be a little more harsh with my tone.

 

[ChaoticFury09]

I see you’re in Toronto. So, at what stellar dealer did they try to pull this crap? Honestly, I’d be ticked with that sort of “service”!

Good luck!

This was Heritage Ford. Basically every dealer in Toronto is hot garbage from my experience. They are the most competent from everyone I have been to. The only other good one has been Fraser but that's a bit far east for me to go to. I may have to resort to taking it there in the future though.

 

[tcman54]

Dealerships are like crazy ex girlfriends, they are the worst.

TC

 

[Stang 19]

Hey Everyone,

Went into my usual dealership today and had one of the most interesting encounters I have ever had. I am considering this a PSA to new owners, or people who may not question what a dealership tells them at face value.

So I go in for the oil change and for the tire swap. No big deal. While there I asked them to look at a few things including the active exhaust which had been giving me some trouble lately. I had been seeing a yellow code on my digital dash that said Active Exhaust Not Available. It would come on randomly and the amount of time and frequency was pretty random. So when I get there today I explain the issue to the service advisor and they said they would have a look at it. So everything gets done I go up to the desk for my paperwork. I go, so what was the issue with the active exhaust? The service advisor goes, they told me that it's normal and the car knows when it is in a residential area and automatically disables the system or makes it quiet. I go, that's crazy. First off, you are saying to me the GPS is keeping tabs on my position and limiting the features of my car? She goes that is what they are telling me. I say, from a logical perspective that doesn't make any sense. Not to mention that since I have owned this car that has never happened.

So she goes and tries to find the tech who worked on my car. She can't find him so she brings out the service manager. He comes out and we get to talking. I explain the issue and he goes, does your navigation display the speed limit for your area? I was like, when I use the navigation? Yeah it does. He goes, well it is the same technology. I was like listen man, that doesn't make any sense to me.

He goes if you are so smart what do you think it is? He goes did you google it? I was like of course I did. I said there have been reports that the cables are to close to the exhaust and when the exhaust gets hot it starts to burn through the cable. I said mine must not be all the way burned through because I am getting it randomly. He goes, yeah we have had two cars in here for that problem actually. So I go what the hell is wrong with you. You just tried to tell me the car is some kind of sentient being and now you agree with the issue?

He goes you can go get under the car and take a look if you want. I was like isn't that the point of me bringing it here? He goes we are too busy right now. I said, why didn't the tech look at it earlier. He goes, I dunno he just didn't. He says write down the next time it does it and we will scan the car. It keeps the codes in the system. I said, well it has already done it why can't you scan it now? Then he goes into more about the busy season for tire swaps etc. (which is true since I am in Canada)

I know this is a lot to read, just a PSA for everyone to never let a dealership try to sell you snake oil. I thought I had found a good dealership but no matter where I go everyone is just cutting corners. I would just hope something like this would not be told to someone with less knowledge and have them believe it.

This kind of crap posses me off. You should contact Ford and file a complaint. I would think they would be interested to know how poorly some of the dealers treat their vustomers. Plis, what a slap in the face of the engineers who designed our Incredible cars.

 

[Rock&Roll]

This kind of crap posses me off. You should contact Ford and file a complaint. I would think they would be interested to know how poorly some of the dealers treat their vustomers. Plis, what a slap in the face of the engineers who designed our Incredible cars.

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think FORD gives a crap. FORD makes a product. Dealerships buy that product and then the dealership sells the product to make a profit. FORD has no say on what goes on at a dealership and they could care less.

Someone tell me I'm wrong.

 

[BrettT]

OMFG, I can't believe they said that. Did they have a strait face? I would tell them to put it in writing. Them I would go see the General Manager of the dealership. Then I would go find another dealer. There is no way this could be considered one of the better ones, if this is how they deal with a problem.
I absolutely would not take my car back. We all have stories of bad service departments, but this is ridiculous.....

 

[EcoVert]

So go get your car fixed by an independent, take their bill to your attorney and have him send it to the owner of your dealership. I’m sure an attorney can write a compelling letter explaining to him/her that paying the bill would be the cheapest thing they can do.

I'm not sure what the laws are in Canada but in the US the dealer has to be give opportunity to fix it I believe it three tries then take legal action. If you have it fix then go to a lawyer then you have no proof you gave the dealer the opportunity to resolve the issue.

 

[Bikeman315]

I'm not sure what the laws are in Canada but in the US the dealer has to be give opportunity to fix it I believe it three tries then take legal action. If you have it fix then go to a lawyer then you have no proof you gave the dealer the opportunity to resolve the issue.

Agreed. But this quote is what got me thinking of a letter. Telling a customer to get under his/her own car. Geez, what were they thinking, or not. Maybe just a letter to get them off their asses and set up an immediate appointment to have OP bring his car in.

He goes you can go get under the car and take a look if you want. I was like isn't that the point of me bringing it here? He goes we are too busy right now. I said, why didn't the tech look at it earlier. He goes, I dunno he just didn't. He says write down the next time it does it and we will scan the car. It keeps the codes in the system. I said, well it has already done it why can't you scan it now? Then he goes into more about the busy season for tire swaps etc. (which is true since I am in Canada)

 

[nameuser]

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think FORD gives a crap. FORD makes a product. Dealerships buy that product and then the dealership sells the product to make a profit. FORD has no say on what goes on at a dealership and they could care less.

Someone tell me I'm wrong.

You are totally right. I tried to complain about the dealer that sold me mine and Ford doesn't care. The BBB does and possibly the attorney general of your state. I contacted mine and saw progress.

 

[lacanteen]

I'm not a cattle rancher but I know bullshit when I see it. I'm glad my dealer is awesome though I travel an extra 15 miles to go there. Is there a separate dealer in your area that sells only Lincoln products? When the transmission recall was issued on my F150 The Lincoln dealer (which is a sister dealer to the one where I bought my Mustang) is the only one that would even make an appointment within a week. The big Ford dealer nearest where I work said they couldn't get to it for months. Sometimes you have to think outside of the blue oval.

 

[frank s]

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think FORD gives a crap. FORD makes a product. Dealerships buy that product and then the dealership sells the product to make a profit. FORD has no say on what goes on at a dealership and they could care less.

Someone tell me I'm wrong.

I'd like to do that, but can't offer a full-on "You're wrong". Or "You're right", either, for that matter.

My experiences at three different dealers over thirteen years and six Mustangs have been that many of the issues Mustang owners are sensitive to are outside the interests of the business' most lucrative customers, the non-Mustang-buying majority. A good dealership—and two of the ones I refer to actually are—has personnel who recognize that, and makes sure they are placed in the important public-contact positions. If they don't, it is a management failure. The (very few) times I've felt a dealer's shortcomings are more than just an off-day incident, and have said something to the Service Manager or his surrogate, they have been very understanding, and eventually showed evidence of having made changes to their procedures and/or personnel assignments.

I've felt a serious need to speak up on half-a-dozen occasions, and on every one of them I got a written guarantee there would be changes, always from the dealership, and often from Ford its own self. My impression is the local guys are generally very concerned with shortcomings, and the Factory folk will respond to calm, reasoned complaints.

If you know anyone who is in the Service Writer business, ask them about the job description in their reality, their day-to-day work experiences. Not every customer with ordinary service requests deserves a perfect experience every visit: sometimes they bring a poisonous atmosphere to the interaction. Sometimes the dealership personnel lose track of their position, and let the personal aspects of a transaction overwhelm their better judgement. Just like any customer. All you can do is make sure the disaffection didn't originate with you, and ride it out the best you can.

 

[milner_7]

Hey Everyone,

Went into my usual dealership today and had one of the most interesting encounters I have ever had. I am considering this a PSA to new owners, or people who may not question what a dealership tells them at face value.

So I go in for the oil change and for the tire swap. No big deal. While there I asked them to look at a few things including the active exhaust which had been giving me some trouble lately. I had been seeing a yellow code on my digital dash that said Active Exhaust Not Available. It would come on randomly and the amount of time and frequency was pretty random. So when I get there today I explain the issue to the service advisor and they said they would have a look at it. So everything gets done I go up to the desk for my paperwork. I go, so what was the issue with the active exhaust? The service advisor goes, they told me that it's normal and the car knows when it is in a residential area and automatically disables the system or makes it quiet. I go, that's crazy. First off, you are saying to me the GPS is keeping tabs on my position and limiting the features of my car? She goes that is what they are telling me. I say, from a logical perspective that doesn't make any sense. Not to mention that since I have owned this car that has never happened.

So she goes and tries to find the tech who worked on my car. She can't find him so she brings out the service manager. He comes out and we get to talking. I explain the issue and he goes, does your navigation display the speed limit for your area? I was like, when I use the navigation? Yeah it does. He goes, well it is the same technology. I was like listen man, that doesn't make any sense to me.

He goes if you are so smart what do you think it is? He goes did you google it? I was like of course I did. I said there have been reports that the cables are to close to the exhaust and when the exhaust gets hot it starts to burn through the cable. I said mine must not be all the way burned through because I am getting it randomly. He goes, yeah we have had two cars in here for that problem actually. So I go what the hell is wrong with you. You just tried to tell me the car is some kind of sentient being and now you agree with the issue?

He goes you can go get under the car and take a look if you want. I was like isn't that the point of me bringing it here? He goes we are too busy right now. I said, why didn't the tech look at it earlier. He goes, I dunno he just didn't. He says write down the next time it does it and we will scan the car. It keeps the codes in the system. I said, well it has already done it why can't you scan it now? Then he goes into more about the busy season for tire swaps etc. (which is true since I am in Canada)

I know this is a lot to read, just a PSA for everyone to never let a dealership try to sell you snake oil. I thought I had found a good dealership but no matter where I go everyone is just cutting corners. I would just hope something like this would not be told to someone with less knowledge and have them believe it.

Time to find another dealer.

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