Body panel alignment issues

[5starr0]

So the service guy sent me to "his guy" to try and take out the dent. Decent job but still not perfect which it should be since they sent it to the body shop that caused the issue. He said since I was not happy we would have to go to the body shop now and they would do body work to the car. I didn't want this on a new car. He said I should talk to sales and see if they will take back the car.

Here is where this gets more insane. The sales guy was supposed to call me over the past two days and never does. I say forget it I'll just drive there. He is there and comes out and says I'm sorry there is nothing we can do for you. I tell him that he diminished the value of my car while it was in their possession and we need to get that resolved. I've been dealing with this dealer since April with body panel adjustments, rear glass, and other stuff. Now we are up to the dent which was the last straw. The guy tells me that it was my fault for choosing to have the panels fixed and if I didn't I wouldn't have this damage. He said I should have just dealt with the issues. Insane. My fault for getting the car fixed. I even have an email from the derive director agreeing with me that the body damage came from someone prying up the door. The sales guy threatened to call the cops if I didn't leave because I wanted to talk about it further. No empathy for all that I went through just a straight up deal with it. So arbitration here I come

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[JoeySD]

I heard that Ford Quality Control was going to step up their game after hearing about all the complaints with body panel alignment issues with the 2015 first model year.

Look for precise exceptional fit and finish for the 2016 model year

IM KIDDING !!! so sad to keep hearing these stories for a 40k car......simply unsat !!

 

[JoeySD]

From John in WV on the 2016

Same Rear Window issues.

http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29982

rear window looks fine to me seems to be inline with the roofline

 

[Br725]

I'm not sure if a ton of people are familiar with this, but most body shops I've dealt with in regards to just LOOKING at my Mustang have used a damn ruler to check the tolerances on my car. To me this is unacceptable. A set of calipers is the proper tool.

With a ruler I can tilt it just a tiny bit one way to get a good measurement, and tilt it just a tiny bit the other to get a bad one, depending on my agenda. I work on corporate jets at Gulfstream (the tip top of corporate jets) and the tolerances are extremely tight on these aircraft (as with most).

I don't expect aviation grade quality with panel alignment, but when measurements are taken, pay attention to how the tech is making them, how he holds the ruler etc. go buy a pair of 20 dollar digital calipers, measure it against something you KNOW the dimensions of in front of the tech to verify you haven't tampered with it and it is properly calibrated, and then use THAT to take your measurements.

Use the very tips, hold it parallel (as best as is possible) to the gap you are trying to measure, and expand it only until it makes contact.

For bulges (what I would call step) use the back side of the caliper (Take care to not scratch your paint) but rest the small tip that extrudes from the end of the caliper to the lower of the two steps (bulges, sunk in areas, you get the idea). While holding it perpendicular to the surface being measured, lower it until the wider end makes light contact with the higher surface. Once you do that, record your measurement.

Take three measurements in each area to confirm the accuracy of your technique and the actual measurements. I would suggest using an actual step gauge, but those can get expensive.

Good luck, hope this helps. Don't let dealers use the BS ruler to measure close tolerance panels for steps and gaps.

 

[Mugwumpus]

So I read the thread, went to the garage, and noted my panel issues. Question: am I too late to do anything about this since I've had the car for a month? Also, I feel like a bit of an idiot for not noticing these before but will chalk it up to being a bit too over-exciting at delivery.

 

[GiddyUp15]

So I read the thread, went to the garage, and noted my panel issues. Question: am I too late to do anything about this since I've had the car for a month? Also, I feel like a bit of an idiot for not noticing these before but will chalk it up to being a bit too over-exciting at delivery.

I was in the same boat. Was too excited to pay that close attention. I took mine in several months after delivery and got several of them fixed, but still have some that they couldn't fix...which has made me re-think buying any future Fords unfortunately....

 

[JWS]

Roof and Rear Window

rear window looks fine to me seems to be inline with the roofline

Look at the Brake Light. The reflection in the Window magnifies the effect. There is more of the Lower LED Reflector visible on the left side than the right. This is the key indicator of poor alignment. A view from the right side of the car should be just the opposite. As the distance from the camera increases, the Brake Lens Reflector should look smaller, not larger. There is also a very slight mis-alignment of the top of the Brake Light Housing with the Roof (on my car) although this is minor in comparison. In addition the Glass itself falls-off more on the left than the right.

 

[5starr0]

My dealer aggressively does not want to help me so i'm waiting for my BBB paperwork to get that process started. Filed last Monday should be here soon. Worst purchase experience i've ever had. The car is great is all the service issues i have to deal with.

 

[Poppacapp]

My dealer aggressively does not want to help me so i'm waiting for my BBB paperwork to get that process started. Filed last Monday should be here soon. Worst purchase experience i've ever had. The car is great is all the service issues i have to deal with.

Go above the dealers head, or go to another dealer. Get Deisha(sp?) on here to escalate for you

 

[5starr0]

The funny thing is that the service director had me see his guy first and if that didn't go well then we would have to bring it the body shop. After I saw his guy I wasn't happy the door didn't look 100% and wasn't thrilled about having a new car have body work done on it. He told me talk to these head guys in sales about buying back the car. Waited two days for a callback and then just drove to the dealer and that's when they just said right off the bat we don't think we can help you and blamed me for even deciding to have work done on my car.

So I could email back the director and say, let's give the body shop a try now that is the only choice. Or because the sales guy was such an ass and threatened to call the cops on me, I should just wait for BBB and stay away

 

[5starr0]

Hopefully paperwork arrives today. I filed last Monday just waiting for the mail now

 

[Mugwumpus]

That's what I did. I engaged the Regional Ford CSM as I had for the CEL P0300 TSB issue and he is working with the dealer. To date, one month after purchase, I've had the CEL issue, a sporadically functional back-up camera, and the body panel issue. I've not gone to the dealer directly for any but worked through Ford. Tweet @Ford Service your issue(s) to start this route. Were it not for the Ford CSM's engagement I would already be pursuing a Lemon Law case but thus far my CSM has gotten things expedited and so I remain cautiously optimistic. I'll update on the body panel issue later this week as I am scheduled to talk to the CSM on Thursday for an update.

 

[Mugwumpus]

Wow, just looked at your issue list Guio...
What issues did Ford Engineering refuse to address in case I run into those next?

 

[5starr0]

I worked with a CSM back in may with my original request for body panels and getting the rear glass approved. I had to argue about the rear glass because they told the dealer to look at other cars and if they looked similar then i would have to deal with it. I told them that was nuts, if you have a mass problem because multiple cars look the same you refuse to fix it. I think they figured that out and I got my rear glass fixed.

I dont know if a CSM is going to help when the service director agreed with my assessment about the dent on the underside of my car and the sales guy is telling me to get lost. Only thing that matters is i have it in writing that the service guy agrees the body shop dented my door by jacking it up. I have months worth of emails I'll be happy to let the BBB review at this point.

 

[Poppacapp]

From experience, if the dealer doesn't take any of your concerns seriously, they never will (unless you lawyer up, etc). Go file a claim through the BBB, you won't regret it. It'll save you a ton of time/headaches.

Actually the BBB is a joke

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