Dealer incorrectly advertised feature - where do I stand ?

[bushpig]

Recently bought a mid 2016 GT from dealership. When the car was advertised it listed Apple Carplay as included. Pick the car up, went home and found that it has Sync2 system and not compatible with Apple Carplay. I listen to a lot of podcasts and use a lot of handfree features in Carplay so its an important feature to me. I absolutely love the car and there are not that many available in the Competition Orange GT manual so its a keeper. I have been onto the dealer and pointed out the absence of carplay. He has referred it to their service department to see what can be done. My understanding is that there is no way to make Sync2 compatible with carplay. The hardware will need to be upgraded to Sync3 before carplay is compatible ( please correct me if I am wrong ). I believe this is $1500 to $2K to get done. If the dealer refuses to come to the party where do you think I stand, considering they advertised this feature ( and I have a copy of the advertisement as proof ) ? Is it worth taking them to Fair Trading or contact Ford Australia ?

Any thoughts welcome... thanks in advance.

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[Bikeman315]

Recently bought a mid 2016 GT from dealership. When the car was advertised it listed Apple Carplay as included. Pick the car up, went home and found that it has Sync2 system and not compatible with Apple Carplay. I listen to a lot of podcasts and use a lot of handfree features in Carplay so its an important feature to me. I absolutely love the car and there are not that many available in the Competition Orange GT manual so its a keeper. I have been onto the dealer and pointed out the absence of carplay. He has referred it to their service department to see what can be done. My understanding is that there is no way to make Sync2 compatible with carplay. The hardware will need to be upgraded to Sync3 before carplay is compatible ( please correct me if I am wrong ). I believe this is $1500 to $2K to get done. If the dealer refuses to come to the party where do you think I stand, considering they advertised this feature ( and I have a copy of the advertisement as proof ) ? Is it worth taking them to Fair Trading or contact Ford Australia ?

Any thoughts welcome... thanks in advance.

First off, our prayers and good thoughts to you and all of our Aussie friends. Cannot imagine what you good folks are going through down there. Hopefully you are in a safe area although it doesn't look like anywhere is safe now.

Unless there were changes made to cars imported into Australia 2016 Mustangs had Sync 3. They still need the UBS port update but that is it. Now if you have a 16' with Sync 2 and MFT (My Ford Touch) maybe someone swapped it out for the original Sync 3 unit. Anyway, most dealers advertising will claim they are not responsible for errors so be prepared to hear that. If they refuse to honor their advertisement you will have to either pay or go to Fair Trading. Good luck!

 

[Zooks527]

Your biggest issue is that you call it a "keeper". The dealer's clean out (at least in the US) would be to take the car back and refund your money. If you don't want that, he can give you a take it / leave it choice, or work some sort of good will gesture that will leave you south of having Carplay.

Now, realistically, I do believe you should have an audio-in jack. Is there a reason you can't just run the phone's earpiece output to that and then just play the podcasts on your phone? Beats returning a car you like in a color you want.

 

[Johnnybee]

Sounds like the dealer is somewhat playing ball with you, although it looks like they would try to get you to pay for the upgrade. If you have evidence, either a print ad or a screen shot or some other piece of paper linking the dealer to the error, or you can show that they misrepresented the car, then you may wish to ask them to improve the car, at their cost, to what was advertised. If they don’t want to, I suppose that you could bring the government entity that looks after misleading advertising into the fray.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Before you pursue any legal action or even throw a fit at the dealer to make it right, you need to find out what the car came with from the factory. Here in the U.S. sync 2 or My Ford Touch came on all 15's, in 16 they upgraded to the sync 3 system. But I don't know when the export models were upgraded to sync 3.

If the export 16's still had sync 2, you will look like a fool if you make a scene at the dealer and you may have to just eat the cost of the upgrade or learn to live with out carplay. But if it came with sync 3, then you may have a case.

 

[13razorbackfan]

Do you have a screen shot or link still available to the car you bought? I know sometimes the dealers leave them up for a while to attract more prospective buyers.

If you like your car just be friendly and say "look, I like the car but one of the main reasons I bought the car was it was advertised as having Apple Car play so I'd like to go ahead and bring the car back for a refund and go about looking for one with it" if they want to play hardball however knowing that you are likely to keep the car regardless it's a bluff but you never know it might work. I did this once around 20 years ago when the shady dealer tried a yoyo financing scheme with me. They claimed they sold my trade already and I told them tough, get it back or give me the rate to which I signed on the contract. They caved.

 

[Bikeman315]

If the export 16's still had sync 2, you will look like a fool if you make a scene at the dealer and you may have to just eat the cost of the upgrade or learn to live with out carplay. But if it came with sync 3, then you may have a case.

I did some checking and 2016's that went to Australia did in fact have Sync 2. A little homework on your part prior to the sale and you would have known immediately that you could not have CarPlay. Water under the bridge. That said the dealer did misrepresent the car. although it probably was not intentional. If you love the car, talk to the dealer and work something out. Sync 3 is worth having. Just make sure you get one with the latest APIM that has version 3.3

 

[Cobra Jet]

FYI:
Having owned a prior 2016, CarPlay was advertised to be a feature, however it was not and could not have been because as many new 2016 Owners found out, many models didn’t even have the proper “As Built” software code flipped on nor did the vehicles have the proper USB Hub.

This was the message on the Ford.Owner site way back in Q2 2016....

Here is the note on owner.ford.com about Apple CarPlay:

Apple CarPlay is available on 2017 model year Ford vehicles with compatible SYNC 3. Owners of 2016 model year Ford vehicles with SYNC 3 are required to perform a software upgrade and purchase a hardware upgrade to use Apple CarPlay. Please check back on the Ford Owner site this summer for more information about these upgrades.

Note 1:
The Dealerships use templates provided to them by Ford for advertising sales - the verbiage is “stock” or “scripted”, so it’s not necessarily your Dealership who typed every word in that ad for the car.


Note 2:
If anyone actually reads the Ford sites fine print or “disclaimers” - some of the same found in the Ownwre manuals, Ford can’t be held liable for any changes they make during the production cycles. They reserve the right to make changes, even if those changes are not in alignment with their previously advertised product features.

 

[Bikeman315]

FYI:
Having owned a prior 2016, CarPlay was advertised to be a feature, however it was not and could not have been because as many new 2016 Owners found out, many models didn’t even have the proper “As Built” software code flipped on nor did the vehicles have the proper USB Hub.

This was the message on the Ford.Owner site way back in Q2 2016....

Note 1:
The Dealerships use templates provided to them by Ford for advertising sales - the verbiage is “stock” or “scripted”, so it’s not necessarily your Dealership who typed every word in that ad for the car.

Note 2:
If anyone actually reads the Ford sites fine print or “disclaimers” - some of the same found in the Ownwre manuals, Ford can’t be held liable for any changes they make during the production cycles. They reserve the right to make changes, even if those changes are not in alignment with their previously advertised product features.

OP's Australian 2016 has Sync 2. Any Ford advertising materials for a 2016 would not have mentioned CarPlay. Whomever wrote the copy for this car made a mistake. Unfortunately it was for someone OP considered to be very important.

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