Ford Inspector for Warranty Repair-Update:Warranty Denied Claim Due to Off Road Racing

[mikedahammer]

Has anyone had to deal with a Ford Inspector looking at their car? Short story is car went in for repair work (transmission issue) and the car has been at the dealer for almost 60 days and now an inspector from the ford lincoln protect (ESP) going to review the vehicle in the next 24-48 hours. I am not sure if the inspector is customer facing or not. Has anyone hear of this before? I smell a denial coming.

Edit: the dealership is recommending a new trans because this is the second time I have brought the car in for a bucking/surging issues in 5th gear below 6000 RPMS at WOT. It feels like the car cuts power a couple of times but when the car gets above 6000 it doesn't do it anymore. This first time they did the tone ring repair TSB 22-2140 and though they may need to do that again but they said they wanted to replace the entire trans. There are some other minor things like the gear shifter travels or moves around a good deal in the gate under throttle application.

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[WItoTX]

I am in for answers. However, I have a question, how fast are you moving at 6000 rpms in 5th?

I wouldn't be shocked if they just couldn't replicate the issue because I imagine they don't have a dyno, so they called in someone more well versed. Just speculating.

 

[Egparson202]

I am in for answers. However, I have a question, how fast are you moving at 6000 rpms in 5th?

I wouldn't be shocked if they just couldn't replicate the issue because I imagine they don't have a dyno, so they called in someone more well versed. Just speculating.

Great point. That’s not a road test I want them to attempt.

 

[SheepDog]

I am in for answers. However, I have a question, how fast are you moving at 6000 rpms in 5th?

I wouldn't be shocked if they just couldn't replicate the issue because I imagine they don't have a dyno, so they called in someone more well versed. Just speculating.

140ish

 

[mikedahammer]

Ford ESP denied warranty repair due to off road racing (their analysis). The car has never been raced and has never participated in a high speed racing event or time trial. The car has only been driven at HPDE. The car does have sparco seats and a rollbar for safety and I still have the factory seats.

Everything else is basically stock. The car has had every oil change at the dealer and since the first gen motor was replaced and every oil change has had a sample sent out to blackstone for analysis. I attached the PDF of what they said. I never spoke with the person who "inspected" the vehicle.

Car also has less than 9,000 miles and I am the only owner.

 

[EFI]

Ford ESP denied warranty repair due to off road racing (their analysis).

What exactly was noted in their "analysis"? Did it seem to be tipped off by the fact you currently have a roll cage installed, or did they actually note down times and locations of your HPDE events?

 

[WItoTX]

That response is horseshit. There are a few guys on here who have dealt with a denial as well. Try searching denied claim, I bet you can pull up their threads and see how they got it resolved.

Two sentences to explain the denial is not sufficient. I am unfamiliar with the Extracare Plan. Does it cover transmission damage? Does it exclude track use? Again, need to see the actual contract, not the brochure. The fact that they didn't explain what part of the warranty you have voided by off road use is telling to me.

The best thing you can do is read your warranty, and then either get an attorney, or if you feel comfortable, have thee dealer provide, in writing, why the warranty does not apply in this case. Then respond to that.

Not that it matters, but I hope you peeled off all the numbers, stickers, and didn't tell them you were doing an HPDE event.

Keep us updated.

 

[Snakebyte]

Ford ESP denied warranty repair due to off road racing (their analysis). The car has never been raced and has never participated in a high speed racing event or time trial. The car has only been driven at HPDE. The car does have sparco seats and a rollbar for safety and I still have the factory seats.

Everything else is basically stock. The car has had every oil change at the dealer and since the first gen motor was replaced and every oil change has had a sample sent out to blackstone for analysis. I attached the PDF of what they said. I never spoke with the person who "inspected" the vehicle.

Car also has less than 9,000 miles and I am the only owner.

So if Ford is going to deny a claim, why does Ford make numerous references in the owner's manual telling how to maintain the car when it is run in those "severe conditions" as they put it. And why do they even provide competition-type features?

Ford has tattle-tales they can access in the ECM, but I'm not sure how they can decipher what is HPDE versus racing.

I too am not familiar with the Extracare Plan, and the verbiage in it can have different implications.

 

[RagmopInKona]

Me thinks, race seat and roll bar = denied.
And if I am reading the o/p post, in 5th gear up to 6000 rpm bucking, but over 6000rpm in 5th it is fine. Tells them you've been well over 140 in this thing more than a few times on the track.

 

[DougS550]

To me, if I was Inspecting your car for a warranty claim, noticed the Roll cage, and seats, and the info you gave for when this issue was happening, I would also come up with the same conclusion. But: Unless the ESP Excludes racing performance use, I would get legal advice and file a rebuttal to their decision. Good Luck

 

[mikedahammer]

The inspector is from a third part - Centro - who is hired by Ford Lincoln Protect ESP

Per my phone call: The inspector noted racing seats, rollbar, worn out slicks (they are supercar 3r's), an HPDE sticker on windshield, and definite track use. They further went on to state that once the car enters a closed circuit, and even if you are the only car on the track, that using the car in that environment is considered abuse/neglect and is not covered (does that mean I don't have a warranty at all now?).

They are referencing the following fron the contract:

Article 7
d)Repairs caused by: (1) improper or unauthorized service
procedures, collisions or other physical damage to the Vehicle;
(2) damage caused by a foreign object; (3) unreasonable use
(including driving over curbs, overloading, or using the Vehicle as
a stationary power source); (4) continued use with an obvious
failure; (5) damage from fire or explosions, road hazards, other
casualty losses; or (6) losses due to negligence, including racing

Racing is not defined in the contract but generally I have come to understand that it is typically means timed events, and high speed contests and not HPDE.

The car has never been abused and I have all the data logs and vidoes that will show no money shifts or operating outside of the parameters set by Ford. Unfortunately after an hour and 15 minutes on the call gathering information with the warranty department they could no longer hear me and must disconnect the call. Not sure the next steps are just yet, but its saul good....man.

 

[Tomster]

I was trying to assist another person with a claim like this. The only difference was that the damage was definitely attributed to driver error.

The inspector in this situation is flat out wrong. If there is an appeal process, I suggest you go that route. I would reach out to Ford customer service and scream to high heaven.

If, and only if, you exhaust all measures, it's time to lawyer up. Once you do, all correspondence will contain the words "customer has retained legal counsel". Once that happens, there is a line in the sand drawn and there will be no further attempts at resolving the matter outside of legal avenues.

Do everything you can to resolve the issue. The last guy I tried to help did not reveal to me that he F'd his car up. Egg on my face because I tried to help the guy and he was not 100% honest with me.

If you broke it, own it. If you didn't, then fight it. Understand that Once you get lawyers involved, that's it.... lawyers will have to finish it.

 

[matthewr87]

This situation sucks man. I hate to say it but you probably made it too easy for them to deny your claim with all the track paraphernalia. Even though HPDE is a grey area when it comes to warranty coverage, they will take the path of least resistance and in this case it was to deny you based on obvious track usage. One way forward now is to get lawyers involved but that will probably cost you more than a new transmission. Maybe get a pro-rated refund for your ESP and pay for a new transmission and call it a day.

 

[nnnnnn]

It's funny how a manufacturer makes a muscle sports car but the moment you use it for what it's designed for, warranty denied. They can't stand behind their work but advertise heavy about performance.

Get a lawyer or read up and learn how to file the lawsuit yourself but you need to sue

 

[Tomster]

This situation sucks man. I hate to say it but you probably made it too easy for them to deny your claim with all the track paraphernalia. Even though HPDE is a grey area when it comes to warranty coverage, they will take the path of least resistance and in this case it was to deny you based on obvious track usage. One way forward now is to get lawyers involved but that will probably cost you more than a new transmission. Maybe get a pro-rated refund for your ESP and pay for a new transmission and call it a day.

It's not really a grey area. The car is a track car. It is advertised as such. If there is signs of abuse, ie) abnormal usage such as racing or time trials, or driver error (such as a money shift), that would be grounds for denial.

You have to understand that the knee jerk reaction will be to deny the warranty. The guy is doing his job by watching the bottom line. Iike any insurance adjuster, they will deny hoping you just go away.

This is not a grey area. They have to be able to prove the car was abused or used outside of its intended use. Period, dot.

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