My 2015 MGT Issues and Customer Service

[Sinister15]

All,
Let me start this entire rant by stating that I absolutely love my car. It puts a smile on my face every single time I drive it.

This same smile is then wiped clean from my face as soon as I try to restart it after it sits outside in the sun for a few hours after a nice cruise and it struggles to start.

This car is 100% stock and has not been modified in any way shape or form. I am the first owner.

BACKSTORY:
I have a 2015 Mustang GT that I bought in May of 2016 as a left over. The car was quite literally everything I was looking for; 6spd, Black, Recaro's, Premium Package and the gorgeous 20" Foundry wheels. I got it for what I thought was a fair deal, 44k sticker and paid $38,200 before tax, title, reg, etc.

I've been a car guy quite literally since I was 11. Oil changes, brakes, timing belt, water pump, etc, in the garage with my Dad when I was a kid. It got to the point where I loved working on cars so much and figuring out how they worked that ultimately I became a Mechanical Engineer.

I'm no stranger to performance vehicles to say the least. I've had other performance vehicles other than Fords. This car in particular being my third (and probably final) Mustang. Needless to say, I have a good understanding of how a vehicle should operate.

PROBLEM:
The very first day I have my car, I drive it an hour home and park her in the driveway. A few hours later I go outside to take it for a nice drive and wouldn't you know it, it stumbles on itself to start. Weird I thought to myself, maybe it's old fuel or bad battery, you know, it being a 2015 leftover and all. I fill it with a few tanks 93 and think this should clear up whatever the issue is. It doesn't.

Right around the same time, my back up camera seems to come and go. Black screen telling me to contact my dealer regarding service.

I call the dealership, make the appointment and of course they cant replicate the starting issue but reset the rear camera module. When he calls me to tell me my cars all set, he asks me what gas I'm using and I tell him and he says well doesn't the fuel door say 87? Mind you, this is the SERVICE MANAGER asking me this. Anyways, he tells me to run a few tanks of 87 through it and see if that fixes my issues. Obviously, it does not. So I make another appointment.

My camera has been ok since the reset up to this point. A few days before my appointment, the camera completely craps out on me. Nothing but black. Car goes in for service, they replace the camera and spend 2 days trying to diagnose the starting issue, but they call and tell me they still cannot replicate it, and that they've reprogrammed the ECU. I look at the paperwork, all they did was an idle relearn. Not a re-flash.

I pick the car up, start my drive to work. Get to work, back into my spot and I have no reverse guide lines. I go through the settings, the guide lines are on in the settings but not on the screen. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Not a big deal, just annoying as now I have to bring it back, AGAIN. Call and make another appointment.

The night before I bring it in for service, the car dies on me at a stoplight. No warning, no codes, not running weird, just dies completely. Didn't even hear it die to be honest, just saw "run power active" on my dash. Started it up right away with no issues. This scares the hell out of me for safety reasons. What if that had happened when I was doing 80 on the highway? This pissed me off to no end. Considering it now feels like the starting issue and this issue are related.

I let the service advisor at the dealership know the next morning that the car had shut off on me and he pretty much shrugged it off.

I'm stuck, I paid damn near 38k for the car and it doesn't even have 2100 miles on it and I already have these issues.

Below are two videos, normal start and hesitant start. This is the best video i've got of the hesitant start so far and it's done it WAY WORSE than what's shown here. I'm tired of taking my phone out every time I want to start the car for a warm start.

Normal:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w92w421ilak3dts/Normal Start.MOV?dl=0

Warm start:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ehzwhhnk6bcdprz/Poor Start.MOV?dl=0

CUSTOMER SERVICE:
On top of all this, I opened a claim for the starting issue with the Customer Service rep for my area, Jennifer. SHE CLOSES MY CLAIM AFTER THE CAMERA IS FIXED and without even talking with me first. The email from her said, we couldn't find an issue with the vehicle, please continue working with the dealership. I sent her an email monday night regarding my disappointment and my fear for the car shutting off on me while driving.

After multiple phone calls, emails and voicemails, I still have yet to hear back.
If this is any indication as to how Ford deals with their customers, I don't know if i'll ever buy another one. I've had 6 Ford vehicles to date and was planning on buying more but I can't stand a company that doesn't respond to their customers. The customers are what build the company, without them, they don't exist. What the hell kind of customer service is that?!

CT lemon law states you're eligible to exercise the lemon law if the manufactures defects occur within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles OR "In the case of a safety defect which is likely to cause death or serious injury if the vehicle is driven, the defect continues to exist after two or more attempts during the first year of operation or the term of the express warranty, whichever period end first."

Sorry for my rant, I just don't know where to go from here. I don't need refined. I'm ok with dashboard rattles, body panel misalignment, paint chips, etc. But, the car should operate 100% mechanically, and thats why i'm upset.

Thoughts comments concerns, leave them below.

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[jasonstang]

Regarding warm starts. Sometimes warm engines do become harder to start especially when you shut it off and try to restart it very soon. The problem I believe is gas vapor and spark plus being wet from the unburn gas.
The shut off issue there is a update for the computer.
As for the back up camera, you just got a bad unit.
Your starter does sound kinda slow turning. Maybe the battery is not charged up. Do you do short trips a lot? The battery can be heavily sulfated due to sitting on the lot for that long.
[ame]

 

[Sinister15]

Regarding warm starts. Sometimes warm engines do become harder to start especially when you shut it off and try to restart it very soon. The problem I believe is gas vapor and spark plus being wet from the unburn gas.
The shut off issue there is a update for the computer.
As for the back up camera, you just got a bad unit.
Your starter does sound kinda slow turning. Maybe the battery is not charged up. Do you do short trips a lot?

Thanks for your response.

See, that I understand, wet spark plugs, vapor lock, makes complete sense.

My problem is that it seems to have an issue starting when the car sits for 2-3 hours, where the plugs would be dry and the residual pressure in the fuels lines may have bled off a bit by then. I always let the fuel pump prime, then start. Habit from my last performance car.

I've compared starts to my father's 2015 auto GT vert, seems to be the same. He never has an issue with warm starts. Only time my car starts "slow" is like you see in the video where it can't even get out of it's own way.

In my years troubleshooting, this seems to be a fuel pressure, timing or calibration problem.

The car does NOT see the road everyday, it's a toy. I have a company vehicle I drive everyday and take the mustang out on nicer days. It see's an hour drive to work here and there or hour long cruises. It does see short trips too but for the most part they're long rides.

 

[jasonstang]

Thanks for your response.

See, that I understand, wet spark plugs, vapor lock, makes complete sense.

My problem is that it seems to have an issue starting when the car sits for 2-3 hours, where the plugs would be dry and the residual pressure in the fuels lines may have bled off a bit by then. I always let the fuel pump prime, then start. Habit from my last performance car.

I've compared starts to my father's 2015 auto GT vert, seems to be the same. He never has an issue with warm starts. Only time my car starts "slow" is like you see in the video where it can't even get out of it's own way.

In my years troubleshooting, this seems to be a fuel pressure, timing or calibration problem.

The car does NOT see the road everyday, it's a toy. I have a company vehicle I drive everyday and take the mustang out on nicer days. It see's an hour drive to work here and there or hour long cruises. It does see short trips too but for the most part they're long rides.

I would get a battery tender and charge up the battery and see if restarting improves.
Also, use some fuel cleaner like Seafoam and run a tank or two see if it helps. Old fuel and air mixed together with heat can change fuel and leave residue in the fuel system.
Also how often you drive the car hard, after broken in I would recommend talking her to the redline with gas pedal floored once a while.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I had similar issue with a Mercedes CLA I bought brand new. I finally got them to buy it back after 3-months of constant dealership hounding. Never again. Please check your battery grounds. I have seen this issue resolved completely with improved grounding or fixing/tightening a battery ground. I do car audio for some folks and have run new chassis/engine block grounds to suit their stereo load and they called me asking if I've fixed the rough running issue or no/slow start issues that they were having with the car, too... gotta have a good ground.

 

[Road Dog]

I think you should get in touch with Ford Service here on the Forum. She can get in touch with the dealer and the regional folks for you.

 

[Sinister15]

I think you should get in touch with Ford Service here on the Forum. She can get in touch with the dealer and the regional folks for you.

Thanks for your response. I shot her a PM a while back and after I made this thread, I copied the URL and sent it to her in a PM to see if she had any interest. I had confidence in my regional customer service rep at the time this was happening but the matter was not resolved. This time, she refuses to return any of my calls or emails.

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