Should I be worried - interior windscreen condensation (again!)?

[Kristian87]

obvious question (sorry if I missed it) - are you on touch with a solicitor? - if not I highly recommend that you do so ASAP!

they certainly wont charge you a penny for an initial consultation - take all the paperwork timescales etc with you and let them go on the attack for you (they will claim their costs from Ford / Dealer - or advise you upon whether they can do so or not - and if not, let you know what their costs might be)

They will be able to advise you on the law - and where you stand - you can then decide whether or not to use them!

just my tuppence worth!

but - I really feel for you - you must be totally p****ed off!

all the best

Bob

Good question - no I'm not. But it's the next logical step for sure. All things considered, Ford did manage to offer something reasonable for my troubles last year & I shall give them the chance again, because that's the route I wish to take. Failing that though, I will be pursuing the legal route this time around. I felt strongly about the whole compensation thing last year, but now even more so - and with added reasons, and more frustration.

I'll keep everyone posted on that, perhaps in a separate thread. It's a real grey area in terms of what we as customers are entitled to, so any light I can shed on that for the benefits of others will be a good thing.

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[vikkic]

Sorry to hear this Kristian, hope you get it all sorted - I'd be apoplectic!

 

[Monty]

This is a difficult one. On the one hand, you'll always feel the car won't be the same again (you'll always feel that the rattles are due to having had the whole dash ripped out and suspect out-of-sight corrosion going on). On the other hand, if you haven't been put off and stubbornly still want to swap for a new mustang, they're more pricey. A brand new repalcement would be ideal, but probably a huge uphill battle.

I gather you're on a PCP type deal, in which case you can just hand the car back after half-time/half payments, which you've probably already reached if its a 3-year plan. If the car has depreciated by more than the total amount you've paid, you can just hand it back and come out ahead (kind of).

 

[Kristian87]

What a nightmare!

Did the guys or photos suggest the actual source of the leak (seal, weld etc) or is that investigation still ongoing?

Still ongoing. I went back today to pick up the hire car Ford had arranged. 68 plate white Focus ST line. Rather nice actually - so that made me feel a little better.

They are still chasing the leak for now, but I know for a fact that the tech won't be putting the car back together until he's 100% satisfied the source is identified and sorted. Under guidance from the UK Mustang technician, they've looked at the grommet in the bulk head. These have been known to fail, but what was interesting was the photo he showed me of the "known issue" being the location of seam sealer that runs past where the hole is, meaning as the rubber grommet sits against the flat metal - it's not entirely flush against the panel - because of the raised "ridge" of sealer, so tiny gap, enough for water to get in. In attempt to address this, I believe he said they've added some sealant to reinforce the seal which they'll need to test again for any further leaks.

They speculated that my issues is as bad as it is purely down to the time factor - a tiny amount of water entering over an extended period of time, may have been this way since new. Obviously we all keep our Mustangs in different places, mine is fully exposed to the elements, sat in the rain/snow for days/weeks at a time if that's what the weather situation is.

I took a cheeky photo whilst I was chatting with them - you can see some surface rust where there has been water present behind the trim in the A pillar. Supposedly nothing a bit of WD40 can't address. The tech will see the full extent of any water damage once the interior is taken apart, and he'll be addressing what he finds. Got a peek under the carpet too - and nothing of obvious concern, yes the carpet was slightly damp underneath but no obviously glaring patches of rust. all looked clean & tidy.

The unfortunate news for me is their recommended fix being a replacement of both the main body & dash/engine compartment wiring looms. They quickly found some corrosion on the terminals that connects the 2 looms (pic below), meaning they both will get replaced. The connection is right in the area where I had water streaming in a year ago. Doing this is a big job as you can imagine, everything is coming out!

No sign yet of any repair work that took place at Guildford 12 months ago, but judging by how much less water is in the interior now vs last year, I'd say they did do something. Jury still out on that though.

Can honestly say it's a breath of fresh air dealing with Hungerford - no hesitation to walk me in to the workshop & have a 10 min chat with the technician there. He's a sound guy and right now it's the only guy I'm happy with working on the Mustang (within the Ford network). They have a nice little folder for my warranty work, complete with photos taken.

Next step is to wait for news on the parts order. Apparently the wiring loom will come out so they can be sure of the correct part # to order.

 

[Gregs24]

Sounds like they are doing a thorough job. None of the damage looks too serious so once fixed it will be fine. One thing is for sure - if you start wading in with a solicitor the whole process will clam up and you will have a very different relationship. I would let it run for the moment if they are doing all they can.

 

[Kristian87]

Sounds like they are doing a thorough job. None of the damage looks too serious so once fixed it will be fine. One thing is for sure - if you start wading in with a solicitor the whole process will clam up and you will have a very different relationship. I would let it run for the moment if they are doing all they can.

Yea that’s where my head is at right now too. The challenge i faced last year as well with the whole complaints process was that ford didn’t wanna get involved until the issue was dealt with.
Shouting n screaming aint gunna make them work any quicker at the end of the day. But i’m tempted to politely remind them that a complaint will be coming lol

 

[swooshdave]

So it wasn't just from not running the AC all the time...

My car isn't leaving the garage ever!

 

[Tim_]

Water has the power to make a right mess doesn’t it? My new interior is going in, I just hope that because it’s new parts rather than old ones being refitted it’s not going to be rattle city.

 

[Kristian87]

Water has the power to make a right mess doesn’t it? My new interior is going in, I just hope that because it’s new parts rather than old ones being refitted it’s not going to be rattle city.

A mess? Yes! Damage? I’d say no. From the research i’ve done, a little water is no bother really. Finding source of a leak, fixing it, and doing so properly - that’s the real challenge!

I wouldn’t worry about the rattling - mine was taken apart last year - the dash at least, and i’ve had no problem with rattles. They should use new clips/bolts where needed.

 

[Tim_]

A mess? Yes! Damage? I’d say no. From the research i’ve done, a little water is no bother really. Finding source of a leak, fixing it, and doing so properly - that’s the real challenge!

I wouldn’t worry about the rattling - mine was taken apart last year - the dash at least, and i’ve had no problem with rattles. They should use new clips/bolts where needed.

They’re using an entire new dash assembly, not just some clips and bolts! If it rattles I’m not having it back.

 

[slowhand99]

A mess? Yes! Damage? I’d say no. From the research i’ve done, a little water is no bother really. Finding source of a leak, fixing it, and doing so properly - that’s the real challenge!
.

It’s good they’ve picked up the damage to the electrics though, that could have been a nightmare later. I had an old Chevy Blazer with corrosion inside a plug coupler. It was a dog to find the fault.

 

[Wildblood]

Still ongoing. I went back today to pick up the hire car Ford had arranged. 68 plate white Focus ST line. Rather nice actually - so that made me feel a little better.

They are still chasing the leak for now, but I know for a fact that the tech won't be putting the car back together until he's 100% satisfied the source is identified and sorted. Under guidance from the UK Mustang technician, they've looked at the grommet in the bulk head. These have been known to fail, but what was interesting was the photo he showed me of the "known issue" being the location of seam sealer that runs past where the hole is, meaning as the rubber grommet sits against the flat metal - it's not entirely flush against the panel - because of the raised "ridge" of sealer, so tiny gap, enough for water to get in. In attempt to address this, I believe he said they've added some sealant to reinforce the seal which they'll need to test again for any further leaks.

They speculated that my issues is as bad as it is purely down to the time factor - a tiny amount of water entering over an extended period of time, may have been this way since new. Obviously we all keep our Mustangs in different places, mine is fully exposed to the elements, sat in the rain/snow for days/weeks at a time if that's what the weather situation is.

I took a cheeky photo whilst I was chatting with them - you can see some surface rust where there has been water present behind the trim in the A pillar. Supposedly nothing a bit of WD40 can't address. The tech will see the full extent of any water damage once the interior is taken apart, and he'll be addressing what he finds. Got a peek under the carpet too - and nothing of obvious concern, yes the carpet was slightly damp underneath but no obviously glaring patches of rust. all looked clean & tidy.

The unfortunate news for me is their recommended fix being a replacement of both the main body & dash/engine compartment wiring looms. They quickly found some corrosion on the terminals that connects the 2 looms (pic below), meaning they both will get replaced. The connection is right in the area where I had water streaming in a year ago. Doing this is a big job as you can imagine, everything is coming out!

No sign yet of any repair work that took place at Guildford 12 months ago, but judging by how much less water is in the interior now vs last year, I'd say they did do something. Jury still out on that though.

Can honestly say it's a breath of fresh air dealing with Hungerford - no hesitation to walk me in to the workshop & have a 10 min chat with the technician there. He's a sound guy and right now it's the only guy I'm happy with working on the Mustang (within the Ford network). They have a nice little folder for my warranty work, complete with photos taken.

Next step is to wait for news on the parts order. Apparently the wiring loom will come out so they can be sure of the correct part # to order.

 

[Wildblood]

Doh, where exactly is this bulkhead grommet which is being looked at?
Does anybody have a good photo of it for us all?

 

[Kristian87]

Doh, where exactly is this bulkhead grommet which is being looked at?
Does anybody have a good photo of it for us all?

Made a mental note to find out and grab a pic. The dealership is close enough i can pop over and visit during my lunch break, which i will be doing!

 

[swooshdave]

Made a mental note to find out and grab a pic. The dealership is close enough i can pop over and visit during my lunch break, which i will be doing!

Yes please!

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