Well, took my wife's car (2005 Ford Five Hundred) to the local Ford shop for a routine maintenance (tranny flush). That's all I asked for. Called on a Sat to make the app. for the following Friday....six days advance notice. We dropped the car Thursday evening. At 11 AM Friday they call to tell me they don't have the parts for this job but they are ordered & should be in by 2 PM. At 2:20 PM they call to tell me they found 'other issues' with the car and didn't do anything until we speak. We stop in and they tell me I have a broken transmission mount and the power steering pump is leaking! $1458 worth of repairs needed! The 'broken tranny mount' is the rubber grommet in the engine torque bar has a minor crack. They told me they see fluid on the steering pump (but I cannot see it). We left there with no work being done and another appointment for the work AFTER they get all the parts.
I stewed on this over the weekend & on Monday called to cancel the whole thing. I went to another garage to have the car looked at. They saw no leaks and the 'crack' made the guy laugh. So I end up with nothing I wanted. I called a local transmission shop and he said he has the parts on the shelf and to stop in anytime for the service. I guess I should listen to people in the area. Everyone told me that that Ford dealer just wants to sell parts.....parts.....PARTS! They will never see me again. It pains me that I bought my Mustang there. The sale went smooth but after the warranty is gone they want to screw you.

 

Shocking, ain't it?

 

It's so difficult to find a good place to get work done. I've got two places I'll go, one of them is a Ford dealership who has done be right on multiple occasions now. They'll continue to get my business.


I've had experiences like yours as well. I had a warranty on a vehicle, and when I took it in for fixes to 4 items, I told them exactly what the issue was...they said it would be $90 for them to put it all in, so it could be fixed. 5 days later I get a call for a bill for $400, and they'd hadn't done anything. They were charging that for submitting the issues officially, and stated that nothing was covered under warranty, which is total BS. I've made sure to mention my story to several well known people around town.

 

Have a hard time with dealers also if you dont have a warrenty they are the worse place to go IMHO

 

+1. I believe dealerships are what got the big 3 in trouble in the first place.

 

One dealership = all of them. Got it. Kinda like (whatever your profession is), or those jerk computer people who just want to make you spend money on hard drives or virus scans when there's nothing wrong with your computer, or make you spend hundreds of dollars, easily half if not more, of the cost of a new computer to 'save your data' on the computer you have, to which you say "wait, what?!? I could buy a new computer with that!!!" And don't pay.

So yeah, one bad apple means they're all bad, obviously. I can't even trust doctors or politicians or janitors or policemen or soldiers or grocery clerks or fast food people or the oil change tech or...

/I assume there are more stories of other dealerships that make your red text worthy of being red...?
//<--is a computer guy. And yes, that does happen. Unfortunately.
///well, not so much the 'nothing wrong part'. If there's nothing wrong, I don't fix it.
////Got out of the 'house call/bring it in' business a few years ago. Thank goodness. IT manager of, as it happens, a dealership, heh. I will, hopefully, *NEVER* go back to the "hc/bii" way of things.
/////I'd rather work at a dealership fixing cars for people who don't want them fixed. Truth.

 

My local dealer I have used for over 15yrs is very good, bought all my Fords there and the service is top notch for what I have done. I even got my inlaws over to them after a few bad dealings at other dealers, they have been going to them for over 8yrs now. They have won the Ford President award going on thier 18th year and thier 12th MA dealer award. Finding info on dealers is very easy and in truth it is just has easy to find a dishonest repair shop also. They aren't all bad, but I agree they are out there.

 

Its a shame to lump all dealerships into one dump, its hard to really find any shop that has your true best interest in mind.. That really sucks that happened to you. Its hard to believe that a Ford Dealer would not have a Tranns Filter... Unreal...

 

I think there's some truth in that statement.

I don't know how the dealership system works but maybe the big 3 should have morphed into more of a franchise system - where they would have more control on pricing (NO ADM BS!) and policies.

 

 

I guess it's not fair to the good ones. My problem is that both Ford places close to me have screwed me. My regular shop is an independent and they have actually saved me money. But he was not able to service the tranny (a CVT) on my Five Hundred. That's why I went to the Ford garage. And to think, I worked at this Ford dealer when I was in school way back when. But the owner back then was a hometown guy. The owner today has maybe 12+ dealerships and sells about 20 different brands. There is no personal touch any more.

 

Skunk what dealership in MA is this you refer to?

 

I've had good and bad dealership experiences. The best have been when I was able to get to know the shop manager - they're like anyone else - treat them like real people, have an actual conversation, and things go great.

 

Oh man I agree, corporate owners dont have the same hometown feel and a stake in the community. What dealership in the Burgh? Kenny Ross and Smail over in Westmorland Co. is pretty good.. But its a drive from Beaver Falls.. Both off Route 30..

 

Lamoureux Ford

 

Kevin, I understand how some things just doesn't seem to make sense. But being realistic the car is seven years old. For the dealer to maintain a stock big enough to service every car they have sold would cost them millions. And then they would have parts that would never be sold. As for the other issues, I've had this on many occasions at many different types of repair facilities. They are in the business to make money, and it is quite aggravating that we know they will take advantage of those who are not more informed. But it's not all of the dealers that act this way. The dealership I buy from is very reputable, and always given me enough respect not to pull a stunt as was pulled on you. Good luck.

Credit to them for not doing anything until they talked with you though.

 

Thanks 33. I agree on stocking parts. But they had six days notice that I was coming in for the tranny service. They have my vehicle in their computer, VIN and all. I expect them to be prepaired for my appointment. Parts for the other issues were not on hand and that's ok. But they didn't do the tranny service that I asked for.

 

Post the name of the dealer. Call the Ford Customer Relationship Center and make a complaint 1-800-392-3673

 

I agree, they should have been prepared. Seems like some do not understand the value of others time.

 

There are good dealerships, there are bad dealerships. I have bought my last 5 ford vehicles from Wayside Ford in my community. It is a small dealership, we have a few very large Ford dealerships within a 15 mile radius that are high volume and pushy; their service leaves something to be desired

I have had the same salesperson for 3 out of the 5 purchases. I go in, there is no BS and the deal gets done. Their service department is fantastic; whenever I have had an warranty issue they have taken care of and done it right the first time.