Dirk92GTA

Hello All,

Am I wrong in what I expected from buying a Ford CPO Mustang?

Last June of 2014, I purchased my used 2014 GT Convertible with roughly 7K miles on it as a Ford CPO from a Ford dealership a few hundred miles away from my home.

Fast forward to Feb/March of 2015. I noticed that there is an area on the convertible top that is damaged and noticed that it slowly gets bigger and bigger as I use the top.

I took my car in for an oil change and other minor service in April 2015. I tell my service adviser that I have noticed the damaged spot and that it is getting bigger. Service adviser says that they inspected the top and that they see that the top is rubbing on some trim in the back, which is causing the damage. They took photos and submitted a repair authorization request to Ford.

A few weeks later, my service adviser called and said that Ford has denied the convertible top repair because the convertible top was not an original Ford convertible top. I asked why that is an issue if the car was a Ford CPO car. He said that the top was not a genuine Ford part because it was missing Ford nomenclature on the glass of the convertible top and that it was not something Ford was responsible for. I again asked him why that was an issue as it was a Ford CPO car. He said he could not help me as the repair authorization was declined and that was that.

I later called Ford's CPO support number . I told my story to the fellow on the phone. After a long wait on hold, he came back and told me the same thing. Ford refuses to repair the top because it is not a Ford part.

I asked him how the car could be a CPO car and pass the CPO process if it does not meet Ford's standards as stated in all of the CPO paperwork that I have. He said that a decision has been made and that there is nothing I can do. I asked to escalate the problem and he said that was not possible. I asked for official documentation describing why Ford would refuse to fix the issue. He stated that he could not send me that info. I asked what my options were and he told me to contact my service adviser.

So, I called my service adviser and left a message asking for more info on why Ford won't honor their CPO. I asked for details on why my repair was denied. It has been a few weeks now and I have not heard back from my service adviser.

I am not a car expert and cannot verify that every part on my CPO Mustang is genuine and covered. I was lead to believe that Ford's CPO process was there to ensure their quality. Ford's brochures and paperwork state that they inspect all aspects of their CPO vehicles and will replace any parts that are not up to Ford's standards before a vehicle will be CPO certified. I feel that they did not do this in my case but they will not stand behind their CPO claim.

Do any of you have any suggestions? What else should I expect Ford to refuse to fix on my CPO car because they do not feel like fixing it?

SpectreH

Ford just replaced my top because of a 1 inch spot rubbed on the edge binding near where the top enters the top well. Mine was a factory top so they did all the work under warranty. The car had 35,8xx miles at time of replacement. I was expecting a repair but got a whole new top.

I wonder why your top had already been replaced before you got it at 7000 miles? Any way of finding out who replaced it and maybe they will fix it?

88lx50

It's unfortunate that Ford designed the top so that if the back window breaks, the whole top needs to be replaced. That could be a reason it was replaced. I would do your homework and find out the service history of the car, and see if Ford ever replaced it. But I would imagine if it had been replaced by Ford, it would have been replaced with a genuine Ford top.
BTW - Ford rectified the back window issue on the 2015 models. If you look at the back glass, it is sitting on a metal frame in the convertible top and is installed like a windshield. It appears to be installed with urethane and replaceable. They must have been getting flack from insurance companies who were ponying up over a thousand dollars for a broken back window.
Last thing - Ford's tops suck anyway. I have already repaired the back window on my car twice where it separated from the top. I have also had to replace the defroster tab because it came away even after a dealer repair. My top also rubs on the side windows if you do not allow it enough time to drop when you open the door. The issue you are having may be repairable if you take it to a convertible top installer. I know it sucks eating the cost, but your only option would probably be to hire a lawyer and sue big bad Ford. Nothing much will come of that besides heartburn and headaches, and they know it. CPO is a bunch of BS anyway. Once the 3/36 warranty is up, there are a lot of things Ford won't touch, including corrosion on the hood. Oh yeah, I had that problem too.

SpectreH

Broken glass does seem like a logical reason to replace a top so soon.


Ford actually sent my car to a top/upholstery shop to install the new top. They said they'd prefer to let someone who does work like that daily do it instead of having a tech do it in-house.

88lx50

But who supplied the top?

SpectreH

Ford supplied the top. It was trucked in after the dealership ordered it. Had the Ford logo on the glass as well. I was told that the parts/labor bill was around $3300. Glad it was free

Jazzman442

Did you get a copy of the CPO Check list? It has a spot for Glass and Conv tops?

09-gt/cs

CPO doesn't quite mean what it used to. There are quality checks but if it has aftermarket parts and they function as intended then it may well pass the CPO process. I looked at one CPO when buying mine and it had a CAI and a few other mods that were clearly listed as not covered and the salesman talked with me about them. Its a gray area here you can sue but all they have to say is it passed "our Standards" which aren't always so clearly defined and then point you to the CPO warranty which I'm sure has language about excluding aftermarket parts except for Ford "approved" brands. So it kinda leaves you in the middle. The fine print is what gets you. You can try having a lawyer send a letter on letterhead to push them along most times they will cut you a check to go away which will cover your expenses thats the best approach as its usually cheaper for both of you with legal fees and what not. Hope you find a way to get it sorted. Also if you have it repaired with a ford top then it should be covered by the warranty then.

scottmoyer

If the car is CPO and there was not a disclosure from the dealer or Ford regarding the top, then Ford or the dealership is on the hook. They are hoping that you will go away by telling you that they aren't fixing that. Stand your ground, contact the dealer you bought it at and let them know the story, work with the regional service person, contact the BBB in the are the car was purchased if the dealer won't back it and contact the news f Ford won't back it. People need to know what the CPO does for them. If you get stuck with this repair, and the car is CPO, then others need to know that CPO means nothing.

88lx50

Here is a list of covered components under the CPO warranty. There is not even a mention of a convertible top or its mechanisms. Ford does not seem to care about negative publicity as can be seen from common problems like hood corrostion. So I don't think the OP will get too far with the news, BBB or anything similar. They simply covered all their bases with lawyer jargon and they don't care.
http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...m_brochure.pdf

09-gt/cs

^ This id try looking into the factory bumper to bumper with that age and mileage it should still be covered under that. Id go that route first.

SpectreH

The problem he's having is that the top does not appear to be the original Ford top...bumper to bumper warranty would not cover aftermarket equipment.