So I simply want to provide alternative insight here. Surely not wanting to agitate what is clearly a frustrating situation that pisses me off as well.

But, it is possible the before, Ford thought hey, we can't trace these aftermarket parts to the issues. So instead of being d-bags like dealerships are normally, they fixed the issues. This time since it happened again, their conclusion may be different. It's pretty logical to say, if we fixed it correctly and it was good for 5k. Now it's doing the same thing. Maybe it IS the suspension mods. I hadn't seen this thread before and was about to comment on how good of a job that second dealer did (before reading the rest). So I believe the install was good.

They gave the benefit of the doubt last time. But you can't blame them for denying it this time. I know your angry, but you gotta see it from their point of view. You hate on Ford however they are now making the warranty call based on valid info. Most car dealers would have done this the first time. Put anger aside and think...what else could really be causing these issues twice? That's what Ford did. And if they think they did the work right and it shouldn't have broken in 5k (which it shouldn't have) they are in the right to think its suspension mods. Which would void the warranty for those parts.

It doesn't help your argument to say they checked pinion angle and it was perfect. From the notes and that, it seems like they did a perfect install of new parts.

NOW, the paint. That sucks! And I HATE dealers that wash with brooms. However, as a detailer, those scratches are very removable without taking all the clear.

Bottom line. They need to replace your calipers, pay YOU to have an outside detailer of YOUR choice get the scratches out. And, I'd say you have grounds to argue depreciation etc to potentially get these thing covered again. As in, look guys, you really f'ed up my car here. Fix my rear end, pay a detailer of my choice, replace my calipers, and let's call it even.

 

I appreciate the level-headed response. Trouble is that I drove the car off the lot with these issues in the beginning. I can't have my clear coat buffed - it's paper thin and in order to do it right, enough of it has to be removed to be leveled with the lowest depth of the scratches. By that time, I'm onto the paint. Too many issues here. I feel I have a lemon.

They've proven that they can't handle the most basic of repairs competently. Before they ordered my parts, on my drive home I heard a huge scraping sound. The mechanic forgot to bolt on the underbody panel near the rear end..no attention to detail. They can't even handle a car wash. Perfect install or not, if the parts are failure prone, what's that worth? So many of you guys are driving around experiencing these same issues and are being told it's normal. Not the case.

 

The paint is the killer IMO. Yeah, he may be able to have the clear corrected while leaving a maintainable amount of clear on, but the car is a 2014 and he's being forced to use his one time only clear correction this year. Heck that should be reserved for 15 years from now when despite meticulous care, the entire car would be up for correction anyhow. That dealership should cover a complete paint job.

 

A complete paint job for some spiderwebbing in the clear coat? Cmon guys a competent auto detailer will have that corrected in a day. I would ask for them to pay for a paint correction at an auto detailer of your choice.

My dealer put a much worse scratch on the hood of my GT when they washed it without my permission. A couple of minutes with my DA polisher and some swirl remover and that scratch was gone. Now I specifically tell them not to wash my car AND I leave a sticky note on the steering wheel as a reminder!

 

You missed my point. Did you know that Ford will only allow up to 0.3 Mil (7.5 µ) of clear to be removed before they void their paint's warranty? Depending on which pad you used, your entire vehicle's paint warranty may be void and yes they will use a PTD to determine the paints history on a finish claim.

Whose fault will it be when your next hood scratch comes in the same general area and you don't have enough clear to remove and correct because it already had to be done once?

 

I have no clunks but my rearend has howled LOUD from the moment we got on the freeway after we left the dealer. Knowing that I had the Track Pack with Torsen and 3.73s, I didn't expect it to be whisper quiet, but it literally drowns out the radio, and it's only when I'm on throttle. As soon as I lift, it goes away completely. I'll see if I can have it diagnosed immediately, while the car is still 100% stock. I already had my hood and trunk edge paint bubbles documented before I took the keys

 

Agreed. It is killer. But come on guys. One and only? Clear coats are indeed thin these days. However, how much do you think leveling and polish takes off? The scratches look deeper than they actually are. Leveling them out wouldn't even take 10% of the clear coat.

 

I had to have an acid wash for water spots and a detail to take out swirls - done by the Dealer under warranty. The detailer for the Dealer was awesome. I'd call the job 99-100% to my untrained eye. Looking at the finish from an angle into the sun.

After a key job a very reputable body shop did a great job on paint match but left some swirls in the finish. I took it back and the body shop owner said 'best I can describe it is you kind of liquify the clear coat to re-level it'. He said 'that's not quite accurate but best way I can describe what happens'. He didn't really get the swirls out.

So I took it back to the Dealer and the same detailer as before did a very good job - though not as perfect as before. I'd call the job 90-95% as I can still see a bit of swirl in the trunk lid on one side. Again at an angle into the sun. Like he didn't lift up as he turned off the machine.

Was that just a different day for him or because the clear coat was getting thinner?

 

Source? I have never heard of a paints warranty being voided by some minor polishing.

 

Me neither, and I was a Ford Service Advisor for almost 10 years, ending in August '12

 

You may have also never heard that the majority of a paint's ultraviolet radiation protection resides in the uppermost portion of a car's clearcoat. The warranty limits are in place primarily to ensure that UV protection isn't degraded, not because they are worried that the actual surface of the paint will be exposed.

"The following are the maximum allowable clear coat reductions the major USA car manufacturers will allow before the paint warranty becomes void; Chrysler- 0.5 Mil (12.5µ) Ford – 0.3 Mil (7.5 µ) GM – 0.5 Mil (12µ) (Source - Automotive International)"

Sources:

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/c...tailing/paint/

http://www.autopia.org/forum/topic/1...-by-polishing/

http://web-cars.com/phorum//read.php?1,38634

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...t-1900468.html

 

Well if that's the case, then they shouldn't have their dealers washing cars with sand paper.