Unreasonable/Dodgy service

[Southead]

On February 2 I called the service department of Highway Ford, Rutherford to book my car (2006 BF XR6) in to be serviced as the car was malfunctioning and the horn was going off (obviously a water problem as it had been pooring with rain). I explained this to the lady that took the call, in addition to telling her the lights had also come on before the horn started to malfunction. I also mentioned that I may have to get the vehicle towed over as the problems the car was exhibiting would make it un-drivable. She explained that I would need to give them notice if the car was towed over and that the car was booked in for the following day (Friday 3 Feb) but they probably would not get to it until afternoon. In addition to booking the car in the lady also confirmed all my details (address, car rego, contact no. etc.).

Following booking the car in, I tried see if I could drive the car over, I could not so I called a tow truck. Once the car was successfully on the way to Highway Ford via tow, I called the service department again and spoke to a bloke (who didn't seem to be paying much attention to what I said) informing him that I had sent the vehicle over via tow truck, and that it was booked in for the following day, giving him both my details and the rego number.

After not hearing anything before the close of business Friday, I figured there must have been something big wrong with it and that they had just forgotten to give me the courtesy of letting me know they would have it for the weekend. I called the service department on Monday Feb 6 in the afternoon at approx 2pm. (figured I'd give them some time to get it sorted in the morning) I was told that my car had not yet been looked at. When I queried why, and mentioned that it had been booked in for a service on the Friday, I was told that Highway Ford had a huge backlog of cars waiting to be serviced, and they were waiting longer than mine, and mine couldn't possibly be pushed in front of them. The service manager was make me feel like I wanted special treatment for wanting my car to be attended too when it was booked in to do so. As I was on my way to an appointment in Sydney at the time I did not push things further. I was told that the car would be looked at either that afternoon or the following day (Tuesday).

I received a text message on Wednesday 8th at 8:30am to contact James in the service department. He informed me that the key had shorted out and I would need to bring my spare key over to have another coded. I figured what the hell I am going to confront them.

Approx. 10:30am I got to the service department, and confronted James about why the lights would turn on with the key malfunctioning, and also why my car had taken so long to be attended too. He now informed me that they had looked at the vehicle when it was delivered via tow, and there was nothing wrong with it so it had been looked at later. (I find this pretty much unbelievable as The tow truck driver and I aborted driving it on the truck because of the noise form the horn). He then changed the diagnosis, and gave me a perfectly normal, functioning set of keys to my car, and said very little work had been done to the car and I could take it away at no charge.

As my car has an extended warranty through Highway Ford, I am told that I need to continue servicing my car through the company. The previous time my car was serviced by Highway Ford, the mechanics damaged my rims requiring repair. Now they have Lie to me and leave me with an unreliable vehicle and a totally redundant $200 tow charge. I have lost all respect for the service department at Highway Ford, and do not feel at all comfortable continuing to have my car serviced under this arrangement.

Obviously I would never have had my car towed there had they told me it would be sitting around for the weekend to dry out.

Anybody know if I can get out of servicing the car there and keep my second hand extended warranty?

[duaned]

When it comes to Ford dealers here, Klosters in Newy seem to be the best bet, but even then just pass as a satisfactory Ford service centre in my opinion. Lake Ford, meh! We are screwed here!

[cobramania]

Originally Posted by duaned

When it comes to Ford dealers here, Klosters in Newy seem to be the best bet, but even then just pass as a satisfactory Ford service centre in my opinion. Lake Ford, meh! We are screwed here!

Are you serious?
Lake Ford & Highway Ford are both owned & operated by Klosters, there is only one Ford franchisee in Newcastle & it's Klosters, just run under different names in different parts of the city. Klosters Hamilton would have to be the worst of the lot, I have had so many problems with them servicing my previous Falcon XR8, including damage to the car, but too long to list here, I will never go anywhere near them again, I now purchase my cars & get them serviced in Sydney. I know so many friends, work colleges & family members who have had similar dealings/problems with Klosters & will never use them again. Thing is it's not only the Ford dealership, it's the entire Kloster Group that's the same, it's generally well known in Newy how bad they are, & probably half of Newy won't go anywhere near them, I'm extremely surprised you didn't know & thought Klosters Hamilton were even just satisfactory.
I'm not surprised at all with what the OP has had happen.

[duaned]

Originally Posted by cobramania

Are you serious?
Lake Ford & Highway Ford are both owned & operated by Klosters, there is only one Ford franchisee in Newcastle & it's Klosters, just run under different names in different parts of the city. Klosters Hamilton would have to be the worst of the lot, I have had so many problems with them servicing my previous Falcon XR8, including damage to the car, but too long to list here, I will never go anywhere near them again, I now purchase my cars & get them serviced in Sydney.

Yes I was aware that it was all the same group, but from my experience I haven't had too many issues with the Hamilton dept, blindly opposite to your experiences. Please keep in mind, however, I am not promoting the Klosters group here, just stating my experiences. I didn't purchase my new vehicle from Klosters, they were a$$holes to me in this regard. How is Central Coast Ford for service? I purchased the car from there.

[WILDB]

Is the car still playing up?

[Southead]

Not now that it's dry but who know next time it rains (probably tomorrow)

[XRGhia]

Originally Posted by Southead

Not now that it's dry but who know next time it rains (probably tomorrow)

Just wondering, did you check the headlight and horn relays under the bonnet at all?

[Southead]

Originally Posted by xrghiawagon

Just wondering, did you check the headlight and horn relays under the bonnet at all?

I'm really un-mechanical, I checked the fuses and removed the fuse that was for the horn.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Southead

Anybody know if I can get out of servicing the car there and keep my second hand extended warranty?

Don't take a salesman's word on the warranty, read it throughly and see if it stipulates that they have to service it.

[WILDB]

Alot (but admittedly not all) used car warranties do require you to have the vehicle serviced at that dealership to remain valid, but as GasOLane has said above, check your T&C's in your warranty booklet.

Furthermore I can understand where you're coming from, but what if they had looked over it as much as they could and couldn't trace the problem? How far would you have liked them to have gone? Further diagnosis may have involved substituting parts, considerably more time etc. Would you have been happy to pay for that if it was something your used car warranty didn't cover?

[Southead]

Just checked the Warranty, it does stipulate it must be serviced there...

I would have been happy to have the vehicle properly diagnosed in a reasonable time, would have been happy if they had looked at it in that time and not found anything wrong, and yes I would have been happy to pay for replacement parts - I don't drive alot (the car has under 75,000km) but when I do drive it is long trips through country areas where getting problems sorted is a mess.

It just ****** me off now that I cant trust them, the service manager said my battery was on the way out when I was leaving and offered to get a replacement - normally I would have said no problem, go for it - I just couldn't trust him.

[blackf6]

If you don't trust them- you could always take the vehicle to another mechanic, get him to assess the vehicle and then front the dealership with proof of their shoddiness.

[sirweasle]

Every ford service centre i have dealt with have been useless... denting my front fender, just yesterday i got the car back with 2 speaker wires snapped! Plus what they 'claim' to have fixed, never has been...

Useless!

[ebxr8240]

Or pull the wire off the horn itself ????

[mik]

it is a problem if they go to check it and nothing is playing up, how can you diagnose what `s not there?, was there floods in that neck of the woods?, maybe they where backlogged.

[Southead]

Originally Posted by mik

it is a problem if they go to check it and nothing is playing up, how can you diagnose what `s not there?, was there floods in that neck of the woods?, maybe they where backlogged.

No floods, but if your backlogged you don't book in more cars to sit in your yard if they have an obvious water problem - that's my point.

[2011G6E]

I'd be asking for advice on that "requirement" that it must be serviced by them...that seems very dodgy. They changed those things many years ago when companies like Ultra Tune started becoming widespread. You can take a brand new car to them and there's no problem. In fact, as long as it's a proper service depot and has all the qualifications and follows the logbook service, you can get it service by anyone.
This came about many years back because people started travelling to buy their cars...people didn't just go down the road to the local dealer and buy whatever he happened to have on the floor...people started travelling to, say, Brisbane from other areas of Queensland to buy a new car and save thousands, so it was unreasonable for the dealership to say you had to take the car back to them for servicing.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I'd be asking for advice on that "requirement" that it must be serviced by them...that seems very dodgy. They changed those things many years ago when companies like Ultra Tune started becoming widespread. You can take a brand new car to them and there's no problem. In fact, as long as it's a proper service depot and has all the qualifications and follows the logbook service, you can get it service by anyone.
This came about many years back because people started travelling to buy their cars...people didn't just go down the road to the local dealer and buy whatever he happened to have on the floor...people started travelling to, say, Brisbane from other areas of Queensland to buy a new car and save thousands, so it was unreasonable for the dealership to say you had to take the car back to them for servicing.

You are right for standard factory backed warranty, but what about extended warranty supplied by the dealer that is offered by a 3rd party?

If you agree to take it, and part of the agreement states that it is returned to a specific place you will void the agreement (warranty) if you get it serviced elsewhere.

[mik]

yes fair enough mate, i used to work for a couple of big dealers and they where pretty good with communication to the customers, the people booking in the cars are as important as the blokes getting their hands dirty working on them that`s for sure.
i will say one thing though, sometimes customers are`nt always that good at communication skills, but it is a two way street, if you are unhappy ask for a chat with the manager and give him a bit of feed back in a polite calm manner, if he`s anything like the manager/s of the places i worked you`d get looked after in one way or another.