Another Ford Service Department Star Performance

Abacus · 12-12-2006, 11:58 PM

Just over a year ago, wll one year and 3 weeks, in fact, my radiator split. A Ford dealer replaced it under the extended warranty, and then promptly cancelled it – see this thread.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...light=Steering

On Friday the replacement radiator split in a big way – coolant all over the road, etc.

The good news was that this one let go right outside a workshop just down the road from my office. So I got them to sort it out.

Half an hour later the mechanic rings, and says I’d better come around and have a look at what he’s found.

This is what he found, after he removed the radiator:

The Ford dealer obviously buggered the auto fluid pipe when they replaced the original radiator, and let me drive around with the pipe like that – no doubt looking forward to the inevitable transmission overhaul.

The mechanic who fixed the car this time asked me if I wanted the old parts back. I was tempted to take them up to dealership just to have a row. But then I thought, what’s the point? It won’t resolve anything, and given the mode I’m in, I’ll probably wind up get arrested.

Stuff them. I’ve utterly had it with Ford service. I have had any cars over 30 years, and no dealer has ever treated me, as a customer, with the contempt these *******s have done.

I still like the Ford product, but I will avoid, as far as is humanly possible, getting a Ford dealership to do the work on it.

bonk182 · 13-12-2006, 12:06 AM

sincere condolences mate - ive had my bad experiences with ford dealerships aswell - actually all dealerships are the ****n same. hope things work out

James

NeishaXR8_347 · 13-12-2006, 12:08 AM

Bad luck on the radiator mate glad its all fixed now, I have a question for you how do you know if the pipe was fine and then when the mechanic that just fixed it for you actually twisted this pipe? If the pipe was left like that (looks fairly bad in the pic) i would believe that the auto would have been having problems pumping the oil around?

Just a thought, im not pointing fingers.

Shaun

GlennBA · 13-12-2006, 12:33 AM

They are so unhelpful... i am taking my dads XR6T (2 weeks out of warranty) in for some work tomorrow... they are dodgy as.

KaptnKaos · 13-12-2006, 12:43 AM

Interesting to read this thread. I have had the exact opposite experience. My local Ford dealer as been nothing but helpful. In fact, if they were any more helpful they'd be bordering on being a pest!

I hope it all resolves itself for you. :eclipsee_

RG · 13-12-2006, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaptnKaos

Interesting to read this thread. I have had the exact opposite experience. My local Ford dealer as been nothing but helpful. In fact, if they were any more helpful they'd be bordering on being a pest!

I hope it all resolves itself for you. :eclipsee_

which dealer?

b2tf · 13-12-2006, 09:36 AM

no bugger that, thats flat out damage to your car and should be thrown at them. jam the pipe up their service manager and see if he can straighten it out.

Abacus · 13-12-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neishaxr8

Bad luck on the radiator mate glad its all fixed now, I have a question for you how do you know if the pipe was fine and then when the mechanic that just fixed it for you actually twisted this pipe? If the pipe was left like that (looks fairly bad in the pic) i would believe that the auto would have been having problems pumping the oil around?

Just a thought, im not pointing fingers.

Shaun

Yes, I thought of that, but put it down to balance of probabilities.

The same Ford dealer buggered the pipe that goes to the power steering pump when they put the replacement steering rack in. It wouldn’t stop leaking at the connection between the pipe and the power steering pump. I took it back 3 times to be fixed, and they just kept re-tightening the connector, which they had stuffed. In the end I took it to local garage, and they saw what the problem was as soon as they lifted the bonnet. They fitted a new pipe, which the Ford dealer should have replaced when they shagged the original, and the problem was fixed.

Basically, the Ford dealer did not do one thing that did not need to be redone or rectified by somebody else later on. The local garage is a well run operation with a few middle aged mechanics. I attribute the damage and poor workmanship at the Ford dealership to work done by unsupervised apprentices. Given the other problems I had, I figure they are far more likely to have caused this damage as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedXR8220

which dealer?

I probably shouldn't name names. Lets just say they are at Brookvale, on Sydney's Northern beaches.

**Mechan1k** · 13-12-2006, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaptnKaos

Interesting to read this thread. I have had the exact opposite experience. My local Ford dealer as been nothing but helpful. In fact, if they were any more helpful they'd be bordering on being a pest!

I hope it all resolves itself for you. :eclipsee_

Same experience here for me ... the dealership is Winford Ford, Windsor, Sydney (for anyone out there wanting to know).

HLC · 13-12-2006, 04:17 PM

The dealer i used replaced my Split radiator under extended warranty. I've always had good experiences with them. Brad Garlick Ford at Top Ryde, Sydney.

HLC · 13-12-2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abacus

I probably shouldn't name names. Lets just say they are at Brookvale, on Sydney's Northern beaches.

Titan Ford eh?

had a show and shine there earlier this year... the DP couldnt even get the name right of the Car Club that he was sponsoring at the event.

Abacus · 13-12-2006, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

The dealer i used replaced my Split radiator under extended warranty. I've always had good experiences with them. Brad Garlick Ford at Top Ryde, Sydney.

Brad Garlick are fine. I have had good service from them before and they have a good reputation. Unfortunately, they are a bit far away from me. Otherwise, they would be doing my work.

In hindsight I should have been more careful about tarring them all with the same brush. I don't retract anything I've said bout the other mob, though.

4.9 EF Futura · 13-12-2006, 04:35 PM

That's very very nasty, when you consider the BTR transmission's dislike of high temepratures over extended periods of time.

That's a four figure repair bill if/when the transmission needs replacing/rebuilding. Imagine if you took that thing interstate sitting on 100km/hr for days on end... not impossible for a life threatening situation to arise.

I'd take it back to them, maybe with a note from the mechanic saying "some idiot left the trans fluid line like this the last time the radiator was replaced - suspect person who fitted this has not graduated from kindergarden".

Wouldnt expect much to be gained, but you could make a good scene of it.

If they're willing to risk thousands of dollars of damage for the sake of saving a few measly bucks on a new pipe - they deserve every obscenity they've got coming to them.

**Mechan1k** · 13-12-2006, 04:41 PM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Agreed.
i am surprised the auto is still working actually.

penrith_panther · 13-12-2006, 04:49 PM

i know thomson ford is krap (parramatta sydney)....power ford (castle hill) seem ok...im gonna try penrith ford i remember in 2000 when i was 13 (ie knew nuthing abt cars let alone lpg) my mum had start problems on lpg (dual fuel) and thomson ford and nrma guy were giving bs about such n such needing 2 b fixed then when she took it to penrith the guy's like yeh all you need to do is put in some petrol cause the lpg needs a bit of petrol to start and WALLAH problem solves...i guess being a lady he could have also given a bs story in a way 2 get $$$...but yeh that was just a minor thing few yrs ago not sure how it is now.....anyone had experiences with sinclair ford penrith nsw?

**Mechan1k** · 13-12-2006, 04:53 PM

Originally had my Territory serviced there ... they were good ... no issues with them. I moved closer to Winford and get it done there.

Parts department at Penrith is pretty good too ... very helpful and getting me parts when needed for the ute.

HLC · 13-12-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Parts department at Penrith is pretty good too ... very helpful and getting me parts when needed for the ute.

really?

they havnt been that helpful to me, and tried to quote me $200 for the EL powersteering/belt cover hahaha

penrith_panther · 13-12-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Originally had my Territory serviced there ... they were good ... no issues with them. I moved closer to Winford and get it done there.

Parts department at Penrith is pretty good too ... very helpful and getting me parts when needed for the ute.

good to hear yes i had a feeling there was something good about that place as we bumped into a family friend there getting their car serviced there and they live all the way in cherrybrook near the hills area

blue terra · 13-12-2006, 07:30 PM

Agree on POwer ford at Castle Hill. Had my service done real quick and momo wheel fitted and some other stuff and was sweet to go. If i got a problem with something they take it in straight away. show me what needs done and do it quick as well. Really friendly as well

AUIII XR8 MAN · 13-12-2006, 10:10 PM

Lucky find. Better to fine it now than later when it is got to cost you more $$$ to fix.

Abacus · 13-12-2006, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUIII XR8 MAN

Lucky find. Better to fine it now than later when it is got to cost you more $$$ to fix.

LOL. Probably the one time in my life when crapping a radiator was a good thing.

JeffAU1 · 13-12-2006, 11:49 PM

Well personally ive had no problems from Ford in Parramatta.

howesy · 14-12-2006, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penrith_panther

.im gonna try penrith ford ...anyone had experiences with sinclair ford penrith nsw?

I wouldn't let Ford at penrith work on a billy cart unless I was really desperate. The guys are really great but the service manager there is a **** sucking ****wit whose sole purpose is to do as little as possible to keep the stats down. He knows **** all about cars and is a tosser. unfortunately the staff work under his direction and all work has to be approved. They had my car for 2 and half weeks once diagnosing it. because their computer wouldn't tell them whats wrong and the dead**** manager wont authorise the rocker cover to be pulled off (because if there was no problem their Ford wouldn't pay that and it was warranty) I got stuffed around. Mind you I told him when it went in that comp was down in cylinder 7 and he was looking for either bent push rod or broken valve spring or rocker. What would the customer know. He rang me and said we found the problem buddy "broken valve spring" and expected me to sound grateful at his prowess as a diagnostics genius. I then asked through FPV to have a cylinder leak down test performed as Ford and FPV had instructed me to drive the vehicle 80km to a dealer and I wanted to make sure it was all right. It came back from FPV (customer service rep, you can never speak to a mechanic) that the Penrith manager said he wasn't going to do it because he would have to pull the heads off fo that. Well I would like to see him fill the cylinders full of pressure with no heads on it. This is just one dealing of many, since then I have snapped and I wouldn't **** on him to put a fire out it's a shame he runs the place and ruins it for the workers. And by the way Windsor looked at it first and decided it was too involved and didn't want to know about it and gave it back hardly running at all because they put the leads on the wrong way so I wouldn't call them great either.

Cowra motors diagnosed the same problem in a day when I had another one go some time later and their serve was great.

au2sw · 15-12-2006, 02:17 AM

this is caused by impropper lossening of the flare nut. as most of you probably know there are to nuts that must have spanners on them to undo this pipe, one to hold the nut on the cooler, the other to turn the nut on the pipe, in this case it is fairly obvious that the mechanic (apprentice or not) has just been to lazy to his 2nd spanner to hold the nut on the cooler until it was too late. definitly take it back and show them the pipe, along with the letter from the other mechanic who sorted the prob for you. if you dont get results your after, start heading up the chain of comand, all the way to Tom Gorman if you need to

mik · 15-12-2006, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abacus

Just over a year ago, wll one year and 3 weeks, in fact, my radiator split. A Ford dealer replaced it under the extended warranty, and then promptly cancelled it – see this thread.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...light=Steering

On Friday the replacement radiator split in a big way – coolant all over the road, etc.

The good news was that this one let go right outside a workshop just down the road from my office. So I got them to sort it out.

Half an hour later the mechanic rings, and says I’d better come around and have a look at what he’s found.

This is what he found, after he removed the radiator:

The Ford dealer obviously buggered the auto fluid pipe when they replaced the original radiator, and let me drive around with the pipe like that – no doubt looking forward to the inevitable transmission overhaul.

The mechanic who fixed the car this time asked me if I wanted the old parts back. I was tempted to take them up to dealership just to have a row. But then I thought, what’s the point? It won’t resolve anything, and given the mode I’m in, I’ll probably wind up get arrested.

Stuff them. I’ve utterly had it with Ford service. I have had any cars over 30 years, and no dealer has ever treated me, as a customer, with the contempt these *******s have done.

I still like the Ford product, but I will avoid, as far as is humanly possible, getting a Ford dealership to do the work on it.

thats a disgrace even a first year would be dumb to do that, its a pity your new mechanic didnt take some piks of it like this before he took it off , it would be good ammo to throw at them for some money to cover the expenses of getting the job done properly, it still might be worth a try.

kryzak260 · 16-12-2006, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abacus

I probably shouldn't name names. Lets just say they are at Brookvale, on Sydney's Northern beaches.

Haha, good old T**** Ford.

My old man bought an XF Fairmont Ghia brand new from there. Had nothing but trouble. The car was delivered without any diff oil in it, and despite many requests for the car to be looked at because it didnt drive quite right, they kept saying it was within tollerance. Untill dad went to change the diff oil and there was none in there. Then they just shrugged their shoulders.

And then there was the paint protection that they installed as a dealer fit option. That screwed the paint and required a complete cut and polish. Dad polished one side of the car and left the other side as is. Took it down and got the dealer principle out and asked him to tell him which side has the paint protection. The DP pointed to the side dad cut and polished. At this point dad gave him a revving and told him he would never buy another car from there again. And didnt.

I thought we had bad luck, or the service guys thought dad was a p rick or something. Seems they are just dicks and have been for 19 years.....