Ford - very very lousy service

[missfiggy]

Customer service - hahahahahahahaha
Definitely not from Ford.


Sent a fairly urgent query to Ford "customer service" on 6 May.



Meanwhile I have taken my 2015 Ranger to a Ford dealer and had the problem diagnosed and well underway towards a "goodwill" warranty replacement of the auto transmission which kept overheating no matter how/where it was driven. Vehicle 32 days out of new car warranty and done only 62,000km.



"Customer service" replies on 21 May that they have issued me with a job number and that I should take my vehicle to any dealership and report the job number - they will take it from there.


FMD - 2 weeks to reply. In my original query I stressed that the problem needed urgent attention as I was travelling and had forward (expensively deposited) bookings.


Is this Ford's usual response time to customer queries?
Anyone else had a similar experience?
Or should I have not bothered with their website at all?

[Mercury Bullet]

So they are replacing your transmission, free of charge outside warranty.

And you're angry enough to sign up to a forum with the express intention of bagging Ford.

Ok.

[Cav]

If I wanted a quick response to an urgent problem I would have rang them to get some action underway ASAP.

[GasoLane]

Warranty on any product means that it will be fixed at the manufacturer's cost, and often in their time frame. Not that it will be fixed at short notice because the owner has prior arrangements.

It's a little harsh to say that ford should jump to attention (for a 3 year old car thats technically out of warranty) because of your lifestyle.

Try taking your out of warranty Mobile phone into a shop and telling them that it has to be fixed straight away as you have important calls to make.

Then stand back and watch them fall on the floor laughing.

[FairmontGS]

Cool thread. Would definitely read again

[GT450]

Meanwhile I have taken my 2015 Ranger to a Ford dealer and had the problem diagnosed and well underway towards a "goodwill" warranty replacement of the auto transmission which kept overheating no matter how/where it was driven. Vehicle 32 days out of new car warranty and done only 62,000km.

Most car buyers go straight to a dealer when they have a problem and that should have been your first port of call, and as for Ford they have treated you well, as you are , no matter how long, technically outside of your warranty period.
If you are looking for the users on this forum to side with you i think you may be sadly disappointed , especially if you believe you have been harshly treated.
GT450

[Pepscobra]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

So they are replacing your transmission, free of charge outside warranty.

And you're angry enough to sign up to a forum with the express intention of bagging Ford.

Ok.

My sentiments exactly.

[missfiggy]

ok - so maybe I didn't word this slam too well.
I'm bagging Ford's slow response to queries on their website.
I was over 500km from any ford dealer when the problem actually forced the vehicle to a stop. I had to get towed to a town where I asked ford on their website to recommend somewhere I could get the transmission diagnosed/repaired/whatever. I did not know where any close by ford dealer might have been.
Eventually, I found a ford dealer, got towed there and have been in back and forward hoop jumping exercises ever since. Do this, do that, try this try that. This fiasco has so far cost me over $2.5K in towing, lost deposits, accommodation, unnecessary "repairs" all trying to solve the problem. And, all through my own work, I've now got them to admit that the trans is faulty. The dealer is still "negotiating" as to whether I can have a new trans under STATUTORY warranty.
Then on top of all this ford eventually sends me an email to say that I should go to a ford dealer. So sure...I was pretty ****ed when I got that.

[GTP534]

Methinks he doth complain too much.

As others have said Dealer should have been first point of contact.

If a solution has been found the Dealer must have been in contact with Ford anyway.

They should be on here praising Ford Service, not bagging it.

[Fordman1]

Next time call someone, probably a dealer.

Putting it onto a website is plain stupid !!!

[stig_3754]

Originally Posted by missfiggy

I had to get towed to a town where I asked ford on their website to recommend somewhere I could get the transmission diagnosed/repaired/whatever. I did not know where any close by ford dealer might have been.

[roddy1960]

Welcome to the forum regardless of everything else going on with your Ranger ..

[Nikked]

I bet you whinge on "thumbs up/down" groups every time maccas forgets your fries as well.

[pottery beige]

im with the OP

what sort of bucket of **** has a trans crap itself at 62k

[b0son]

FMD, people don't realise that a phone or in person is more appropriate for an urgent enquiry?

I'll bet OP has Yelp on their phone too...

[.:4:.]

Can I say that the one time I had to deal with ford service after a catastrophic fail they were excellent. Again the car was 3 to 6 months past the warranty period but they honoured it anyways. So an 08 Fairmont with a snapped tailshaft (not a failed uni joint because originally Ford said they all do that, the shaft was sitting on the ground) they did take 3 days to get it sorted due to waiting on parts which I'll believe them on that one, but when I saw the invoice of $0 and the manager walked me to the car with a handshake and said that does not happen to this kind of car, that's service to the extreme. I was willing to pay for it. Cars crap out on occasion. But I'm not complaining. Maybe a tailshaft on a bf isn't a big expense compared to a transmission, it's probably not at all, but I copped no hostility at all.

[4vxc]

Always annoying to me when someone suddenly joins a forum for Ford enthusiast's
to vent their frustration (real or not )
Seems like something that self proclaimed auto expert John Cardigan would do to get a reaction

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

So they are replacing your transmission, free of charge outside warranty.

And you're angry enough to sign up to a forum with the express intention of bagging Ford.

Ok.

Yes how shocking to be upset by a cactus transmission which should barely be run in at 62k.

Fords reputation of a quality drivetrain that lasts also died with Falcon.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Yes how shocking to be upset by a cactus transmission which should barely be run in at 62k.

Fords reputation of a quality drivetrain that lasts also died with Falcon.

Yeah those milkshake Falcon transmissions were so good

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

Yeah those milkshake Falcon transmissions were so good

Touché

[marty351]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

Yeah those milkshake Falcon transmissions were so good

Not the trannys fault?

[CobraJet351]

Ford didn’t build the ZF auto

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by CobraJet351

Ford didn’t build the ZF auto

Ok I thought they came in a Ford Falcon not a ZF Falcon ...

[Blue Dog]

Warranties are separate from the automatic consumer guarantees that apply to many products and services you buy.
A warranty is a voluntary promise offered by the person or business who sold the product or service to you.
Once you buy the product or service, the promise becomes a right that can be enforced under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

Some businesses will provide a warranty against defects, also called a manufacturer's warranty.
This is a representation to a consumer, made at or around the time that goods are supplied, that if the goods (or part of them) are defective, the business will:
•repair or replace goods (or part of them) resupply or fix a problem with services (or part of them)
•provide compensation to the consumer.

A warranty against defects is usually limited by time.
All suppliers, manufacturers and service providers that provide you with a warranty against defects must comply with that warranty.
If they do not, you may bring an action against the person or business who provided the warranty, either under the ACL or for breach of contract.

Consumer guarantees which apply regardless of any warranties suppliers sell or give to you, apply for a reasonable time depending on the nature of the goods or services.

This means consumer guarantees may continue to apply after the time period for the warranty has expired.

If you are getting the run around from a dealership, exercise your consumer rights.

[Kable72]

They're not getting the run at all. They got full coverage, it just didn't happen straight away.

[Blue Dog]

Originally Posted by Kable72

They're not getting the run at all. They got full coverage, it just didn't happen straight away.

OP stated:

"I was over 500km from any ford dealer when the problem actually forced the vehicle to a stop. I had to get towed to a town where I asked ford on their website to recommend somewhere I could get the transmission diagnosed/repaired/whatever. I did not know where any close by ford dealer might have been.
Eventually, I found a ford dealer, got towed there and have been in back and forward hoop jumping exercises ever since. Do this, do that, try this try that. This fiasco has so far cost me over $2.5K in towing, lost deposits, accommodation, unnecessary "repairs" all trying to solve the problem. And, all through my own work, I've now got them to admit that the trans is faulty. The dealer is still "negotiating" as to whether I can have a new trans under STATUTORY warranty."

The above is not getting the run around?
I must have misread the content.......................

[prydey]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Can I say that the one time I had to deal with ford service after a catastrophic fail they were excellent. Again the car was 3 to 6 months past the warranty period but they honoured it anyways. So an 08 Fairmont with a snapped tailshaft (not a failed uni joint because originally Ford said they all do that, the shaft was sitting on the ground) they did take 3 days to get it sorted due to waiting on parts which I'll believe them on that one, but when I saw the invoice of $0 and the manager walked me to the car with a handshake and said that does not happen to this kind of car, that's service to the extreme. I was willing to pay for it. Cars crap out on occasion. But I'm not complaining. Maybe a tailshaft on a bf isn't a big expense compared to a transmission, it's probably not at all, but I copped no hostility at all.

Tailshaft for that era was a recall. I had one let go in my early FG and had to fight to get it replaced as the recall ended with bf2. Eventually they admitted that some of the bad batch made it in to FG.

So they weren't really being nice. They were just doing their job.

[sgt_doofey]

As a transmission in a car these days is "sealed for life", one could probably argue for it to be replaced for free under consumer law guarantees, no matter the age of the car.
I.e. if it's sealed for life, then a reasonable assumption would be that it is designed to last the life of the car then, isn't it?

[kazawaki]

Originally Posted by CobraJet351

Ford didn’t build the ZF auto

No but they fitted it to there cars therefore they are responsible for the quality control and any problems that arise.

[kazawaki]

I see a few here bagging her for contacting customer service,well your 500ks away from a dealer so what do u do call batman ?????. Secondly what is that department called again ???? yep ford CUSTOMER service