Yet another complaint about Ford Service

[Jeff C]

Well, took my truck in for maintenance at 12:30 today, and they said it'd be done by 4:00. It's just the regular 60k maintenance, as well as the TSB for the DPFE sensor. Anyways, I walk around the lot for an hour looking at Mustangs, F-150s, and Sport Tracs. When my friend picked me up at 1:30, they still had not moved my ST from customer parking into the service area. Now, I know the service is a lot of things to check, but they weren't changing my oil, since I did that last week, and they weren't balancing/rotating my tires since I get that done for free at another shop. At 4:00, I get no phone call. At 5:00, I get no phone call; my roommate drives me up there at 5:30, and my keys and a clipboard are sitting on the service counter. I start looking through the papers, and on one I notice (could not balance/rotate due to aftermarket wheels not having lug-lock key). Fine whatever, I went and talked to the cashier, and she said it's not done. I mean, the least they could have done is called me. I need my vehicle to get to and from school, and I explained this to them last week which is why I waited for this week to bring it in, so it could all be done in one afternoon. The cashier said I could take it home and just bring it back when I have more time. I'm just kinda frustrated, I mean, if they had called and said hey we didn't finish, we need to keep it til tomorrow morning, I'd have probably said fine, but to just go up there and see the service department closed and my keys just sitting there on the counter where ANYONE could have just walked in and taken them, literally 5 feet from unlocked double doors, kinda made me a little discomforted. Also, my radio and radar were off when I parked it, I made sure and double checked it. When I got in my ST, they were all on, and the radio was not on one of my presets.



On the plus side, the sensor was replaced and the CEL went off; about the only positive I got today...

 

[Keith McElroy]

The service departments for dealers are all different. Around here, I drive fifteen minutes to get to the dealer with the nice service department. The one that is closest always acts like you are just trying to get something for free. Once you find one that like, stick with it.

 

[David Gianquitti]

Sorry to hear you had those problems. I just took my ST to dealership had the throttle sensor replaced. They were great. Took my car right in with no appointment Drove me home and treated my wife really good when they picked it up and the car was ready when they said it was. I travel alot and live in Maine now. I went to Ford dealers (had a F-150) in SC and CT and had no problems with any dealer so far. Try another dealer in the area. Express your concerns to the service or general manager. Call Ford customer service.

 

[FlipTrac_511]

I have the same luck with dealerships Jeff as far as follow-up phone calls go. I don't think they know what a courtesy call is. One instance is when I took my Trac in for the tranny additive recall. I dropped it off and walked up and down the boulevard to see what was at other dealerships and after over an hour I began wondering what was taking Ford so long. When I walked back the service lady told me that it was ready and waiting. Gee, I thought, thanks for calling my cell (the only number I gave them). She had read my recall letter and should've known that adding a bottle of fluid should've taken all but 10 minutes! Why did she leave me hanging? Do they get paid more? I bet they do.

 

[Jeff C]

This is the 3rd dealer I've tried down here. The first is about 2min away. The second is about 10min away. This one is 20min down the interstate, and I expressly told the guy I was using them because of the poor service I'd received at other dealerships. When I go back, I'm definitely filling out the "courtesy survey" and this will probably be the last time I have anything serviced while down here at college. The purchasing dealer at home never gives me any problems about anything and even drives me home, even though I only live half a mile away.

 

[Rich Wavrik]

Jeff .... I can feel your pain. Down the road over here in Columbus, the dealers are not any better. I was actually thinking of trying the Auburn dealership .... but maybe I'm better off going to Atlanta.

 

[Jeff C]

Well, today, I got quite a few apologies, and the rest of the work was done in a few hours. Actually ended up being cheaper than what they'd quoted me, but I had them not do my oil. Paid by phone, and picked it up later, flashed with my Xcal in the parking lot before even turning the ST on, lol. Drove it home nice and hard and it shifted great! So overall, it was just a slight inconvenience, and they were much more polite than the other two dealerships I've been to. When I walked around, I was approached by a salesman and told him a few things he didn't know about the new ST because he asked if I thought about trading in. I told him just lookin, but he unlocked it anyways, and I got to get in, check it out, test out the lighter tailgate, etc, etc. First time I've been at a car dealership where I didn't feel like I was being treated like a kid. I'm about to do the dealership review.

 

[Deleted deleted]

Why didn't you call them before you got a ride back to the dealership? Sounds like it would have saved you a lot of hassle.

 

[Josh Langel]

Burn the place down!!!!





Kidding...



But seriously, burn the place down... wait... kidding again...



No, seriously... I don't blame you for being angry.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Here is my complaint about dealer service in general (not just Ford).



Every service manager asks the same stupid question:



"Can you leave it for the day!"



And, if you comply, well then expect a call at no earlier than 4:45pm when it is done. And, if there are any issues, don't expect a call before 3:45pm. Most service counters close between 5 and 6, and you can pickup until 7, but C'MON!



One day less of my vehicle is like 1/30th less I can use it that month. So if it is warranty work especially, I think the dealer should knock off 1/30th of my car payment for that month from my service bill (or give me that money as a credit). Sure, it's only $10 or so for most, but IF they had to do this, they MIGHT be incented to get you in and out in an hour or so, and that MIGHT make them better at scheduling things, and giving followup calls.



TJR

 

[Jeff C]

Darin,



I did not call because they did not call me. I specifically made sure that it would be done THAT AFTERNOON, because of my class schedule. I had to have my friends drive me around for the rest of the day, which, while it may not seem like a big deal to some, I'm a very independent person and like to do my own thing and I hate having to rely on someone else. Like I said, I wasn't mad that they didn't finish, well a little, but when I specify that I need something, and they say they'll do it, and then my vehicle sits there for at least one hour (after looking at the paperwork, it didn't even get logged in until 3:45pm) and then not being told that it won't be finished, kinda upset me; I mean, sure it's 5 years old, but it still looked newer than the used 05's they had sitting on the lot. It's just kinda like a slap in the face, IMO. When I say I'm gonna do something, I do it; if I'm not gonna do something, I tell people, hey, it won't be done. All it would have taken was a 30sec phone call. Is that too much to ask after buying a $28k vehicle and $2k warranty, etc, etc? That I get a phone call saying I won't have my vehicle back for another day...