jstandfest

I haven't been on the forum in quite some time but need to return to share my currently ongoing experience. I've been quite happy with my truck but that all changed and my opinion of Ford is quickly turning 180 degrees in the opposite direction of what it was.

Last week, with no warning or previous problems, my 2011 Ecoboost with 57,280 miles blew the engine. Thank God that it happened 2-1/2 months and 2,700 miles before my 5yr/60,000 mile powertrain warranty was up. I was with the whole family (wife, 4 kids and dog) pulling trailer and got stranded 4hrs from home at 9pm on a Saturday night.

Truck gets towed to nearest dealership where it happened and they've got it diagnosed (was pretty straightforward with 2 holes in the engine block, one on each side I'm told) by Monday afternoon and have it approved for a long block replacement under warranty.

NOW it gets interesting. Call the dealer back a day later to find out the time frame and they proceed to tell me that their Ford rep tells them the long block engine is on back order for 45 days, so I wouldn't be able to get my truck back for 6-8 weeks. I tell them that is totally unacceptable and we need to do something quicker or someone needs to get a replacement vehicle in the meantime (keep in mind the dealership is polite but truck wasn't purchased from there, its 4hrs away from my home and I've never talked to or dealt with the dealership until now). I don't hear anything back for another day and a half so call them for an update and they let me know that they've filed an escalation case on my behalf with Ford to hopefully get needed parts quicker but don't know if it will work or not to shorten the ridiculous time frame.

In the meantime while I'm dealing with dealership my wife calls Corporate Ford Customer service to see about getting some type of loaner vehicle because they've got our truck tied up for 1-1/2 to 2 months. The person she talks to is not helpful in any way and tells us that it is not in Ford's policy to provide a loaner vehicle. After repeatedly informing the service rep that this isn't a typical policy situation of possibly not having a truck for close to 2 months the best the lady says is "I can understand why you're upset but it is not in our policy". We ask if she can give us the phone # of someone higher up to call at Ford and she says "I don't have any phone #'s". My wife then asks "can you give me an email address of someone I can contact?" and gets the reply, "I don't have any email addresses either, BUT I can give you a PO Box # that you can mail something too". My wife takes that and also informs the rep that by the time someone even sees snail mail sent to a PO Box it will be months down the road. We ask to speak to her supervisor and are told, "I'll have him call you by Monday of the following week (its Friday during this conversation) but he is just going to tell you the same thing I did."

So if Ford doesn't step up to the plate and provide some decent customer service we'll be looking at likely over a $1,500 in rental car costs before they'll have our truck repaired. I'm so fed up with Ford that I'm even considering selling or trading in this truck once returned and going with a different brand and model. They could easily make this right but instead are making it very inconvenient and difficult.

I was also told the replacement engine will have the remainder of my 5yr/60,000 warranty (which is only 2 months and 2,700miles) or 12mo/12,000 miles whichever is greater. So I'd be getting 12mo/12,000. Is that normal or should I be requesting better?

Any thoughts or advice of what I could do or what reasonable expectations should be of Ford in this situation. We are absolutely furious over this situation and treatment.

Thanks.

Andy13186

I had this same experience , but with my prior car, a 2011 mustang GT. And for me , it was transmission repair. 45 day backorder right out of the gate, they ended up being the wrong parts. I finally got the car back on day ~65 after 2nd repair attempt. Transmission was leaking fluid so I took it back. got it back again around day 90 Still wasnt right and couldnt shift into gears at high rpms. Took it back again and they replaced shifter linkage and I got it back again on day 97. Still not 100% functional. I gave up and sold the mustang and got a used f150 that didn't have a warranty.

The dealer did pay for about 60 days of my rental car, but i still have to pay hundreds in rental bills and my car never got fixed 100%.


I ended up trading it into car max and buying a f150.

stein78

OP - I had the same experience when calling Ford regarding an issue with my truck. Got the same story, no supervisor to talk to, nothing the woman on the phone could do for me, no way to escalate my case....same deal with "oh, but you can write a letter to this PO Box...."

When they told me that, I just laughed out loud and told her how ridiculous that is. What is this 1980? I have to write a letter??? In all reality it will just end up in some pile somewhere and eventually just thrown out.

I was furious when I got off the phone and like you, this may be my last Ford.

Regarding the loaner thing, every time my truck is in for warranty work (too many times in my opinion) I always hear "oh sorry, we don't have any loaners." Whatever... That dealership that has your truck should provide you with something, no question.

One of my coworkers owns a frickin KIA Optima and gets treated like a king at his dealership.

Ok, rant over... Good luck man.

jstandfest

Problem is the dealership is 4 hours from home. I had to have my truck towed there on a Saturday night at about 10pm. All I've ever done is talked to them over the phone and to drive 8 hours round-trip would be prohibitive. Dealer has been polite but I'm not sure they are pushing this on my behalf as aggressively as I'd like with Ford given the uniqueness of the situation.

I'd like to think that Ford corporate would step up to the plate and utilize their vast resources and dealer network to help me out seeing as it is on there end of things that this is happening, not the dealers.

Can't believe I'm saying it but it's got me thinking that maybe the truck goes up for sale shortly after getting it back so someone else can enjoy a new warrantied engine and I can move on.

With a brand new engine warrantied in 57,000 mile truck would that increase, decrease or hold steady the Kelly Blue Book value and what I can expect to get selling? It would have a 12mo/12,000 added warranty.

Any one with thoughts?

zx12-iowa

Rental costs seem very high. Do you need a truck or can you get a car with a special discount? I rented a small car in Florida recently for $8 a day before fees and like $11-12 with fees a day.

ajsturtz

Have you talked with your local dealership? Maybe you can get your truck towed to your home dealership and get a loaner for free.

sigma pi

Sounds like a lemon. Does your state have a lemon law?

Chad Walker

If you read your warranty it states that Ford doesn't cover rental or loaner cars. I know it is unfortunate but backorders happen. This also a good reason to talk to your insurance agent about getting rental car coverage on your policy if you don't have it already. Rental car costs can get really spendy fast. My truck was down for a month and a half. For two weeks of that I was in the 2nd to cheapest rental car I could get but it still cost me around $150 a week.

Now, if the dealership goes to bat and offers a loaner than stick with that dealership.

Ricktwuhk

This ^^^^

Before you buy anything - car, boat, TV - you can read the warranty. Virtually nothing will provide you with a replacement while you await repair. Ford does sell Extended Warranties which can be purchased with a car included, at least for some period of time. You got those offers same as us, and obviously like most of us didn't take it.

As to rental car coverage with your car insurance, IF you go that route in the future make sure you understand what it covers. The car had a mechanical problem, NOT an accident. There is no claim under the auto policy. If the included rental car allowance is for accidents only, then it also would not apply.

Ford owes you nothing, neither would Toshiba for your failed TV. Consumers need to be aware of things before they happen.

jstandfest

I understand what the warranty says and what the policy was. I never went to my auto insurance because it isn't a collision. That is why I rented a car for a couple weeks already out of my own pocket. It cost just under $30/day for the smallest, cheapest rental you can get. I expected that it would be taken care of in a reasonable time frame and that the car I rented should cover me. HOWEVER, I also understand that telling me that my truck will be unavailable for close to 2 months IS NOT typical warranty service. I believe that as part of a warranty it is not unreasonable to expect it to be taken care of in a reasonable time frame, that is not a reasonable time frame.

That is where customer service comes in. Yes, if Ford gave a car to anyone for every occurrence of warranty service that last's a day or 2 it would be cost prohibitive but in case's where they can't back up their own warranty in a realistic time frame they should be willing to step up to the plate, whether it be for me or someone that has a mustang out of commission for multiple months due to Ford's own issues, in my particular case the inability of Ford to furnish proper parts in an appropriate time frame.

I suppose true customer service is a lost art. Hard to have brand loyalty when experiencing this. So your saying Ford's supply chain issues aren't their issue but instead all of ours? That is poor customer service then. I've loved this truck but this experience is opening my eyes.