I had noticed the slight shutter when accelerating from time to time but just wrote it off as perhaps not waiting long enough for my Ford Focus to warm up completely. So when I got a letter in the mail saying that my model of Ford should be checked out I decided to take it in to my local Ford dealership. I normally get my oil changes down at a shop at the end of my street called Oil Changers but since I was taking my ford to the dealer anyway I thought I would kill 2 birds with one stone and get it all done at the same time. BIG MISTAKE!!!!
I arrived 10 minutes early for my scheduled appointment and when I check in the woman informs me that if my car does indeed have the issue included as part of the recall it would not be fixed today. I inform her that the person who made the appointment for me told me that it would be done and that the recall was the main reason I was standing in front of her today. She said she had 3 technicians off today and 5 other cars waiting to see the only transmission specialist they had working that day. Somehow they were making the running of their business my problem. I am a firm believer that it is not! Unless they are going to pay me to manage their staffing demands or retrain their booking department then it was most assuredly their problem and not mine. I did my part ... I read my notice, I called and booked the appointment like the notice said I should and showed up early for my scheduled appointment time. I think it is pretty simple actually ... do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it.
Anyway I was there already and since I had to wait for the one transmission guy to look at my Ford Focus I decided to go a head with the oil change. They had a number of packages and I picked one called the works as it was not much more than the others and included tire rotation. BIGGER MISTAKE!
I went to sit in the waiting area and tried to get some work done using their free wifi. All was well until they came to give me an update about 45 minutes in. My free recall and $90 works package was apparently going to cost me $1879. I just looked at the woman and thought Are You Kidding Me? Now I will confess straight up that I am not a "car guy" but I have driven enough of them to know that there was no way in hell I was going to pay nearly $2000 to "fix" anything for a car that I managed to drive in to the lot without something dragging behind me, something gushing fluids, or something on fire! Apparently I needed brake work done, had loose ball joints and was in desperate need of a pollen filter.
As she rattled off the host of individual charges that were not what I had come in for I sat momentarily stunned. She finished and then I began. I told her in no uncertain terms that I was not going to approve or pay for anything about the $90 works package I had agreed to. She insisted that these repairs were essential for the safety of my vehicle and that all the parts and work would be guaranteed until the cows came home or at least the life of my Ford Focus.
Now before I go much further I should give you a bit of background . For starters we don't drive this car that often... in fact the same women commented when she recorded my mileage that it was 1/2 of what the average 4 year old car would normally have (about 44, 000 km). This car is used mostly on the highway to and from work (about 20 minutes each way) and on the rare occasion when as a family we have two things going at once in different places. I told her this and reassured her that I was not road racing it on the side. So to recap I was being asked to pay almost 2K for a car that I could by new for under 20K. I have never been asked to spend that much before on any of my cars ever (maybe not even combined) and I drive them for decades. It felt to me like that to make up for the warranty work they were trying to get every cent they could out of me. Of course if these "much needed" repairs were valid then why would I ever want to buy a Ford ever again if it falls apart after the equivalent of 2 years of use. I told her all of this and informed her that I wanted a copy of these proposed repairs and would be taking the vehicle to another mechanic for confirmation. I informed her that I would be calling their corporate office when I got home to inform them about my experience. She left to pass on the message.
Another hour and half past before I was called to the desk by another customer service representative. He informed me that yes my car needed the free recall work and that I would have to make another appointment to come back for the work to be done. I overheard the transmission guy talking to the clerk and Apparently all 6 of the vehicles needed the same recall I did and I was left to wonder how many of them had newly discovered essential work that need to be done too.
When I finally made it home, I did what I said and called Ford Head office and gave a detailed account of my appointment. Moving forward I am taking it to a family recommended mechanic tomorrow to see what they think.
I like my Ford Focus but I have to say that in all honesty that I am not looking forward to my next appointment and I certainly will not be purchasing another Ford.
Image from ford
Absolutely unacceptable this kind of treating car owners. Because i've been through such troubles with my VW i drive now a TOYOTA and i can see there a major difference. I can say now that TOYOTA is treating their customers with another attitude and more care even though i now don't let any mechanic or salesman or a minister to do anything on my car without talking intensively and precociously first any extra works and cost are going to fall! Please be always carefully and be precise with your declarations. Don't let them sell to you gold for coal it happens all the time everywhere .
I also have a Toyota (that I love and have had zero issues with) and I must say the level of customer service is night and day between them and Ford in my humble opinion.
Actually lately i m very impressed about all Ford products from Mustang to Fiesta and i m thinking very seriously to buy the new Fiesta but is always people with their experiences who make me think twice about a change. Thanks for sharing that i think can be very useful to potential buyers.
An interesting read. I used to work for a large car repair chain in the UK and know exactly what you've experienced. I do think many of the recalls are designed to get people back into the dealerships to then upsell extra work.
When a motorist takes their car to a garage they need a mechanic not a sales person, not a brand and not shareholders. I experienced huge pressures to sell work, there was a daily target that was expected to be met and the poor sod on the desk either gets shouted at by an angry motorist or by an area manager threatening their job.
I was pressured to sell 3 items on every car that came in, even if it was just for a bulb and there had to be an average customer spend of £175.00. Garages do cost alot of money to run but in most the mechanics are paid less than the sales team, all of the managers and the share holders want their cut. I do wish mechanics would wise up and get out of these places, they are the ones with the tools and skills to fix the cars and they are the ones sough after by a motorist needing a repair.
At these places every minor defect has to written in triplicate and they go over the top, there cant be any common sense, if a part is ever so slightly worn they will advise it, firstly it looks to their superiors that they are trying to sell work and secondly if anything happened on the road they have covered their ass but so many people will just take their word and authorise any repair recommendation, its why their premesis are so nice. Im surprised mechanics constantly put up with it, its a stressful job without the bureaucracy and barrage of pressure to advise repairs. Luckily i have my own little garage now, i would advise every motorist to look for the mechanic not the garage.
WoW! Thank you so much for your insight to behind the scenes of a garage @russellbury. I hade no idea about the pressure on the staff to sell. I makes perfect sense though and I guess the woman I dealt with can at least say that they tried. I am on my way to a local garage to find out what is what! I want my car to be safe but I don't need it to be perfect.