Ford dealer's all the same ??

[mred]

This may be a little off subject but I have to ask as the knowledge on this forum is incredible. How do you deal with Ford Dealers? Maybe there is a good one hiding somewhere in Eastern Massachusetts but I can't find it Just so you know I have been driving Fords since my dad bought the first one in 1969 it was a 1965 F250. I have a bias towards Ford trucks. It hurts to have to give them up but this can not continue. Since I purchased my first new Ford 4x4 in 86. I have not been able to get good service at a dealer since that purchase. For example my first truck was delivered with a rear main seal leak. I took it back to the dealer and they returned it with the transmission not shifting. Turns out they had dropped the transmission and were trying to get away with simply returning the truck to me with the bad transmission. When I told them they could keep the truck or replace the transmission they decided to do the later. Not having learned my lesion. I brought another truck, my 1997, into a different dealer. It needed a battery cable replaced and I didn稚 have time to do it. That dealer broke a post on the battery and caused me to have to get another dealer to replace the wiring harness due to the damage done by the first dealer. I had to get a lawyer involved at which time the first dealer admitted the mistake. I don稚 go to dealers as a rule because of this. I was forced to this week because my truck had an engine light on that was discussed in a Technical service Bulletin according to my normal mechanic. I went in and the dealer said no way. I told them it has been happening for 3 years off and on and I needed to get it fixed somehow. They replaced three vacuum hoses and charged me 315.00. They returned the truck to me saying the air filter was plugged solid and this could cause the engine light problem. I asked why they didn稚 replace the filter rather than getting me to drive 45 minutes each direction to tell me I needed a new air filter. As they were replacing the air filter in the lot I see a hub cap missing. It was there in the morning and my wife followed me to the dealer so either we both missed it flying off (never happened before) or theft had occurred. The dealer suggested "maybe it happened when you had new brakes installed but we never had your wheels off" Interesting they knew I had new brakes but how do you tell without taking off a wheel?

How do you deal with this? It seems that all the dealers I go to in Massachusetts and Rode Island have significant problems. You go to the little business mechanic and rarely do you have a problem. I have had to go to Toyota with my suv's and never have had problems. As a customer, although Ford does not make me feel like one, I have had it with Ford. What do you folks do ?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

West Herr Ford in Hamburg is great to deal with. The local small dealer here in town isn't. I had an oil leak on my 2006 F-250 with the 6.0 that I bought from the local dealer, they looked at it and said that I did in fact have a leak but they wouldn't be able to fix it anyway as it would just leak again

So I took it to West Herr where I have never had any problems and they laughed at the other dealers comment, had my truck for 4 days as it was a major job and fixed it and replaced a broken mirror also as well as the front brakes that I asked them to check. They charged me for the oil change (I already had the filter so I just paid them for the oil and their time) and the brakes. Fixing the oil leaks was under warranty and they broke the first mirror so I had to come back to have them replace that mirror and they replaced it for free since I had to come a second time. Every time I have been there I felt welcomed and as a result they are going to get our new vehicle sales from now on as we are tired of giving the local dealer another chance as this is our 5th new truck from them since 1992 and they don't care about us once we walk out the door. West Herr actually called me to make sure everything was repaired properly and I was satisfied. If you have a larger dealership around you check them out.

 

[yankeerider]

I doubt the issue is "Ford dealers." I have heard horror stories with many brands. I switched- and avoided- dealers simply based on word-of-mouth reputation rather than proximity to my house. The best dealer around here is still, as far as i know, a family-owned operation rather than part of a big conglomerate. I think that makes a difference.

 

[RollingsFarms]

the two Ford dealers in my area I won't do business with. you can't! I've tried. I'm a price guy. when I see something I am interested in buying, I want to know what the price is, the out the door price. neither Ford dealership will give me a flat price. they want you to give them your drivers license so they can run a credit check. I know i have excellent credit, so I refuse to agree to this method. I tell them I do not wish to do payments, I wan't to know the price so I can go get the cash out of the bank. no go. isn't that rediculous?! I have heard there are better Ford dealers to deal with about 40 min away in Columbia and Camden/Lugoff but I have never made a trip there to find out. Maybe I will oneday when I'm shopping again for my next truck. my Chevy dealer is a small dealership with an EXCELLENT salseman I bought from. I wish he could sell me EVERYTHING I ever had to buy from someone. they're a small dealership, and their lack of communication from the desk to the service dept is sometimes very frustrating. all in all, I have yet to find a single car dealership that is perfect in most categories, some stink in ALL categories.

 

[dodge man]

Its tough to find a good mechanic. It's not like most of them have a tough decision between being a mechanic or being a brain surgeon. I'm not trying to inslult mechanics, there are obiviously some really smart ones, it just happens to be one of those proffesions that doesn't always attract the cream of the crop. That said, it seems like most dealerships I have dealt with, have several good mechanics with some training specific to that brand. You may have just had some bad luck, and live in a area that doesn't have good ones at the Ford dealers. I would say it has nothing to do with Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, it just happens to be the case in your area.

 

[Bird]

For many years, except for warranty work, I used independent mechanics, but when I moved back to town and didn't know any of the mechanics in the area, I started using a local Ford dealer for everything, including oil changes. The one I initially used had a service department that did good work, and they're very busy, but they do go out of their way to try to sell you a lot of things you don't need. And their sales department is, to me, just unbelievable. The old fashioned, high pressure, outright lies, etc.

But then we bought a house nearer another Ford dealer, and the difference is like night and day. Good service, friendly people, don't try to sell you anything, whether you're in the sales department or the service department. They'll visit with you, answer your questions, maybe make some suggestions, and if you're in the sales department, they'll ask you if you'd like to take anything for a test drive, they'll appraise your trade-in, if you have one, and return your keys before negotiating prices (in a couple of other dealerships you have to get belligerent to get the keys back to your own car).

So I now use Bill Utter Ford in Denton, TX, for all my service, and even bought a used car from them in January. Bill Utter, himself, just died earlier this year, but he had the dealership for over 50 years and he has a son and a daughter who have Ford dealerships in other towns.

 

[dgl24087]

The Ford dealer that I bought my last car from was great until my vehicle was out of warranty, then the service went all to pieces, with 4 hour wait times for oil changes, being told to schedule a time for an alignment so I wouldn't have to wait, then being told when I show up that they don't make appointments. I was planning to buy a new truck from this dealer as well, but after 3 consecutive days of going to the dealership, finding the truck I wanted and no one coming out of the air conditioned sales building, I drove 30 miles to a Dodge dealership and purchased a new Ram in the easiest deal I have ever encountered, even took only 30 minutes to do all of the paperwork.

 

[Paystar]

Hate to say it but there's good and bad with everything nowadays. And the bias seems to be towards the "bad" side. When I bought my Ford Explorer it had a couple minor warranty issues on it. The dealer did more damage fixing it than what it was in for. So I made a stink, nothing resolved, started going to the other Ford dealer in town. Treated me great until one day I got an oil change and they left the filler cap off and slammed the hood down on it breaking the plastic that covers the rad and headlights. Took it back to get a new piece, ended up with a big blob of epoxy over the crack. Started going to other dealer, treated great again...until....you get the picture. I've even called the deaf ears at Ford customer care and got no resolve on issues.
I was going to switch brands but heard all the horror stories from my GM and Dodge friends, so why bother. I've also dealt with many big truck dealers all over the province with my dump truck and it is also hit and miss. Some times they really impress you, other times the truck leaves their shop, so that I could come home to crawl under it to repair their repairs. I just get the impression everyone hates their jobs and no one cares anymore. As long as they get their money. Heck I couldn't get a single New Holland dealer or corporate to call me back when I wanted to buy a new tractor? Except for one in Michigan and he couldn't answer any questions about the product he sells?
They don't need us customers when they can get bailout money I guess.

 

[Builder]

I just get the impression everyone hates their jobs and no one cares anymore. As long as they get their money. Heck I couldn't get a single New Holland dealer or corporate to call me back when I wanted to buy a new tractor? Except for one in Michigan and he couldn't answer any questions about the product he sells?
They don't need us customers when they can get bailout money I guess.

That is what I have found in most cases. I have never seen so much apathy. It's terrible in automotive and just as bad in construction.

You really have to look hard to find good people. When you find them, pay them. I have an equipment mechanic that adjusts my airbrakes & clutch for free everytime I bring my big truck in. I shoot him $10-$20 here & there to say thanks.

When he screws up, he comes to me and repairs me on the road for free. He rolled a diesel fuel filter gasket on my truck and I got air & stalled. He came & fixed it on the road on a Sunday.

MY GM dealer has been pretty good so far (2 minor warranty issues in 2.5 years). I ask for the 2 or 3 older truck guys they have and so far not bad.

 

[mred]

Thanks for the replies. It is good to know I am not the only one with these problems. I wonder, in this economy if now is the chance to tell Ford and others change or we will. I have been looking to replace the 97 that I have. I can tell you the blue oval is not high on my list because of their dealers.