My letter to Ford
Sir/Maam
Everyday you make it harder and harder to stay loyal to your brand, and defend it. I have a 2008 Ford F250 6.4L Powerstroke that currently has 64,878 miles that has been nothing but a headache. It is not the truck necessarily that has been a headache, but your technicians, warranty program, and customer service. Please allow me to explain.
In October 2012, I returned my truck to the local Ford dealership because it was puffing white smoke, stumbling on itself, and had a bad grinding/vibration sound. The technician proceeded to replace my intercooler under warranty, and do a "99 point inspection" on my vehicle. The dealership "could not duplicate" the grinding and vibrating issue and returned my truck to me, saying nothing was wrong.
I drove the vehicle until February 2013, when the sound got worse and unbearable. Upon returning the truck to the dealership, I advised the technician and service writer, that I believed the grinding/vibration sound was related to the turbocharger, and I was told that doesn't make sense, and the truck would be looked at. A few days later, I was told to come pick it up and that the issue had been solved, and the transfer case had been replaced under warranty. However, the sound still remained.
A week later, I returned yet again to the dealership for the same issue. This go around, the truck was at the dealership for 26 days. Not only was I not afforded a loaner vehicle, but I also wasn't reimbursed for the rental vehicle I had to get. After weeks of waiting, I was advised that the transmission was the cause of the noise, and was being rebuilt. Yet again, this failed to fix the issue. Shortly after, I was told the rear differential pinion seal was the cause but wouldn't be covered under warranty, as I was past my 60,000 mile warranty. I rebuilt the rear differential...and the issue still remained.
Last month, I took a road trip in my vehicle, and the turbocharger began to have issues. Upon removing the air intake tube from the High Pressure Turbo, I found the compressor wheel to have shaft play, as well as oil in the inter cooler pipes. I made an appointment with Ford and dropped my truck off on Tuesday, June 24, 2013 at 8:00am CST. Almost a week later, I called the dealership for an update only to find that my vehicle hasn't even been looked at yet.
As a life long and LOYAL Ford supporter, it's disheartening to know that the technicians I trust my vehicle with cannot correctly diagnose an issue on my vehicle, nor can they repair it in a timely manner. I am now over $2000 out of pocket for rental cars and un-needed repairs on a 65k mile truck that is still under warranty. Almost 9 months after initially identifying an issue, my vehicle has still not been repaired. My question to you, is how much flexibility does your company expect a loyal customer to have? I've been more than patient with this whole process, and have nothing to show for it. I am seriously considering switching to a new brand, as I know the "other guys" actually repair vehicles quicker and correctly. It's sad it's had to come to this with me, as I love Ford...but there comes a time when you have to draw the line. After 9 long months, and a still broken truck, this once die hard Ford owner is reconsidering where my loyalties lie. I can only hope that issues such as these don't happen to everyone.
I look forward to your response...thank you for your time.
Sir/Maam
Everyday you make it harder and harder to stay loyal to your brand, and defend it. I have a 2008 Ford F250 6.4L Powerstroke that currently has 64,878 miles that has been nothing but a headache. It is not the truck necessarily that has been a headache, but your technicians, warranty program, and customer service. Please allow me to explain.
In October 2012, I returned my truck to the local Ford dealership because it was puffing white smoke, stumbling on itself, and had a bad grinding/vibration sound. The technician proceeded to replace my intercooler under warranty, and do a "99 point inspection" on my vehicle. The dealership "could not duplicate" the grinding and vibrating issue and returned my truck to me, saying nothing was wrong.
I drove the vehicle until February 2013, when the sound got worse and unbearable. Upon returning the truck to the dealership, I advised the technician and service writer, that I believed the grinding/vibration sound was related to the turbocharger, and I was told that doesn't make sense, and the truck would be looked at. A few days later, I was told to come pick it up and that the issue had been solved, and the transfer case had been replaced under warranty. However, the sound still remained.
A week later, I returned yet again to the dealership for the same issue. This go around, the truck was at the dealership for 26 days. Not only was I not afforded a loaner vehicle, but I also wasn't reimbursed for the rental vehicle I had to get. After weeks of waiting, I was advised that the transmission was the cause of the noise, and was being rebuilt. Yet again, this failed to fix the issue. Shortly after, I was told the rear differential pinion seal was the cause but wouldn't be covered under warranty, as I was past my 60,000 mile warranty. I rebuilt the rear differential...and the issue still remained.
Last month, I took a road trip in my vehicle, and the turbocharger began to have issues. Upon removing the air intake tube from the High Pressure Turbo, I found the compressor wheel to have shaft play, as well as oil in the inter cooler pipes. I made an appointment with Ford and dropped my truck off on Tuesday, June 24, 2013 at 8:00am CST. Almost a week later, I called the dealership for an update only to find that my vehicle hasn't even been looked at yet.
As a life long and LOYAL Ford supporter, it's disheartening to know that the technicians I trust my vehicle with cannot correctly diagnose an issue on my vehicle, nor can they repair it in a timely manner. I am now over $2000 out of pocket for rental cars and un-needed repairs on a 65k mile truck that is still under warranty. Almost 9 months after initially identifying an issue, my vehicle has still not been repaired. My question to you, is how much flexibility does your company expect a loyal customer to have? I've been more than patient with this whole process, and have nothing to show for it. I am seriously considering switching to a new brand, as I know the "other guys" actually repair vehicles quicker and correctly. It's sad it's had to come to this with me, as I love Ford...but there comes a time when you have to draw the line. After 9 long months, and a still broken truck, this once die hard Ford owner is reconsidering where my loyalties lie. I can only hope that issues such as these don't happen to everyone.
I look forward to your response...thank you for your time.