In mid-July, I scheduled an appointment to get numerous problems fixed with my 2020 For Explorer ST and the soonest appointment I could get was for August 14. When I scheduled the appointment, I was told that they would need the vehicle for several days. I asked if I could get a loaner, and the service manager told me that they can reserve them. On August 14 I drop off the vehicle and asked if there was a loaner and was told that Chipola only had 3 and they were in use so I rented a car from Enterprise. At that time, I was told that if they needed to order a module or a part that they would give me back my vehicle so I could save the car rental.
The next day on 8/15, I stopped by the service department to check on my vehicle and was told they were working on 2 recalls on the vehicle and hadn't started the list of problems I have requested be repaired and needed the car for another day. I know you make money from Ford Corporate to complete recalls and don't blame you for adding them on and saves me from losing use of the vehicle a second time. I returned to the dealer Friday 8/16 at noon and the service manager told me they were still loading software on the infotainment system and it's a slow process and that it will likely be Monday afternoon before the car was ready. On Monday 8/19 I returned to the shop around noon and was told that they hadn't fixed anything, and that the recalled catalytic converter was not installed that was ordered last week and that it can't be installed because they had to order a special tool. The service manager apologized for being wrong and said I could take the vehicle until the tool came in.
The info-entertainment system is now working much better but I was told nothing had been fixed.
I spent $335 in car rental and because the service department doesn't communicate with the technicians, I rented a car 3 days longer that what I needed to do and cost me $167. When you consider that the shop was waiting on parts I should have gotten the car back on Thursday as was stated at the start. To top it off the vehicle must go back again to complete the repairs need and the recalls. It's been 3 weeks and no call back or status update as to when the repairs can be completed.
Your service reps and nice people and I don't want them reprimanded because they aren't properly managed. I have been an executive for 35 years in telecom industry and have managed thousands of field technicians and believe this problem is a general management issue. Its hard to believe that your service reps can't walk 50 feet and get accurate information about the status of customers' vehicles and management should reevaluate how you communicate with customers and provide accurate information. This cost me time and money and will cost more time and money when the repairs are finally completed because I will need to rent another car.
Suggestions for improvement.
* Enable online appointments
* Ask for the VIN number so that you can understand what recalls will also need to be done and how much longer you need the vehicle so that customers can plan on it
* Follow up daily with customers and make sure what you're telling the customer is accurate
* If you need to order parts or tools, notify the customer verses waiting for them to ask and especially if they are renting a car.
I'd like to know how this happened and how you plan to prevent it from happening again in the future. Also, I need to know when Chipola Ford can complete the repairs and recalls because. I wasted $355 and nothing is fixed and there was not follow up on the tool they are waiting for! I expect some sort of reimbursement for my rental car and for wasting my time.
Lastly, I have owned Ford's my entire life and own another Ford that has a pending recall and may take it another dealer because of the above. In addition, I buy new vehicles every 5-7 years and will consider using another dealer even if that means going to Panama City or Tallahassee. I will post this complaint on social media and copy Ford Corporate. read more