I don't know the details of how much time before I we can do the buy back? I would like to start to do buy back this summer (just love to drive it wright now) so that by the fall, maybe I could do a buy back and then put that cost towards getting new 2021 ST in hopes that the issue has been resolved.
Ford adheres to each of the 50 States Lemon Laws and does not deviate from those laws.
You would need to go to your Home State’s DMV webpage OR your Home State’s Attorney General webpage (*** you want the .gov webpage, NO 3rd party webpage as they do not retain correct info or up to date lemon law facts). The BBB webpage also does not always have the most up to date Lemon Law info, so it’s important to review the LL from your State’s .gov web pages.
Most LL are similar to the below for a vehicle to qualify, but again, definitely check your State LL:
1) A Buy Back or Lemon Claim must be made within 2 years or 24k miles of the purchase date (whichever comes first). Some States have a 1/24 or 1/15.
2) The Owner must allow the vehicle Manufacturer to make the effort to do the warranty repair, regardless of how long the repair may take or how complicated it may be. The repair must be allowed so there is documentation of the repair attempt and it’s recorded to your VIN. If a repair has been attempted 3x for the same issue, and the issue is still not satisfactorily resolved (or fixed), the vehicle would qualify for LL.
3) If the vehicle has been at the Service Center for a total of 30 consecutive days OR a total of 30 days within the calendar year (this varies by State), the vehicle would instantly qualify for a Lemon Law or Buy Back claim - regardless if the repair has been completed or if it’s only the initial attempt at repair.
4) Depending on the State LL, some States can implement a mileage use penalty. The mileage would be the documented mileage of the first instance the vehicle went into the shop for the issue or concern. So if the vehicle had 1,000 miles on it when it first went into the shop for the Lemon issue, the penalty (a formula devised by the State) is only on the 1k miles, NOT the total miles accrued on the vehicle when it’s turned back over to the Vehicle Manufacturer.
There are (2) types of a Lemon Buy Backs:
1) A swap of collateral: Basically you enter into an agreement with Ford that you want to be made whole by getting a replacement vehicle. The replacement can be any brand new Ford current model year vehicle available on any Dealer lot in the US. The replacement is MSRP to MSRP, period. Ford incentives, Dealer incentives, dealer or Ford discounts, A-X Plans, misc rebates, military or other discounts do not apply at all. It’s strictly MSRP to MSRP. If the replacement vehicle MSRP is more than the original MSRP, you are responsible for the delta and State Sales Tax must be paid on that delta. So for instance, say original MSRP was $50k, replacement MSRP is $52k, you’re responsible for the $2k delta and the State Sales Tax ONLY on the $2k. You’re also responsible for any other Dealer new car fees such as DMV (reg/title), doc prep fees, etc (again this is NOT a Ford thing, it’s a State thing). If you still have a loan on the original, the remaining value of the loan is carried over. So for instance, your MSRP was $50k, you owe $20k - the new loan on the replacement would only be $20k, plus whatever deltas, tax or fees.
2) Refund: You get refunded purchase price or monies owed and can walk away from Ford, or buy another Ford or go buy whatever... again there may be fees or mileage penalties associated based on State Lemon Laws.
With the above noted, you must review your State Lemon Law. If you feel you have a Lemon, or the vehicle meets some or all of the above criteria outlined, you should call the Ford 800#. By calling the Ford 800#, you get assigned a Regional Ford CSR, he/she will open a Case. Once you have established a case - the CSR will review all facts based on your claim and may approve a request for Buy Back. If approved, the case is then transferred to Ford RAV, which is the internal division that handles all Buy Backs.
Buy Backs through Ford RAV, whether a vehicle swap or refund can be tedious, frustrating and stressful and will up to take 3 weeks or more to complete (depending on your case and complexity). I’m just saying that up front, because it’s just not a walk in the park and it’s not super easy - especially if you don’t have patience. You must be prepared to chase after the Ford CSR or Ford RAV if they are not reaching out to you for status updates or progression of the claim.
You can do a Buy Back on your own without the need of a Lemon Law Attorney and without involving the BBB Autoline, as long as you have all your facts, any correspondence between you and the Dealership Service Center, work orders or Dealer invoices, emails, etc. and can keep a professional attitude - you’ll come out on top.
Best of luck.