Here's Our New Ride!

[VinceL]

Here is most likely the last update on the Gray Ghost. Tomball Ford has been super in repairing our car, and I highly recommend their service department. I have nothing good to say about Ford corporate though. I stopped hearing from the regional manager, I suppose they had nothing more to say. They did offer to pay one month's car payment (which I thought was a nice gesture), but I guess it is unfortunate for us that we paid cash for the car, so we get nothing... I even asked that they replace the upper seat cover where the leather finish is failing instead, but I received no reply. That is when I stopped hearing from them. The car is okay, but it is the most trouble prone vehicle I have ever owned. I suppose I should be thankful that it has started every time we needed it to. I understand that things go wrong sometimes, but there have been a lot of little irritating things that are ruining the ownership experience for me. Ford could have stepped up to the plate and made the car what it should have been, but they did not. It is a shame. They could take a page from Subaru's playbook. When I had an issue with my Legacy, I was given a loaner car (without even asking for one) and was called (not emailed) several times by the customer service rep at Subie HQ asking if the dealership was taking good care of me. That is how it should be done. Ford, you need to take some notes. I was very interested in the new Lincoln MKC as a vehicle to consider, but I think I am going to scratch it off my list now. Not so much because I fear Ford's product quality, but I fear the quality of Ford's customer service.

Ugh... and one last thing... the A/C still blows stinky, nasty air!

 

[seawolf]

Here is most likely the last update on the Gray Ghost. Tomball Ford has been super in repairing our car, and I highly recommend their service department. I have nothing good to say about Ford corporate though. I stopped hearing from the regional manager, I suppose they had nothing more to say. They did offer to pay one month's car payment (which I thought was a nice gesture), but I guess it is unfortunate for us that we paid cash for the car, so we get nothing... I even asked that they replace the upper seat cover where the leather finish is failing instead, but I received no reply. That is when I stopped hearing from them. The car is okay, but it is the most trouble prone vehicle I have ever owned. I suppose I should be thankful that it has started every time we needed it to. I understand that things go wrong sometimes, but there have been a lot of little irritating things that are ruining the ownership experience for me. Ford could have stepped up to the plate and made the car what it should have been, but they did not. It is a shame. They could take a page from Subaru's playbook. When I had an issue with my Legacy, I was given a loaner car (without even asking for one) and was called (not emailed) several times by the customer service rep at Subie HQ asking if the dealership was taking good care of me. That is how it should be done. Ford, you need to take some notes. I was very interested in the new Lincoln MKC as a vehicle to consider, but I think I am going to scratch it off my list now. Not so much because I fear Ford's product quality, but I fear the quality of Ford's customer service.

Ugh... and one last thing... the A/C still blows stinky, nasty air!

What's your odometer? I'm about to purchase a 2014. Sounds like I should reconsider?

 

[roamingphantom]

What's your odometer? I'm about to purchase a 2014. Sounds like I should reconsider?

Seawolf, If the EX is what you want go for it. Even new cars comes with some issues. I got mine 3 months ago and extremely happy with it. Havent had any issues yet. Some of us here have minor issues and other major. IMO its the dealer that you chose that makes the difference. Who are u considering in NYC - if you dont mind me asking.

 

[seawolf]

Seawolf, If the EX is what you want go for it. Even new cars comes with some issues. I got mine 3 months ago and extremely happy with it. Havent had any issues yet. Some of us here have minor issues and other major. IMO its the dealer that you chose that makes the difference. Who are u considering in NYC - if you dont mind me asking.

No one in NYC. The one in Brooklyn was more interested in pushing us to lease even when we told them repeatedly we didn't want to; gently pushed us toward a demo despite saying no; and also refused to give us a number on the trade-in. :thumbdwn: :thumbdwn: :thumbdwn:

The Manhattan one wouldn't even provide a vehicle quote on the phone or email initially. Wanted to get us in the showroom. Some guy called back a couple of hours later and give us a quote of MSRP. :thumbdwn:

The other NYC dealers don't have it stock.

We're thinking of going with Sayville. The sales department there is more professional and offered a fair value on the Acura. I shopped around on the value of the Acura by going back to Acura dealers and also to CarCash and webuyanycar.com

Was also considering a dealer in NJ but their doc fees are not capped so the out the door is more expensive.

 

[JohnBoyToo]

Vince --- you may THINK the issue is with Ford, but many times the dealer 'tweaks' the communication...

we've had a GREAT dealer here...
when I was getting my truck, he drove one to the house to prove to me it fit in the garage

and when we went to trade he even brought a loaner to US without asking...

good luck to you !

 

[VinceL]

We have a little over 30k miles on the car. If these little problems were fixed (or better yet, never happened at all), we would love the car. If you really like it, go for it. Just remember, you could settle for a car you like less and still have problems.

When I am in direct e-mail contact with a corporate representative and they do not respond to my inquiries, the issue IS with Ford. I have a good example to compare Ford's response to, and so far Ford is lacking. Unfortunately, it looks like luck is all we are left with now, lol! Oh well, whats $42,000 dollars these days, right?

Ours is one car's story, hopefully everyone else has a better experience with their Fords, Explorers especially.

 

[seawolf]

Thanks VinceL.

It's a bit tough to hearing your car has these issues especially since I'm trading in a 5 year old Acura MDX with low 30K miles. Only issue we had is a fold down side mirror which struggles to fold back up when switching from R back to D. Me having to bring the car in for reasons other schedule maintenance is foreign to me.

 

[VinceL]

Thanks VinceL.

It's a bit tough to hearing your car has these issues especially since I'm trading in a 5 year old Acura MDX with low 30K miles. Only issue we had is a fold down side mirror which struggles to fold back up when switching from R back to D. Me having to bring the car in for reasons other schedule maintenance is foreign to me.

Hey seawolf. I'm not so sure that we are having problems that are so unusual to the average American car, but having come from a string of very reliable and almost trouble free Japanese cars, I believe my expectations are too high. When it comes to replacing the Ex, I'm leaving it up to my wife to pick her next car. When it comes to replacing my Legacy, I won't be looking at a Ford product.

Probably the most frustrating aspect of all of this is that if we hadn't had all of these little issues, we would love the car. Even with all of the issues, if Ford had treated us better, would probably still love the car. The whole thing is just a big let down.

But on a happier note (not wanting this thread to degrade into my personal crab fest)... We love it in Dallas (actually Frisco to the north) and things are going great, so all is not lost, lol The wife is enjoying her new job and I have found a position and am enjoying putting my degree to some good use.

Take care.

 

[cnsheets]

But on a happier note (not wanting this thread to degrade into my personal crab fest)... We love it in Dallas (actually Frisco to the north) and things are going great, so all is not lost, lol The wife is enjoying her new job and I have found a position and am enjoying putting my degree to some good use.

Take care.

You have to do what's best for the family. Glad to hear that aspect is going great.

 

[FordService]

Hey everyone!

Please reach out to me if you're experiencing any physical concern with your Explorer; I'm here to assist you in any way I can. In your PM, be sure to include your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name so I can best determine how to help.

Thanks!

Crystal

 

[VinceL]

Hey everybody!

The fun continues with our Explorer. I just noticed today that the paint has come off the other front bumper sensor, so I guess it gets to go back to the dealership for that. We'll give them another crack at the foul smelling A/C, and let them know that the TSB for the exhaust smell in the car did not work.

Being new to the (north) Dallas area, does anybody have any recommendations as to good service departments up here?

We are seriously considering an extended warranty on this car, as I feel the transmission is going to give us problems in the future. It continues to whine and make gear noise. But man, do I hate to give Ford any more of our money!

 

[VinceL]

Well, the fun continues in the Gray Curse:

The father-in-law bumped it while backing out of the driveway last time we were down visiting in Houston. So far, it is looking like $1400.00 in damage. This poor car...

 

[peterk9]

Well, the fun continues in the Gray Curse:

The father-in-law bumped it while backing out of the driveway last time we were down visiting in Houston. So far, it is looking like $1400.00 in damage. This poor car...

Well I hear that 'Ghosts' are a little hard to see. Gray or otherwise. Really sorry to see that Vince. I hope it can be repaired easily so it will be back to 'like new' condition. Too bad it also just nicked that rear panel as well.

Peter

 

[VinceL]

Lol, Peter. Funny thing is, if I had just pulled a foot or two further when parking, he would have just caught the back corner of the bumper (easy fix), or missed entirely. Oh well, what can ya do?

As for the repair, it will take about 4 or 5 days to get it done once we drop it off and all promises are that we won't be able to tell that it ever happened.

 

[roamingphantom]

Thanks VinceL.

It's a bit tough to hearing your car has these issues especially since I'm trading in a 5 year old Acura MDX with low 30K miles. Only issue we had is a fold down side mirror which struggles to fold back up when switching from R back to D. Me having to bring the car in for reasons other schedule maintenance is foreign to me.

Seawolf, did you get it yet? You may wanna consider the Levittown ford, i got mine from Ford Lincoln of Queens. If you go to FLoQ ask for Agatha or Sal, they hooked me up - watch your numbers carefully though (as with all car dealers).

 

[cnsheets]

Lol, Peter. Funny thing is, if I had just pulled a foot or two further when parking, he would have just caught the back corner of the bumper (easy fix), or missed entirely. Oh well, what can ya do?

As for the repair, it will take about 4 or 5 days to get it done once we drop it off and all promises are that we won't be able to tell that it ever happened.

I think we have all heard that before and in the end....not

Best of luck with the repair......

 

[VinceL]

Thanks for the mini pep rally cnsheets, I think....

In the end it is what it is. Might as well get it fixed. In the end, it's her car, so whatever... Hehehe, don't tell her I said that

 

[thestumper]

"Hey seawolf. I'm not so sure that we are having problems that are so unusual to the average American car, but having come from a string of very reliable and almost trouble free Japanese cars, I believe my expectations are too high..."

I disagree. I think Ford's expectations should be higher. No doubt that there are some dealers that are better than others in how the handle the inevitable problem, but Ford corporate's job should be to foster that culture of service and respect across all their dealerships. The reality is that in today's world, where so many people have made the switch to foreign brands, Ford should be doing it better than the others guys. While there is some truth to the assumption that these forums distort reality from a customer satisfaction perspective, I would argue that it is still disproportionate based on my time spent in other forums dedicated to the competition. What troubles me more is the attitude many of the dealers seem to take with regards to the service process, and Ford's apparent lack of commitment in many of these cases.

You have far more patience than I do; my '13 Sport has been great so far, but for me, Ford only gets one shot at this. If this vehicle turns out to be a disappointment, I'll likely never go back. I'm keeping my finger's crossed because again, I REALLY like my Sport so far, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous

As far as the damage is concerned, I've had light body work done a few times over the last ten years. Got backed into once in a parking lot, had a guy rear end me (low speed) at a stop light, and my wife managed to back a minivan into a fence (still trying to figure that one out...). In each case, the work was good enough that the average person would never suspect there was damage. Just make sure you take it to a GOOD shop with a great reputation. I'm always amazed at what a good body shop can do cosmetically. The only time I get concerned is when there is mechanical stuff underneath, and you don't have that issue.

Best of luck, and I for one appreciate your candor.

 

[VinceL]

Darn it, I had a response all typed and then lost it! I hate that. Oh well...

Hey thestumper. It all comes down to getting the company to stand behind its product, and I don't really feel that Ford is doing that. In the long run, we'll keep the car until we are done with it and buy another vehicle. When we do buy, you can guarantee that any products from the FoMoCo will NOT be on the list.

It is about to go back to the dealership, so we will see how things go...

 

[alexk]

Well, the fun continues in the Gray Curse:

The father-in-law bumped it while backing out of the driveway last time we were down visiting in Houston. So far, it is looking like $1400.00 in damage. This poor car...

Ouch. My explorer got hit today, piece of wood that a car ran over flew up in the air and smashed the top of my windshield and dented the roof and the hood. Couple inches lower and it probably would have came through the windshield. I guess in the end its just a car, right?