Reimbursement for repair???

[atoledo]

I was noticing a clicking noise from the front end of my 2011 Explorer on left turns and deduced it was a bad axle/CV joint. Even though the warranty ended several months ago, I called Ford service and asked if I was covered. They said "no", so I took it to a local repair shop and had the work done there. As soon as I got the car back I called Ford again and spoke to another guy who said "yes", the axle would be covered under the power train warranty which is five years. Well, it's too late now since I just got the job done by another shop.

Can I be reimbursed for this cost? I asked the Ford service guy and he told me I would not be reimbursed, but maybe if I keep asking someone will tell me "yes". Who else can I ask besides the Ford Service guys?

 

[Dr Plastic]

Yes you can. As long as you have your receipts you can present them to Ford for reimbursement. Take them to your servicing dealer.

 

[atoledo]

Thanks Dr.

I'll give it a try.

 

[orangesoda123]

They should reimburse you but the amount they reimburse could vary. If the repairs shops cost exceeds what the cost would have been by having it done at Ford then they will just reimburse what Fords cost would have been.

 

[rb142]

That's a known issue which for which the fix is usually the installation of a plastic washer, not replacement of an axle which isn't really bad. Unless you can somehow prove that the axle really was bad, I don't think you have any chance of getting reimbursed for more than the plastic washer.

 

[atoledo]

So you're saying I should probably go back to the repair shop an ask them for the old/replaced axle to show them as proof? If they still have it?

 

[ls973800]

It's a shame, but I am reading more and more posts similar to this one. An owner asks a service adviser or rep if something is covered under warranty. The answer is no, and so the owner pays for the repair and many times has someone else other than the dealer do the work.

Some time later, for whatever reason, the owner finds out that the part would have been covered by warranty and now is faced with fighting to get reimbursed.

It's not difficult at all to read your warranty coverages on line, in your owner's manual, or by searching on the web BEFORE talking to a service rep if you have a good idea of what is wrong. Also a good idea to double check what is told to you before you pay or OK any work that you will have to pay for.

I've read similar posts here, on the Edge and F150 forums I belong to, and on the GM forums I follow. If an owner can find the time to post about being screwed out of the warranty repair, they can find the time to search and find out if in fact the part is covered before any work, IMHO.

 

[blwnsmoke]

^^^ I agree and I will add that most warranty is black and white. A dealer can plug in a part number and the computer will say yes or no if it is covered. There really is no guessing IF the dealer does what they are supposed to do. For any of them to just have a verbal conversation and tell you without typing the part in and getting a visual yes/no is complete BS.