Illegal/Shady theft of Ballasts on New Explorer

Help! I really need some feedback &/or similar experiences for when I speak to Ford today. Sorry it's a Lil long, but it's REALLY f'd up. Anyway, we bought brand new Explorer last year. By 3200 mi, we realized a front headlight out "sometimes", so took it in & they said they can't reproduce it & couldn't do anything, get a pic next time. So, months go by (bc I don't usually drive at night) & now low pressure & oil change lights on, so got a pic, took in.

Get a call last night & got accused of putting in aftermarket ballasts in BOTH headlights!?!? I'm like I don't even know wtf a ballast is & proceeded to try to convince them there would be no reason - 0 - that I'd take it to anyone else when I could get it fixed for free there, plus free oil change, free car wash, etc. Manager calls & also, right off the back accuses "someone in my family must have...". Well, I went off on him. Of all the possibilities, they choose to accuse me/hubby personally of doing this. They dismissed the fact that anyone at Ford dealerships, 2 diff ones where the car had been for MONTHS, who had whole depts of mechanics who are experts with Fords, could have possibly done this & why, they'd have no reason. Well, I Googled & lo & behold, you can sell my headlights for $200, so can't imagine how much factory new ones are!

Anyway, manager changed position after I schooled him on a few things & said that it could have happened while in valet or while parked somewhere. Well, let me ask you guys, do you know any criminals who would steal headlights/ballasts, yet take the time & $$$ to put back aftermarket ballasts? Also, he himself said it couldn't have been done by a dealership bc "do you know how involved it is, it take special skills, a lot of time" Yada yadda. So, idk, do u think that it happened while we were eating frickin dinner, then, dude?!? Or while it was sitting several months at a place that had a ton of specialized mechanics?! Ugh, I haven't been this pissed in a long time, I was seeing red!

And now I'm worried - what if they replaced other things - important things like brakes or brake pads!? Whenever I drive, I have my sweet little 2 yr old baby with me, now I'm scared sh***less. So left a message & said they need to check the whole car out or give me a new one. I won't drive it otherwise.

Any similar experiences? Ideas? Other parts this can be done to, or is worth it? Insights? Much appreciated bc I'm really reeling over this, thank you in advance!

 

[Harpua216]

I think you did the right thing by explaining that the most obvious place it could happen is where they have specialized tools and knowledge of this. and time...

As for the other things that they may have stolen: lights and accessories etc, the easy ones at least, are well known to be taken and swapped. The manager knows this and was trying not to create a mess for himself, but we know that it just creates even more of a mess for him.

Call Ford directly, let them know what happened and at what dealership. let them know your concern for your car and your familys safety in it and see what they say. Most likely, they will tell you to bring it to another shop for inspection.

or

find another ford dealer that competes with this one and give them the story, maybe they can help.

good luck

 

[Icuff4cash]

First I would look up on how to replace the ballast. And if it's true I would call ford tell them your car is garage kept and how the dealer acused you of part swapping. Remind ford you had brought the explorer in for headlight issues.1. Did the tec really do an inspection.2 if such inspection was done that was the time of the switch or why wasn't it notice then.3 profit stealing I worked at a stealer ship years ago. These guys really don't get paid for warranty work like a regular repair. Ford charges dealers above list price on parts. I know this when working at an olds dealership in NJ. I worked in the parts room and as in example tune up parts. Spark plugs cost me $2.50 customer was charged $3.50. When I confronted the owner and said I can buy plugs for a dollar. I was told those inflated prices are built in by GM to cover dealer adversting ect.. So if ford dealer has to stock $200.00 ballest and auto zone sells chineese for $50.00 were do you think they are going to get them to make up cash. And since the dealer knew you cought him and insisted you did it is more than enuff reason to tell ford. Ford will pull his inventory to see how many headlight jobs this guy does . Do you really think those empty mobile 1 oil can drums you see in the shop have mobile 1 when the dealer gives free oil changes. My 2014 when was prep had a paint sealer charged at 2 grand. All cars came this way no option out. And I know some are those are really good with stoch guard. My place used to have the body tec apply and buff with a wheel and every 6 months you got a free reply. Well this dealer charges 2 grand and it's not hand applyed. The have an auto car wash and its in the wax cycle. Dealers lie cheat steal manufacturing know this but if buyers don't complain they can't act.

 

[Tech By Trade]

In order of greasiness it goes Housing Contractors, Used Car salesmen, Dealerships, Politicians, Bankers, Lawyers.... in that exact order.

 

[Machine090767]

This is interesting... In all my 48 years, I have never heard of a thief stealing parts, then replacing those parts with inferior parts, just so the vehicle still appears normal. I'm used to the old "Vehicle on the street, on blocks with everything stripped from it"

 

[Icuff4cash]

They do it all the time with gray good parts. Mostly body shops get replacement cheap sheet metal and charge for real GM parts. My neighbor is a liberty mutual supervisor. She said its so bad that LM states in all repairs done on cars 3 years and under must have new factory parts no knock offs. As far as lights you have 4 that's 4 ballast at say $250. Each that's a grand you replace them with $200. Chineese knock off who's going to know. And if your wrenching that's money in your pocket . I'm sure there's a lot of honest tec's who dropped 50 grand to go to school and are sincere . Like every profession I'm a retired cop we have good ones not so good and dangerous ones.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Many years ago I had a similar experience at a dealership's parts department. I needed a cheap rubber cover which goes over the distributor cap on a 3.0L engine. The guy behind the counter said that he couldn't get it for me, then stopped, looked around then asked me "how bad do you need it". I said that I would like to order one, then he said wait a minute. He walked into the service area where a mechanic was working on a Taurus station wagon. He came back with a filthy rubber cover that his mechanic buddy ripped out from a customer's car, and whispered "give me $10"!

This crook working behind the counter did this years ago before they had cameras everywhere. I feel sorry for the guy who owned that station wagon. Who knows what else they ripped out of it while it was being serviced.

 

[Seriously?]

wow, lots of interesting & great answers & experiences, thank you all! Yes, I am not used to this "steal-and-make it look like nothing happened" tactic, either! We're all used to the just "take & run", right? So, I would think that it would *have* to be someone who did it while they had possession of it & was responsible for it, right? Because, yeah, it would be discovered one day, but 99.9% most likely not until some date around 6 months from then. The manager said the kind that was installed was "brighter", but only lasts around 6 mos. Then said that that sometimes what happens is that a husband/wife or bf/gf fixes the light after damage, or just wants "brights" or some other custom part to make it cool/pretty/whatever, then brings into the dealership & complains that it's not working & wants the dealership to fix it under warranty. So, I do understand that, and I do understand that he's dealing with people, & some are untrustworthy, & he doesn't have to trust me, but once I told them *5x* that neither one of us touched it, that we brought in w/same problem before (at about $3k mi/3 mos), and abc...xyz (above), and he *still* accused us directly of doing it, that's what pissed me off royally.

So, an update: "*After* I asked for the 'Manager's manager' info from the sales guy", brought up more common sense points AND also told them where I worked & that my integrity was held to a higher standard than all his people *combined* (I can't even have a ding on my credit report & I could go on & on...), he finally saw the light. I was apologized to by both the manager & the sales person, they fixed everything on my car, inspected the entire thing & then dropped it off at my house, even, because I didn't have a ride that particular night. He agreed that it couldn't have been a valet & I'll say that he actually did "seem" sincere, like he really didn't do it himself, or know about it, the way he was talking. He said that he took offense that I would accuse his dealership of theft, but I reminded him that I hadn't; I said it could have been his dealership, or the other dealership, or the factory, or somewhere along the way, or... so I'm wondering if he was a new manager & truly had no idea, or if he had an idea & was covering it up (& maybe that's why he got the job in the first place!?), or, of course, if he was just straight up lying about it. But, either way, I have all of this documented. The thing is, I really don't have the time or energy to make a big thing out of it if everything is all taken care of & documented. I know that I probably should though, so I'll have think about it. Thank you all, again, I have saved all of the answers just in case it happens again, I have more ammunition in that gun, now! ;-)