Goodbye Ford

[w1kedz]

I would go to the service manager and tell him to please perform the TSB after giving him a copy of it.

I don't know your exact circumstances but a lot of technicians will dismiss brake noise complaints quickly if they are not immediately apparent as abnormal on a test drive.

Service manager told me Ford denied the warranty repair, so I contacted customer service manager for our region who told me applying the TSB would just be throwing parts at the car, and that if the tech can't produce the problem, then it doesn't exist?

Actually customer service gave me an analogy.. She said if I went to the doctor with chest pain, the doctor wouldnt just take me into heart surgery. I told her the analogy was more than wrong. Lol

 

[w1kedz]

Techs get a lot of brake noise complaints, and most of them cannot be considered abnormal.

This TSB is dated Oct 31, 2011 so it has only been out for 2 WEEKS!!! Honestly most techs probably are not even aware of it yet.

I made the service manager aware of the TSB.. She said that TSB's are useless if they can't produce the problem in the shop

 

[Box]

I don't know what else to tell you then. If you can make the noise happen, then load the service manager's lazy butt in for a test drive and demonstrate it for him.

 

[94Eddie]

Nothing performs flawlessly. And the relatively modest dollar amount you mention has little to do with anything. All products have warranty issues regardless of price.

While a vehicle is under the factory warranty it should perform flawlessly. If it isn't then it should be repaired to perform flawlessly. These car makers spend hundreds of millions of advertising dollar telling us how flawless their cars are in an attempt to convince us to buy one. If I do buy one then I expect them to live up to their claims during the warranty period.

And my reference to returning soldiers was only to illustrate how relatively unimportant the problems with our material possessions really are.

People work hard for their money and you telling them to stop complaining because soldiers are losing limbs is a very poor comparison, IMO. The OP made a good point. Would you tell a disabled vet that was making the same complaint to stop whining? Your attempt to shame the OP for complaining falls incredibly flat.

I don't think you should suck anything, and should sell your Explorer as soon as possible.

Did you stop to think that selling a recently purchased new vehicle would result in a huge financial hit? A lot of people couldn't afford to do it if they wanted.

Most of us here have had zero problems and would recommend the Explorer to anyone looking for a fantastic vehicle.

Then why shouldn't the OP be afforded the same experience as "most of us here?" You have just admitted that his vehicle has an issue that most do not have. For $30k-$40k, I would want to experience what "most people" experience.

 

[calb]

I made the service manager aware of the TSB.. She said that TSB's are useless if they can't produce the problem in the shop

The TSB itself says the noise is "intermittent". That indicates to me it isn't always reproducible, and yet they say you have to reproduce a known intermittent problem?

And ... BIG +1 for 94Eddie's response above.

 

[boss377]

While a vehicle is under the factory warranty it should perform flawlessly. If it isn't then it should be repaired to perform flawlessly. These car makers spend hundreds of millions of advertising dollar telling us how flawless their cars are in an attempt to convince us to buy one. If I do buy one then I expect them to live up to their claims during the warranty period.



People work hard for their money and you telling them to stop complaining because soldiers are losing limbs is a very poor comparison, IMO. The OP made a good point. Would you tell a disabled vet that was making the same complaint to stop whining? Your attempt to shame the OP for complaining falls incredibly flat.




Did you stop to think that selling a recently purchased new vehicle would result in a huge financial hit? A lot of people couldn't afford to do it if they wanted.



Then why shouldn't the OP be afforded the same experience as "most of us here?" You have just admitted that his vehicle has an issue that most do not have. For $30k-$40k, I would want to experience what "most people" experience.

I give up. The distortions are unfortunate, so there's no point in continuing.
I didn't come here to be angry, I came to find answers and get information. Participation here seems to require a solid "us against them" point of view, and I'm not into that.

 

[TennesseeTider]

I said goodbye to my 2011 explorer xlt 4x4 on November 4th!

It was one of the best days of my life.

I won my lemon law case and received a buy back check from Ford and handed the keys back to them on the 4th.

The MFT disaster was too much for me to put up with anymore. I had detailed files on my experience and presented my case to an arbitrator through the BBB Autoline service and he awarded a full buyback of the vechicle.

My wife is now happily driving a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 Overland with the Hemi V8.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Techs get a lot of brake noise complaints, and most of them cannot be considered abnormal.

This TSB is dated Oct 31, 2011 so it has only been out for 2 WEEKS!!! Honestly most techs probably are not even aware of it yet.

But a competent tech should always check oasis when a vehicle comes in for any recalls or tsbs.

My dealer wasnt aware of it yet he checked oasis and found it.

Jist like my wiper issue, he checked oasis and found it. They couldnt duplicate it because it is so random but took MY word for it when I showed him my video and performed the tsb.

That is what dealerships should be doing. No customer is going to waste their time going in to make up a problem.. if a customer is describing what the tsb says, they should perform it... simple as that.

 

[snowbird]

Good for you.
Back in the late 80's Ford bought back my Club wagon. My only disappointment was that it showed up at a Ford dealer as a Ford executive vehicle for sale. I took it for a test drive and nothing was done to it, same problem as they bought it back for.
So, in the end the manufacturer always wins. So buyer beware.
I still buy Fords and am so far an unhappy owner of a 2011 XLT Explorer. I will be happy if the "upgraded" MFT will be the magic fix, we'll see.

 

[94Eddie]

I give up. The distortions are unfortunate, so there's no point in continuing.
I didn't come here to be angry, I came to find answers and get information. Participation here seems to require a solid "us against them" point of view, and I'm not into that.

Then I don't understand why you make a post and end it with "I'm know i'm [in] for it now, but that's how I see it."

 

[bluelion]

what i did on a previous vehicle i was having intermittent issues with was to leave the vehicle overnight with the dealership. and let them test drive it first thing in the morning when they get in to work...that way you're not warming up the breaks on your drive to the dealership and they say they can't duplicate the problem.

 

[Box]

But a competent tech should always check oasis when a vehicle comes in for any recalls or tsbs.

My dealer wasnt aware of it yet he checked oasis and found it.

Jist like my wiper issue, he checked oasis and found it. They couldnt duplicate it because it is so random but took MY word for it when I showed him my video and performed the tsb.

That is what dealerships should be doing. No customer is going to waste their time going in to make up a problem.. if a customer is describing what the tsb says, they should perform it... simple as that.

Hey I agree with you 100%. If the thing was in my bay, the TSB would have been done no questions asked.

 

[wffcatron]

food for thought

I understand your frustration but many of the other auto makers have been slipping too. Consumer Reports now admits that the quality of Honda's vehicles has declined. Also, I know from personal family experience the local Honda dealership (been doing business with for the last 6 years or so) just within the last year has done several stupid things to my dad's car.

just food for thought...I'm not saying you won't have better luck with some other brand but I am saying that there's no guarantee. You might try talking with your saleman and threaten him/her with what you've said on here: that you'll take your business (both car sales and service) elsewhere if they don't own up to and fix the problem (dealerships make their real money on servicing)

 

[jrmexplorer]

I think the OP's comments speak more to the current sad state of dealerships these days, not just Ford's. I had a Subaru Tribecca that I traded in for the Explorer that had a front door lock that would stick in the locked position occassionally. Not a good thing if you need to get out in a crash! Well, I finally figured out exactly how to reproduce it, yet it took over 3 appointments to get it fixed. Every time I'd bring it in they'd find something to replace - yet they never had anything in stock - and every time they'd fix it, I'd test it out and of course it wouldn't be fixed (even though I told them how to reproduce it).

I finally threatened them enough and they put their best mechanic on it and fixed it.

Then the gas gauge started acting goofy ------ another 4 trips.

Yeah its frustrating and it isn't right, but that just seems to be the way things work these days. In some respects you have a right to be upset and they should just perform the TSB. However, I see Ford's point - if they perform the TSB, replace the pads, and then you still have a squeak, they could lose a lot of money trying to fix a problem they dont even know for sure exists.

Some suggestions: 1.) Take a video of the problem. Seriously. I know Corey says that video doesn't substitute for a tech experiencing it, but at least it will give the techs more to think about and maybe validate your concerns with the dealership. 2.) Take it to a different dealership. and 3.) someone else here had a good idea - leave it overnight and have them test it in the morning.

 

[EX-SV]

I don't know what else to tell you then. If you can make the noise happen, then load the service manager's lazy butt in for a test drive and demonstrate it for him.

1. Agreed with what you said above, I've done it before (demonstrate with me at wheel) at Ford dealer.

2. When it comes to TSB, at a Lexus dealership the service writer just has to indicate on the paperwork that "customer complains of brake dust" or "customer complains of brake noise" and that is all that's necessary to have the TSB parts/labor covered under warranty. Obviously the customer's complaint has to be what's addressed on the TSB. I had this done for replacement front pads on my IS350. I would hope a good Ford dealer can do the same with a TSB situation.

 

[esandye]

I have observed some dealers still take the approach that most people that come in the the shop with a "noise" really don't know anything about cars and have no idea what the problem might be. The dealers will then downplay or ignore the complaint or not pay attention to what the customer has described. Obviously, members of this forum are not in that catagory and are well versed with their cars. Sometimes being forceful with the dealer works and sometimes not. I don't understand the logic a dealer would have in not trying to fix a probem when there is a TSB out on it. Customer service must somehow be "trumped" by cost considerations or just plain arrogance! I agree with a previous post by EX-SV that Lexus dealers (I use for my wife's car) never question a problem, then again, there service is much more expensive.