Veterans Ford 2014 Explorer Sport Delivery Nightmare

[Ajar]

I want to preface this stating that it pains me greatly to write this post. I've been a Ford guy since I could drive and the Explorer Sport I'm writing about is my families 12th Ford.

Back on October 29th, I got the call that our 2014 Explorer Sport was ready to be delivered only 6 weeks after placing the order. I felt extremely lucky as I knew others had been waiting much longer for their trucks.

I previously had a 2012 Limited and was a happy owner with virtually no issues. Our family was very satisfied with the 2012 and was looking forward to this new and upgraded Explorer.

Unfortunately, there were a slew of issues with the vehicle discovered at delivery and I wanted to give the dealership and Ford a chance to make everything right before writing about the experience so I have not posted anything about my new Sport since.

I drove straight to the dealership after work, arriving shortly after 6pm. It was already dusk out... and I walked past what I expected was my new truck, which at a quick glance in the dark looked shiny and new. I went inside and spent a few hours on paperwork. Buried in the paperwork they tried to get me to sign was a paper stating I had personally inspected the vehicle for any "Dents, dings or scratches". I noticed this and since I had not, pulled the paper out and stated I wouldn't be signing that until I had done so.

After everything was done and signed except for that document, they took me outside for the inspection I had requested. It was completely dark by this time, so I asked that the car be driven unto the parking garage. The salesman drove us up to the 2nd floor, where we both got out... I was then floored by the issues that were clearly visible in the light.

- There was a major ding in the rear driver side door.
- All 4 wheels had scratches around the outer edges
- Several of the window moldings were scratched/scuffed up
- The A, B & C pillar black areas were very scratched up

I was so upset with the situation, I made this video (watch in HD if you can):


These issues can all be clearly seen in the video. Additionally the Ford emblem on the trunk of the car had a big ding in it as well.

This was the first time I'd seen the truck in the light and I actually told the salesman I did not want the truck with these issues and wanted to refuse delivery, however I was told it was too late.

The salesman then promised that all of the issues would be taken care of and I had every right to be upset with the delivery of a brand new $50k vehicle with so many defects. He told me that they would most certainly make the truck right.

Before finally signing the inspection document, I added to the document, hand writing the above list of unacceptable defects that were present on the truck.

In the almost 3 weeks since then, they have fixed the ding to be about 98% ok, replaced the bad Ford emblem and ordered new rims and 2 new window moldings.... all things I certainly wish I didn't have to have done on a brand new car, but these fixes make those issues livable.

Unfortunately, they have buffed the black vinyl/plastic A, B and C pillars with a high speed buffer twice now, which didn't fix the steel wool like scratches and actually made the plastic B pillars look much worse by adding pock marks. To fix these issues, the A & C pillar vinyl wraps and the 4 black plastic B pillar covers need to be replaced. Sadly, both Ford and the dealership (Veterans Ford in Tampa) are refusing to correct these defects.

I know the video doesn't highlight the pillar issues very well; the severity of the scratches appearance varies depending on lighting. However, once noticed, I can't help but to focus on their existence each time I see the truck. The two year old 2012 Limited I traded in didn't have any scratches on it's pillars and this is what I expected on our new truck as well.

At this point I'm pretty upset and I'm starting to lose faith that Ford cares at all about making this right. I've been more than patient with Ford and the dealership.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Best regards,

Ajar

 

[Ridetherock]

I hope your the anomaly but it's still a crappy situation. I'm an industreal qa/qc guy And my sport is due in this week. The dealer is prob going to be supprised when the first thing I do is haul out my flashlight, insp mirror, and paint marker. And believe me, if I have to use the paint marker I will not be taking delivery.

 

[Ajar]

I really hope you are right about the anomaly! Our 2012 Limited had none of these issues.

Since you seem to have that eye for detail, I recommend paying particularly close attention to the window moldings and black pillars. After seeing these problems on our Sport, I walked over to the row of Explorers in their garage. On close inspection, many of them had random molding scuff or pillar scratch here or there and some were worse than others, but none that I could find looked anything like the swirly mess on our truck. Lighting is key on inspecting the pillars and I suspect many people don't notice the issue until it's too late. I noticed these issues at delivery and despite their promises to make everything right, its now three weeks of hassle later and I'm still fighting in hopes of them making good on their promises.

After going through this mess, I suggest people go for their delivery with veins of ice. Ask to give your new vehicle a complete, extensive inspection with proper lighting, before even sitting down with them to sign anything. If you see anything you can't live with, don't sign anything. Tell them to fix it and call you when it's ready for a proper delivery. Don't count on any dealership promises to fix delivery time issues. Apparently they are just trying to close the deal and get you out the door.

Cheers,

Ajar

I hope your the anomaly but it's still a crappy situation. I'm an industreal qa/qc guy And my sport is due in this week. The dealer is prob going to be supprised when the first thing I do is haul out my flashlight, insp mirror, and paint marker. And believe me, if I have to use the paint marker I will not be taking delivery.

 

[virtual]

I do hope that your dealer does what they should to make you happy and make things right. I had learned my lesson two cars ago (also an Explorer). I didn't pay enough attention at delivery time, and then found it had a number of minor issues (including an fluid leak) that took multiple trips back to the dealer to get straightened out. In the end they did eventually fix all of the problems (which included one issue where Ford initially denied fixing a problem myself and the dealer wanted fixed), but as you say having to go through hassles with a brand new car is not what anyone wants to go through. When I bought again, I didn't go to the same dealer, because I thought even though they did try and make it right, they should have caught some of the issues during a pre-sale checkout.

We're all different and have different expectations on what we expect from our brand new car. Your expectation of perfection on delivery is a perfectly reasonable one, and I'm sorry you were disappointed. I'm sure I would have complained about the same issues you did. As you yourself said, though, walking around the lot most of the trucks all had small imperfections in them in one place or another. That was the level of what I expected from my new truck and it did have a few minor scuff marks on the trim, and one small one on a pillar that you can see if the light is just right. I also inspected the wheels really carefully based on a previous thread here, but found no issues there. I spent as much time inside looking for poorly fitted trim, or flaws in the seat stitching that might lead to trouble later on. It all looked good there also. The salesman was patient as I did this, and as I pointed out the little nit picks he said he'd have his people take a look at them during delivery preparation, which would happen while I was doing the paperwork.

One approach others might try, which is what I did (partly out of necessity), was to have the dealer come and get me for "pick up" on my new car. The salesman drove to my house in my new car, let me look it all over in the comfort of my own driveway, demonstrated some features he thought I should know about, and then I drove it about 10 miles to the dealership to finish up the deal, which served as my test drive. I thought this was good way to do it, and the salesman/dealer was very accommodating about the whole thing.

Having accepted it, I'm now anticipating my first door ding from parking next to other cars, and trying to stop my 7 year from scraping himself along the side of the car as he reaches the door to climb in the back seat. Having driven it off the lot, I already know it's worth thousands less than I paid for it, and it's now just a matter of time till it gets dinged up like my last one did through no fault of my own. Oh Well..

 

[Ajar]

One approach others might try, which is what I did (partly out of necessity), was to have the dealer come and get me for "pick up" on my new car. The salesman drove to my house in my new car, let me look it all over in the comfort of my own driveway, demonstrated some features he thought I should know about, and then I drove it about 10 miles to the dealership to finish up the deal, which served as my test drive. I thought this was good way to do it, and the salesman/dealer was very accommodating about the whole thing.

This is actually a great idea and I will definitely give it a try on my next new vehicle.

Ajar

 

[Ajar]

UPDATE:

The salesman called yesterday. It seems he was calling to try and tell me that ALL new Fords come with their pillars scratched up like this. I mentioned that my 2 year old Limited trade in had no scratches on the pillars but that didn't seem to matter.

During the course of the conversation he also let it slip that the other Explorer Sport that came in at the same time as mine and was delivered the day after, ended up coming back with many of the same defects.

The owner of that Sport has the same scratched wheels and scratched up A, B and C pillars and is complaining too. He probably doesn't know it, but he should be happy he didn't get the added bonus door ding.

FordService Crystal, can you clarify this? I can't imagine all new Fords A/B/C pillars come with the severe scratches you can see highlighted in the video..?

Meanwhile...I'm now waiting over a day for callbacks from the dealership service manager and my regional Ford CSM....

Best Regards,

Alex

 

[gwjoeymed]

Hmmm. Not sure if I believe the "...they all come that way" line. It may be a ploy by your salesman to accept a substandard delivery. Keep pressing I you're unhappy.

My red sport should be here next week. I'll let you know if there are problems. Previous car had two large scratches. They complied with my request to repair them, which they did in the body shop

 

[FordService]

...I'm now waiting over a day for callbacks from the dealership service manager and my regional Ford CSM...

Hi Alex,

I'll be happy to arrange for a follow-up call from your CSM; just send me a PM with a verification of your best daytime phone number so I can pass it along. I can't speak to any vehicle concerns myself since I'm not a technician; I encourage you to continue working with your dealership on a resolution.

Crystal

 

[Ajar]

UPDATE: 4 days later and I'm still waiting on call backs from our regional CSM and the dealership. Sadly, these issues and Fords lack of quick action are really starting to drag me & my wife down.

Ajar

 

[FordService]

UPDATE: 4 days later and I'm still waiting on call backs from our regional CSM and the dealership. Sadly, these issues and Fords lack of quick action are really starting to drag me & my wife down.

Ajar

Hi Ajar,

I sent you a PM with an update on your case; you'll be contacted on Wednesday with more information. As always, I'm happy to do what I can to keep things moving in the right direction.

Crystal

 

[fivebucs]

Ajar and FordService,

It is NOT acceptable for those pillars to be all scratched up upon delivery. If the dealership says it is, then tell them that your trade-in only appears to be used, but it's actually a brand new car so they should give you a much higher trade-in value. Dealerships use all kinds of games/plays on words to get you to accept sub-standard products. Don't let them get over on you! You are the customer and they are supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around.

I can tell you this. If my Sport shows up and looks the way yours did after the dealer prep...the dealership is going to have to sell it to someone else and give me back my deposit. I have a 2011 Honda Odyssey that doesn't have scratches in the paint like your new vehicle does in those locations. And the rims? Those should be a no-brainer to being replaced. Sure hope it all works out for you.

 

[SVT2059]

Ajar, did you ever get a resolution?

I wanted to thank you for your post. I did a lot of reading on the forums and your post stuck with me. When we went to pick up our Ex on 13 Dec 13 the salesman kept telling us that Finance was ready for us. I refused to go to Finance until we thoroughly inspected the vehicle and test drove it. Again, your experience came to mind. I'm so glad we did: the A,B,C pillars were all scratched, trim (interior and exterior) scratched, a chunk taken out of the C pillar and the driver's and passenger door were severely misaligned. My 2012 was in much better shape than the 14!

We refused the vehicle and luckily before we left, they remembered to transfer the registration back to our 2012. I didn't even know they had transferred it to the new one. We have another on order now so hopefully this one is better than the last.

I'm sorry that you are having to deal with this. It's certainly no fun. You saved me from a ton of aggravation and for that, a huge thank you! I just hope that you are getting everything worked out with your Ex.

This should be a reminder to all, check the vehicle before signing anything!

 

[MarineGrunt51]

Man that sucks! My EX just got built today and my cousin pulled it off the line and he QC'd it personally. Hopefully Ford service will get you straight. Good luck

 

[ARS1]

I know someone who is a salesman at Veterans... We just bought ours at Walker

 

[Ajar]

Ajar, did you ever get a resolution?

I wanted to thank you for your post...... This should be a reminder to all, check the vehicle before signing anything!

Your welcome! I'm so glad you found my post and it saved you at least some of the hassles I went through.

At the time I made the post, I really felt badly even writing it as I truly am a big Ford fan, I was looking for any tips/guidance on dealing with the situation and wanted to warn any other new buyers that have that detail catching eye of what to watch out for.

Since my last update, the entire situation has been properly delt with between Ford Customer Service and the dealership. I'm completely happy with the truck now and in fact love driving it.

My only beef is why was it so difficult to get these obvious delivery time issues fixed? As a long time customer, I feel Ford really needs to step it up in this department. If you are ok delivering vehicles in this condition and most customers don't notice, fine. But when you get called out on it, just fix it and make it right. Don't drag your feet for months and make your customer regret buying the vehicle!

For you guys waiting on your trucks I'll say this again:

I suggest people go for their delivery with veins of ice. Ask to give your new vehicle a complete, extensive inspection with proper lighting, before even sitting down with them to sign anything. If you see anything you can't live with, don't sign anything. Tell them to fix it and call you when it's ready for a proper delivery. Don't count on any dealership promises to fix delivery time issues.

If anyone else does end up in this same boat, feel free to pm me for advise...

Cheers,

Ajar

 

[ajmabro]

Feel your pain

So my wife and I went into three different dealerships before we found the right dealership looking for our 2015 Explorer. Traded in with a 2011 Limited with a tonne of options. Got it for a steal with only 400kms on it (driven by dealer owner). Anyways, time to trade in and figure look for a new one. Got another great deal on a 2015 sport. Unfortunately, had to wait 6 weeks for it to built and shipped.

On day of delivery was signing papers when I noticed that my payments were a little higher than agreed. Ended up that they did the rust proofing and paint protection (lifetime mind you) after we had declined to get it done but obviously got put into final agreement. I refused to sign it and paperwork went back to management for about 40 minutes. Came back and good news was they gave me more for my 2011 limited trade in to negate the cost of the rust and paint job. Very awesome that I have full protection for free (and 8 years of free oil changes), but when I was about to drive off the lot I noticed that my door didn't latch properly. Got out and opened and closed about 10 times and door would only latch shut about 3 times. Tried all other doors AND the front passenger door would squeak something crazy. Went back to salesman (who was awesome by the way, highly recommended) and got me into service immediately. 2 hours later!!!!... The told me that the replaced the necessary parts in the passenger door and replaced striker plate on my door. No cost obviously but what should have been a 30 minute delivery was 3 hours of sh**. Then it took me about 2 hours to get home from rush hour traffic!!!

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

OMG, these are not good things to hear on BRAND NEW vehicles nor does it speak well to Ford QC/QA for final acceptance. I can tell you if I go new on an Explorer I will go at an even more slow turtle pace on my pre-signing vehicle inspection.