X24
RAMajama
- Joined
- November 16, 2001
- Messages
- 4,831
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Pleasant Valley, NY
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 05 RAM 2500 TURBO DIESEL
That's right, X24 blew up today. This is a long story so please hang in there...
Let me start you off with a little summary of what has happened at my dealership. (Sheet numbers refer to conversations I had with the publisher of www.flatratetech.com)
1998 Ford Explorer 4.0L SOHC
Summary
4/4/04
Summer 2003 – Heard knock in motor. Mechanic at Miracle Ford inspected motor: confirmed cam chain recalls (00M12, 01M01) were performed.
Wednesday, March 3, 2004 – Returned to Miracle Ford because motor knock was getting worse. Service advisor John Kay ran VIN on OASIS system. Both cam chain recalls found open. Scheduled appt to have recalls performed for Wednesday, March 10, 2004.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004 – Dropped Explorer off for recall work to be performed (00M12). Lower ball joints also being replaced.
Thursday, March 11, 2004 – Picked up Explorer. Noticed improvement from replacing lower ball joints. Still heard all motor noises. Returned to service. The mechanic who performed the work, Andrew Dollinger, went for test ride. Blamed noises on dirty pistons/valves. See sheet 1 and invoice for details. Scheduled another appt. for Monday, March 22, 2004.
Monday, March 22, 2004 – Dropped Explorer off to have motor noises checked.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 – Called service advisor, Justin Amodeo. He informed me that three techs listened to the motor and heard nothing. I went to the dealer and, much to my surprise, all motor noises were gone, but immediately noticed something wrong with steering. It seemed clear that
Andrew didn’t complete the recall work when the Explorer was in for the first appt. and completed it when it came back, eliminating the noises. Noticed curb rub on passenger side front tire when inspecting front end with Scott. See sheets 4 and 6 for details. Per Scott, steering rack was found to be in need of replacement. Scott authorized cam chain guide recall (01M01) to be performed. See sheets 6 and 7 for details. Justin informed me that the recall and steering parts would be ordered and my warranty company, First Extended, would be contacted to authorize steering repairs.
Note: - Justin was contacted each of the following days by me to find out what was going on. I was never contacted by him or anyone at the dealership during this time; not once. Justin was not at the dealership March 29, 30, 31. Other representatives informed me that parts had not yet come in each of those three days.
Thursday, April 1, 2004 – Contacted Justin who informed me the steering parts had not arrived. Claimed parts were coming from Michigan and were on an assembly line. Told me all three parts of the recall kit were in and my Explorer would be in the shop later this afternoon to have them installed. See sheet 8 for details.
Friday, April 2, 2004 – Explorer still sitting on lot, in same spot. Called dealership operator to speak with owner, Tony Bruce. Service manager, John Rinaldi, returned call. I explained the situation and he called back after speaking with Justin. Informed me that the steering parts were in a manufacturing plant and three parts of recall kit had arrived. Told me my Explorer would go in to have the recall work started today and would take several days to complete because it involved pulling the engine. Explorer never made it in the shop. Called Monroe Ford, sister dealership, and left message with operator to have Tony Bruce contact me. See sheet 10 for details. I was told by Justin that First Extended was taking several days to approve steering repair that was supposedly reported to them over a week ago. I called First Extended and was informed the steering claim was reported yesterday, 4/1/04 at 3:37pm and was authorized today, 4/2/04 shortly after 10:00am. See sheet 11 for details.
Saturday, April 3, 2004 – Explorer still sitting on lot, in same spot. Went to Miracle Ford parts dept. Asked for the date the steering parts were ordered. Was informed the parts were ordered yesterday, Friday April 2, 2004 sometime after 10:30am… after the repair was approved by First Extended. Spoke with John Rinaldi. Told him I was unhappy. Told him I was being lied to. Told him I know parts weren't ordered until yesterday. John Rinaldi told me I was trying to corner him but it was not going to work because I didn’t have all the facts and Justin was not there to defend himself. No manager speaks to a customer this way. I informed John that Tony Bruce was going to be contacted. Told him I wanted to come down and see when my motor was out and when the new parts were in before the motor was closed back up. John then said the motor might not need to be pulled. It seems clear he told me it had to be pulled simply to buy himself some extra time. See sheet 12 for details.
Monday, April 5, 2004 – 8:30am. - Called Monroe Ford to speak with Tony Bruce. Secretary took message. 9:30am. - John Rinaldi called to tell me Explorer was in shop. 9:40am. - Customer Relations manager, Gina, from Monroe Ford called, said she would speak with John Rinaldi and Tony Bruce about my situation. Told me I could have a meeting with Tony Bruce Jr., VP of Miracle Ford, and John Rinaldi about the situation. 10:15am. - Called Sherry at Miracle Ford to speak with Tony Jr. Tony Jr. was in a meeting. Left message. 11:15am. - John Rinaldi called to tell me Tony Jr. was not ignoring me, but would be tied up in meetings most of the day and would contact me later today or tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 – 10:00am. – Called Monroe Ford to speak with Tony Bruce. Secretary took message. Did not receive a call back from Tony Bruce Jr. as I was told Monday. 5:30pm. – Justin called to tell me steering rack repair was complete and was waiting on the third section of the recall kit. I was told Thursday, 4/1/04, by Justin and Friday, 4/2/04, by John Rinaldi that all three parts of the recall kit had already come in. Justin said part should be in Wednesday morning and the repairs should be complete by the end of the day.
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 – 11:30am. – Called Monroe Ford. Left message for Tony Bruce to call. 3:30pm. – Received call from John Rinaldi. Informed me that all repairs were completed. Alignment would be done first thing Thursday morning. 5:00pm. – Called Monroe Ford again to speak with Tony Bruce. Left message stating, “If I don’t hear from Tony Bruce by the end of tomorrow I will be forced to take further action.â€
Thursday, April 8, 2004 – 12:30pm. – Received call from Tony Bruce Jr. Tony apologized for having my Explorer longer than necessary and for all the miscommunication. Offered free full detail upon my next service visit. 2:00pm. – John Rinaldi called to tell me my Explorer was ready for pickup. 2:30pm. – Picked up Explorer. Paid $50.01 on credit card for warranty deductible. Steering was improved. Explorer seemed slightly sluggish. Approx. seven miles away from the dealership I began to hear a fast tick coming from the motor. Check engine light began to flash. 15 seconds later the motor died. Opened hood and upon inspection found coolant reserve empty. Checked oil and found oil to be extremely thin and the level was high. Nothing found leaking anywhere. Called Ford Customer Service and filed a complaint against Miracle Ford. Called Monroe Ford and left message for Gina and Tony Bruce to call me. Called Miracle Ford and spoke with John Rinaldi. Told him my situation. John Rinaldi gave me the number for Redl’s towing to have the Explorer towed back to Miracle Ford. 7:00pm. – Called Miracle Ford to speak with Tony Bruce Jr. Left message and was told he would call back tonight. 7:40pm. – Called Miracle Ford for Tony Bruce Jr. again. Told he would call back tonight. Did not hear back from Gina, Tony Bruce Sr. or Tony Bruce Jr. Explorer still in my driveway where it died and was not towed per my orders.
There you have it. Lies, lies and more lies in black and white. You would think after me catching them they would stop lying, but they continued. I am going to speak to a lawyer tomorrow and see what my options are. I want to have it repaired at a different dealership. I have not been treated properly as a customer by any of the staff at Miracle Ford or Monroe Ford and I have no faith in any of the techs. My Explorer came out worse than it was when it went in, not once, but twice. I want Miracle Ford to cover all costs of another dealership replacing the motor, but that is easier said than done.
Anyone have any advice?
Thanks for reading.
I will post updates as the days roll on. I am still in contact with the publisher of www.flatratetech.com . That guy has been outstanding with sharing the wealth of information he has. I highly recommend emailing him if you have any major issues such as this.
Let me start you off with a little summary of what has happened at my dealership. (Sheet numbers refer to conversations I had with the publisher of www.flatratetech.com)
1998 Ford Explorer 4.0L SOHC
Summary
4/4/04
Summer 2003 – Heard knock in motor. Mechanic at Miracle Ford inspected motor: confirmed cam chain recalls (00M12, 01M01) were performed.
Wednesday, March 3, 2004 – Returned to Miracle Ford because motor knock was getting worse. Service advisor John Kay ran VIN on OASIS system. Both cam chain recalls found open. Scheduled appt to have recalls performed for Wednesday, March 10, 2004.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004 – Dropped Explorer off for recall work to be performed (00M12). Lower ball joints also being replaced.
Thursday, March 11, 2004 – Picked up Explorer. Noticed improvement from replacing lower ball joints. Still heard all motor noises. Returned to service. The mechanic who performed the work, Andrew Dollinger, went for test ride. Blamed noises on dirty pistons/valves. See sheet 1 and invoice for details. Scheduled another appt. for Monday, March 22, 2004.
Monday, March 22, 2004 – Dropped Explorer off to have motor noises checked.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 – Called service advisor, Justin Amodeo. He informed me that three techs listened to the motor and heard nothing. I went to the dealer and, much to my surprise, all motor noises were gone, but immediately noticed something wrong with steering. It seemed clear that
Andrew didn’t complete the recall work when the Explorer was in for the first appt. and completed it when it came back, eliminating the noises. Noticed curb rub on passenger side front tire when inspecting front end with Scott. See sheets 4 and 6 for details. Per Scott, steering rack was found to be in need of replacement. Scott authorized cam chain guide recall (01M01) to be performed. See sheets 6 and 7 for details. Justin informed me that the recall and steering parts would be ordered and my warranty company, First Extended, would be contacted to authorize steering repairs.
Note: - Justin was contacted each of the following days by me to find out what was going on. I was never contacted by him or anyone at the dealership during this time; not once. Justin was not at the dealership March 29, 30, 31. Other representatives informed me that parts had not yet come in each of those three days.
Thursday, April 1, 2004 – Contacted Justin who informed me the steering parts had not arrived. Claimed parts were coming from Michigan and were on an assembly line. Told me all three parts of the recall kit were in and my Explorer would be in the shop later this afternoon to have them installed. See sheet 8 for details.
Friday, April 2, 2004 – Explorer still sitting on lot, in same spot. Called dealership operator to speak with owner, Tony Bruce. Service manager, John Rinaldi, returned call. I explained the situation and he called back after speaking with Justin. Informed me that the steering parts were in a manufacturing plant and three parts of recall kit had arrived. Told me my Explorer would go in to have the recall work started today and would take several days to complete because it involved pulling the engine. Explorer never made it in the shop. Called Monroe Ford, sister dealership, and left message with operator to have Tony Bruce contact me. See sheet 10 for details. I was told by Justin that First Extended was taking several days to approve steering repair that was supposedly reported to them over a week ago. I called First Extended and was informed the steering claim was reported yesterday, 4/1/04 at 3:37pm and was authorized today, 4/2/04 shortly after 10:00am. See sheet 11 for details.
Saturday, April 3, 2004 – Explorer still sitting on lot, in same spot. Went to Miracle Ford parts dept. Asked for the date the steering parts were ordered. Was informed the parts were ordered yesterday, Friday April 2, 2004 sometime after 10:30am… after the repair was approved by First Extended. Spoke with John Rinaldi. Told him I was unhappy. Told him I was being lied to. Told him I know parts weren't ordered until yesterday. John Rinaldi told me I was trying to corner him but it was not going to work because I didn’t have all the facts and Justin was not there to defend himself. No manager speaks to a customer this way. I informed John that Tony Bruce was going to be contacted. Told him I wanted to come down and see when my motor was out and when the new parts were in before the motor was closed back up. John then said the motor might not need to be pulled. It seems clear he told me it had to be pulled simply to buy himself some extra time. See sheet 12 for details.
Monday, April 5, 2004 – 8:30am. - Called Monroe Ford to speak with Tony Bruce. Secretary took message. 9:30am. - John Rinaldi called to tell me Explorer was in shop. 9:40am. - Customer Relations manager, Gina, from Monroe Ford called, said she would speak with John Rinaldi and Tony Bruce about my situation. Told me I could have a meeting with Tony Bruce Jr., VP of Miracle Ford, and John Rinaldi about the situation. 10:15am. - Called Sherry at Miracle Ford to speak with Tony Jr. Tony Jr. was in a meeting. Left message. 11:15am. - John Rinaldi called to tell me Tony Jr. was not ignoring me, but would be tied up in meetings most of the day and would contact me later today or tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 – 10:00am. – Called Monroe Ford to speak with Tony Bruce. Secretary took message. Did not receive a call back from Tony Bruce Jr. as I was told Monday. 5:30pm. – Justin called to tell me steering rack repair was complete and was waiting on the third section of the recall kit. I was told Thursday, 4/1/04, by Justin and Friday, 4/2/04, by John Rinaldi that all three parts of the recall kit had already come in. Justin said part should be in Wednesday morning and the repairs should be complete by the end of the day.
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 – 11:30am. – Called Monroe Ford. Left message for Tony Bruce to call. 3:30pm. – Received call from John Rinaldi. Informed me that all repairs were completed. Alignment would be done first thing Thursday morning. 5:00pm. – Called Monroe Ford again to speak with Tony Bruce. Left message stating, “If I don’t hear from Tony Bruce by the end of tomorrow I will be forced to take further action.â€
Thursday, April 8, 2004 – 12:30pm. – Received call from Tony Bruce Jr. Tony apologized for having my Explorer longer than necessary and for all the miscommunication. Offered free full detail upon my next service visit. 2:00pm. – John Rinaldi called to tell me my Explorer was ready for pickup. 2:30pm. – Picked up Explorer. Paid $50.01 on credit card for warranty deductible. Steering was improved. Explorer seemed slightly sluggish. Approx. seven miles away from the dealership I began to hear a fast tick coming from the motor. Check engine light began to flash. 15 seconds later the motor died. Opened hood and upon inspection found coolant reserve empty. Checked oil and found oil to be extremely thin and the level was high. Nothing found leaking anywhere. Called Ford Customer Service and filed a complaint against Miracle Ford. Called Monroe Ford and left message for Gina and Tony Bruce to call me. Called Miracle Ford and spoke with John Rinaldi. Told him my situation. John Rinaldi gave me the number for Redl’s towing to have the Explorer towed back to Miracle Ford. 7:00pm. – Called Miracle Ford to speak with Tony Bruce Jr. Left message and was told he would call back tonight. 7:40pm. – Called Miracle Ford for Tony Bruce Jr. again. Told he would call back tonight. Did not hear back from Gina, Tony Bruce Sr. or Tony Bruce Jr. Explorer still in my driveway where it died and was not towed per my orders.
There you have it. Lies, lies and more lies in black and white. You would think after me catching them they would stop lying, but they continued. I am going to speak to a lawyer tomorrow and see what my options are. I want to have it repaired at a different dealership. I have not been treated properly as a customer by any of the staff at Miracle Ford or Monroe Ford and I have no faith in any of the techs. My Explorer came out worse than it was when it went in, not once, but twice. I want Miracle Ford to cover all costs of another dealership replacing the motor, but that is easier said than done.
Anyone have any advice?
Thanks for reading.
I will post updates as the days roll on. I am still in contact with the publisher of www.flatratetech.com . That guy has been outstanding with sharing the wealth of information he has. I highly recommend emailing him if you have any major issues such as this.
