Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
EVERYTHING
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Sadly I have to fall in with the "never again" Ford crowd. I have driven numerous Fords (Bronco, Escort, Taurus, Explorer), as I grew up in a Ford family and followed their lead once I became of driving age.
Why I'll Never Buy Ford Again
Fast-forward to just after my first mobilization. As a single E-4, I purchased a new Explorer in cash to replace my '89 Cadillac (it was almost 13 years old). Right off the bat, the dealer did everything humanly possible to get me to sign for a loan. "Are you SURE you want to put down that much cash?"
As I was returning to college after coming off active duty, I didn't yet know of a reputable mechanic in the area. I make it a habit of finding someone local who I can get to know personally and develop a report with for servicing I don't do on my own, as I've had way too many dealership issues. One morning I took my year-old Explorer into the local Ford dealership for new break pads; they said it would be a few hours and they would call when it was finished. I finally received a call right before COB saying the work was done and my bill was ~$900. Apparently they decided to replace the break pads, rotors and do some other work they said was "necessary" even though my truck was only a year old. Long story short, after speaking with the manager and looking at the original request for work, I only had to pay for the brake pads and service as I never authorized the additional work.
A few years later while driving home from drill, my transmission dies approximately 45 mins from the armory (and two hours from home). It had less than 85,000 miles on it at this point and was the first issue I had outside of regular fluid and break pad changes and scheduled maintenance. After researching my model and confirming with the dealer, it seems Ford switched to an "improved" transmission that year and it was notorious for failing early (yet not considered recall-worthy
). I read of the same transmission failing as early as 24K for some people. To top things off, I was just outside of the warranty and had to pay $2800 for a rebuilt transmission.
And since I can't leave on a sour note during the holiday season:
My Positive Ford Story
I was home for the holidays, and Murphy decided to come with me for the ride. In the week before Christmas the rear passenger-side motor for my window failed (leaving the window down in single-digit weather) and the door ajar light/tones would go off randomly while driving. I took it to the local dealership at the recommendation of family. The service manager put a rush on ordering a new window motor (for this model there are different motors for front and rear windows - he only had the front) and replaced a faulty door sensor that day. The following afternoon both issues were taken care of with a reasonable bill in time to continue visiting with the family.
A few days later the door chimes/light started coming on again. I contacted the dealership and they asked if I could bring it in that day (even though it was right before Christmas). They replaced and lubed all seals on the doors, as the expansion/contraction of the old seals were causing the issue, all for no charge.
Turns out the service manager is a VN vet with a Bronze Star (w/ V) and two Purple Hearts. One of the most humble and generous guys I've been fortunate to meet.