Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
thanks!
That said, I have yet to deny a warranty claim due to lack of maintenance.
For whatever reason, if you insist on doing these things yourself you had better keep excellent records. They have got to be good enought to support your case in a court of law, worst case senario, if something major goes wrong and they claim you have voided your warranty and you end up in court.
For as inexepensive as these routine services are (the labor usually amounts to $10 or less), I feel that you are a fool not to take advantage of them and the documentation they provide. Even better documentation, essentially prepay for all your maintenance by purchasing a maintenance agreement. It will save you some cash in the long run and all services can be seen at any same-make dealership in the US.
The master mechanics at our dealership who could do these things in their sleep don't even do them at home. They know they need the documentation provided by the dealership and collected electronically to satisfy future warranty issues that might arise.
Tracy
So, back to my question - what kind of documentation is expected of the car companies for the do it yourselfer? Anyone know? I've emailed Hyundai but no reply and my local dealer is all into themself and says it 'must be done by us' which we know is pure BS.
Thanks!
We had a truck slide off a hoist a few years back (needed a new tailgate, etc). Dealer paid for it, tech got yelled at.
It is all just part of the cost of doing business. No different then if I look at a rate sheet wrong and charge you to low of a rate or charge you for a Service Contract on a 4X2 and your truck is 4x4. The damage is done and we just have to pay the difference.
I see lots of people on here unhappy with stuff not being covered under warranty, even after it has expired. Its not like its a surprise that your warranty is up, everyone knows their coverage. Everyone also has the option to buy Extended service warranties.
Service contracts to me are a no brainer. Its like full coverage auto insurance, you might not always need it but it sure does come in handy when you do
I still say that Ford should be interested in covering this repair considering that the car completely died on me in the middle of a very busy intersection. I would think that safety should be Ford's #1 concern and this was clearly a safety related failure. Maybe I should be contacting a lawyer.
Ah yes, the new American way. If I don't get the answer I want then I will get a lawyer.
You will then have 10 times the amount invested in the lawyer then you did the repair with the same result. Use the money you are going to spend on the lawyer and purchase a Service Contract, IMO it would be money better spent and cost you less.
I am sorry you had troubles with your car but it is a pretty much black and white issue, the car broke down out side of warranty therefore it is your responsibility to pay for a repair.
If they started doing this, then where does it end? If they should cover failures at "only" 3000 miles out of warranty, why not 5000?
Any part of the operating system on a vehicle can be considered safety-related. If my windshield wipers go out while I'm driving in the middle of a massive downpour, it's a huge safety issue for me. Sometimes things just break, and that stinks. But it doesn't always mean that the manufacturer should pay for the repair, sorry.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
I am going to law school as well and i can promise you that you will get no where with that option, but feel free to waste the justice systems time with your frivolous lawsuit because you cant read.
Also if you read my posts closely you’d see that I was and still am interested in an extended warranty package. I have bought extended warranties in the past, but usually wait until I am close to the 3 year mark. The extended warranty on my recent Ford Taurus wagon was especially helpful, as I used it a number of times on various items that failed in the six years that I owned the vehicle. If anyone can offer suggestions on where I can get a such a warranty now even though I’m at 39,000 miles (but well under the 3 year mark), I would really appreciate your comments.
Please don’t bother responding if you intend to send disparaging remarks like the last several posters. I don’t think this forum was intended for that. I also highly suspect that Ford has several paid representatives (from dealerships, customer service, PR or warranty claims) that monitor and respond to this site. If you intend to help the consumer your comments are welcomed. If you intend to bash them, please don’t bother. I would think that in the interest of customer loyalty you would want to keep your comments positive and helpful.
Finally for the rest of the story: My problem was not the fuel pump. My mechanic was on vacation (his new assistant that suggested it was the fuel pump also suggested that I wait for his boss to get back from vacation). When he returned yesterday, he found that the real problem was a disconnected fuel inertia switch, for which Ford has a TSB 06-18-12. I would have hoped that the customer service rep I had spoken to would have mentioned this TSB. Unfortunately that rep would not even let me speak to his supervisor. He said that the best he could do was have a supervisor return my call in two days. Well two days have past and still no call. Same response to my call to the dealership where I bought the car: I called to clarify the emissions warranty language and was told that “Finance Dept” (not Service Dept even though I asked twice) could help me. No one was available and I left a message twice, but still no returned phone call. I’m just thankful that the problem is not the fuel pump. The switch problem only cost me $33 (I’m sure the dealer would have charged me a lot more than that.)
The poster, Joel, on here is a Ford dealership employee. He is not a shill for Ford, rather he gives realistic, reliable information. I am a Chevy dealership employee, a warranty clerk.
I can't see how a fuel inertia switch could be part of an emissions warranty, but you've got the paperwork. Maybe try a different dealership. I get calls all the time regarding warranty coverage/inservice dates/expiration dates. To get free repairs after the warranty has expired, be nice. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. They don't have to give you a cent.
As for service contracts-I don't like them. But if you must buy one, try to get a Ford ESP. If they don't sell them after the warranty is expired, don't buy one at all. Put the money you would have spent in a savings account. With any aftermarket one, you run the risk of the company going out of business and taking your money with them. To read my other 5,345 reasons against aftermarket service contracts, view my other postings.
As to TSB being covered under warranty I have to disagree with you. I have a TSB in my possession now (courtesy of my mechanic) for my CD player that skips and has done that since the time I purchased the vehicle. I knew about the TSB on that item from this forum two years ago, but when I mentioned it to the dealer back then, he acted like he didn't believe me and he would have to check for the problem himself and charge me for the repair. I didn't know how to get a copy of that TSB 2 years ago, so I had nothing to present to the dealer that this was a known problem. It looked like I wasn't going to get anywhere with the dealer, so I just lived with problem (bothers the kids more than me, since I'm not a heavy CD user). That TSB says right at the top of it that this problem should be fixed under the original warranty. I can post a pdf link to it if anyone wants it. I was thinking of posting it to the audio topic forum, since I've seen it mentioned there many times.
I had an aftermarket warranty from AAA on my previous Ford Taurus. I paid a much lower price than the one Ford offered. It served me very well.
P.S. I am a nice person. I think it's easy for people to read between the lines on these forums and I didn't deserve to be put down for my thoughts. I think I have (and will continue to) share valuable information, just like Joel and you.
Thats funny.
It might just work with every one did not feel the need to scream "You will hear from my lawyer" every time things do not go there way.
But that's another topic
Unfortunately, this is not the reality in most cases. The finance person is often a well liked individual who couldn't hack it in sales and so was retained as a finance person. Often the reason they didn't make it in sales is that they had either communication deficiencies or failed to learn the product well enough to sell it. And then we are left with a bit of a ding dong in finance.
In service we get the [non-permissible content removed] end of this dog. We have to tell the customer that no warranty is "bumper to bumper", maintenance is required but not covered and certain high wear items such as brake rotors, belts and pumps have even more limited warranties. As you can imagine we get tired of this constant re-education of the consumer, who we very dearly wish to retain and so have to somehow fix the broken relationship. It is constant. Every single day we have someone who is shocked to find out that this, that, or the other is not covered. So you were referred back to finance because ultimately, that is who failed you.
This dysfunction, which seems to exist at every dealership, is one of the reasons consumers don't trust dealerships. It appears that there is a big conspiracy to rip you off, but the truth is we are just operating in a state of chaos about half the time, just like any other business. But I will tell you this: The individuals that work in that service department have no real motivation to cheat you. They all make their money on return business and understand that being helpful pays better than being deceitful.
Developing a good relationship with a shop is more valuable than a fuel pump. Reasonable customers always get better treatment than demanding ones. Free oil changes, no charge for labor to fix this or that, complimentary car wash, these are all things that fall upon gracious customers. We have a gal that always writes a thank you note to the president of the company every time she gets an oil change. You better bet she is getting a free car wash and low labor on repairs. She is a smart woman. Being nice has amazing benefits. So maybe you could take that tack and see if you don't get better results.
That is probably with out a doubt the worst piece of erroneous information I have ever seen any one give on any message board on the web.
So you believe that the Owner puts some chuckle head in to run the 2nd biggest profit producer in the building, plus he wants that same chuckle head to be responsible for making sure the money flows, contracts cash, checks are good, etc etc. Until it gets to to the finance office it is nothing but talk.
What really happened to the poster is some lazy [non-permissible content removed] service writer tried to pass the buck because he knew the customer was not going to like his response.
Ultimatley though some of the responsibility needs to fall with the consumer, in the simple fact that all they need to do is open the owners manual. really that simple. Im sure no one will like that response because that would require taking some responsibility
TSBs are just part of the technician's arsenal when it comes to repairing cars.
Joel=my favorite chucklehead :P
A RECALL is the manufacturer's response to well documented safety issues and design flaws. The technician will get a lengthy bulletin describing the issue and a step by step, detailed description of the exact repair procedure to be performed. The technician may not deviate from this procedure under threat of litigation. You may compare a recall to a legal order.
Recalls are ALWAYS covered by warranty. TSB's may or may not be for warrantable repairs. It depends on the mileage of the vehicle and the part being replaced. In the first 36 months of the vehicle's life a lot of things are covered. After that, usually only the powertrain (engine, transmission, drive shafts and sometimes the axles). The emissions system warranty is longer and covers the catalytic converter and related items.
The individual that pointed out that the consumer must read the owner's manual cover to cover deserves some applause. A lot of unnecessary grief would be saved if this simple step of reading the manual was completed by every consumer. Unfortunately, most people are so uninterested in the proper care of their second largest investment to even crack it open to see what kind of gas to use.
I hope that helps.
Well, we know what department YOU work in! I don't know how big your dealership is, but our principal probably doensn't even know the finance guy's name.
In the particular cases that I have in mind, we (the service department) have only sent customers back to finance when we had exhausted our ability, and hours upon hours, to resolve the problem. Lazy had nothing to do with it.
You should spend a week in service. Really.
Any service writer who claims the F&I guy knows more about a warranty then they do should be ashamed of themselves.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
UPDATE: service rep says water has collected in spare tire well and fried out circuit board(s) located there. He also says BMW warranty people have been in taking pix and if they cannot find a leak or bad seal during a water test (results of which unavailable till next week(?!), then it's our dime.
What are they trying to pull? Any feedback on what response I should give them? We're in limbo right now....thanks.
If they don't find a leak, you could have a fight on your hands, so you might want to start thinking of alternative strategies.
Yes you can contact BMW customer relations and ask them to review the case, should it be declined. I think it would make a great court case myself but that's a real PITA.
Water could intrude through the tailgate seal, through the TAIL LIGHT gaskets, or through body seams underneath or in the wheel wells.
One way to test would be to line the area in question with newspaper, and then run through a car wash (including the type of wash that cleans the underside) and see what happens.
I have a 4 star car warranty which i would want to cancel as i am going to put the car up for sale.Does any one know what the dealer would be chraging as comission for the cancellation once he receives the cheque from the warranty company.