Complain about a product or service

Rancho Santa Margarita Ford, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Terry of Dana Point, CA, writes:

I bought a brand new 1999 Ford Explorer XLS in July of 1999. It's been having a problem, that I didn't know would ultimately be a big one, since at least February 2000. It has been making a noise from the engine since that time. It's documented in the service invoices starting then. I'd had the car seven months. They said they fixed it every time it went in. The problem was blamed on something different every time I went in. One of the times they told me it was carbon build up. They took care of it with a four- to five-hour process where they carbon cleaned the pistons. I finally drove it in January of this year when it was making a horrible sound. I drove straight into the service bay and refused to turn my car off until someone came over. I asked them to listen and tell me this was the "nothing" that they keep telling me is the problem. The service advisor admitted that, yes, this is a big problem. They had my car all day. When I called to see if it was ready, Fernando, the service advisor, said they wanted me to bring it back the following week for "heavy diagnostics" as they were thinking they needed to replace the engine/motor. I was astounded and kept asking him, "A new motor? Brand new? The whole engine?" To each of these questions I got a yes. I brought it back in. They had it all day. They called to tell me that there was good news. They said they had found the problem and that the engine wouldn't need replacement after all. They said, "It's a carbon buildup. We did a four- to five-hour process to carbon clean the pistons." I gently reminded him that he might want to look at the service history, as that's what they already did. It was not the problem. He had to call me back, when he admitted they never looked at the history. Whoops. Sorry.

Then they decided we needed to make an appointment to bring it in for a new engine/motor. I again asked him, "Brand new?" Yes, he said, directly from the Ford plant. He called me with updates on the new motor. Not ordered yet. Ordered. On the truck. New motor/engine from the plant. It arrived. I left my car there for three whole days. I picked it up. Drove off the lot. Got about a mile away. The "check engine" light came on. It was still making the noise. I took it back. They said the light just probably never went off from the initial problem. I told them it had never come on prior. They said, oh, you can leave it here tonight or drive it home and bring it in tomorrow. I asked if they really wanted me to just drive it without looking at it. They said yes. Upon looking at the invoice I noticed something very disturbing. They had put a rebuilt engine in my car. I was told I had to wait to discuss it in the morning with the service advisor. We went over this whole mess. I told them I was concerned over the fact that they were putting a new engine in my car at all, not to mention a rebuilt one. They said they NEVER put NEW engines in cars. They are always Ford Quality Remanufactured engines.

I don't care what they call it, I asked several times for that clarification when they were talking new engines. They never once said, another engine, a different engine, a rebuilt engine or a remanufactured engine, or a re-anything else. I specifically asked. Anyway I keep telling them this is not acceptable. I will not have a rebuilt engine in a new car that I still have three and a half years of a loan to pay off. No way. Just a quick note here, my car has been partially repainted already, has new tires (it came with Firestones), quite a number of parts have been replaced, cleaned, etc., trying to figure out this problem.

Here's where we are. I'm using round numbers here. At my urgence that we need to check into the Lemon Law, they said I didn't qualify for it, but we could look at putting me in another car. I told them a new 99 equivalent would be fine. I do understand that might be hard to find. They offered to put me in a new car, a 2001 Ford Explorer and asked how much more I could afford to put down. I have and still maintain, I cannot put down any more money or increase my payments. I'm maxed out in that department. I don't feel I should have to. After they tried to get me all excited by looking at a new car, they tried again to find out how much I was willing to put down and/or increase my payments by. Same answer: NONE. I don't have it! FACTS: I bought the car for $26,000 I put down $6,000 *($3,000-trade in and $3,000-cash/borrowed I financed $20,000 for 5 years. THEY OFFERED: A 2001 Ford Explorer, different color, minus the running boards I paid extra for, minus CD/Cassette player that I paid extra for. No money down and I start my loan over for five years and my payment goes up approximately $10 per month. I'm not sure if it's fair or not to start my loan over, but what I requested was that I not put any money down, my payments remain the same monthly amount, I agreed to start over at 5 years on the loan, and I want the car to be even amenities that I paid extra for in the first place. So it should have the running boards and same stereo. I even volunteered that they can take those off my current car and add them. They said no. They gave the value of the new car and Ford kicked in $2500 and the $1250 rebate that they are offering on all their new cars. The bottom line is still: car with lesser amenities, new 60-month loan, $10 more per month. They valued my car at $14,900. I had an independant appraisal done. I was advised $17,100 is what to expect from a dealer trade-in (not what I could try to sell it for). The amount I owe on my car right now is $14,700.

So by their calculations, I put down $6,000 on my new car, made $7,000 worth of payments over the last 18 months, and my equity in my car is only $200. Come on. It seems the difference on the trade-in value and the generous amount of $2500 that Ford wants to kick in are just about the same amount, which is the sticking point of getting this over with. What I want to know........Am I being reasonable? Are they? I think I'm being very fair after all the grief they've put me through and all the time spent taking in my new car repeatedly, etc. Is it right for them to expect me to start that loan over? I'm willing to, but I'm not sure if that is even right. I think requesting an equal car and keeping my payments the same if I start over is, at the least, fair. Do you agree? I need some advice. One more small detail. I bought an extended warranty from Ford. If I do end up in a new car, shouldn't that warranty apply and start over also? Thank you for your time.

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