FordDealer damaged my car

[cynicalcriminal]

I recently had to bring my car in for a parking brake recall from years ago that I just got the letter for this winter. (My car is a '98)

I had no problems with the parking brake prior to this, it felt strong, always seemed to hold, but figured Ford would know best.


So .. I took it in, to Jack Byrne Ford in Mechanicville NY. I picked it up an hour and a half later, and on my drive home was hearing "coin jingling". I figured I dropped some change getting in (Always falls out of my pockets, drives me nuts) when I saw my E-Brake handle was vibrating back and forth so much it was a blur. Of course, I took my car back .. and upon getting out of the car noticed my brushed-aluminum door sill was knocked up off its position. Upon closer look, the guy must have knelt on the driver's floor and used my door sill to brace himself as he yanked on my e-brake -- he had tore it up, damaged the plastic moulding, and scratched the sill enough to leave a halfdozen good sided, unbuffable scratches in the sill. I paid good money for them, so I was rather upset, you can imagine.

I complained, and after arguement with the mechanic that did the work (He kept saying "Ya know its suppoed to be like that" - the Ebake handle) they finally took it back in. I pointed out my door sills to the service manager as well. I left my number and told them to call me when its done.


THREE hours and a nap later I finally called, and they said they "just got around to finishing it". I got a ride back over there, and the EBrake is STILL worse off than it was before I first took it in. It STILL vibrates back and forth while driving, and you can take it with your hand and easily manipulate it left-to-right scarily.

For the door sills? .. the service manager handed me a business card from Jack Byrne Ford with "Free Oil + Filter" scribbled on it and told me it was my "coupon" for the damage. He then told me that the "woman in charge of the money end" told him, to tell me, that since they were door sills (Nice ones or not) they're SUPPOSED to get scratched, and the coupon was a take-it-or-leave-it, and to leave.


I've contacted Ford via a phonecall to the number off the Ford.Com site, and filed a complaint .. but the guy on the phone told me that the place has a "good service record" and therefore theres not much to be done. I guess you need a certain amount of complaints against a dealer in a certain timeframe to make it worth looking into.



Curious, if anyone else with a '98 or similar got their EBrake done has it vibrating on them after the recall.

And, of course, if there is anything I can do in reguard to the poor service and damage done to my vehicle, or if, like I'm told by others, I'm "S.O.L."


Thanks for letting me vent.
~J

[cynicalcriminal]

... and another thing .. anyone happy with their door sills, and have a link to where I could find them? I'd like to replace mine due to the damage and want to find a nice set to put in.

http://www.gefracing.com/Merchant2/m...ory_Code=MACH1

I like those, but am looking for other options too.

Thanks.

[RoushWannaB98GT]

Thsi wont help you much but, my E brake handle doesn't viberate at all. And I really doubt it was ever serviced, we got the car used, so I cant be positive..

[cynicalcriminal]

I would never have thought it had to be serviced n' recalled had Ford not sent me something in the mail letting me know. I had never had a problem with it

[roush2k2]

I believe there was a post that suggested it is always good to do a walk around with the service manager before service work is done so that in a case like this you could hold them responsible for the damage. No one treats your car like you do. Should've gotten a copy of the recall. I believe it was supposed a relatively simple fix on the ebrake.

[MustangMike]

I had the e-brake recall done about a year or two ago and it's tight, stiffer than before. No play at all. I don't thing I'd go back to that dealer.

[musktang]

This might not help either...but I bought my car used aswell....but it doesn't rattle at all...

[roush97]

i bought my car used a couple years ago and have been letters and call from ford for me get this recall fixed...but i dont really see it happening... usually always seems that you take your car in for something simple like this then all hell breaks loose much like as just happened to you...dealers=

[cynicalcriminal]

Thanks guys .. yeah, I guess I basically got screwed on the fix.

I'll cause a fuss here and there, see if Ford will at least check into it and get back to me maybe, and not just blow me off.

[19Roush97]

I believe there was a post that suggested it is always good to do a walk around with the service manager before service work is done so that in a case like this you could hold them responsible for the damage.

Actually it is up to the dealer to inspect your car for damage prior to taking it in from you. If they didn't note it down, it is their liability to fix it. I say go to the Better Business Bureu (not spelled right hope you know what I am talking about). Tell them what the dealer did and they may be able to help you if Ford won't which is very likely (that they won't).

[xcler8]

Originally posted by 19Roush97
I believe there was a post that suggested it is always good to do a walk around with the service manager before service work is done so that in a case like this you could hold them responsible for the damage.

Actually it is up to the dealer to inspect your car for damage prior to taking it in from you. If they didn't note it down, it is their liability to fix it. I say go to the Better Business Bureu (not spelled right hope you know what I am talking about). Tell them what the dealer did and they may be able to help you if Ford won't which is very likely (that they won't).

Yup that's me..I always walk around the car and say "its perfect now, and it will be when your done right?"

But 19roush97 is right, call the BBB, and I would flood that ford dealership with calls making them make this right for you....

[cynicalcriminal]

Last night around 10:30 after I got home from work I called Ford back directly .. and this time got a woman on the phone. I'm alot better at sweet-talking them then guys (Eww -- although I accidentally flirted my way into a cheaper deal on an old computer I bought from a Mall outlet once - so says my Ex-girlfriend who was with me at the time - I swear it isn't true .. but I *did* get a discounted price ) so shes going to "personally check into it" for me.

She said that they (Ford) have nothing to do with individual dealerships when it comes to service, as each dealer is owned privately so its their own problem, but since I was so nice .. and had already talked to the service-manager there and got nowhere she was going to call them and inquire as to if they really are a bunch of tools or not.

I'll hear from her in a few hours, she starts at 2:30ish she said and will get on my case right away. Push comes to shove all I do is piss off the dealer, and thats more than I have right now isn't it?



I'm one of those people that is your best friend if you're nice to me, but the instant you do something to really piss me off its all over .. I'll get "Jack Byrne Ford did $149 damage to my car and all I got was this stupid Oilchange" T-shirts made up and will go walk around and talk to people buying Cobras if I have to .. just to prove the point that I'm not a happy camper. Freedom to be a jerk like that is fun for me

[Mustanger]

Hey Cynical, never give up! Go talk to the actual owner of that dealership, politely but firmly request a complete " as brought in" fix to your satifaction. No need to yell & scream yet but give him the opportunity to do the right thing. gradually escalate by going to the BBB, & anything else you can think of. Get a lawyer to write an official request for damages, threaten to go to small claims court (cheap), boy wouldn't a Judge love to get a dealer in court since we all have had similar problems! Convince the dealer you will not go away til it's fixed. Tell him about all the bad word of mouth publicity! Good luck, it took me 6 mos. to get a $200 refund on a tranny rebuild due to water in it when they sold it to me. They finally said "you are never going to give up are you?" I went down there at least once a week!!

[DeathVark]

first of all - it blows !!!
second, i never had any letter for my 98 v6 ebrake recall, (had it from 2000) and i just got a 98 GT, and the brake works just fine.
third : i have a friend of mine, who took his 95 GT for some fan or cooling recall, they fixed it and on the way home his fan goes bum-bum-see-ya-laterz well, he got pretty upset, cuz that was the part they were working on and he was keeping calling Ford custumer service about that. The dealership fixed everything after call from Ford and my friend got brand new Pony floormats and something else (can't really remember) worth of 120-150 from Ford.
so i would suggest - keep bugging them, until they fold