Mustang5ohMan
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Guess it saves cost so they can sell an affordable truck lol!
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Ford Dealers are Terrible
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shogun32
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as long as people keep buying them, who cares about frivolous upgrades like Sync or new sheetmetal. My 2012 v6 had a paint problem (improper surface treatment) that didn't show up till after the Bumper2Bump expired. But the engine and chassis was sound and ran great. I traded it in for a F150. We'll see if that was the height of folly or not.
Mustang666
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My Mustang has been twice to Dealers - 2nd time different staff - said car is ready, however "we have damaged the back wheel arch". They did get it fixed but between the dealer and panel shop.........suspicious. I get the car serviced by a Mobile Mechanic - after getting references and seeing him work on friends car. I don't let the car out of my site - when I bought the car they wanted to rev it for me - I said no thanks. I still have 2 years free servicing left but I would rather pay.
OLdchuck
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Mustang 666, I think you have a point. If you like the car but do not trust dealers then paying for the repairs with a mobile or good indie mechanics that does great work makes great sense. I know we all hate to pay out of pocket but sometimes it is better to pay one time than have the aggravation of going back and forth to various dealers who do not have the skill to fix the issue. If you are lucky to have a great dealer then you are way ahead of the game..
On cars that have a better ownership experience look closely at what has been said. Where do Infinities fall in JD Powers reliability ratings? I would look to see what cars are on the top of the Reliable ratings and hold their value. Infinities to my knowledge so not fall in either catagory. Some of the better ranked cars DO cost far more and you DO have to Pay to Play...You have to decide what you want from a car and what you are willing to pay to get it. I vacillate at times of selling my Porsche and going back to Mustang because of my history with the cars. I have not had a blip of issues or nary a rattle with my 2016 CPO with 3,400 miles that I got last year. It still has 3 years of warranty left and if I do need service I have to travel 1.5-2hr to the dealer. I do get royal treatment and a loaner over a hundred grand without issue. They will spend as much time as you want talking about any car or issue. The techs are all factory certified with years of experience however you pay for this service in purchase price as well as service cost on items that are out of warranty coverage. Oil changes are $400 and a spark plug change every 4 years can be $1500-2,000 ! God forbid you need and engine or tranny out of warranty as each will cost over $20 grand...The reason for this ramble is that you do indeed have to Pay to Play. The fun cost per dollar for a Mustang can not be beat in my opinion but you have to decide what it is you want..
On cars that have a better ownership experience look closely at what has been said. Where do Infinities fall in JD Powers reliability ratings? I would look to see what cars are on the top of the Reliable ratings and hold their value. Infinities to my knowledge so not fall in either catagory. Some of the better ranked cars DO cost far more and you DO have to Pay to Play...You have to decide what you want from a car and what you are willing to pay to get it. I vacillate at times of selling my Porsche and going back to Mustang because of my history with the cars. I have not had a blip of issues or nary a rattle with my 2016 CPO with 3,400 miles that I got last year. It still has 3 years of warranty left and if I do need service I have to travel 1.5-2hr to the dealer. I do get royal treatment and a loaner over a hundred grand without issue. They will spend as much time as you want talking about any car or issue. The techs are all factory certified with years of experience however you pay for this service in purchase price as well as service cost on items that are out of warranty coverage. Oil changes are $400 and a spark plug change every 4 years can be $1500-2,000 ! God forbid you need and engine or tranny out of warranty as each will cost over $20 grand...The reason for this ramble is that you do indeed have to Pay to Play. The fun cost per dollar for a Mustang can not be beat in my opinion but you have to decide what it is you want..
Massman
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I may be the exception, but one of the reasons I have remained a loyal Ford owner is my local dealer. Marcotte Ford has treated my wonderfully. I am always given a loner similar to the vehicle I am having serviced. When I needed to rent a van to pick up a new heating system I rented it from them. The contract allows 100 miles per day. I went well over that and when I returned I paid for the extra mileage which I owed.The next day when the lease/rental manager came in she called me and informed me she was refunding the cost for the extra mileage. When I asked why, she said they waive the extra mileage cost for loyal customers. I can't find ANY dealer in my area that provides that kind of service.
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OLdchuck
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Massman, That is fantastic and I think you are very fortunate but in the minority. However it is very refreshing to hear and if I could assure your level of satisfaction with a dealer then I think I might move back to Mustang.
Since more folks post who have negative comments instead of positive, yours is indeed refreshing to read.
Since more folks post who have negative comments instead of positive, yours is indeed refreshing to read.
NorthernProducer
Active Member
You are very fortunate to have such a dealer. My experience with a small town Ford dealer was similar until the family that managed the dealership "passed on" which was sad and unfortunate for their loyal customers. The last remaining family member told me he had to sell the dealership and did so to a multiline company. From that point forward, things went "down hill" quickly. In the meantime, I continued to purchase several Ford's. My service experience basically went to hell. The dealership has had several changes in Service staff, including the manager, but that resulted in NO improvements. I have decided to handle the routine service myself, and my wife has even moved to another brand of vehicle.
OLdchuck
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John,
Sadly that is the way most dealerships are going. It is very uncommon to find a privately owner dealership anymore and those that do exist will most likely will be bought up before to long. What is hard for me to understand is that even though all dealerships are controlled by the owners it would seem that Ford would care more about customer satisfaction.
The same model has followed with most makes. I know that has happened with Porsche however after you have Any contact with a Porsche dealership you get a questioner like most dealerships. However if there is anything negative you will receive a call from Porsche corporate. I had some concerns with the business end of my buying experience and stated so.
I received three calls from Porsche asking what they could do every step of the process. I know they called the owner several times and after a call from corporate the owner called me with a very concerned posture and sincerely tried to fix the issues. I know this ramble does not deal with Ford but since Ford sells the cars to the dealer you would think they have a vested interest in customer satisfaction so they can sell more cars..
Sadly that is the way most dealerships are going. It is very uncommon to find a privately owner dealership anymore and those that do exist will most likely will be bought up before to long. What is hard for me to understand is that even though all dealerships are controlled by the owners it would seem that Ford would care more about customer satisfaction.
The same model has followed with most makes. I know that has happened with Porsche however after you have Any contact with a Porsche dealership you get a questioner like most dealerships. However if there is anything negative you will receive a call from Porsche corporate. I had some concerns with the business end of my buying experience and stated so.
I received three calls from Porsche asking what they could do every step of the process. I know they called the owner several times and after a call from corporate the owner called me with a very concerned posture and sincerely tried to fix the issues. I know this ramble does not deal with Ford but since Ford sells the cars to the dealer you would think they have a vested interest in customer satisfaction so they can sell more cars..
Mustang5ohMan
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(What’s up with everyone knowing each others first name here??)
Either way, I like the Mustang and the Dodges love American v8s.... I’m going to enjoy them but may consider a foreign or luxury brand just for the ownership experience... and hopefully the dealers are better. I don’t know if I can call this specifically a Ford issue vs. a dealer issue... think the both could be to blame.
Either way, I like the Mustang and the Dodges love American v8s.... I’m going to enjoy them but may consider a foreign or luxury brand just for the ownership experience... and hopefully the dealers are better. I don’t know if I can call this specifically a Ford issue vs. a dealer issue... think the both could be to blame.
shogun32
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it's no great mystery, Mr. A. It's right there in the left sidebar.
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Briebee72
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well dont go look at your mustangs resell then LOL Me and my buddy both have 2019gt premiums he has pp1 His window sticker was 52k I think he paid around 46k his car is 11 moths old. He had a tax issue and had to take it around to get a value. We went to 7 ford dealers and 2 independent car dealers. The most anyone would give (we acted like we were selling to get the dealers to do a value) was 27k yup 27k on basically a brand new fully loaded gt that was stickers at 52k not 11 months earlier. I mean i knew they dropped fast but basically 50% and not even a year old. I paid 33,500 for a civic type R and over 2 and half years later traded it for 31.500 I only lost 2k on that car. Big difference.
ice445
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Was this recently? Trade in values have skyrocketed recently. With that said it's not super surprising that the high trim versions lose so much of their value, a lot of the "value" was just Ford's margin.
shogun32
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30% off MSRP is more 'normal' for first year depreciation. Used market is still very sick.
e30og
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4 dealership visits for repair or warranty work, on 3 brand new fords. Very telling experiences:
1) '12 Focus (new gen), Warranty trim and panel issues, entertained every little thing I requested although some of the trim replaced still had big gaps lol. I laughed and just said screwit they tried and its a cheap car. took a few days, 'okay' customer service, No loaner.
2) '13 Focus, car dies intermittently, Warranty. 3 visits, including breaking down in front of the dealer on visit 2. Tech finally found a bad ground. A few days each of the 3 visits, good customer service. No loaner until the last breakdown.
3) '18 Mustang, active exhaust rattle, sagging hood blanket, seat sagging, Warranty. 2 visits, 2 different ride-alongs with tech and shop manager. They replaced the valves but I still get it intermittently and haven't had time to go back. 2-3 weeks per visit(!) after waiting 4 weeks to get in(!), issue remains, but Good customer service throughout. Loaner after visit 2 and them having the car for over a month (and pleading due to the fact that I am an essential worker in a local hospital)
And here we go, the bad one...
4) '18 Mustang, repair work for major breakdown:
- had previously ran over a rock. Immediately checked and saw the aero shield was cracked but missed the oil or trans pan. Car drove absolutely perfectly except alignment was a little crooked. Month later it broke down; trans cradle apparently had a small crack that grew, clutch and flywheel ate poo, broke the starter trying to get the car running. Towed to local dealer with good star rating on google. Out of pocket/Insurance claim, new trans-brace, clutch, flywheel, starter, and underbody aero shield.
- Picked it up after a month & paid. Drove away but the car still had significant NVH & drivetrain noise, alignment still off, and cracked lower grille. Took the car back to the dealer - mind you, it is 110 miles away from home, 220 miles roundtrip! Svc Rep said it was still accident related issues and needed to diagnose further, no loaner. Did the alignment, new motor mounts, replaced the cracked lower grille, all took another month(!) but promised the car was tip top.
- Picked it up again and it STILL had issues...alignment wasnt fully done, drivetrain noises, shifter buzzing/rattling. Since I got it back on a weekend I have been trying to reschedule a time to bring it in a 3rd time(!) to fix alignment and all the buzzes/drivetrain rattles & excessive noise. Agreed a tech will ride with me to point out the issues. Only now the dealer is being bullish about when they can schedule a ride-along, even trying to push me to schedule a specific day I am unavailable (again, 220 mile roundtrip I need to have a second driver for, along with night-shift Nursing job in a COVID ICU), despite the fact that I have thrown out multiple days of availability. Can't do a ride-along on a Friday anytime because they have to take care of other customers cars(!). As I always have been with Svc Rep, thanked him, agreed, and acted totally polite.
I did call the dealer right after, got the Svc Director's info, and left a loooooong message with the deets of how I was being jerked around, and that is where things stand now with my 2018 hooptie Mustang.
- FYI I have been totally cool headed & polite the *entire time*. I never wanted to be that bonehead that yells at the reps or makes silly demands frustrated with an issue. I have worked too many jobs to know the receiving end of my issue will likely be much happier to help a patient/client/customer if they are level-headed. I pressured my own insurance *twice* on behalf of the Svc Rep (who was too lazy to upload pictures or use the insurance's online site). And despite being soooooo understanding and helpful, I was refused a loaner even for the 3rd visit(!). Not only that, but Svc Rep would not budge on a day to do a ride-along convenient to me, because they are all 'busy finishing other customers cars".
Overall throughout these 4 experiences, even the *perfect* customer still gets very mixed customer service, is not immune to terrible treatment, and work is NEVER finished promptly. They all drag it out over weekends and make up bull-spit excuses why a week has gone by and minimal work is done. Loaners are almost non-existent. Even for warranty work, loaners are only given after diagnosis time and only if it will take longer than a day to fix, or if it is an issue affecting drivability, *even if* they keep the car for days awaiting parts. There will always be back-and-forth war for a loaner, even if you buy the ESP and pay extra for 'first-day rental'; it was explained that they still have to diagnose the car to ensure it is warranty work (meaning the entire time diagnosing an issue still means no loaner).
Overall, for what I paid for this car (and what I am looking to spend on getting rid of this demon child once finally sorted out), I am paying near luxury car prices and am tired of being treated like I bought a Fiesta. Have bought Fords exclusively, brand new, since 2012, and will absolutely cross shop everything else before considering another, purely based on service. German and Subaru/Toyota/Honda are at a minimum marginally improved or better. Have yet to find a Ford dealer with a good Service department.
1) '12 Focus (new gen), Warranty trim and panel issues, entertained every little thing I requested although some of the trim replaced still had big gaps lol. I laughed and just said screwit they tried and its a cheap car. took a few days, 'okay' customer service, No loaner.
2) '13 Focus, car dies intermittently, Warranty. 3 visits, including breaking down in front of the dealer on visit 2. Tech finally found a bad ground. A few days each of the 3 visits, good customer service. No loaner until the last breakdown.
3) '18 Mustang, active exhaust rattle, sagging hood blanket, seat sagging, Warranty. 2 visits, 2 different ride-alongs with tech and shop manager. They replaced the valves but I still get it intermittently and haven't had time to go back. 2-3 weeks per visit(!) after waiting 4 weeks to get in(!), issue remains, but Good customer service throughout. Loaner after visit 2 and them having the car for over a month (and pleading due to the fact that I am an essential worker in a local hospital)
And here we go, the bad one...
4) '18 Mustang, repair work for major breakdown:
- had previously ran over a rock. Immediately checked and saw the aero shield was cracked but missed the oil or trans pan. Car drove absolutely perfectly except alignment was a little crooked. Month later it broke down; trans cradle apparently had a small crack that grew, clutch and flywheel ate poo, broke the starter trying to get the car running. Towed to local dealer with good star rating on google. Out of pocket/Insurance claim, new trans-brace, clutch, flywheel, starter, and underbody aero shield.
- Picked it up after a month & paid. Drove away but the car still had significant NVH & drivetrain noise, alignment still off, and cracked lower grille. Took the car back to the dealer - mind you, it is 110 miles away from home, 220 miles roundtrip! Svc Rep said it was still accident related issues and needed to diagnose further, no loaner. Did the alignment, new motor mounts, replaced the cracked lower grille, all took another month(!) but promised the car was tip top.
- Picked it up again and it STILL had issues...alignment wasnt fully done, drivetrain noises, shifter buzzing/rattling. Since I got it back on a weekend I have been trying to reschedule a time to bring it in a 3rd time(!) to fix alignment and all the buzzes/drivetrain rattles & excessive noise. Agreed a tech will ride with me to point out the issues. Only now the dealer is being bullish about when they can schedule a ride-along, even trying to push me to schedule a specific day I am unavailable (again, 220 mile roundtrip I need to have a second driver for, along with night-shift Nursing job in a COVID ICU), despite the fact that I have thrown out multiple days of availability. Can't do a ride-along on a Friday anytime because they have to take care of other customers cars(!). As I always have been with Svc Rep, thanked him, agreed, and acted totally polite.
I did call the dealer right after, got the Svc Director's info, and left a loooooong message with the deets of how I was being jerked around, and that is where things stand now with my 2018 hooptie Mustang.
- FYI I have been totally cool headed & polite the *entire time*. I never wanted to be that bonehead that yells at the reps or makes silly demands frustrated with an issue. I have worked too many jobs to know the receiving end of my issue will likely be much happier to help a patient/client/customer if they are level-headed. I pressured my own insurance *twice* on behalf of the Svc Rep (who was too lazy to upload pictures or use the insurance's online site). And despite being soooooo understanding and helpful, I was refused a loaner even for the 3rd visit(!). Not only that, but Svc Rep would not budge on a day to do a ride-along convenient to me, because they are all 'busy finishing other customers cars".
Overall throughout these 4 experiences, even the *perfect* customer still gets very mixed customer service, is not immune to terrible treatment, and work is NEVER finished promptly. They all drag it out over weekends and make up bull-spit excuses why a week has gone by and minimal work is done. Loaners are almost non-existent. Even for warranty work, loaners are only given after diagnosis time and only if it will take longer than a day to fix, or if it is an issue affecting drivability, *even if* they keep the car for days awaiting parts. There will always be back-and-forth war for a loaner, even if you buy the ESP and pay extra for 'first-day rental'; it was explained that they still have to diagnose the car to ensure it is warranty work (meaning the entire time diagnosing an issue still means no loaner).
Overall, for what I paid for this car (and what I am looking to spend on getting rid of this demon child once finally sorted out), I am paying near luxury car prices and am tired of being treated like I bought a Fiesta. Have bought Fords exclusively, brand new, since 2012, and will absolutely cross shop everything else before considering another, purely based on service. German and Subaru/Toyota/Honda are at a minimum marginally improved or better. Have yet to find a Ford dealer with a good Service department.
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