Non-disclosure of Mach 1 engine replacement by Dealer

[Cobra Jet]

Call the Ford #800 and ask for a Regional Rep. explain your position and state you were not informed at all that the brand new car you were buying had an engine replacement.

The future problem you will have is this:
Everyone and their mother thinks an S550 GT350, Mach 1 and Bullit are the rarest Mustangs on this meatball twirling in outer space…. Therefore the die hard “it’s gotta have numbers matched” will run a future Ford OASIS report and see for themselves that your M1 is no longer “numbers matched” and it has had an engine replacement. Regardless if it was a brand new Ford engine replaced under warranty, these type of people do NOT care… they will then try to haggle low ball your selling price, or if a Dealership, they will try to devalue your trade in value.

^^^ THAT is worse case future scenario if you ever decide to sell.

Then there’s people who don’t give 2 shits about engine replacements or any “collectibility” and will still low ball you… LOL!!!

Are you emotionally attached to the vehicle? If the answer is an astounding ”no”, then tell the Ford Rep you want a full refund of your monies and they can Buy Back the car. Then go on cargurus or other similar sites and do a nationwide search for another M1 in the same color/option combo.

If you are emotionally attached, then what is it you want to be fair compensation? Just fix the steering alignment? If that is the answer, then tell the Selling Dealership to call your local Dealer to tell them all about the repair and to cover whatever it cost to make you happy by fixing it.

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[Jimmy Dean]

"matching numbers" is an old wive's tale. nobody cares. Nothing about the M1 is collectable.

maybe on new stuff, currently. but on classics, matching numbers is a big deal. or if it cannot be a matching numbers car, correct casting numbers on blocks/trans/etc.

as to if the M1 will be a collectable? who's to say. they may well be. The new edge M1s are fetching a premium. not as much as the cobra and cobra R of the model, but more than the GTs by a fair margin.

 

[RagmopInKona]

Unless you can prove they installed a reman engine in your new car, you pretty much don't have a leg to stand on. Just move on and enjoy your car. I mean I get it, I would be pissed too if they did that to me and my car but at the end of the day you are SOL.

Now the issue that led you to this unfortunate discovery, the steering wheel was off. Center the wheels, crawl under and disconnect the steering shaft, rotate the steering wheel a full 360 and then reconnect the shaft. the column shaft and the input to the rack are clocked and will only connect in one position so if it's off, then the steering wheel was moved while the K member was dropped out. It really is that simple of a fix. Once you get it close enough for your liking, take it to an independent shop for a proper alignment.

Meh, I would have a sit down with the dealership sales manager, and local Ford dm and get documentation of all this, and that they know, you know. So when it is time to trade it off and they come back with a low value, you can tell them to stuff it.
As every Ford store knows what type of work techs do under warranty flat rate time work order, and not want to touch it at full market value. THIS IS THE PART I WOULD WORRY ABOUT. That and if it was a new ford engine, not a wrecked low mile take out.

 

[young at heart]

Neither Ford nor any dealership wants any part of the publicity that would be generated by public exposure of what happened here. You can write your own ticket for a resolution. Can’t believe anyone would think otherwise!

 

[mattlqx]

maybe on new stuff, currently. but on classics, matching numbers is a big deal. or if it cannot be a matching numbers car, correct casting numbers on blocks/trans/etc.

as to if the M1 will be a collectable? who's to say. they may well be. The new edge M1s are fetching a premium. not as much as the cobra and cobra R of the model, but more than the GTs by a fair margin.

I would love to see the stats on number of people who buy a vehicle brand new, hold onto it for 30+ years and sell it at Barrett Jackson or similar auction with numbers matching announcement and receive significantly more than they would have if the engine was replaced when new.

 

[IPOGT]

Wondering if the factory stamps your VIN on a warranty pre sale replacement engine? That could address the perception of diminished value.
I would expect the dealer to make sure the vehicle is correct before offering it, and possibly selling as “B” stock full warranty. Some automotive technicians actually do a better job than Flat Rock. Not many, but some.

 

[luc]

I had my engine replaced under warranty and while they did a great job, you still have bunch of small “issues “ such as:
Paint scratches on bolts, nuts and engine bay
Missing or broken harnesses clips
Tears in insulation panels
Misrouted harnesses
Etc
Is that acceptable on a new car ?
Not for me and certainly deserve financial compensation

 

[kwpony]

be persisten, Ford will buy it back Eventually

I'd have no issues buying it from Ford. It's still a new M1. Not numbers matching though.

 

[cerbomark]

I think I d opt for all my money back just for principle sake. Ford (and maybe dealer) tried to sneak one by whether it be legal or not.
There are plenty of cars out there. And a few M1 s too.
If you got a few thousand in compensation I d rethink it. That s just what my time and aggravation are worth to me.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[young at heart]

I'd have no issues buying it from Ford. It's still a new M1. Not numbers matching though.

I’d personally forget about whether or not I could find another M1. It’s irrelevant. This car will never be right. At some point down the road that will reveal itself, long after it’s too late to do anything about it. And if you should happen to later find a buyer foolish enough to not care that it got a dealer engine replacement when new they’ll still use that fact as a negotiating tool. And you have no choice but to disclose this to a subsequent buyer, from a civil standpoint even if not statutory.

I repeat: make them eat this turkey now while you can. You don’t want it! It should not be difficult.

 

[SBR70.3]

I'll echo what others have said and say call Ford Customer Service. It will be a pain in the ass explaining your story 10 times to 10 different people before they connect you to the correct person.
I despise most car salespeople. The vast majority of them know absolutely nothing about the vehicles they are selling, and/or they just bullshit you thinking you will believe them. Maybe the sales guy had no idea of the engine replacement, maybe he did. I'd think the dealership would have noted something that significant somewhere in the vehicles history.

Side note, regarding idiotic salespeople.....I test drove (and eventually bought) an Explorer ST. I went to one dealership and they only had the ST-Line version. I told the sales guy I want the real ST, not a badged fake. With a straight face, he told me they were the same thing.

 

[kwpony]

I’d personally forget about whether or not I could find another M1. It’s irrelevant. This car will never be right. At some point down the road that will reveal itself, long after it’s too late to do anything about it. And if you should happen to later find a buyer foolish enough to not care that it got a dealer engine replacement when new they’ll still use that fact as a negotiating tool. And you have no choice but to disclose this to a subsequent buyer, from a civil standpoint even if not statutory.

I repeat: make them eat this turkey now while you can. You don’t want it! It should not be difficult.

I think you misunderstand what I exactaly mean. If Ford buys the car back from the current owner and offers the car again brand new with disclosing it has a brand new replacemeent engine and full new car guarantee. I see nothing wrong with getting this car. Yes it's not truly numbers matching. As some on this forum have pointed out, the M1 will likely never be a collectors item. This is perhaps true or not. Only time will tell. I also seem to remember the hoopla surrounding the blown engines on brand new GT350's a few years ago and the back and forth going on about the GT350 with replaced engine not being numbers matching and will dimish value as a future classic. I get it and there's merit to this arguement. Look at what a matching '60's Shelbys command campared to a non-matching numbers Shelby . Still I see nothing wrong with buying this M1 from Ford as long as they disclose it has a replacement new engine and the buyer gets full new car guarantee.

 

[BabyDoc1012]

OP did the salesman really say that the care was in perfect shape and had been sitting on the showroom floor the entire time? Because if that comes out of a salesman's mouth for a new car, I am either walking out the door or going over every inch of that car with a fine tooth comb. I would expect a new car was in perfect shape. That tells me the salesman knew about the motor replacement and that it may have been caused by a simple bad motor failure. I would ask the local dealer why exactly the removal of the subframe is a reason for refusal of service. Was it not installed properly, pieces missing, way out of spec, etc? Personally I would contact an attorney first and then I would contact Ford to elevate the situation and get to whatever resolution you want. Just my two cents.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

That would have been the correct way for ford and the selling dealer to handle the sale but they didn't. Now that the car has been titled, it can never be sold as new again. I would buy it used, as long as they disclosed the replacement engine, and fixed all the remaining issues.

 

[cerbomark]

OP did the salesman really say that the care was in perfect shape and had been sitting on the showroom floor the entire time? Because if that comes out of a salesman's mouth for a new car, I am either walking out the door or going over every inch of that car with a fine tooth comb. I would expect a new car was in perfect shape. That tells me the salesman knew about the motor replacement and that it may have been caused by a simple bad motor failure. I would ask the local dealer why exactly the removal of the subframe is a reason for refusal of service. Was it not installed properly, pieces missing, way out of spec, etc? Personally I would contact an attorney first and then I would contact Ford to elevate the situation and get to whatever resolution you want. Just my two cents.

When a subframe is removed a wheel alignment should be done. So the lack of that being done (with the steering wheel not true) and no miles shows it was not done and is on the original service ticket. Ford gets 12K free alignment anyway so I not sure why they didn t just do it.
I had an engine and subframe just lifted on a new Subaru and the wheel alignment was listed right in the directions from Subaru to the tech.

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