Ford Dealer Service - Not Happy

[Andy H Dibley]

My car was due its 5th year 62,500 mile service today so I had it all pre-booked at my local dealers to be picked up and dropped off.

So far, no issue with the service, my gripe is that on the paper invoice they've noted 'paint chips on rear bumper'. Now I'm incredibly anal about my paint and the condition of the car, only Saturday did I go round it but decided against washing it, these were not there and I didn't take it out at all yesterday.

So I'm a miffed about that, but added to it, I've gone to go look at the service book, and half the information isn't written down. They've just about managed to put the dealer stamp on the page, but none of the relavant information about genuine parts or whether the schedule has been fulfilled are ticked.

Again, call me said, but I'm paying over the odds to take it to a dealer who can't even fill in the service boom properly.

Regards the paint chips, I'm stopping in on the way home to have a word. I hope I'm not in for a fight on this one.

[artscot79]

sadly youll find it difficult to prove the chips didnt occur driving to the dealers sorry to hear of youre experience only issue ive ever had was they didnt put 2 of the bolts back in after changing the pollen filter so i tend to do that myself but they did change the brake fluid for free and a new set of wheel bolts as a sorry

[nigwith]

I'm with you all the way on this Andy!

It's infuriating when you take such care of your pride and joy (?) only to find that someone else, to whom you have entrusted it, couldn't give a damn and will probably hide behind a façade of ignorance refuting any suggestion that they might be at fault. I have discovered that my (nearly) new Focus 'service Portfolio' as they call it, is completely void of any information specific to my car. Ok, it's too new to have had service but there is no Dealer stamp, date or anything. The fact that it is an ex demonstrator is irrelevant!

Apathy rules!

[Preee]

I think i'm lucky , and my Ford Dealer "Furrows Telford" , have always been good so far , they listen and try stuff if i ask , they give me a full explanation if they can't do something. When i had it in my head i could hear noise's , they took it in tested it and never charged me and even took me down to the workshop and let me listen to the same noise on another car and explained what the noise was.

[nigwith]

That's great service Preee; what you'd like to expect as 'normal'. Unfortunately that is so often missing these days!

[Andy H Dibley]

Well a victory of sorts.

I was prepared for a bit of a fight as someone had said did they not do a walk around before taking the car, something I was unaware of.

Anyway, went up to the service manager and said I was unimpressed, he asked why and I said, the service manual hadn't been completed and that these 'paint chips' were new, as in new today. He started talking down to me and saying did I leave the service book in the car, to which I said yes, it was on the passenger seat, open at the service page. I know this as I was waiting this morning before work reading it. He said he would get this sorted.

I then said about the paint chips to which he said to me 'Are you trying to imply our service team did this?' and I said 'yes, I know every nook of this car, I meticulously clean it and polish it. These were not there on Friday or Saturday and seeing as the car didn't move Sunday, they've happened today, and I know I haven't done them'

I then gave him both barrels as he sort of looked at me as though I was trying it on which seriously !Removed! me off. I said to him I have an indy garage not more than 100m from my work (whereas they are in another town) who I trust with my other cars, yet I'm paying over the odds just to have a Ford Service stamp in the book, which isn't even filled out properly and have my car damaged and I'm standing here feeling guilty about it!

The car then got taken inside where the technician and the service manager asked me to show them the damage, at this point even the technician said the damage looked new. The service manage said he didn't want to lose business on the basis of a small paint chip damage and has agreed to repair the damage but will need the car for two days. I said I am fine with this but am still thoroughly disappointed with the whole thing. After reading some online reviews of the dealership most of them point to pretty shocking customer service.

Will update when I get the car back from the body shop though.

[nigwith]

That's encouraging - it could have been a lot worse than that!

Good luck!

[Andy H Dibley]

A guy from the dealer has just come to take the car, luckily this morning the light was good enough and I went around it with my DSLR photographing the body in detail. Will hopefully give me some come back if anything happens again.

[Andy H Dibley]

Just rung to say the body shop are done with it and will be bringing it back soon.

Feel like a nuisance but I will be inspecting the repair and the rest of the car.

Really peeved me off that you can't even trust a main dealer like that.

[Andy H Dibley]

Triple post, sorry.

Credit where credit is due, they've resprayed the entire rear bumper. Will be looking at it closer later but the match is good and the finish is ok. The guy said they were going to use a smart repair but it would be obvious and wouldn't last.

Before:

After:

[b1g_dav3]

I always take photo's before I give anyone my car :P has helped in the past when my door was damaged by a body shop doing a repair.