Focus estate 2019 - Steering Assist malfunction

[DonT]

Hi all

Another "blip" with my car.

On Friday 31/7, going round a roundabout I got: Steering assist malfunction warning and power steering gone!

Switched engine off and on again and all OK since.

I've booked it into the dealer for it to be checked out as advised in handbook.

Question is....... can dealer tell from on-board diagnostics that I had this malfunction happen??

I ask as it will be nearly 3 weeks from event by the time the dealer sees it as they couldn't give me an appointment until 17/8 and they charge a £114 diagnostic fee if it isn't a warranty issue.

As long as they can see I've had the issue, then I can argue against paying the £114.

Hope someone can help!

Cheers

Don

[alexp999]

If you got a warning, it should have logged a fault.

I always take pictures when these faults happen so I have evidence and there's no arguments. If it does it again, try and take a photo.

It's going to be a pretty pedantic dealer who insists on the "possibility" of £114 for looking at a fault like this on a 2019 car.

[DonT]

24 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

If you got a warning, it should have logged a fault.

I always take pictures when these faults happen so I have evidence and there's no arguments. If it does it again, try and take a photo.

It's going to be a pretty pedantic dealer who insists on the "possibility" of £114 for looking at a fault like this on a 2019 car.

Thanks for this. I agree, however the dealer is pretty pedantic to say the least. I wish I had taken a picture. I will do next time. Good tip.

[Tizer]

50 minutes ago, DonT said:

and they charge a £114 diagnostic fee if it isn't a warranty issue.

 

I think it is common for them to threaten that. The last time I booked my car in for warranty work they said they would charge £50 if no warranty fault could be found.

[DonT]

On 8/11/2020 at 10:18 AM, Tizer said:

I think it is common for them to threaten that. The last time I booked my car in for warranty work they said they would charge £50 if no warranty fault could be found.

Hmm. I'm just concerned that if the fault isn't logged they'll want me to pay £114 for them to not find or fix anything.

[The Finance Guy]

2 hours ago, DonT said:

Hmm. I'm just concerned that if the fault isn't logged they'll want me to pay £114 for them to not find or fix anything.

You could scan it yourself to see that there is a code stored before you go?

Or if you can’t do that, then when they present you with a bill for £114 you tell them to f***off 

 

If it was me, I think I would probably do both. That would give me great satisfaction. 

[DonT]

1 hour ago, The Finance Guy said:

You could scan it yourself to see that there is a code stored before you go?

Or if you can’t do that, then when they present you with a bill for £114 you tell them to f***off 

 

If it was me, I think I would probably do both. That would give me great satisfaction. 

I've ordered a scanner but I dont think it will arrive in time.

I'm quite prepared to action option 2 should it be needed..... 😁

[Tizer]

The Ford Pass app it gives you a notification about some error codes, but not all of them. Have you opened it to check? 

Even if there is not a code stored I doubt that they will try to charge you.

[DonT]

Yes.its not showing up in Fordpass unfortunately. 

[The Finance Guy]

1 hour ago, DonT said:

I've ordered a scanner but I dont think it will arrive in time.

I'm quite prepared to action option 2 should it be needed..... 😁

It’s up to them to take your word for it that something went wrong, and up to them to try and find and fix it. 
 

Does my nut in that so many “mechanics” now have no idea how to diagnose a problem. If it throws a code, they find that code in their procedure and change the part that it says needs changed. If that doesn’t fix it, try something else.