Following an argument with another car the other day I decided to have front parking sensors fitted to my 2015 Ford Focus Titanium.

Phoned up my dealer who told me the cost for fitting would be a cool £425! Wow!!

Checked the internet and found AVR Mobiles would supply and fit (Parksafe sensors) for under £200.  So have put these on order (ie paid for them!)

The other day a friend advised I check that my warranty would not be invalidated ... phoned the Ford Customer Relationship Centre just now and was told that if these sensors are not a genuine Ford part fitted by a dealer or an approved fitter then they will invalidate my warranty. I asked if there was anyone else at Ford who could confirm this and was told, no, speak to your dealer.  Well I've no doubt he will want his £425 so I cannot believe he is the best person to speak to!!

Phoned AVR to see if they/their products are "approved".  They did not think they were but said that in more than 20 years of business no-one had told them that fitting parking sensors had invalidated a warranty. I was comforted by this but frankly, like many, I don't trust Ford at all!

Can anyone dispense some wise advice ... my warranty runs through to 2020 so if the situation is unclear I will be inclined cut my losses and forget the sensors.

It won't invalidate the entire warranty, but it can invalidate the warranty of anything it interfaces with or they touch.

So if they splice wiring to fit them, it invalidates that loom. It could also invalidate anything connected to that loom if Ford deem the fitment of sensors has caused damage to the equipment.

FWIW you can haggle with your dealer. You might not get anything off the labor cost, but the sensors are probably 3rd party approved ones, which you might be able to negotiate on. I've never paid list price for any accessories, even got them to price match on fitting my mountune exhaust. :D

Similar to the big cases of people flashing custom firmware to phones, then having a hardware issue. If the sensors are deemed to have caused the fault then that fault may not be covered under warranty. If your engine decided to throw a piston through the block then I would like to see Ford try getting out of that one using the parking sensors!

7 hours ago, alexp999 said:

It won't invalidate the entire warranty, but it can invalidate the warranty of anything it interfaces with or they touch.

So if they splice wiring to fit them, it invalidates that loom. It could also invalidate anything connected to that loom if Ford deem the fitment of sensors has caused damage to the equipment.

FWIW you can haggle with your dealer. You might not get anything off the labor cost, but the sensors are probably 3rd party approved ones, which you might be able to negotiate on. I've never paid list price for any accessories, even got them to price match on fitting my mountune exhaust. :D

Thanks for the reply ... I tried haggling but frankly got bored when I got down to £375 so I gave up.  I've got better things to do than haggle with an intransigent Suffolk dealer!

6 hours ago, Micro said:

Similar to the big cases of people flashing custom firmware to phones, then having a hardware issue. If the sensors are deemed to have caused the fault then that fault may not be covered under warranty. If your engine decided to throw a piston through the block then I would like to see Ford try getting out of that one using the parking sensors!

I'm coming to the view I won't bother ... but what you say seems right to me.

Imo, I'd have looked for a car with them already fitted if buying second hand. The after market sensors you could get will be rubbish in comparison to what the 2015 focus could have had fitted.

Imo, I'd have looked for a car with them already fitted if buying second hand. The after market sensors you could get will be rubbish in comparison to what the 2015 focus could have had fitted.

Depends what you get. I've had no trouble with my (dealer fitted, but aftermarket) sensors. You can get some quite sophisticated sensor kits now including ones that link into the canbus.

Thanks for all input.  Decided no front sensors ... ouch (!) ... 

The company who were going to fit do 700 installations per month and do work for Mini, and VW dealers but Ford Customer Relations were very slippery - when I asked them to confirm in writing the warranty will be invalidated they wouldn't.

Love my Focus ... but can't wait to return to a more honest manufacturer / dealership set up. GGGRRRRRrrr!!

10 minutes ago, Linds said:

Thanks for all input.  Decided no front sensors ... ouch (!) ... 

The company who were going to fit do 700 installations per month and do work for Mini, and VW dealers but Ford Customer Relations were very slippery - when I asked them to confirm in writing the warranty will be invalidated they wouldn't.

Love my Focus ... but can't wait to return to a more honest manufacturer / dealership set up. GGGRRRRRrrr!!

Ford is no different to the rest of them in my experience.

Just have to find a good garage within the franchise

 

X vision are the only ones ford approve and fit. Get what you pay for.£375 isn't bad for front ones with warranty intact.