Q & A Session... - Ask a Ford Dealer

sleek98

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Yes.

For instance, say you buy a car today and go through FMC to get the extra rebate. The dealer makes money up front on the reserve. If you refinance before your 3rd payment, the dealership gets charged back the reserve; it would be like you paid cash up front.

Last time I got a new Ford the dealer asked me to keep it with Ford for atleast 3 payments. Now I know why.
 

MysticRob

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Surprised nobody else snarked this one:
What the hell is a "deaker"? :-D

Real questions:
What exactly is involved for the Ford dealership in certifying a pre-owned vehicle, and how much does it cost them?
How can an owner verify the CPO specifics like remaining time and/or mileage warrantied on a given vehicle?
How can I go about getting a window sticker for a 2013 C-Max I just bought that didn't come with one?

...As far as avoiding the back and forth, it will depend on what type of dealership you are dealing with. More traditional dealerships do just this, they go back and forth not to give up gross profit.


More modern dealerships, like mine, price their vehicles extremely competitive on the market. We justify our prices to the consumers and explain where they are compared to our competitors and so on. For example, on pre-owned vehicles, we barely negotiate, maybe a few hundred dollars or so. The reason we are able to do this is from the time it gets on our lot until the time it leaves, it is priced competitively against our competition's prices.


It makes for much smoother transactions, customers tend to be happier and everything is just easier. Every once in awhile I'll still get an older farmer that wants to negotiate thousands on a used truck...he either allows us to explain how we price, or he gets mad and leaves. That's very rare though.

I can totally agree with this, and I appreciate how your dealership does it. Sunnyvale Ford prices high and unless you come in prepared with the competition's prices, you'll have to do the dance with them. Not fun for the customer. Frontier Ford is typically low already, and there's far less stress involved. I like Frontier's model from my customer perspective. Hopefully that drives more biz to you (and them). Thanks!
 
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stvdman

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Yes.

For instance, say you buy a car today and go through FMC to get the extra rebate. The dealer makes money up front on the reserve. If you refinance before your 3rd payment, the dealership gets charged back the reserve; it would be like you paid cash up front.

I just went back and pulled the paperwork (cause I felt kinda bad now) looks like I made 4 payments to FORD FINANCE. JULY-OCT, refied and made first payment with CU in NOV. My conscious is a little clearer! (this was back in 2009, so my recollection was a little fuzzy)
 

13COBRA

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Last time I got a new Ford the dealer asked me to keep it with Ford for atleast 3 payments. Now I know why.

Yeah. A lot of dealers will tell customers if they pay if off before 3 payments that they will be charged back the rebates; that's a violation of our contract with Ford Motor Credit.

Surprised nobody else snarked this one:
What the hell is a "deaker"? :-D

Real questions:
What exactly is involved for the Ford dealership in certifying a pre-owned vehicle, and how much does it cost them?
How can an owner verify the CPO specifics like remaining time and/or mileage warrantied on a given vehicle?
How can I go about getting a window sticker for a 2013 C-Max I just bought that didn't come with one?

Damn it. LOL

They have to pass a 172 point inspection. It typically costs between $500 and $650 to certify one.

You can PM your VIN and I can tell you.

As far as a window sticker goes, Ford can go back 3 years or so. So yours will be right around the cutoff.

I just went back and pulled the paperwork (cause I felt kinda bad now) looks like I made 4 payments to FORD FINANCE. JULY-OCT, refied and made first payment with CU in NOV. My conscious is a little clearer! (this was back in 2009, so my recollection was a little fuzzy)

Haha yeah, didn't cost the dealership anything.
 

Screw-Rice

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One thing I've always been curious about.

Let's say I pick up a used 15 GT. Starts having issues and I take it in, then find it has a tune on it and the warranty is void. Am I SOL because someone else tuned the car? I know I'm taking the risk if I do it, but what if I bought it and wasn't aware?
 

Blk04L

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One thing I've always been curious about.

Let's say I pick up a used 15 GT. Starts having issues and I take it in, then find it has a tune on it and the warranty is void. Am I SOL because someone else tuned the car? I know I'm taking the risk if I do it, but what if I bought it and wasn't aware?

I'm curious about this as well, especially if bought at a dealership.
 

13COBRA

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Title edits are $50 a pop.

Paypal?

One thing I've always been curious about.

Let's say I pick up a used 15 GT. Starts having issues and I take it in, then find it has a tune on it and the warranty is void. Am I SOL because someone else tuned the car? I know I'm taking the risk if I do it, but what if I bought it and wasn't aware?

I'm curious about this as well, especially if bought at a dealership.

I meant bought from a dealer, but forgot to specify that. Good catch.

If the dealer disclosed "as-is no warranty", then you're screwed. If they said it has a warranty, they're liable.
 

Screw-Rice

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If the dealer disclosed "as-is no warranty", then you're screwed. If they said it has a warranty, they're liable.

Good to know, that's been my biggest concern is picking up a used GT only to discover the previous owner had some guy in a basement tune it and screw it up.
 

13COBRA

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Good to know, that's been my biggest concern is picking up a used GT only to discover the previous owner had some guy in a basement tune it and screw it up.

On every used car you have to sign a piece of paper stating if you are buying the car with a warranty or without. It's against the law to sell a pre-owned car without that disclosure.
 

SonicDTR

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It'll still show in the computer that it has been flashed.

For example. Say you buy a 2016 brand new. The computer shows a "1", and Ford shows a "1" for what should be on it.

Every time you tune it, it adds a number. So if you tune it, it'll show a "2" and Ford will still show a "1". If Ford updates it, yours will show a "2" and Ford will show a "2".

If you tune it, then turn it back to stock (and Ford hasn't updated it) yours will show a "3" and Ford will show a "1".

Sure warranty claim might still be a bit of a hassle, but if the guy is worried about blowing it up, then its better than running a mystery tune. I've never heard of ford keeping their own record of the counter. I could just as easily flash it with my Ford IDS back to factory and Ford has no idea. In my discussion with Ford Engineers, they cannot prove a tune caused it unless that tune is still present on the PCM when they get ahold of it, therefore its nearly impossible to deny a claim because of a tune.
 

13COBRA

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Sure warranty claim might still be a bit of a hassle, but if the guy is worried about blowing it up, then its better than running a mystery tune. I've never heard of ford keeping their own record of the counter. I could just as easily flash it with my Ford IDS back to factory and Ford has no idea. In my discussion with Ford Engineers, they cannot prove a tune caused it unless that tune is still present on the PCM when they get ahold of it, therefore its nearly impossible to deny a claim because of a tune.

When I run an Oasis it shows what "tune number" should be installed.

You can't prove a tune caused it without it being present, however it will make your life very hard arguing until you're blue in the face that it didn't cause it.

Subbed for future car purchases.

Great jeasture by the op. Thanx bro.

Not a problem.

I'm not always an asshole...
 

BrunotheBoxer

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When I run an Oasis it shows what "tune number" should be installed.

You can't prove a tune caused it without it being present, however it will make your life very hard arguing until you're blue in the face that it didn't cause it.



Not a problem.

I'm not always an asshole...

I am.


I hate people.

But mustang and car people are cool.


I love dogs and should have based my career working with them.
 

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