I bought my focus in March of this year. My Mustang started to piss me off in the snow, and one day it didnt start for me, so I decided to go get a beater. I went to a local chrysler dealer to see what they had on their lot, mainly cause they were very close buy. They had an 02 ZTS Focus on the lot, took it for a ride and really liked the overall car, but they wanted 13grand for it, and I wasnt feeling it. After I pryed myself away from them, I went to a local Ford dealership, seeking a used taurus or someing for 7-8grand. Checked out a few things, then asked the sales manager if they were an SVT dealer, and they were! So I checked out some Cobras, they had a couple of used 98 Cobras for good buys, but I didnt want to turn my back on my 5.0. So I ask if they had any SVT Focus' in stock...he said they ahd two leftover from 03, with nice rebates, and it would stack nicely with my X-plan. Jumped in one and loved it. Jumped right on top of it, walked out with everything a lil under 17grand (got the extended warrenty, now regreting it.) Like 3 days later we got something like 4-5inches of snow over night, god DAMN the car was a TON of fun to drive in the snow! I just couldnt stop likeing the car...
Soo..lots of people were hatin on me, an avid Stang fan driving a FOCUS?! Most notably my father...calling it an Escourt and shit. Well, I dropped my stang off to have the rear played with a lil at Crazy Horse in South Amboy NJ. My dad rode up with me to pick it up, he wanted to drive the Stang home, I said I wanted to check it out, and its liable to be rabid due to the new gears. He aggreed, 15mins down the turnpike he calls me 'OMFG! I LOVE THIS ****ING CAR!!!' He was the first hater turned toward the light...Since then numerous friends have driven the car and REALLY enjoyed it. I even had a friend that is a hardcore redneck from WI buy one, and is modding his jawn more and more every day.
Soo....summer hits, and the temp goes up, only the AC blows hot. Ok, not a big deal, Ill have that handled soon when I drop it off. Its also doing the classic hesitation between 2-3grand, so I figure I can have the reflash done... Also at the Spring EastCoastStang rental, my LX all but blows the hell up, so I put-put home and grab the Fosuc to get the value outa my rental spot... Well....I powershifted a lil too hard an knocked the shifter linkage offa the transmission. No big deal, my buddy Mikey and I crawled underneath it, reattached and we were off. So, when I finaly drop it off at Miller Ford, I list the three problems, mentioned that there was a computer flash to fix the hesitation, which the service advisor didnt appreciate to say the least. They reflash it, charge the AC, but didnt find anything wrong with the linkage, listing it as 'possible normaly operating characturistic. (if i can spell.)
Soooo....like 3 weeks go buy, and I hear the throw-out bearing knocking pretty hard, aswell as the belts makeing a knocking sound. I drop it off, get it back, the belt knock is that great 'normaly operating characteristic, and the clutch still no fix.. I call up Miller, and tell them the car wasnt fixed. The service advisor appologized and told me to bring it back in, So...I have the car for 2months, and its already been in to service 2times...Its all good, I just want my car fixed.
After heading back to a friend's house after Fun Ford Weekend at Englishtown raceway, the car stalls, HARD. So I start it back up, my friend is laffing at me saying I cant drive or whatever. Then the AC starts blowing HOT. I dont know about the rest of you cats, but when I turn the AC on in my car, its like my 150hp goes down to about 100hp. The car is like night and day with the AC on. So I include that in my service request, along with the fact that there is a heat shield hanging down under the car, and the odometer dims out during idle with no accessories on.
I pick the car up, they totaly ignore my problems with the AC. 'Possible normal operating characteristic' was their claim for everything on the list with the exception of the heat shield, which they claimed they fixed, when they really just removed it...and the TOB rattle, which they replaced the whole clutch. So I asked to speak with the service manager...who got VERY aggressive with me very quickly, saying I didnt know what I was talking about when it came to the vehicle. Whatever douchebag...insult me all you want, I just want my damn car fixed. He then said that tests were performed ont he vehicle's AC system, and all the tests read fine. I asked to see the coolant levels and to have a tech shine a black light over the vehicle. He asked me why, I said because previously there was no coolant in the AC system, and you would know that if you looked up prior service interests. Feeling insulted, Jim (the service manager) gets even MORE aggressive with me, makeing statements like 'if you know this much, then why dont you work on your vehicle yourself' which my reply was 'I bought this vehicle so that I didnt have to work on a vehicle I owned. I wanted a reliable vehicle to drive when my other car wasnt running.' He also claims to stand by the work that his employees do, saying that they only get paid if the repair is performed and are not paid if they find nothing wrong with the car. He claims Im miss informed as to how things work with the vehicle, which I promptly asked him if he was a mechanic, he tells me he has no mechanical knowledge, but is a custoemr service rep. I asked if I could have service bulletins to the vehicle, which he denied, so I asked him to look up the vehicle service history. He did, I asked him to read me what was wrote about the shifter linkage, which he did. Then I asked him to look up on Oasis about a service bulletin that was released in Feb about a replacement clip that goes on the linkage to prevent my problem happening again. He gets even more angry with me, wanting to know how I knew that bulletin was there, and how I knew what Oasis was. I asked him to focus on the fact that Im a customer and I want my vehicle fixed properly, that anything else doesnt have anything to do with that fact, and that it was clear to me that him and his techs didnt do their job to the fullest, or things like 'normal operating charaterblahblahblah' wouldnt happen in such abundence. Literaly FUMEING at me, I leave, when I get home, I look on my desk and what do I see? a SURVEY from Ford about my vehicle being serviced at Miller.......needless to say, I went into detail on how I wasnt happy...
So....Friday, I crawl underneath the car to do my 6k oil change. I pulled the pan plug, let it drain, and Im checking out the underside of the vehicle (Im thinking of building my own turbo kit.) So I look...and the heat shield that I had a problem with before was no longer there, they took it off, and it wasnt a heat shield, it was a shield to protect the longtube from rubbing on the road. ....Well, whatever. So I look over, and I see light through the motor...there was a bolt missing out of the bellhousing-to-motor. MY jaw dropped....then i found ANOTHER and a bolt that was only still there cause it couldnt shimmy out of the hole ...and ANOTHER gone, then TWO more loose! Im FURIOUS! I could literaly move the transmission away from the motor with my HANDS! So its 4oclock, I call Miller, they said there is no way they can take the car in. I said they closed at 5 and that I needed a car for the weekend, the service advisor said that I needed to speak with the service manager on monday morning. well **** that...I called Ford customer service and went into detail, then crawled back under it, and reinstalled the transmission PROPERLY.
Monday hits, I call Miller Service, and ask to speak with Jim, the young lady on the phone asked me if she could help me with something, I told her who I was, and she remember me from my last encounter. I explained what happened, and she put me on hold. Then another Service Advisor named Larry Mullen pics up the phone, and proceeds to tell me that Miller will not do any service to my vehicle and that I need to take it to another dealer. I asked why, he said because I wasnt happy with previous service. I said I was going to bring the car back to Miller, and they were going to fix it right. He tells me that they dont have to fix my car, and can refuse service if they please. This goes on for about 10mins as Im throwing everything at this asshole, who by chance is YELLING at me on the phone. Finaly I said, ok, hold on a second, can I ask what your service record is like. He claims it is flawless. I laff, not believeing him...cause...MY TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LOOSE FOR OVER A ****ING MONTH!!..So I ask him 'Your telling me that Im the one-in-a-million situation right?' He said I was, I then asked why he was unwilling to fix my vehicle properly, he said because I put in such a nasty survey with Ford, useing words like 'disgusted' (which I did!) I said I was disgusted....my vehicle's trans wasnt re-installed properly. He told me that it was my opinion. That everything that has happened with my car was my opinion.
To make a long story short, I sat down with the GM of the dealership yesterday, damn near livid....wanting to know WTF was going on with these people that cant do their jobs, then are holding a grudge against me because I told Ford that they werent doing their jobs. Btw, not one time did I ever lose my cool, or use un-fitting language. Everything was said in a very proper and professional manner...
I cant beleive the ammount of shat Ive had to deal with with this dealership...btw, the car is still sitting out in front of my house...untouched.
Soo..lots of people were hatin on me, an avid Stang fan driving a FOCUS?! Most notably my father...calling it an Escourt and shit. Well, I dropped my stang off to have the rear played with a lil at Crazy Horse in South Amboy NJ. My dad rode up with me to pick it up, he wanted to drive the Stang home, I said I wanted to check it out, and its liable to be rabid due to the new gears. He aggreed, 15mins down the turnpike he calls me 'OMFG! I LOVE THIS ****ING CAR!!!' He was the first hater turned toward the light...Since then numerous friends have driven the car and REALLY enjoyed it. I even had a friend that is a hardcore redneck from WI buy one, and is modding his jawn more and more every day.
Soo....summer hits, and the temp goes up, only the AC blows hot. Ok, not a big deal, Ill have that handled soon when I drop it off. Its also doing the classic hesitation between 2-3grand, so I figure I can have the reflash done... Also at the Spring EastCoastStang rental, my LX all but blows the hell up, so I put-put home and grab the Fosuc to get the value outa my rental spot... Well....I powershifted a lil too hard an knocked the shifter linkage offa the transmission. No big deal, my buddy Mikey and I crawled underneath it, reattached and we were off. So, when I finaly drop it off at Miller Ford, I list the three problems, mentioned that there was a computer flash to fix the hesitation, which the service advisor didnt appreciate to say the least. They reflash it, charge the AC, but didnt find anything wrong with the linkage, listing it as 'possible normaly operating characturistic. (if i can spell.)
Soooo....like 3 weeks go buy, and I hear the throw-out bearing knocking pretty hard, aswell as the belts makeing a knocking sound. I drop it off, get it back, the belt knock is that great 'normaly operating characteristic, and the clutch still no fix.. I call up Miller, and tell them the car wasnt fixed. The service advisor appologized and told me to bring it back in, So...I have the car for 2months, and its already been in to service 2times...Its all good, I just want my car fixed.
After heading back to a friend's house after Fun Ford Weekend at Englishtown raceway, the car stalls, HARD. So I start it back up, my friend is laffing at me saying I cant drive or whatever. Then the AC starts blowing HOT. I dont know about the rest of you cats, but when I turn the AC on in my car, its like my 150hp goes down to about 100hp. The car is like night and day with the AC on. So I include that in my service request, along with the fact that there is a heat shield hanging down under the car, and the odometer dims out during idle with no accessories on.
I pick the car up, they totaly ignore my problems with the AC. 'Possible normal operating characteristic' was their claim for everything on the list with the exception of the heat shield, which they claimed they fixed, when they really just removed it...and the TOB rattle, which they replaced the whole clutch. So I asked to speak with the service manager...who got VERY aggressive with me very quickly, saying I didnt know what I was talking about when it came to the vehicle. Whatever douchebag...insult me all you want, I just want my damn car fixed. He then said that tests were performed ont he vehicle's AC system, and all the tests read fine. I asked to see the coolant levels and to have a tech shine a black light over the vehicle. He asked me why, I said because previously there was no coolant in the AC system, and you would know that if you looked up prior service interests. Feeling insulted, Jim (the service manager) gets even MORE aggressive with me, makeing statements like 'if you know this much, then why dont you work on your vehicle yourself' which my reply was 'I bought this vehicle so that I didnt have to work on a vehicle I owned. I wanted a reliable vehicle to drive when my other car wasnt running.' He also claims to stand by the work that his employees do, saying that they only get paid if the repair is performed and are not paid if they find nothing wrong with the car. He claims Im miss informed as to how things work with the vehicle, which I promptly asked him if he was a mechanic, he tells me he has no mechanical knowledge, but is a custoemr service rep. I asked if I could have service bulletins to the vehicle, which he denied, so I asked him to look up the vehicle service history. He did, I asked him to read me what was wrote about the shifter linkage, which he did. Then I asked him to look up on Oasis about a service bulletin that was released in Feb about a replacement clip that goes on the linkage to prevent my problem happening again. He gets even more angry with me, wanting to know how I knew that bulletin was there, and how I knew what Oasis was. I asked him to focus on the fact that Im a customer and I want my vehicle fixed properly, that anything else doesnt have anything to do with that fact, and that it was clear to me that him and his techs didnt do their job to the fullest, or things like 'normal operating charaterblahblahblah' wouldnt happen in such abundence. Literaly FUMEING at me, I leave, when I get home, I look on my desk and what do I see? a SURVEY from Ford about my vehicle being serviced at Miller.......needless to say, I went into detail on how I wasnt happy...
So....Friday, I crawl underneath the car to do my 6k oil change. I pulled the pan plug, let it drain, and Im checking out the underside of the vehicle (Im thinking of building my own turbo kit.) So I look...and the heat shield that I had a problem with before was no longer there, they took it off, and it wasnt a heat shield, it was a shield to protect the longtube from rubbing on the road. ....Well, whatever. So I look over, and I see light through the motor...there was a bolt missing out of the bellhousing-to-motor. MY jaw dropped....then i found ANOTHER and a bolt that was only still there cause it couldnt shimmy out of the hole ...and ANOTHER gone, then TWO more loose! Im FURIOUS! I could literaly move the transmission away from the motor with my HANDS! So its 4oclock, I call Miller, they said there is no way they can take the car in. I said they closed at 5 and that I needed a car for the weekend, the service advisor said that I needed to speak with the service manager on monday morning. well **** that...I called Ford customer service and went into detail, then crawled back under it, and reinstalled the transmission PROPERLY.
Monday hits, I call Miller Service, and ask to speak with Jim, the young lady on the phone asked me if she could help me with something, I told her who I was, and she remember me from my last encounter. I explained what happened, and she put me on hold. Then another Service Advisor named Larry Mullen pics up the phone, and proceeds to tell me that Miller will not do any service to my vehicle and that I need to take it to another dealer. I asked why, he said because I wasnt happy with previous service. I said I was going to bring the car back to Miller, and they were going to fix it right. He tells me that they dont have to fix my car, and can refuse service if they please. This goes on for about 10mins as Im throwing everything at this asshole, who by chance is YELLING at me on the phone. Finaly I said, ok, hold on a second, can I ask what your service record is like. He claims it is flawless. I laff, not believeing him...cause...MY TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LOOSE FOR OVER A ****ING MONTH!!..So I ask him 'Your telling me that Im the one-in-a-million situation right?' He said I was, I then asked why he was unwilling to fix my vehicle properly, he said because I put in such a nasty survey with Ford, useing words like 'disgusted' (which I did!) I said I was disgusted....my vehicle's trans wasnt re-installed properly. He told me that it was my opinion. That everything that has happened with my car was my opinion.
To make a long story short, I sat down with the GM of the dealership yesterday, damn near livid....wanting to know WTF was going on with these people that cant do their jobs, then are holding a grudge against me because I told Ford that they werent doing their jobs. Btw, not one time did I ever lose my cool, or use un-fitting language. Everything was said in a very proper and professional manner...
I cant beleive the ammount of shat Ive had to deal with with this dealership...btw, the car is still sitting out in front of my house...untouched.
