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Ford Motor Company Extended Service Plan Scam
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN -- FORD'S EXTENDED SERVICE PLANS SCAM

In Small Claims Court in Alhambra, California, June 24, 2016, in my lawsuit against Ford Motor Company for fraudulent misrepresentation, Ford made the tacit admission that the Ford Extended Service Plan brochure contains three or more false claims.
Ford's argument in its defense, and affirmed by Judge Michael Small in his unequivocal opinion, was that my failed shock absorber wasn't a covered part, “BECAUSE SHOCK ABSORBERS ARE NOT LISTED AS COVERED, THEY ARE EXCLUDED FROM COVERAGE.” Therein lies the problem.
The court accepted Ford's argument against the plain language in its own ESP brochure. And it is that argument that forms the basis for my complaint against Ford's Extended Service Plans. According to Ford's own Website, Ford has sold 35 million of these fraudulent plans.
1. The court's decision is final, not subject to reversal or appeal, that only listed parts are covered, so that the shock absorber, not a listed part, wasn't covered by my plan. Here is issue number one: There are fewer than 300 covered parts listed in the brochure. But the brochure claims that “500 plus” parts are covered. Since a part must be listed to be covered and there are fewer than 300 parts listed, the claim of “500 plus” parts covered is a false claim. False Claim number 1.
2. The brochure claims that the list of covered parts is a “partial list.” It has been established that since a part must be listed to be covered, the listed parts covered must be a complete list. The claim that the list of covered parts is a “partial list” is a false claim. False Claim number 2.
3. The brochure lists “the only components not covered.” Since all parts not listed are also not covered, the list of “components not covered” should include hundreds of components. It doesn't. The claim that only the components listed as not covered are non-covered parts is a false claim. False Claim number 3.
4. Finally, many of the parts listed as covered are, in fact, not covered. They are not covered because in those instances not even a single component part is listed as covered. If any of those component parts, none of which are covered, were to fail, then Ford could deny coverage based on the now established, must-be- listed rule. Much the same as with the not listed therefore “EXCLUDED” shock absorber, a component part of “covered” front suspension, which was, in fact, only covered until a non-covered component, the shock absorber in this instance, failed. This court ruling has legitimized Ford's potential rejection of coverage for dozens of listed “covered” parts, in absolute contradiction of the plain meanings of the unambiguous text drafted by Ford in its own brochure.

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Ford's Owner Notification Program Shell Game
By -

PINCONNING, MICHIGAN -- In 2001 my wife purchased a 1999 Ford Contour with only 17,000 miles at an authorized Ford dealership. During the time since we have owned the vehicle, we received NO information from Ford regarding problems with this particular model. Well, this summer the interior gremlins decided to become active! The dashboard warped to the point where it is almost touching the windshield, and the fan refused to blow at any speed beside "wind tunnel" high!

When we took it to a local repair garage, two mechanics there told us to take it to the Ford dealership since both problems had been recall items. So, off to the dealership we go, where a computer check on our vehicle gave us the wonderful news that no recalls or TSBs existed on our car. In fact, the dealership even told us that they wished that the dashboard warpage issue was a recall, since they knew of other 1998-1999 Contours with the same problem!!!

The conflicting information caused me to research the situation on the net from the "Contour Enthusiasts Group", "alldata.com", and "BlueOvalNews". Numerous Contour owners described the EXACT same problems and mentioned their cars being repaired at the dealerships for free. I even got the specific numbers concerning the repair procedures and photos of the corrected dashboard. With this information in hand, I again went back to the dealership, only to be given the same response. Well, I decided to contact Ford headquarters directly, since we all hear so much about their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, right?

Well, I received the wonderful news that the repairs were done free of charge for a short time under what is called an "Owner Notification Program". This is a technical euphemistic loophole that allows manufacturers to not directly acknowledge defective parts while at the same time placing an arbitrary beginning and ending date upon how long they will be responsible for repairing their defective products! I was told that the notifications were no longer valid - even though I was NOT notified in the first place!!!!

So, after waiting two weeks for a decision on our problem, I was finally informed that Ford would GRACIOUSLY cover 30% of the cost on the dashboard repair since the car was no longer under warranty. This in spite of the fact that during the notification program there was NO cost and NO issue of miles or years in service required to receive the corrected parts and labor. I could understand this situation IF we had received notification and simply ignored it, but we received NO mailings about these two part defects. In fact, Ford changed the dashboard design on the Contour in 2000 because of the previous defective problem with warpage!

At least this situation helped me in another area. At the time I was debating between purchasing a new Mustang convertible or Chrysler Sebring convertible. After Ford's response, I can only say how much satisfaction I have from driving my Sebring! I also continue to inform fellow workers, friends, and family about Ford's treatment regarding this situation. I used to recommend Ford products regularly to them. Is this still the situation? I'll let you answer that rhetorical question for yourselves!

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I had a very bad experience bought a car 5 months ago from Austin Hambelton
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- Description of Complaint:
I had a very bad experience bought a car 5 months ago from Austin Hambelton PHIL LONG FORD. Be careful he scammed me for $10.000 he is a fraud he lies when he open he, s mouth. I showed me a 16 Lincoln told me these car have everything I am looking price $26.000 after a couple days I couldn't find the navigation I called him he never answer he's phone nor text. When I walk in to the dealership he ask me what I wanted I ask him where is the navigation and the blind spot than as came out these care was a basic had no extra for over $26.000 . when I told him you a fraud you scamed me for $10.000 I won't my money back he is a fraud I wrote him and ask him to get back with me on my Money. Never heard from him. I will make out an Police Report and take him the small claims court. Also will write to the BBB I am going all over the internet and write what he has done to me. I was lucky the GM was giving me another car with all futures for the same price as I paid the other Lincoln . I can't believe these guy is still working there he is a criminal. So Watch out don't buy from him you could be the next he going to be scammed He has time to the end of these week if I don't hear from him I take him for the court than more people seeing with what kind of scammed he doing he does everything to sell a car.

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Waiting Over 7 Months For Airbag Replacement That Can Cause If Not Replaced
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

MICHIGAN -- This started the middle of July 2016. I have called Ford consumer affairs dept. for the past five months with absolutely no help on getting the passenger side airbag replaced that "can cause death or serious injury if deployed". I have been getting the same runaround with the answer the chance of death is remote. My answer is "REALLY". So if it does happen then what? Can't sell the car, can't have a passenger.

Had a Honda CRV, same problem. 30 days from airbag recall notification airbag was replaced plus prior to airbag replacement was given a rental car at no charge for the 30 days. Was advised by Honda not to drive the CRV until airbag was replaced. I asked Ford customer service what happens if someone dies. Not much of an answer was given. Still waiting for airbag.

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Ford Escort Lemon
By -

WESTLAND, MICHIGAN -- I bought a used Ford Escort SE(1999) from a dealership near my home in Michigan in late August 2005, less than one year ago, with 22,000 actual miles on it. Since then it's made sure to suck enough money out of me so that I could never afford to buy another car. Stated by the salesman ** the brakes were newer (at least over half their life left), the entire car had been inspected before sale, and the car had never been in any accidents.

Less than one week after I bought it the car started violently shaking at idle, from bad motor mounts; a defect that took two visits to their dealership fix. During the first fix the mechanic tried feeding me a bull line about the "engine is so powerful that it causes extra vibrations" (a 1999 Escort SE gets about 110 HP. I've been outrun by minivans. Powerful engine my **).

Also noted to the mechanics both times was a squealing noise from the brakes. The mechanics both told me that the brakes were new on and not in need of fixing; neither one even looked at them. Two weeks after the motor mounts were finally fixed (now September), the air conditioning stopped working. Took it in, was told the entire system had been looked over and the compressor was replaced. Again brought up the now rubbing brakes, was told there was nothing wrong with them.

October, check engine light comes on repeatedly at random. I pull over to check the engine and notice the entire harness for the headlights is cracked across the front. Headlights and front clip are now held on by less than two inches of plastic. I also notice what seems to be masking material for a paint job near the hinges of the hood. This car's front has been repainted... and replaced, though I was told it was not... dealership refuses to replace the cracked part, saying that under warranty or not it doesn't cover any "body damage".

Almost rear end a car for lack of brakes in late October. Jack up the car and remove the wheel; the pads and rotors have HEAVY damage. Rotors are warped and chipped to hell. I take it into the dealership to complain, they say that brake work is not in their warranty and that I must've done it. Mileage is approximately 24-26,000 miles at this time, and I mostly highway drive... mechanics have told me there is no way I caused that much damage to those short of hitting them with a hammer.

Took it in for first oil change at around 25,000 miles,air filter looked as if it had been dipped in sewage. My old Chevy Celebrity had had the same air filter since '03 and looked cleaner (2003-2005!) So much for inspections. Replaced. Periodically check engine sensor pings on and off. The dealership won't look at it even unless I pay them $100, and not all sensors are covered by their warranty. Could run me over $300 just for a sensor. Car also started sucking gas, gets about 20 mi to the gallon instead of 28-30 highway. No idea why.

April 2006, car starts vibrating all the time, makes ticking noises. Over a week it becomes deafening. Take it in, mechanic insists there's nothing wrong. I refuse to leave until they look at it. Inspection finds a cracked flywheel, replaced. May 2006, air conditioning goes AGAIN. It's only been used a good three times since the last repair! The dealership refuses to warranty their last work, saying that the wiring can corrode so it won't work.

Problem: wiring does not corrode that much in 8 months, meaning they put bad wiring back into my car during their "inspection". June, paint starts chipping. Everywhere. Big flakes. I noticed a bit around the doors earlier, but got concerned when chips the size of my thumbnail started falling off the car for no reason.

Went to complain to the managers of North Brothers Ford... the manager who inspected my car basically accused me of lying. He told me that "people put ideas into my head" and "there's nothing wrong with this car"... in short, they would give me 1500 in a trade for it...

I paid over 6 grand for the thing less than a year ago. I know 6 grand isn't a lot, but I'm a college student who's now stuck with an unreliable car that I really couldn't afford. I bought it because it was promised to last me longer than my past heaps. No one there offers help. I just keep getting lied to. Can't afford a lawyer for lemon lawsuit. Trying to sell the car to cut my losses... not working too good. Ford, you suck.

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Ford Credit - Harassment and Fraudulent Practices
By -

WASHINGTON -- In 4 years with FMC, I've been late one other time on my car payment. This was due to unemployment. I made payment arrangements with Ford Credit to make up for, never more than, 30 days past due. I have 46 payments listed on my record as "on time".

This 2nd time has been a complete disaster. After making payment arrangements in May, 2004 to make 1.5 car payments in May and in June to bring my account current, I made my first payment without trouble. FMC started calling my house 3 times a day even though I had made these payment arrangements. I continued to express the arrangements made with FMC and that they had already received the 1st payment which brought me 15 days late, the Care Reps showed no record of such payment arrangements being made, but did note the large payment received and continued to threaten me about being behind and how my vehicle could be repossessed.

On June 25th, 2004 I attempted to login to "ebill" online payment application to make remainder of behind payment and current payment. This would bring me current. "ebill" app had gone through an "upgrade" which required me to re-register. I tried to re-register but was unable to. I called FMC immediately to get tech support and was rudely told by Care Rep that I was "locked out until I brought my account current." (Um, hello? I was trying to make the payment!)

When trying to explain that I was attempting to make the payment, I was badgered by the care rep and that my request to be reinstated in ebill was "rejected". After asking to speak with his manager, I was cast into hold where I waited for over 25 minutes without my call being answered. I eventually hung up, tried calling again to speak to a manager and after refusing to talk to the care rep instead of a manager, I was cast onto eternal hold again.

On July 1st, I attempted to make this same payment again over the phone pay system. I successfully re-enrolled (another upgrade that deleted my previous account information) in that system as well and made my payment. I received a confirmation number for my payment and assumed all was well. FMC called on July 10th stating that payment had not been made, that I had purposely gave them a bad account number, (which it wasn't because I've had the same checking account for 10 years, I know my account number by heart) and that I was now locked out of all systems ( except Western Union) and my truck was scheduled for repossession in August.

Again, I expressed that I have done everything asked of me by FMC and that the only reason why they haven't received payment is because of FMC deleting 2 existing accounts (phone and ebill) which is causing this entire mix up. That I do not deserve to be threatened with repossession nor do I deserve the continued phone harassment and hits against my credit record because of these technological mistakes during upgrades.

I asked again to speak with a manager and again, I sat on eternal hold for 25 minutes before I hung up. By now, I had learned the routine. My wife, seeing that I was extremely upset, attempted to call on my behalf and defuse the situation. She was also harassed and slandered and is demanding I trade in the vehicle to pay off FMC immediately.

FMC is demanding I pay all delinquent late fees, accept the hit on my credit record for their inability to accurately record good faith attempts to make payment arrangements, fix faulty customer billing application upgrades and pay a 25% per day fee for every day I continue to be late since May. To add insult to injury I must now pay an additional $10 transaction fee when wiring my (even later) truck payment just so they can authorize me to use phone pay and ebill applications.Oh, and I can't just mail them my payment either. They won't accept my check or a money order by mail.

I'm not kidding, this is really how Ford Motor Credit treats their customers. I've already filed a complaint with the BBB regarding this whole mess but you know FMC will weasel out of it and I'll still have to pay these outrageous fees that never would have accrued if I was allowed to make my payment on June 25th like I originally attempted to do. I suppose I didn't have to file this, and many other negative remarks against FMC but something about calling me "fraudulent" and slandering my character set me off. It's not good to piss off a Systems Administrator! If you buy a Ford product, make sure you're financed through anyone BUT Ford Motor Credit; you'll be glad you did.

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Ford Motor Credit Lease Vehicle
By -

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA -- I leased a vehicle through Ford in 2005 - This would be my 2nd vehicle with Ford. I have excellent credit. NEVER paid late. They always received their $430.00 every month. Mind you the payment was $429. and some change. I decided this year not to renew my lease with Ford. My first reason - they send these letters, you know, come out of your lease early, they get you in the dealership and tacks the months that they claim they are paying off in your new lease. Well this is not helping me! Plus the fact their cars are just plain janes.

I decided to go with Hyundai and I must say I choose the Veracruz Limited fully loaded same price as my ford and guess what! A 2 year lease! I left my vehicle with Hyundai. I was told they could turn it in. I would get a lease bill at the end, which I did. In the mean time I owed for 3 payments. I had just paid 1 payment of $430.00 on the 22nd of Feb which was actually my normal payment. I got the new car on the 23rd and I made a payment to Ford on the 4 of March for the remainder which was like $1298.00. End of story.

In the mean time I went on their site and was locked out of my account, could not make any payments with them or see anything. Thank God I made the $1298 payment when I did before they locked my account. I set that up electronically with FORD and it was taken out of my bank account. I kept getting calls that they did not get the $1298.00 finally after the 3rd day. I had to call and was notified that they received my money.

Well guess what Ford decides to make changes to my credit to read Termination lease early and still had the balance of 1298 out there. Which to me look like I ended the lease and owes them $1298 (even though I paid this). This change to my credit was made on 3/5. I called them and they told me because I ended my lease 3 months early my lease was to end in July - they had to make the change.

OK when I got the lease in 2005 with Ford, I got that lease 6 months early, nothing happened to my credit. Could it be because I went from a FORD to a FORD or now because I went from a FORD to a HYUNDAI and someone got their tail in a spin! This even gets better. I got the review from the lease. This is where they go over your vehicle very good.

Now I was told turn in the vehicle, let them look it over and anything you owe you have 30 days to pay. I got the letter (mind you all this I can back up). The car was in normal wear and tear condition. Over mileage was 294.00 which this include 36 dollars and something cents in tax fees. I was told I had 30 days to pay. I received this letter on 3/14/08. I am not being called at home 3/11 by Ford about the 294 even though the letter clearly states 30 days to pay. I have paid these people faithfully for 3 years. 294.00 is not going to ruin my credit! But you can best believe this! THEY HAVE LOST ME FOR LIFE. I AM DONE WITH THEM!

Now I know why they will eventually go out of business. Now I know why Hyundai, Toyota, and even Kia does better than them. I am done with them! My concern is not about who sold more cars, however putting out a better product to me is a better in the long run, and as a consumer HOW I AM TREATED!!!! I always went with ford because a sister in law of mine was a big wig in Philly then in Detroit. That why I ended up leasing with them all the time.

My point is If you don't continue with them you lose out.. I paid every cent, terminated early, so what? I should have kept the vehicle the additional 3 months. It is called lease termination yes, but PAID IN FULL not lease termination owing 1298.00. That is my point!! I might as well parked the car in my driveway.

At least I thought I was doing the appropriate thing. It is not about having facts right. It is about the customer and treating the customer right so you can come back. Why I want to tack 3 or 2 months let alone 1 year worth of payments on to the next lease and pay them interest.. That don't make sense to me. I wanted to pay what I owed and be done. I appreciate the responses!

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Ford dealer service rip-offs
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MESA (PHOENIX AREA), FLORIDA -- On March 7, 2007, I took my 1993 Ford Probe into the Berge Ford Service Department in Mesa, Arizona to have the leaking valve cover gaskets replaced, and to get my recently refurbished air conditioning system functioning again. The written estimate I received for this work was $608. On March 14, I picked up the car and the billed amount was for $2713.79 (more than the car is worth).

The Service Advisor had called me the day after I left the car to tell me that the A/C compressor needed replacing (it had already been replaced 20,000 miles ago when the system was converted to the newer R138 refrigerant from R12). He said the cost for a rebuilt compressor would be $540. In fact, without any further notice until I picked up the car one week later, I was charged $914 for this part plus another $148 for a new accumulator. (I had authorized the $688 additional quoted cost, but when I picked up the car I was stunned to find that the cost for the A/C work came to $1154.)

The Service Advisor had also recommended the replacement of the (expensive) spark plug wires, which he informed me were oil-soaked. I knew that the long internal plastic/ceramic spark plug connectors were impermeable to any such soaking and declined that part of the job.

The Service Advisor also used scare tactics to try to get me to authorize CV shaft replacement because of the loss of one CV joint grease boot (he said my wheel would fall off while driving). His quoted cost to replace both of these CV half-shafts was $1700. I declined, and had this exact replacement work done (with new shafts) at another shop (Network Alignment in Mesa) the following week for a total cost of $413. The Berge Ford service department wanted to charge me four times the cost that the other shop charged me for this work.

Included in my final bill was a water pump and drive belt replacement (which I had verbally authorized on the telephone). But the mechanic broke several parts when working on the engine -- including a listed vacuum selenoid pack which he reportedly replaced. But when I picked up the car the ABS (antilock braking system) warning light was lit-up on the dashboard -- which was not illuminated when I left the car with the dealer.

Because it was obvious that the mechanic did something to the ABS control system module while working near it in the engine compartment, I asked to have this fixed at no charge, was refused, and so asked speak with the Service Manager. Both the Service Manager and Advisor refused to even look into the problem that their mechanic caused unless I paid an additional fee to find the cause. I refused -- not wishing to repeat my earlier mistake of trusting these people. Now I am driving a car with a potentially serious safety flaw which this Ford dealer service department caused.

I have been a loyal Ford customer for more than 50 years, but never before have felt so blatantly cheated by greedy businessmen. As a consequence I have sworn to sell our two Fords (we also own a recent model Ford truck) and never again buy a Ford vehicle or patronize one of their dealers.

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Committed to profits not people
By -

August 11, 2005, I called Ford Credit at 0820am and spoke with a CSR who was very diligent in researching the events over the course of the past few months. He attempted to give his account of why he believed no automatic payment was withdrawn in May. That it was because that I requested a deferment for April, but my April payment went through. Then, when the payment was returned, the account showed delinquent for May. Hence the courtesy call on June 1 to inquire as to why my payment had not been received.

My question is: If the "system" was able to impede my May payment, why then could my April payment (the one that had been deferred) not have been stopped? Clearly, the intermittent e-bill auto-pay issue remained a mystery. After speaking with the CSR at Ford early the following morning and realizing that he could do nothing on his end once again, I spoke with Carol in Irving, Texas.

Carol was not as pleasant and advocated that this was not the fault of Ford Motor Credit. She made it clear that e-bill is a courtesy for consumers and that CSRs do not have access to view e-bill information. Furthermore, when I requested - as previous CSRs had offered - to be reimbursed for fees I had incurred as a result of the duplicate payment, she informed me that again, this was not the fault of Ford Credit and that she could not guarantee the fees would be recovered.

As of today, August 11, 2005, I cannot buy groceries for my children, food for my dogs, or take my sick cat to the vet until my account becomes positive. Furthermore, I cannot purchase school supplies for my children who meet their teachers tonight and begin school on Monday because my bank account is more than $400 overdrawn. I have incurred $84 in overdraft fees to date and expect several more between now and Saturday as I have schedule several bill pay debits.

I am an intelligent, respectable, extremely computer proficient consumer who has been making regularly scheduled, on-time payments to Ford Motor Credit for over three years on our current vehicle. Your advertisements and your websites clearly state that your commitment is to your customers, yet you fail to improve the transmissions in your vehicles so that we don't have to get them replaced after only 3 years of ownership.

You offer your consumers a "courtesy service" in providing them with the option of enrolling in e-billing and e-bill auto-pay, yet you refuse to take responsibility when the system falls short. You fail to fully qualify and educate your CSRs before you allow them to assist customers over the phone thereby affording them the ability to "assume" to know what is happening with the customer's account.

You are not a bank so you cannot simply refund my overpayment through electronic means, but you can very easily TAKE my money in this manner. Your company made over $700 million in profits for the second quarter of 2005, nonetheless you cannot admit fault in that communication between your virtual and existent "systems" need tweaking so that those of us whose profits for the second quarter of 2005 were less than $10K won't suffer from errors such as these.

I realize that the CSR on the other line is underpaid, just working to earn a paycheck, and has no vested interest in my life whatsoever. I am also aware that they can only do as much as they are instructed and authorized to do. What I don't understand, is why they don't have the ability or authorization to transfer me to someone whose "commitment" truly is to the customer and who does possibly have the knowledge, skill, and authorization to help me in my hour of hardship.

Clearly, nobody and no "system" is perfect and a truly "committed" entity would accept that fact and take responsibility when in fact the "system" fails. I believe that the only thing the Ford Credit Corporation is committed to is profiting from the misfortune, trials, and tribulations of its customers.

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Ford Motor Rating:
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1.2 out of 5, based on 12 ratings and
106 reviews & complaints.
Contact Information:
Ford Motor
The American Rd.
Dearborn, MI 48121
1-800-392-3673 (ph)
www.ford.com
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