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Unauthorized work led to damaged vehicle

Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
#1
On Tuesday July 23rd my wife took our 2021 Explorer ST to or local Ford dealer for a scheduled service. She also asked them to diagnose and repair a clanking noise in the back end of the car which occurs when the vehicle is put in reverse and then back to drive. We had previously mentioned this noise on prior service appointments, but they never identified or fixed it. My wife asked them at drop off to call her husband, me, on the status of the car and any repairs that might be required.
Two days went by without a call from Service before she called in to find out the status of the vehicle. At that time, they tried to explain that there was some engine cover leak and that they were working on the transmission, without my consent. My wife asked them to call me which they did not do again. There was never a drop of oil in my garage from this vehicle and the transmission shifted perfectly, so I called the service department the next day. I explained to them that the noise was from the rear of the car and not the transmission but they insisted otherwise. We asked for a loaner twice but they couldn’t provide one.
The service agent told me that they had to pull the transmission to replace the Valve body. I thought this was excessive as the transmission worked flawlessly. I called a friend who owns a transmission shop in Pennsylvania and he sent me the work sheet for what is required on the Valve body replacement on the 10R60 transmission. The service tech told me that it was a 4 day job when it should have been 2.9 hours and performed without transmission removal!
At this point, I was not happy as we needed a car and they told me that they would have a loaner by Monday night or Tuesday. I could not believe that they would have our car for over a week for what was originally a service and what turned out to be a simple tightening of a stabilizer link!!!
Next, they left a message on my wife’s phone on Monday. She forwarded it to me and so I called. Turns out that I was right that it was a simple tightening of the rear stabilizer link but that they damaged the vehicle in the lot. I immediately left work early and went to the dealer.
At the dealer, I asked for the work order to see what they had done and then went to see the damage. After seeing the passenger door with a dent and paint completely scraped off, and a destroyed front rim, I was infuriated. We have the metal flake pearl white (forget the name) and so they’ll have difficulty matching that. I spoke with the service manager but they offered me little more than an apology. I left in a loaner.
When I got home, I read through the work order and here is the real annoying part. They lied on the order saying that “Customers States Transmission Bangs when shifting”. My wife told them it clunks when backing into the garage. And “Customer States Fluid Leak under vehicle”. We NEVER stated this as there was no leak or even a drop in our garage!!! THEY COMPLETELY REMOVED MY ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO REPAIR IT!!!!!
So now I have a vehicle with only 24k miles that we loved and ran flawlessly with dented passenger front door and scratched right front rim. On top of that, the engine and transmission have been completely removed and reinstalled for repairs that I did not authorize, I do not think were needed and at great expense to the Ford Motor Company. I do not like the idea of owning a vehicle that had a FACTORY installed drive train removed and reinstalled with only 1 month remaining on the factory warranty. We had planned on keeping this car for several more years but now I do not want to take the risk. I called #FORD directly and opened a case on 7/31. The person on the phone gave me a case number but no one has contacted me as of today. She said I "MAY" get a call but it doesn't look good. This dealer was clearly milking @FORD for unnecessary repairs without my consent. Help anyone!!!
 

Last edited:
OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #2
Here is the body damage
 

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hbalek

Active Member
Messages
917
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519
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232
Location
Kensington, MD, USA
#3
On Tuesday July 23rd my wife took our 2021 Explorer ST to or local Ford dealer for a scheduled service. She also asked them to diagnose and repair a clanking noise in the back end of the car which occurs when the vehicle is put in reverse and then back to drive. We had previously mentioned this noise on prior service appointments, but they never identified or fixed it. My wife asked them at drop off to call her husband, me, on the status of the car and any repairs that might be required.
Two days went by without a call from Service before she called in to find out the status of the vehicle. At that time, they tried to explain that there was some engine cover leak and that they were working on the transmission, without my consent. My wife asked them to call me which they did not do again. There was never a drop of oil in my garage from this vehicle and the transmission shifted perfectly, so I called the service department the next day. I explained to them that the noise was from the rear of the car and not the transmission but they insisted otherwise. We asked for a loaner twice but they couldn’t provide one.
The service agent told me that they had to pull the transmission to replace the Valve body. I thought this was excessive as the transmission worked flawlessly. I called a friend who owns a transmission shop in Pennsylvania and he sent me the work sheet for what is required on the Valve body replacement on the 10R60 transmission. The service tech told me that it was a 4 day job when it should have been 2.9 hours and performed without transmission removal!
At this point, I was not happy as we needed a car and they told me that they would have a loaner by Monday night or Tuesday. I could not believe that they would have our car for over a week for what was originally a service and what turned out to be a simple tightening of a stabilizer link!!!
Next, they left a message on my wife’s phone on Monday. She forwarded it to me and so I called. Turns out that I was right that it was a simple tightening of the rear stabilizer link but that they damaged the vehicle in the lot. I immediately left work early and went to the dealer.
At the dealer, I asked for the work order to see what they had done and then went to see the damage. After seeing the passenger door with a dent and paint completely scraped off, and a destroyed front rim, I was infuriated. We have the metal flake pearl white (forget the name) and so they’ll have difficulty matching that. I spoke with the service manager but they offered me little more than an apology. I left in a loaner.
When I got home, I read through the work order and here is the real annoying part. They lied on the order saying that “Customers States Transmission Bangs when shifting”. My wife told them it clunks when backing into the garage. And “Customer States Fluid Leak under vehicle”. We NEVER stated this as there was no leak or even a drop in our garage!!! THEY COMPLETELY REMOVED MY ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO REPAIR IT!!!!!
So now I have a vehicle with only 24k miles that we loved and ran flawlessly with dented passenger front door and scratched right front rim. On top of that, the engine and transmission have been completely removed and reinstalled for repairs that I did not authorize, I do not think were needed and at great expense to the Ford Motor Company. I do not like the idea of owning a vehicle that had a FACTORY installed drive train removed and reinstalled with only 1 month remaining on the factory warranty. We had planned on keeping this car for several more years but now I do not want to take the risk. I called #FORD directly and opened a case on 7/31. The person on the phone gave me a case number but no one has contacted me as of today. She said I "MAY" get a call but it doesn't look good. This dealer was clearly milking @FORD for unnecessary repairs without my consent. Help anyone!!!
You have a Powertrain Warranty for 5 years/60K miles.
 

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,543
Reactions
1,125
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#4
Looks like somebody went for a joyride. Man that sucks! Prime reason I fix my own,. Hate taking it to the dealer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

FORZDA3

Member
U.S. Air Force Veteran
Messages
480
Reactions
318
Points
67
Location
Gloucester, VA, USA
Vehicle
2021 Explorer ST
#5
You should get an attorney and take the lying ass dealer to court for well, lying and screwing up your vehicle. There is much bad information here. You should have a copy of the original work order written up before you left the car. If you didn't get one, then you’ll have a tough go.
 

BrooseDaMoose

Active Member
Messages
688
Reactions
337
Points
82
Location
East Freetown, MA
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST, Silver Spruce Metalic
#6
Going to the dealer is like a craps shoot these days! I had a similar nightmare when I took my vehicle in for service. They had my vehicle for over a month and never provided a loaner! It wasn't until I left them a negative review did they change thier attitude and start working with me. Sorry to hear about the issue but I have to say, it's par for the course.
 

OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #7
You have a Powertrain Warranty for 5 years/60K miles.
It's about the market value and reliability of a car my wife will be in.....
 

OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #8
You should get an attorney and take the lying ass dealer to court for well, lying and screwing up your vehicle. There is much bad information here. You should have a copy of the original work order written up before you left the car. If you didn't get one, then you’ll have a tough go.
I did consult an attorney and it is a tough road, but I will make as much noise as I can.
 

Messages
55
Reactions
30
Points
17
Location
Southern New Jersey
Vehicle
2020 Ford Explorer ST
#9
Take it to social media. I had a dealership sell me a truck as new that had the door skin replaced on passengers side rear. I didn’t notice it until I put my daughter in the second row for the first time. Took it back multiple trips to the body shop and they never got it right. To the point where they were like we will excuse the door damage from lease agreement. I’m like I’m not taking a truck that is damaged for the next three years. I took to social media, dealer rating, cars.com anywhere where I could put a review about the dealership. I get a phone call a few days later from from the owner of the dealership asking me what they could do to make things right. I told them I want a new door from factory. The owner agreed and they placed a brand new door on my truck. Since it was brand new, the paint match perfectly.

They asked me to take my reviews down from all the media sites and I told him my refuse I will amend it that they did make things right, but I want people to know that they need to inspect their vehicles before purchase.

This was back in 2015 back when dealerships actually cared a bit about their reviews
 

Messages
137
Reactions
152
Points
37
Location
Michigan
#10
Ford case numbers don't mean jack. They will give you a case number for anything and do nothing from there..
 

Diamondave

New Member
Messages
20
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
So Cal
#11
On Tuesday July 23rd my wife took our 2021 Explorer ST to or local Ford dealer for a scheduled service. She also asked them to diagnose and repair a clanking noise in the back end of the car which occurs when the vehicle is put in reverse and then back to drive. We had previously mentioned this noise on prior service appointments, but they never identified or fixed it. My wife asked them at drop off to call her husband, me, on the status of the car and any repairs that might be required.
Two days went by without a call from Service before she called in to find out the status of the vehicle. At that time, they tried to explain that there was some engine cover leak and that they were working on the transmission, without my consent. My wife asked them to call me which they did not do again. There was never a drop of oil in my garage from this vehicle and the transmission shifted perfectly, so I called the service department the next day. I explained to them that the noise was from the rear of the car and not the transmission but they insisted otherwise. We asked for a loaner twice but they couldn’t provide one.
The service agent told me that they had to pull the transmission to replace the Valve body. I thought this was excessive as the transmission worked flawlessly. I called a friend who owns a transmission shop in Pennsylvania and he sent me the work sheet for what is required on the Valve body replacement on the 10R60 transmission. The service tech told me that it was a 4 day job when it should have been 2.9 hours and performed without transmission removal!
At this point, I was not happy as we needed a car and they told me that they would have a loaner by Monday night or Tuesday. I could not believe that they would have our car for over a week for what was originally a service and what turned out to be a simple tightening of a stabilizer link!!!
Next, they left a message on my wife’s phone on Monday. She forwarded it to me and so I called. Turns out that I was right that it was a simple tightening of the rear stabilizer link but that they damaged the vehicle in the lot. I immediately left work early and went to the dealer.
At the dealer, I asked for the work order to see what they had done and then went to see the damage. After seeing the passenger door with a dent and paint completely scraped off, and a destroyed front rim, I was infuriated. We have the metal flake pearl white (forget the name) and so they’ll have difficulty matching that. I spoke with the service manager but they offered me little more than an apology. I left in a loaner.
When I got home, I read through the work order and here is the real annoying part. They lied on the order saying that “Customers States Transmission Bangs when shifting”. My wife told them it clunks when backing into the garage. And “Customer States Fluid Leak under vehicle”. We NEVER stated this as there was no leak or even a drop in our garage!!! THEY COMPLETELY REMOVED MY ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO REPAIR IT!!!!!
So now I have a vehicle with only 24k miles that we loved and ran flawlessly with dented passenger front door and scratched right front rim. On top of that, the engine and transmission have been completely removed and reinstalled for repairs that I did not authorize, I do not think were needed and at great expense to the Ford Motor Company. I do not like the idea of owning a vehicle that had a FACTORY installed drive train removed and reinstalled with only 1 month remaining on the factory warranty. We had planned on keeping this car for several more years but now I do not want to take the risk. I called #FORD directly and opened a case on 7/31. The person on the phone gave me a case number but no one has contacted me as of today. She said I "MAY" get a call but it doesn't look good. This dealer was clearly milking @FORD for unnecessary repairs without my consent. Help anyone!!!
What work did your wife sign for on the repair order?
 

hbalek

Active Member
Messages
917
Reactions
519
Points
232
Location
Kensington, MD, USA
#12
My dealer has been excellent mostly but one time they scuffed the front bumper in the carwash bay. I pointed it out. They reviewed the security camera footage and repaired it with no hassles and was provided a loaner. Good thing there was a recording of the time at the dealership otherwise it was my word against theirs. One time at a Lincoln dealer, they damaged my wheel and owned up to it before I knew it even happened and replaced the wheel with a brand new one. Other than those 2 incidents, in 40 years of car ownership I've had good luck with local dealerships doing warranty repairs and maintenance. I'm sorry this happened to you and your wife and if I were you, I'd find another Ford dealership for future repairs.
 

OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #13
What work did your wife sign for on the repair order?
She brought it in for an oil change and to fix the noise coming from the rear axle. No signature on anything, Instructions to call me on anything...
 

Messages
137
Reactions
152
Points
37
Location
Michigan
#14
She brought it in for an oil change and to fix the noise coming from the rear axle. No signature on anything, Instructions to call me on anything...
In my experiences, I have the write up on the envelope if I am doing an early drop off, or, If I'm dropping it off during business hours, I get a printout up front from the write-up at the time of my drop off. Hard lesson to learn but not having things in print beforehand bit you in the butt.
 

hbalek

Active Member
Messages
917
Reactions
519
Points
232
Location
Kensington, MD, USA
#15
In my experiences, I have the write up on the envelope if I am doing an early drop off, or, If I'm dropping it off during business hours, I get a printout up front from the write-up at the time of my drop off. Hard lesson to learn but not having things in print beforehand bit you in the butt.
Exactly! I was at a hotel couple weeks ago, didn't get a receipt at checkout like I normally do and they charged me for parking even though I ubered everywhere and didn't have a car! LOL Got a refund. Hopefully, this will work out in the end like my experiences.
 

Diamondave

New Member
Messages
20
Reactions
12
Points
2
Location
So Cal
#16
She brought it in for an oil change and to fix the noise coming from the rear axle. No signature on anything, Instructions to call me on anything...
Well, your service writer created a repair order; what he/she wrote is the root of your problem since it tells the shop what to do to your car. The fact that your wife didn't review it and sign it doesn't help. I would suggest meeting with the GM, Parts, and Service Director, Service Mgr, and service writer to find out what happened and come to a resolution. Maintain your composure and have a help me attitude. Good Luck
 

OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #17
Well, your service writer created a repair order; what he/she wrote is the root of your problem since it tells the shop what to do to your car. The fact that your wife didn't review it and sign it doesn't help. I would suggest meeting with the GM, Parts, and Service Director, Service Mgr, and service writer to find out what happened and come to a resolution. Maintain your composure and have a help me attitude. Good Luck
She didn’t sign anything because it was a simple oil change, and to inspect for whatever the source of the noise was. They were instructed to call me and let me know what repairs were required. They did not do that, and in fact, they even stated that customer complains of leak in engine, which was total BS because there was no leak and we didn’t tell him that. This is clearly a dealership trying to milk Ford Motor company out of unnecessary repairs and now I have to fight the battle to prove it.
 

Polizi212

New Member
U.S. Army Veteran
Firefighter/EMT
Messages
24
Reactions
29
Points
12
Location
Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Ford Explorer ST
#18
She didn’t sign anything because it was a simple oil change, and to inspect for whatever the source of the noise was. They were instructed to call me and let me know what repairs were required. They did not do that, and in fact, they even stated that customer complains of leak in engine, which was total BS because there was no leak and we didn’t tell him that. This is clearly a dealership trying to milk Ford Motor company out of unnecessary repairs and now I have to fight the battle to prove it.

damaged car, Mystery leak you didn't have prior to dropping off, and a write up for said leak, this dealership is lying. All these point to a cover up. you car was probably damaged by the tech joy riding it and they are trying to cover there collective rear ends. because they damaged it!
 

OP
F
Messages
8
Reactions
7
Points
2
Location
NJ
Vehicle
2021 ST
Thread Starter #19
Still nothing from dealer and put in 2nd call to corporate about my case number. i was promised a call back by end of day.... #Ford pissed
 

F=MA

Active Member
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Location
Wichita, KS, USA
#20
That's why I don't even want to take my 2023 in for a Sync Update. USB approach failed. That's why I do my own oil changes also.
 

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