Ford Complaint

My Ford complaint (please see below)was mailed on the 18th of May 2022 I received a response on the 20th of May 2022, the email only mentioned that my complaint has been escalated to dealer management. To date I have had no further correspondence from Ford SA. It seems to me that if you ignore your problems it just goes away.

To whom it may concern,

VIN: AFAJXXMJWJJS59433 Ford Everest 3.2 XLT 2018

Ford fleet codes AO144, AQ853

The above-mentioned vehicle was booked into Kouga Ford in Humansdorp in October 2021 with a vibration/shudder problem. I was contacted by a service consultant with no fault found I insisted they recheck the vehicle, on collection the senior technician drove with me around the block with no shudder.

I immediately suspected that the dealership had temporarily “fixed” something because the vibration/shudder disappeared. The Dealership should be using the latest diagnostics equipment to assist with fault finding. I therefore doubt that this was a latent defect. The Dealership in my opinion failed to disclose the full “problem”. I have a lot of unanswered questions. Were the right procedures followed? Do the Dealership generate lower margins with warrantee claims? Do the technicians earn higher commission on out of warranty repairs?

In early December I again experienced a vibration/shudder on the vehicle and immediately notified the dealership of it. Again, it was checked in to Kouga Ford when I was notified that the Front prop shaft needed replacing, the parts needed to be ordered and was replaced on the 14th of December 2021.

In March 2022, the vibration/shudder was back, and the vehicle was checked in with Kouga Ford, but know I was informed the vehicle was out of warranty with a list of problems that included the back drive shaft.(But the quote refers to “Drive Shaft Front”)

How do you find no fault to a list of problems(out of warranty)in a short +-4500km’s? My only conclusion would be that the dealership temporary repaired defects hoping it would hold the remainder of the warranty. The exorbitant quote and excessive labour charge that followed warranty proves to me what their intensions were.

Unfortunately, this has put my trust in the Ford brand in serious jeopardy, our company are Ford orientated but this leaves us no option to rather make alternative brand decisions for the future. I requested a service log on the mentioned vehicle but never was the October booking for vibration/shudder logged as well as the front brake skimming ever mentioned.

I received a letter from Kouga Ford service consultant which is most definitely the most unprofessional and shocking response I have ever encountered.(Please see attached)

I feel that the dealership has not been truthful about the vehicle problems from the beginning.

I received an unprofessional cash sale quote with handwritten labour charge for the vehicle repairs with no indication of a specific vehicle, either the dealership doesn’t use CRM systems, or the consultants lack training thereof.

With loosing trust in Kouga Ford I was forced to get a second opinion on the vehicle defects, which was rapidly repaired at an absolutely fraction of the original quote from Kouga Ford. The Dealership quoted R 23818.29 and the third party repaired the defects within 2 hours for R3305.00.

I will await your response before I refer this matter to the MIOSA, NCC & NCT.

A brand is only as strong as their representatives, how would you rectify this unpleasant situation.