HALFWAY FORD WATERFALL & FORD SA - WARRANTY ISSUES, DECEIT, & POOR SERVICE

We are having huge issues with our Ford Kuga.

The car was involved in a back accident just prior to lock down. It eventually went into Hillcrest Panel beaters on 15.06.2020, after very limited movement during lockdown, and was repaired. I collected the car on 03.07.2020. On collection I left the panel beaters and on turning out of their driveway onto the road the car would not go forward in gear. I drove around the block and back to the panel beaters, were the owner and myself drove around the block, and Murphy’s law nothing happened. The panel beaters made arrangements with Ford Waterfall to check the car, and some days later the car went in, and was advised the rear sensor needed to be changed. The shipment of the sensor took approximately 3 weeks, as the new sensor as it had to be shipped from abroad. I asked the panel beater if the car was ok to drive, and safe during the waiting period. The panel beater got an email from Ford Waterfall stating that the car was ok to drive. When the part arrived the panel beater contacted me and I took the car into Waterfall Ford on 11.08.2020, where I was advised by the panel beater through a email from Waterfall the part was covered under warranty. On 30.08.2020 while in Umhlanga, while stopped at an intersection, the car once again would not take off in gear, same symptoms as when I collected the car from the panel beater, and the warning light TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I immediately called Ford Waterfall, who advised to drive to them to plug into the computer. I asked if the car was ok to drive and safe, and was advised it was ok. Please note I had to stop every few kms, switch the car off to let the car rest, then go again. On arrival at the dealership they plugged in the Computer and advised gearbox was broken, and to take it to Mayfair in Pinetown, that does the gearbox repairs for them, and that it would cost between R25 000.00 and R30 000.00. On Monday morning the 01.09.2020 I contacted Gareth Crouch, service manager at Waterfall Ford, who after hearing my story asked for the service history which I emailed to him. 1 - He also advised that they could not pick up the 100 000Km and 140 000Km services. The 100 000Km was done at Ford, and the 140 000km service was done at Bosch in Hillcrest, an AA approved service agent, that Ford Waterfall tells me doesn’t meet their servicing criteria/standards. The service I did with Bosch was their full diagnostic service. This 140 000km service was the first service done after the regular service plan, and extended service plan that I had taken. At no point at purchase, or during servicing was I advised by the selling dealer or servicing dealer that the car had to continue being serviced at Ford. His response was it was out of warranty so not covered. “The warranty on the vehicle will be cancelled, due to the service performed by a non-approved ford service center (hill crest motors ) . unfortunately I cannot claim for any repairs on the warranty.” I questioned Gareth as to how the rear sensor was covered under warranty and not the gearbox at that point, in such a short time period.

2 – When I asked Gareth Crouch how Ford could decline the warranty based on service history, I asked where he got the service records from. His answer was that it was in the car when the car was taken to Ford Waterfall. When I advised that the service records were not in the car, he advised that Hillcrest Panel Beaters had supp**** them to him. On calling Mary at Hillcrest Panel Beaters, who dealt with the car, she advised that they had not sent any service history to Gareth Crouch, or anyone at Waterfall Ford – The first Lie from Ford Waterfall. 3 – When I asked why the RHS Rear ABS Sensor was covered under warranty, and the gearbox not. His answer was that Hillcrest Panel Beaters had paid for the repair. Again, I called Mary at Hillcrest Panel Beaters, who advised that they had not paid for the repair – The second lie from Ford Waterfall. 02.09.2020, I had an approximately 30 minute long phone call with Stacey Grace (Dealer Principal of Waterfall Ford) & Gareth Crouch (Service Manager of Waterfall Ford). In this conversation Stacey Grace advised that: - A – It was an internal error on behalf of Ford Waterfall. I have a copy of the email sent to the Panel Beater stating the Rear sensor was covered under warranty. B – Ford Waterfall paid for the repair because of their good working relationship with Hillcrest Panel Beaters. Both points above I advised had nothing to do with me. I had not been advised by Ford Waterfall at any time that my car was out of warranty due to its cancellation because I had serviced the car at Bosch Hillcrest. In fact, the only time I was told was on 01.09.2020. My question was how do you cover one repair then decline the next? Her reply was that Ford Waterfall paid for the repair because of their good working relationship with Hillcrest Panel Beaters, and that it was an internal error. When I asked if I could have the contact details of the regional manager, Stacey Grace advised that she had sent the query through to the Regional Manager, who had also declined it, and that I could not get hold of him, or have his details. A point the MD of Ford SA, Mr. Neale Hill, says I should have been given access to. To cap it all off she laughed at me before ending the call. That evening 02.09.2020, I contacted Neale Hill, MD of Ford SA. On 03.09.2020, I emailed all info to him, so that he could monitor the progress while being dealt with by Ford SA head office. Since then it has been back and forth phone calls and emails with Farad Kadar at Ford Head Office CRC, conference calls with Sumaiya Suleman & Talaal Bassiouni at Ford Head Office, and calls and emails with Neale Hill MD of Ford SA. I was advised to take the car to Ford Pinetown, to Tony Perumal by instruction of Ford head Office, as they didn’t want me to deal with Stacey Grace and Gareth Crouch at Waterfall Ford. I took the car in on 17.09.2020, leaving early in the morning to avoid traffic, and again I had to stop the car every few kms, turn it off, let it rest, then carry on. The car has been diagnosed, but I cannot get a copy of the original report, instead I was sent the below email on 06.10.2020 :- From: Tony Perumal Sent: Thursday, 08 October 2020 14:12 To: Kader, Farad (F.) Cc: Bassiouni, Talaal (T.) ; Virosh Sivsanker Subject: RE: [Internal] RE: ***-Gearbox concern-Mr. Garth Van der MerweWF0AXXWPMAFS16363 Hi Farad Please forward to client. Vehicle came in for checking of operation of gearbox. Carried out diagnostics and found DTC P703 and P704 (performance and range of clutch friction element ie clutches slipping) Also picked up that the gearbox is noisy and has a very harsh and erratic gear change. Drew a sample of gear oil and found traces of metal filings and the oil smelt burnt. Took vehicle around the block and found the gears slipping and battles for drive, Please note : - - To date we still don’t know what has caused the Transmission Failure. - Ford Waterfall on both occasions after the fault arose advised the car could be driven and it was safe. - We never experienced any signs prior to collection from Panel Beaters, and before being stationary at the intersection in Umhlanga. - On the 02.10.2020 I received the following From Farad Kader at Ford Head Office CRC : - From: Kader, Farad (F.) <***> Sent: Friday, October 2, 2020 10:15 AM To: Garth Van Der Merwe <***> Cc: Bassiouni, Talaal (T.) <***> Subject: RE: ***-Gearbox concern-Mr. Garth Van der Merwe Morning Mr Van der Merwe

Trust you are well

Apologies for the delay we wanted to engage with you telephonically. As per conversation with the management team. They have looked at the query at close detail and have taken the information supp**** by yourself and the dealership regarding your vehicle and has a gesture of goodwill we would like to offer you a 20% contribution towards the repair of your vehicle.

This was after receiving the repair quotation from Ford Pinetown for R 52 907.02 for a reconditioned gearbox from Mayfair in Pinetown. My question is why is it not repaired by Ford themselves? And why almost R 53 000.00 when Waterfall Ford said between R 25 000.00 and R 35 000.00? I was advised by Farad Kader that a New Gearbox is R 135 000.00, a quotation they never sent me, only given verbally. And please note the 20% only covers the removal and installation of the gearbox. So basically, I am supposed to pay for the reconditioned gearbox. This means that because they just send the faulty gearbox to Mayfair and receive a reconditioned one, we have no idea if it is a R 1 000.00 minor repair or what the cause may actually be, all we have to go with a diagnostic report, which we have not received, and the word of a repairer that is affiliated to Ford. Which leaves a degree of suspicion, as we the Ford Customer don’t have any idea of what is actually at fault in the gearbox.

One also has to question why Ford does not repair their own gearboxes? We were never informed that we had to continue using Ford for servicing after the service plan or extended service plan that I took. And we used a reputable / accredited dealer in Bosch Hillcrest. Not some backyard mechanic. It has been over a month and a half and we are getting no solid results, just pushed from pillar to post, phone call after phone call, and it’s always I will look into it and get back to you and we never get a straight answer. We are paying monthly for a car that is sitting in Pinetown Fords workshop.