Extreme Service Delays

[TheSpecialMan]

Does anyone have contact info for escalations within Ford due to service delays and any advice on it if will make any difference?

I noticed my transmission acting up on my 2018 Plat back in early March and took into my local dealer. I've got 45k miles so should still be under powertrain warranty. They said it would be a couple days before they could diagnose it, two weeks went by, I had some things I needed the vehicle for and it was still drivable so I took it back. Then I got the wrench on the dash with a "Powertrain malfunction" message on Fordpass so I brought it back to the dealer. After a few more weeks I elevated to the manager there and at least got a loaner vehicle. He said they needed to tear my transmission down to determine what was bad, only had one transmission tech and he was way backed up.

At this point it's now been there nearly 3 months and all they continue to say is the transmission tech is still backed up and he hasn't gotten to it.
I called all other dealers within a reasonable distance, only one even has a transmission tech on staff and he is about two weeks behind. That dealer doesn't have any loaners so I'm probably better off sticking where I am.
I am considering just bringing it to an independent transmission shop and just paying for the repair, but my concern is there could be some part that is on backorder and again I'd be stuck without even a loaner. And then I have no idea if I'm looking at a $500 repair or $5,000 repair.

Anyone have any advice on best course of action from here? If I stay where I am, I at least have a loaner but have a long road trip coming up in a few weeks and they say I'm supposed to bring it back before I go over 3500 miles which I would if I take it on that trip. I'd also just like to have my own vehicle. They can't tell me if they'll get to me in 2 weeks or 2 months.

 

[Blue87GT]

I would call Ford Customer Service about it. You've elevated it to the Manager already.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I would be wary of being told they have to tear down the entire tranny to diagnose. No wonder the mechanic is backlogged! I would call Ford Customer Service and get them to agree to pay an outside shop to diagnose. It could something very simple.

I would not expect that to be unreasonable. I had an alignment problem on an E350 van and the dealer sent me to an independent truck shop to have rear axle thrust angle tweaked.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[Deadman]

My 18 Navigator has been in for almost 8 weeks now getting the engine replaced! Not surprised.

Call Ford...

 

[Vipersinu2]

The world of covid-19.
This is making us learn patience!

 

[Clemson82]

The world of covid-19.
This is making us learn patience!

Sorry, I must have misread something...What part of Ford's incompetence here is related to Covid?

 

[lv2drive]

Sorry, I must have misread something...What part of Ford's incompetence here is related to Covid?

to be fair, the “parts” part.

 

[Deadman]

My dealership said their guys have been off for random weeks because of the stupid Covid protocol BS and its put them so far behind and now people are driving the cars that they left parked for a year while they hid in their moms basement.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

My dealership said their guys have been off for random weeks because of the stupid Covid protocol BS and its put them so far behind and now people are driving the cars that they left parked for a year while they hid in their moms basement.

I had several close friends die from COVID. None had underlying health conditions.

My son, a law enforcement officer, contracted COVID after the riots in our city last summer - as he was on the street as a riot squad commander. He was ill for one month, and now has underlying health issues. Prior to that, he was very healthy, worked out daily, and did not smoke or drink.

Your mocking of those that took the virus seriously is childish and immature.

 

[Deadman]

I had several close friends die from COVID. None had underlying health conditions.

My son, a law enforcement officer, contracted COVID after the riots in our city last summer - as he was on the street as a riot squad commander. He was ill for one month, and now has underlying health issues. Prior to that, he was very healthy, worked out daily, and did not smoke or drink.

Your mocking of those that took the virus seriously is childish and immature.

I operate a Funeral Home, I've seen this first hand. I'm just annoyed by the way this country crawled in a hole and shut down. Sorry if it sounded as if I was mocking this particular disease. I worked through this whole thing while everyone else seemed to sit home and hide (including the mechanics). I handled many remains with Covid.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

I operate a Funeral Home, I've seen this first hand. I'm just annoyed by the way this country crawled in a hole and shut down. Sorry if it sounded as if I was mocking this particular disease. I worked through this whole thing while everyone else seemed to sit home and hide (including the mechanics). I handled many remains with Covid.

Not all of our country crawled into a hole or hid - for a lot of last year, the criminals and thugs in various cities had no problem rioting, looting, shooting, killing, robbing others, setting fires etc. Many of our elected officials said nothing about them, yet tried to force many legitimate businesses and churches to shut-down, often criticizing the law abiding people.

The massive increase in violence continues though out many major cities in the USA, and many liberals are trying to blame COVID for the violence increase. I don’t buy it.

Your work must have been difficult - and probably still is. Good luck.

 

[Deadman]

Not all of our country crawled into a hole or hid - for a lot of last year, the criminals and thugs in various cities had no problem rioting, looting, shooting, killing, robbing others, setting fires etc. Many of our elected officials said nothing about them, yet tried to force many legitimate businesses and churches to shut-down, often criticizing the law abiding people.

The massive increase in violence continues though out many major cities in the USA, and many liberals are trying to blame COVID for the violence increase. I don’t buy it.

Your work must have been difficult - and probably still is. Good luck.

I agree.

 

[5280tunage]

I will absolutely say that many corporations are abusing the effects of covid. E.g. just found out the manufacturer of the siding on my home decided it was a good time to stop producing the siding "due to covid". One of my very good friends was one of the very first critical patients in CO and ended up with tons of experimental treatments to bring him back, thankfully he is okay.

Sorry *opinions and rants follow*

I think the bigger issue is how our commercial industries of all types have relied so heavily on china for manufacturing, and our govt officials sat and watched it happen. I get it, many of them have so much money tied up in our stock market, that they want companies to turn higher profits to help their own fortunes. Why are there hundreds of thousands of fords sitting in parking lots unsellable? Oh yeah. For me, the sad part is I don't think anyone is going to learn from this. Our ****** CDC won't stockpile enough PPE for the next thing, businesses will continue to do what they do. But I get the other side too, consumers want cheap everything and our labor market is too expensive. Taxing corps higher will likely make it even worse. I could go on and on.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

I will absolutely say that many corporations are abusing the effects of covid. E.g. just found out the manufacturer of the siding on my home decided it was a good time to stop producing the siding "due to covid". One of my very good friends was one of the very first critical patients in CO and ended up with tons of experimental treatments to bring him back, thankfully he is okay.

Sorry *opinions and rants follow*

I think the bigger issue is how our commercial industries of all types have relied so heavily on china for manufacturing, and our govt officials sat and watched it happen. I get it, many of them have so much money tied up in our stock market, that they want companies to turn higher profits to help their own fortunes. Why are there hundreds of thousands of fords sitting in parking lots unsellable? Oh yeah. For me, the sad part is I don't think anyone is going to learn from this. Our ****** CDC won't stockpile enough PPE for the next thing, businesses will continue to do what they do. But I get the other side too, consumers want cheap everything and our labor market is too expensive. Taxing corps higher will likely make it even worse. I could go on and on.

And don’t forget while our government was unable to provide PPE for the heath care workers, and police officers and fire fighters exposed to COVID daily - our local, county, state and federal governments had no problem providing free Narcan and needles/syringes for the dope addicts.

 

[Scott Hunter]

COVID has thrown a monkey wrench into everything. So many companies had to downsize and shut factories due to lack of workers, etc. Lumber costs are insane. Car companies can't get parts.I'm not surprised that Ford dealerships are having service backlogs, but 6 months to a year is insane.

 

[TheSpecialMan]

Update on my situation - I did call the Ford Customer Service line last week and let them know how long my vehicle was at the dealer without even a diagnosis. While I was on the line, the Ford rep put me on hold and called the dealer herself. She came back and said the service advisor at the dealer stated the problem had been diagnosed, they already had the parts and it was just a matter of the transmission tech having time to get to the repair.
That was news to me, so I called the dealer back myself and spoke to my service advisor who confirmed what she had told the Customer Service rep and said she thought my previous service advisor told me they had ordered parts and knew what the problem was. Of course that never happened so I asked what exactly the problem was.
She wasn't sure exactly but read the parts list the tech had requested - a transmission bracket of some kind, a couple of seals (gaskets?) and a screen (filter?). I asked her to talk to the tech and get me the real diagnosis. The next day she called and said it was just a broken transmission bracket and the other parts would be needed when the tech has to tear down the transmission to get to the bracket and put it back together. She said it was a design flaw with the transmission bracket which I'm highly skeptical about because I haven't seen that come up on this forum or any of the F150 forums.
Anyway, the tech supposedly actually started the repair work yesterday and she says I should have it back this week. I don't know if that call from Ford Service caused them to suddenly jump onto my vehicle or it's just coincidence that they are finally getting to it now after 3 months.
I'm not optimistic the problem will actually be fixed but we'll see.

 

[Grizguy]

I did not get a day off for covid. My mother died.. from covid.. but was 97 Y O and in poor health. I also have 2 sons that are police officers and 2 daughter in laws that are in the health profession. nurse / nurse practioner. Back to the transmission issue. I went to purchase my 19 expedition. I purchased the red one. Got about 15 miles from the dealer.. We were about 300 miles from home. Stopped for lunch. Came out started the car. Transmission was acting REAL strange. surging stopping brakes jamming. We managed to get back to the dealer. stopped out front. The salesman was going to show us how to drive it.. We got back to the service mgr. He got in.. Said Hum.. It not supposed to do THAT! They gave us the white one :-(