2003 Ford Expedition Lift Gate Won't Open After Being In The Shop

[Gigi]

Took car to shop because SES and alternator lights were coming on. 2 days later I picked up car and was handed an invoice for $2400 for an oil change I didn't need (oil was changed a week earlier), a PCV hose, vent hose, a new alternator and brand spanking new front & rear pads and rotors. Today, I attempted to open my lift gate and it won't open. Glass opens fine and you can hear the lift gate unlock but it's stuck.

Took car back to shop thinking they might have some idea what had happened and now they want another $425 to fix the lift gate. Lift gate was working fine when I took the car in last week. There are 92,500 miles on the vehicle.

Any suggestions, thoughts, constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

 

[stamp11127]

Buy some tools and work on it yourself. I'm hoping you didn't pay $2400 as stated for that work.

 

[Gigi]

Any ideas about the lift gate?

Sorry, that's not an option for me, I know nothing about auto mechanics. And yes I did pay $2400 less the oil change I didn't need. The brake job alone cost $1100. Could the lift gate problem be a coincidence or is there a real possibility it might have been damaged by the shop? Is $425 a reasonable rate to fix it?

 

[Bedrck47]

$1100 for a brake job is a rip-off. I would find a different shop if I were you.

Any of there charges seem unreasonable to me. To give you a price of $425 to fix the lift gate and not know what is wrong seems un-real.

What did they charge for the Alternator?

 

[stamp11127]

Once you change your thinking from "can't do" to "can do" we can show you how to save a bunch of money and learn some things in the process so that these sheet heads stop taking advantage of you.
When you are ready I'll look for videos for you.

 

[2004XLT]

Moral of the story is find a new mechanic..if you choose to work on the liftgate yourself I can explain to you how to remove the interior panel to access the mechanism.

 

[Bedrck47]

Not trying to insult you But I think some of your story is missing.

You took it to the shop because the "SES and alternator lights were coming on"
those lights have nothing to do with the brake system or oil system otherwise you would have had a ABS or OIL warning lights come on. What was the shops reason for doing the brakes and changing the oil?

Did you authorize them to do the brake work and oil change?

 

[Gigi]

Alternator Cost, shop authorizations etc.

After the shop checked the car over, they called my husband and said we needed new brakes. Yes, the brake job was authorized: parts $796 and labor $394. The charge for the alternator was: parts $332 and labor: $262. We did not authorize an oil change and the shop removed that charge. As far as the lift gate quote is concerned, the $425 is to replace an actuator: $157 for parts, $205 for labor.

We know nothing about cars and want to keep the vehicle as long as possible, but these charges are outrageous and we cannot figure out why the lift gate worked fine before the shop did the repair work and why it doesn't now.

If you have videos, please send them my way. Not sure if I could do the repair, but I want to be open minded.

 

[Lostneye]

Bottom line is you need to find a new shop. You are being overcharged. I just priced out new rotors and pads on Ford's website and LIST process are less than $600 and less than $350 retail on Rockauto.com for motorcraft pads and rotors.

 

[Bedrck47]

I had to replace my alternator this past summer Cost was no more than $120 and the labor was free I do my own work. The prices you were charged were most likely LIST PRICE for parts.

As to the lift gate I can't see any reason for the shop to be in the lift gate area based on the work preformed And that would be a reason for them to say they weren't in that area. However I would not rule out something being done to cause the lift gate not to operate in order to get more work from you. JUST my opinion.

 

[Bedrck47]

Which model do you have and do you know what suspension you have 2wd or 4wd

 

[Skauber]

$262 labor for replacing alternator? Thats a 15 minute job, including the time it takes to get tools.... Lol...

 

[Flexpedition]

I'd want the power liftgate working... you know, to dispose of the shop owners body out at the landfill.

By the way, I'm having a special this month on washer fluid, $8.99 a gallon. PM me if interested.

 

[46L281GT]

yes you paid way too much, but to your question have you checked in the message center to see if power liftgate is turned off? press setup repeatedly until it is an option. if that checks out then report back and we will go from there.

 

[stamp11127]

Gigi sent you a pm.

From the manual:
The power liftgate may not operate under the following conditions:
a low voltage or dead battery.
a disconnected battery.
a power liftgate that has been left open for more than six hours.
a power liftgate that has been manually closed and left ajar.
If any of these conditions has occurred, the power liftgate must be reset before performing any pinpoint tests. For additional information, refer to Power Liftgate Initialization .

 

[Gigi]

Once you change your thinking from "can't do" to "can do" we can show you how to save a bunch of money and learn some things in the process so that these sheet heads stop taking advantage of you.
When you are ready I'll look for videos for you.

Please send video links. Thank you.

 

[Gigi]

Gigi sent you a pm.

From the manual:
The power liftgate may not operate under the following conditions:
a low voltage or dead battery.
a disconnected battery.
a power liftgate that has been left open for more than six hours.
a power liftgate that has been manually closed and left ajar.
If any of these conditions has occurred, the power liftgate must be reset before performing any pinpoint tests. For additional information, refer to Power Liftgate Initialization .

Thanks so much, but my lift gate is manual. When the alternator was replaced, would the battery have been disconnected during the process?

 

[stamp11127]

Time for the retirement home, I would swear that I read power liftgate earlier.

Since it is manual then things just got easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyL4xWT7Xts

Cable Assembly - Double Check Fit
http://www.fordparts.com/Commerce/P...rch=true&year=2003&make=Ford&model=Expedition

A good mechanic would disconnect the battery when changing the alternator. Some hotshots don't.