Recall 2005-2008 Mustangs--driver air bag
01-14-2015, 05:42 PM
#31
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southeast Virginia
Posts: 6,409
Wow Art161, looks like your dealer is giving you the run around and IS giving Ford a BAD name! While my car was at the dealer for a free state inspection and oil change, I asked them about the recall, they said they had a part in because someone else couldn't make their appointment. No hassles. They knew I bought the car from them so they had all the information that they needed.
If I were you, I would definitely be changing dealerships! Find a Mustang Club in your area they could better advise you on who to take it too.
Like you, I drive 25 miles (one way) passing 3 other Ford dealers just to take it to the one in Virginia Beach. I love it when I walk in they know my name!
If I were you, I would definitely be changing dealerships! Find a Mustang Club in your area they could better advise you on who to take it too.
Like you, I drive 25 miles (one way) passing 3 other Ford dealers just to take it to the one in Virginia Beach. I love it when I walk in they know my name!
01-14-2015, 07:12 PM
#32
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
First, thanks to those of you who contributed to this thread and showed an understanding of my frustration.
Next, 07_Stang, I hate you. j/k I am envious that you have such a good dealership within a reasonably convenient distance.
Next, not unbelievable, but the Ford regional customer service rep just made me more angry than I had been. She called after I heard from the dealership service director. She basically parroted what he had first told me--that they had to inspect the air bag. She bought that. I told her he finally told me what appears to be the truth--all they needed was the build date and at what plant the car was assembled; they didn't need to physically inspect the car to obtain that information. I told her all the '07 Mustangs were assembled at Flat Rock. Heck, it's even the 11th digit of the VIN. I told her the build date was on every invoice the dealership had given me in the past. She said, no, that was the date the warranty began. No, there's a production date and a sales date on the invoice. I don't know if all dealerships show that information on their invoices. Anyway, she said that you can't rely on something that's written on a piece of paper.
She said as far as she was concerned, the case was closed because the dealership now had the part in stock. I asked whether she cared that the dealership service director is an INCOMPETENT LIAR. She didn't.
Yeah, it's as was posted earlier. They didn't have the part and tried to cover their rear ends. Maybe that works sometimes, but it didn't work this time. It actually backfired.
Next, 07_Stang, I hate you. j/k I am envious that you have such a good dealership within a reasonably convenient distance.
Next, not unbelievable, but the Ford regional customer service rep just made me more angry than I had been. She called after I heard from the dealership service director. She basically parroted what he had first told me--that they had to inspect the air bag. She bought that. I told her he finally told me what appears to be the truth--all they needed was the build date and at what plant the car was assembled; they didn't need to physically inspect the car to obtain that information. I told her all the '07 Mustangs were assembled at Flat Rock. Heck, it's even the 11th digit of the VIN. I told her the build date was on every invoice the dealership had given me in the past. She said, no, that was the date the warranty began. No, there's a production date and a sales date on the invoice. I don't know if all dealerships show that information on their invoices. Anyway, she said that you can't rely on something that's written on a piece of paper.
She said as far as she was concerned, the case was closed because the dealership now had the part in stock. I asked whether she cared that the dealership service director is an INCOMPETENT LIAR. She didn't.
Yeah, it's as was posted earlier. They didn't have the part and tried to cover their rear ends. Maybe that works sometimes, but it didn't work this time. It actually backfired.
01-15-2015, 12:55 PM
#33
I made an appointment with my dealership last Thursday to have the air bag recall work done today (Monday). I arrived, and the service adviser wrote up the order. I waited in the customer service lounge. Over an hour later, the adviser came in and said they couldn't do the work today. There was some other dude there, who I didn't know and didn't want to speak to. I wanted the service director. I spoke with him and he blamed Ford for a lot. He said there was some number (not the VIN) the dealer had to check and after that they had to order the part. WHAT? They never said it could be a two day job, either when I made the appointment or when I drove in.
I called Ford Customer Assistance and they basically called BS on the service director. They said they could tell from the VIN that my car needed the recall work done, and they didn't say anything about needing a number other than the VIN. The matter has now been escalated to the Ford regional customer service person.
What a way to run a service department.
I called Ford Customer Assistance and they basically called BS on the service director. They said they could tell from the VIN that my car needed the recall work done, and they didn't say anything about needing a number other than the VIN. The matter has now been escalated to the Ford regional customer service person.
What a way to run a service department.
Deysha
01-15-2015, 06:09 PM
#34
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
Thanks, Deysha. What further documentation do we need? The Ford regional customer service rep has a case number on it. I printed a few of my posts from this thread, and mailed them, along with the case number, to Ford Customer Relations in Dearborn.
01-15-2015, 06:22 PM
#35
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southeast Virginia
Posts: 6,409
Hey Art161, too bad you don't live here on the East coast.
Another thing about the my dealership (not trying to make you hate me more
) but when you drive into the service department, they have a HUGE 3 bay garage with windows that I can drive my 10 foot tall/24 foot long truck into. They check your tires right there on a machine. Then they drive it around to the HUMONGOUS garage/work area. I think they can get about 50 cars in there at one time. You can watch them work on your car through the glass wall in the waiting area....very cool! I saw them working on a Ford GT....not the Mustang but the Mega Bucks car! Once they complete the work they drive the car around to the garage that you dropped it off at. You never walk in the rain. Love this place!
Anyway, I hope you get your situation straightened out.
Another thing about the my dealership (not trying to make you hate me more
) but when you drive into the service department, they have a HUGE 3 bay garage with windows that I can drive my 10 foot tall/24 foot long truck into. They check your tires right there on a machine. Then they drive it around to the HUMONGOUS garage/work area. I think they can get about 50 cars in there at one time. You can watch them work on your car through the glass wall in the waiting area....very cool! I saw them working on a Ford GT....not the Mustang but the Mega Bucks car! Once they complete the work they drive the car around to the garage that you dropped it off at. You never walk in the rain. Love this place!Anyway, I hope you get your situation straightened out.
01-15-2015, 10:02 PM
#36
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
07_Stang, our first fight. 
I say it's better to live on the West Coast near crappy Ford dealers than to live on the East Coast near a great Ford dealer.
I lived in NJ for over twenty years. Call me crazy (others have--stand in line), but I didn't like shoveling snow and using an ice chopper, or whatever it is called, to break up the ice on the steps and walkway.
Oh, as to the people in your dealership calling you by name--That can be good or bad. I went to a great Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Philadelphia. The service manager knew me by name because I was coming in so often with issues. I don't think 1962 Plymouth Valiants won many reliability awards. He was a great guy. Unlike some service managers, this guy knew his stuff! He didn't spend his day dreaming up unneeded services for service advisers to push or creating "specials" that aren't so special. When something screwed up, which was very rare, he admitted it and took care of it. He told me why he wore a hat all the time (a hat with a brim, not a baseball type cap). He didn't want to get grease and oil on his head. Yes, he actually got out into the shop to check on jobs.
Thanks for the good wishes. My plan is to call the dealer tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment to take my car in next week.
I say it's better to live on the West Coast near crappy Ford dealers than to live on the East Coast near a great Ford dealer.
I lived in NJ for over twenty years. Call me crazy (others have--stand in line), but I didn't like shoveling snow and using an ice chopper, or whatever it is called, to break up the ice on the steps and walkway.
Oh, as to the people in your dealership calling you by name--That can be good or bad. I went to a great Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Philadelphia. The service manager knew me by name because I was coming in so often with issues. I don't think 1962 Plymouth Valiants won many reliability awards. He was a great guy. Unlike some service managers, this guy knew his stuff! He didn't spend his day dreaming up unneeded services for service advisers to push or creating "specials" that aren't so special. When something screwed up, which was very rare, he admitted it and took care of it. He told me why he wore a hat all the time (a hat with a brim, not a baseball type cap). He didn't want to get grease and oil on his head. Yes, he actually got out into the shop to check on jobs.
Thanks for the good wishes. My plan is to call the dealer tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment to take my car in next week.
01-16-2015, 08:02 AM
#37
That is perfect. Thank you for being so proactive. 
Deysha
01-16-2015, 05:38 PM
#38
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southeast Virginia
Posts: 6,409
07_Stang, our first fight.
I say it's better to live on the West Coast near crappy Ford dealers than to live on the East Coast near a great Ford dealer.
I lived in NJ for over twenty years. Call me crazy (others have--stand in line), but I didn't like shoveling snow and using an ice chopper, or whatever it is called, to break up the ice on the steps and walkway.
Oh, as to the people in your dealership calling you by name--That can be good or bad. I went to a great Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Philadelphia. The service manager knew me by name because I was coming in so often with issues. I don't think 1962 Plymouth Valiants won many reliability awards. He was a great guy. Unlike some service managers, this guy knew his stuff! He didn't spend his day dreaming up unneeded services for service advisers to push or creating "specials" that aren't so special. When something screwed up, which was very rare, he admitted it and took care of it. He told me why he wore a hat all the time (a hat with a brim, not a baseball type cap). He didn't want to get grease and oil on his head. Yes, he actually got out into the shop to check on jobs.
Thanks for the good wishes. My plan is to call the dealer tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment to take my car in next week.
I say it's better to live on the West Coast near crappy Ford dealers than to live on the East Coast near a great Ford dealer.
I lived in NJ for over twenty years. Call me crazy (others have--stand in line), but I didn't like shoveling snow and using an ice chopper, or whatever it is called, to break up the ice on the steps and walkway.
Oh, as to the people in your dealership calling you by name--That can be good or bad. I went to a great Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in Philadelphia. The service manager knew me by name because I was coming in so often with issues. I don't think 1962 Plymouth Valiants won many reliability awards. He was a great guy. Unlike some service managers, this guy knew his stuff! He didn't spend his day dreaming up unneeded services for service advisers to push or creating "specials" that aren't so special. When something screwed up, which was very rare, he admitted it and took care of it. He told me why he wore a hat all the time (a hat with a brim, not a baseball type cap). He didn't want to get grease and oil on his head. Yes, he actually got out into the shop to check on jobs.
Thanks for the good wishes. My plan is to call the dealer tomorrow and see if I can make an appointment to take my car in next week.
I will say when I was in Calif. I enjoyed the relief of a climate with very low to no humidity.
As far as the people at the dealership knowing my name, I see your point. In my case, I have four vehicles that I take there on occasions for routine maintenance. I've been dealing with them since 2003 so they know my name well.
Let us know if you get the airbag issue resolved.
01-20-2015, 04:54 PM
#39
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: California
Posts: 1,495
NOW I'M HAPPY!
I made an appointment last week to have the air bag recall done. This time the person making the appointment said she would have to see if the part was in stock. I said it might be set aside in my name, since the service director, parts department, and Ford regional customer relations person had all telephoned me that the part was in stock. The appointment taker said she would double check. Yes, the part was there and I could have an appointment for Tuesday (today).
Was this the same dealer I went to last week? They actually had their act together. I don't know what did it, but something sure did. I had a 10:30 appointment and the car was ready about noon, including a complimentary multi-point inspection. As I was about ready to leave, the service director came over to me, and said that the Mustang cap I was wearing was looking somewhat beat up. True enough. He handed me a brand new Mustang cap with his compliments.
Fortunately, I didn't need to test the new air bag on the drive home. LOL
So, the only lingering concern I have is the nonsense I was fed by the dealer's service director about how they "inspected the air bag." Now I kind of wonder whether if I go there in the future and they tell me I need something done, do I really? Can I trust them? I would feel better if they just said they goofed the first time. They made an appointment for me, but didn't have the part. We all goof from time to time. Just admit it. It's easier than fabricating a story.
I made an appointment last week to have the air bag recall done. This time the person making the appointment said she would have to see if the part was in stock. I said it might be set aside in my name, since the service director, parts department, and Ford regional customer relations person had all telephoned me that the part was in stock. The appointment taker said she would double check. Yes, the part was there and I could have an appointment for Tuesday (today).
Was this the same dealer I went to last week? They actually had their act together. I don't know what did it, but something sure did. I had a 10:30 appointment and the car was ready about noon, including a complimentary multi-point inspection. As I was about ready to leave, the service director came over to me, and said that the Mustang cap I was wearing was looking somewhat beat up. True enough. He handed me a brand new Mustang cap with his compliments.
Fortunately, I didn't need to test the new air bag on the drive home. LOL
So, the only lingering concern I have is the nonsense I was fed by the dealer's service director about how they "inspected the air bag." Now I kind of wonder whether if I go there in the future and they tell me I need something done, do I really? Can I trust them? I would feel better if they just said they goofed the first time. They made an appointment for me, but didn't have the part. We all goof from time to time. Just admit it. It's easier than fabricating a story.
01-20-2015, 06:31 PM
#40
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,155
I'm glad you got the bags replaced.
If you were in a relationship with someone that lied and cheated on you, would you trust them again? Same situation here...sort of. You need to be able to trust your service department for numerous reasons.
That being said - things can change for the good sometimes.
If you were in a relationship with someone that lied and cheated on you, would you trust them again? Same situation here...sort of. You need to be able to trust your service department for numerous reasons.
That being said - things can change for the good sometimes.
