wustang

I need some assistance from my fellow mustang owners!

Just purchased a new 2006 Mustang GT and with under 600 miles driven and less than one month of driving, the rear spoiler has cracked on both foward faces of the mounting struts. These are not just little cracks, but two inches long starting from the forward mount bolts, extending upward. I've put a complaint on the NHTSA site (Reference ODI# 10153664) as Ford has decline a warrant coverage, stating they were caused from an "outside source!" I'm in the midst of getting a "zone manager" involved into the dispute as even the dealership's service department agrees that it's appearent that it was caused from over-torque of the mount nuts on the studs.
I'm asking all of you for a favor and see if this is a one time fluke, or a repeat offender, because it's rediculus that Ford declined our warranty coverage for something in done in their error... Just look at the front of your spoiler's mounting struts and see if there are any cracks forming.

Thanks all fo the big favor!!!

Seth & Jamie
'06 GT
'82 LX (with 460/C6 for race)

Make : FORD Model : MUSTANG Year : 2006
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Crash : No Fire : No Number of Injuries: 0
ODI ID Number : 10153664 Number of Deaths: 0
Date of Failure: March 24, 2006
VIN : 1ZVHT82H465...
Component: STRUCTURE
Summary:
STRESS FRACTURES ON FORWARD FACE OF REAR SPOILER ATTACH STRUTS (BOTH MOUNTS). VEHICLE LESS THEN A MONTH OLD WITH LESS THEN 600 MILES. 2006 FORD MUSTANG GT. NO APPEARENT REASON FOR CRACKS IN COMPOSITE SPOILER. CRACKS ARE NOT SURFACE CRACKS (VERY DEEP) AND DO AFFECT SPOILER MOUNT INTEGRETITY. FRACTURES ARE LOCATED ON THE FORWARD FACE / BOTTOM OF THE STRUTS, CENTERED AND STARTING AT FORWARD MOUNT BOLTS AND EXTENDING UPWARD. SUSPECT SPOILER ATTACH NUTS ON STUDS, OVER TORQUED DURING FACTORY INSTALLATION. MULTIPLE FISSURES EXTEND OVER TWO INCHES ON EACH STRUT AND MAY RESULT IN SPOILER DETACHING FROM TRUNK DECK LID. FORD DECLINED WARRANTY REPAIR, STATING CRACKS WERE CAUSED FROM "AN OUTSIDE SOURCE." FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN COMPOSITES, AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, SUSPECT STRESS FRACTURES FROM MOUNTING ERROR, EXPOSED VIA AIRFLOW OVER SPOILER, CREATING A DOWNFORCE AND OVERLOADING STRUT MOUNTS. TWO SEPERATE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AGREED THAT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY IMPROPER MOUNTING OF SPOILER AND NOT CUASED BY OWNER. FORD WARRANTY DOES NOT AGREE, BUT DOES AGREE THAT SPOILER MUST BE REPLACED IF EXHIBITING THESE CRACKS AS THIS MAY CAUSE INJURY / DAMAGE TO OTHER PERSONS / VEHICLES AS SPOILER MAY DETACH WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION.

hawgman

OK, I am missing the point here. If the service department of the dealership felt that it was a factory defect why is Ford Corporate even involved in the issue. Why did the dealership just not replace it under warranty ( which they felt it should be according to your story ).

wustang

Ford has started a new program in which they photograph the item and send it to a warranty claims "imaging division." The decision is made by persons whom which neither the dealer, Ford customer service, nor the customer can speak with. Once the decision is made, it is recorded against your VIN and can no longer be claimed. Believe me, I spent many hours on the phone with Ford customer service, just to have them tell me that they can't do anything for me. After refusing to let the matter go, they contacted the dealership service department and spoke to the service manager whom told them to send a division / zone rep from Dearborn, to come and take a look. The dealership recommended taking the vehicle to another dealership that does not yet have the imaging division incorporated yet (smaller dealerships, which do less warranty work). They stated that Ford has limited the number of warranty claims they could perform, and has taken the decision making process out of their hands and into the "imaging division." This does not work, as I stated before, the claim is recorded against your VIN number, and not reconsidered. It BS... Once the decision is made, it's final, unless a zone rep / engineer decides otherwise. And boy, it takes an act of god to get that ball rolling... Believe me, the dealership tried everything to get Ford to approve the claim, with no reslove. Only by calling Ford customer service and refusing to let them go for HOURS! did they finally call the dealership and ask what they think.

sowaxeman

I'd make sure I have my spare key, then take the car to the dealer to have them replace the spoiler. When you go back to pick it up and they send you to the "cashier" to get your paperwork and keys - tell them:

"No thanks, you guys need to fight with Ford to get your payment. I am the customer, and YOU even agree that I am right. So I would like my keys now and to consider this matter closed"

Take it right to the GM or highest in command that is present that day. If they don't comply, then use your spare key and drive away and never look back.

Do you really think they would call the cops on a customer that they feel is in the right??

wustang

Wow, that's deep. And I felt bad for telling Ford customer service that I was going to sue.... It's frickin only a two hundred dollar part! Worst part we were going with the spoiler delete option, but out of 600 dealerships, there was only one in Virgina, and the sale was pending. So for the sake of waiting on the special order, we said ok, and they had the car the next night from Indiana. I don't know about you, but I make friends with the companies I work with, but trust me, I've cancelled checks if they don't get what I request (and have walked away). They know that I'm a mechanic, and am only bringing it to them for the grace and glory of being lazy that day. I'm at the parts counter more then a gas station. This dealership I've come to know and love, and that's the problem, so has Ford.

See Ford Warranty services are normally deceided at the dealership's service manager's level. But if Ford believes that dealership is abusing their warranty program (by keeping their customer's happy and approving over 80% of warranty claims, or some other magical bean counting number), Ford steps in and starts making the decisions for them. In comes the digital imaging department. That's what I get for dealing with a larger dealership I guess.

So I guess the real lesson here is to find a small dealership, with low buying power, even if they are a bunch of screw ups when working on other vehicle's in the past (aka lastley my '97 F-150 that I'm forced to strip down and fix rust spots caused by the moron who broke studs on the exhaust system causing a minor exhaust leak and damaging the paint of the cab of the truck via heat) and deal with them, or just get the part, and do it myself...

Ford Quality minus one, customer service minus two. But I still keep comming back for more. Dam them who make them, and dam me for buying them. Even through the political BS, I still would buy another Ford product.