Ford Fails with Saggy Spring
12-03-2008, 12:51 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 27
Ford Fails with Saggy Spring
I got a real issue with Ford. My '06 GT's left rear spring is sagging, causing the left side to sag lower than the right side. We are talking atleast a 1.5" difference between the two sides. It is easy to see the difference when you look at my car in a parking lot.
I'm still within my 3yr/36k warranty so I figure I'd take it to the dealership I bought it from to get it fixed. The service manager looked at my car and said he could see it was leaning. Everything up to that point seemed to be going fine. I leave the car with the dealership and went to work, with the understanding they would call me when the repair is done.
Two hours later I get a call from the service manager letting me know I can come pick up my car. I asked if they had to replace the spring or if it was a strut. He said that they didn't fix the car's problem because the sagging spring was within acceptable ride tolerance. I asked how it was acceptable when you could visually see the car was leaning. The service manager said that FoMoCo isn't doing many warranty repairs right now and their hands were tied. The dealership could do the warranty replacement but if FoMoCo denied the claim later, the dealership would have to flip the bill. WTF?!? So I am stuck with a gheto-lean b'c I'm in some kind of Warranty Limbo.
If I have to pay to replace any of the suspension, I'm definately not going to put OEM stuff back on. Nevermind the fact the OEM stuff failed within 24k miles, I would rather have higher performance parts. I feel like FoMoCo is shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to fix issues with their products. The irony is FoMoCo are in Washington asking for $9B of taxpayer money to assist them in continued business practices like this.
On a more positive note, I guess I will be making some performance suspension upgrades in the future. Any recommendations?
I'm still within my 3yr/36k warranty so I figure I'd take it to the dealership I bought it from to get it fixed. The service manager looked at my car and said he could see it was leaning. Everything up to that point seemed to be going fine. I leave the car with the dealership and went to work, with the understanding they would call me when the repair is done.
Two hours later I get a call from the service manager letting me know I can come pick up my car. I asked if they had to replace the spring or if it was a strut. He said that they didn't fix the car's problem because the sagging spring was within acceptable ride tolerance. I asked how it was acceptable when you could visually see the car was leaning. The service manager said that FoMoCo isn't doing many warranty repairs right now and their hands were tied. The dealership could do the warranty replacement but if FoMoCo denied the claim later, the dealership would have to flip the bill. WTF?!? So I am stuck with a gheto-lean b'c I'm in some kind of Warranty Limbo.
If I have to pay to replace any of the suspension, I'm definately not going to put OEM stuff back on. Nevermind the fact the OEM stuff failed within 24k miles, I would rather have higher performance parts. I feel like FoMoCo is shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to fix issues with their products. The irony is FoMoCo are in Washington asking for $9B of taxpayer money to assist them in continued business practices like this.
On a more positive note, I guess I will be making some performance suspension upgrades in the future. Any recommendations?
12-03-2008, 12:56 PM
#2
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Montaner
Posts: 6,193
Way to stand by your product. This sort of stuff makes them look real BAD.
I'd try another dealer and if that fails take it up with Ford themselves.
As an aside I have some insulation poking out on the outside of the car. Up in the driver's side door and along the bottom on the passenger side door near where the silver "mustang" emblem goes along the runner. In both cases you can see this from the outside of the car and it screams "CHEAP" in a car that has less than 10K on it.
If they give me grief over having that fixed before the warranty is out I'm going to be upset.
I'd try another dealer and if that fails take it up with Ford themselves.
As an aside I have some insulation poking out on the outside of the car. Up in the driver's side door and along the bottom on the passenger side door near where the silver "mustang" emblem goes along the runner. In both cases you can see this from the outside of the car and it screams "CHEAP" in a car that has less than 10K on it.
If they give me grief over having that fixed before the warranty is out I'm going to be upset.
Last edited by Riptide; 12-03-2008 at 01:01 PM.
12-03-2008, 02:28 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 27
I checked with another dealer (over the phone) and they said I could bring it in to be checked out. He did say that the wear on the front springs can exagerate the appearance of height of the rear springs. Often drivers wear out the front springs due to hitting potholes or curbs, and this makes the overall stance of the car's suspension look messed up. More times than not, the wear turns out to be in the front. BTW, that kind of wear falls into the "abuse" category and wouldn't be warrantied. I remarked that there isn't a car on the road that hasn't hit a pothole at some point; our roads suck.
Truth of the matter, I think I am leaning more towards a Saleen suspension package than having to deal with a dealership. I could go with OEM equipment (don't know if I can bring myself to raid the local U-pullit), but who's to say it would last any longer.
I can only imagine the frustration of owning a GT500 and having this problem....I would be VERY pissed.
Truth of the matter, I think I am leaning more towards a Saleen suspension package than having to deal with a dealership. I could go with OEM equipment (don't know if I can bring myself to raid the local U-pullit), but who's to say it would last any longer.
I can only imagine the frustration of owning a GT500 and having this problem....I would be VERY pissed.
12-03-2008, 02:35 PM
#5
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
Did they at least check both rear springs (preferably all four)? In addition to each spring having an individual ride tolerance, there may also be a maximum difference side to side. Both could be within individual tolerance, but the total could be out of spec (one a little long, the other a little short). Are the high side springs indexed correctly in their seats?
Something else to investigate would be the front and rear sta-bars (aka "sway bars"). If either or both are preloaded it/they will tend to make the car lean slightly.
Norm
Something else to investigate would be the front and rear sta-bars (aka "sway bars"). If either or both are preloaded it/they will tend to make the car lean slightly.
Norm
Last edited by Norm Peterson; 12-03-2008 at 02:38 PM.
12-03-2008, 03:39 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 27
From what the service manager said, they only checked the rear spring ride tolerance. I had the feeling they weren't too interested in warranty work when they said FoMoCo wasn't doing that much warrantied repairs anymore. The second dealership SM I talked to (over the phone) gave me the impression my problem would be viewed as "abuse", but wouldn't know for certain until I brought it in. Back in the day, I bought a POS Grand Am that had far more issues than my GT (hopefully) will ever have. Everytime I took that car in to have something fixed, the dealership did everthing I asked to keep me happy. But with these dealerships, I feel like I got a warranty but I'm not allowed to use it.
Does anyone else worry if our warranties will hold up if the Big 3 start to crumble?
Does anyone else worry if our warranties will hold up if the Big 3 start to crumble?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post