I forgot to add about the radio analogy that if the dealership gets blamed for the radio coming on when the car started... assuming it was already on before.



For all of you saying about using the remote start was not required etc etc.

Pay attention to the above comments from the Dealer... the key fob did NOT have a remote start button... which is most likely to assume is was wired to the unlock button.

Also, those who say a car in gear cannot overcome an e-brake or go that far. I have had a few manual tranny cars that would most definitely take off, e-brake or not. Once it gets cranking in gear, it can take off on it's own. Hence the reason for the safety features for installing remote starts.

Also keep in mind the original owner did not install the remote start correctly, and did in fact by-pass the safety features, therefore your arguements of "it shouldn't do that" are no longer valid, because "it shouldn't do that" on a properly installed system. Which this clearly was not.

 

If it wasn't a button on the FOB and was wired to work when he hit the unlock button then the owner is completely screwed. Unless state laws place it on the dealer no matter what then what little the OP had in his "court" so to speak has been blown out of the water.

 

Listen, it's his car and the guy can do whatever he wants to do with it. As long as nothing is illegal and doesn't put lives in danger while in motion, what's the problem with it? He knows how it works, and he didn't install it to run over people on its own. The dealership should have asked about the modification. Your employee did it, therefore you are also responsible for it. Going around and points fingers on a message board is highly unprofessional. Whatever happened to "customer is always right"

You know, I'm quite sick of this. You, general managers and whatever you want to be called, do not have any sympathy towards anyone. The only thing you look out for, is your big overinflated salaries and bonus checks. Once you sell a car and meet your quota, you could give a **** about that customer anymore. Only on a few occasions, have I met owners and managers willing to go beyond the norm to make you feel satisfied. You sir, what you're doing is quite childish. If you claim to be who you are, shame on you. Instead of trying to figure out the problem and offer a solution, you do NOTHING but spit back at your customers.

 

Also, to all of you talking about the key FOB not having a button or something....what the hell? So each time the guy presses the unlock button, the car automatically starts and runs over curbs straight into ponds? Really? How come it's never happened to him before? I mean, he installed it. Yet out of no where, dealership presses it once and voila you got yourself a fish in the tank.

 

So... the e-brake was on... and, as per the owner's manual of the vehicle, the car was left in gear... the key fob didn't have a button that said "start" and so the tech couldn't have known that it was going to start...

Official opinion: **** JUST GOT REAL SON!

 

And you would think a dealer employee would know the diff between a remote start button (from what has been said i gather its a separate fob) and the Ford key fob considering he is bound to have had some training. The OP here needs to go to an attorney. You need legal help. Even if you say fault is shared 50/50, the dealer owes you half what your car was worth IMO.

 

I was just saying I would find it odd that an unlock button would also serve as remote start button. It has to be more complicated than that to remote start a car dont ya think?

 

OP stop talking about it here, you can only hurt your case, get a lawyer. You will find one somewhere willing to take the case for a percentage of the winnings and you won't have to put anything out upfront. Hell, the lawyer that stuck it to Ford on the Firestone tire recall is in my local town, he does stuff on a percentage of winnings scale, i can get you his number.

 

He's called 20 attorneys none of them wanted the case. If he did find one to take the case, they'd charge him more than he's out of pocket now, and since there's no other damages or ambulances to chase, no lawyer will want any part of this.

 

So the dealership claims that one of their techs tried to unlock the car and set off this chain reaction of doom as a result of a faulty remote start.. the end?

Hardly seems like an appropriate response to shift ALL responsibility to the owner.

If this was not a Ford factory fob, why was the tech messing with the remote? (Can we get pics of this remote, or a model number to look up the part)

Is there not protocol in place to use the KEY to unlock the DOOR (especially when faced with aftermarket remotes).. ??