Just Took Delivery...Then Problems...Suggestions?

[JeffO]

Last week we purchased a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE. We were really impressed with the car and features until we found out the AC did not work. Thinking it was a simple operator error problem I just took it to the Ford dealership on my way to work (not where we purchased it). I dropped it off and a few hours later they call me saying they think the ambient air sensor has malfunctioned and would like to put me in a rental car for the night while they work to fix the problem. They also said they escalated the issue to Ford Engineering. Well today I called to get the status on the repair and they determined the compressor has a negative charge from debris left from manufacturing. According the service advisor this essentially caused the AC system to “blow up” and they want to take it apart piece by piece and rebuild it. They also informed me that vehicle has a transmission half shaft leak. With both of these problems the dealership informed me that it will be at least a week before the car can be repaired at the earliest.

 

I explained to them that I had only had the car for a few days and put 200 miles on it and concerned that I purchased a lemon or a vehicle with some serious manufacturing problems. Since I took it to a different dealer than I bought it they suggested I contact that dealer and Ford Motor Relations. I contacted Ford Motor Relations and they informed me that a regional service manager will reach out to me in the next 48 hours since the car was brand new. I’m not a car expert and I want a reliable car. I’m thinking of asking the regional service manager to give me a different Fusion Hybrid due to these serious problems. I really liked the car and obviously not everyone experiences problems like this so I don’t regret choosing the model. I’m just concerned about what will come next with this car. The dealer servicing the car has been helpful but this is frustrating! Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

 

I wish my first post was pure excitement for our new car; but this will have to do.

 

 

[rjent]

I think you will be alright. Stuff happens and a little mistake at the factory can escalate into a major problem, and in your case that is what happened. Your leak is another story, but again, it probably isn't insurmountable and is very repairable. I would give Ford time to work it out. You can always go the lemon route later if need be. I think there are so many good FFH's out there that a few with assembly problems is just SOP.

 

AOMO ..... :)

[kuzzi]

See if they will give you an extended warranty pro bono. I think you're justified to that at least.

 

Edit: Entitled, not justified. Curse my poor grasp of the English language.

Edited June 6, 2013 by kuzzi

[corncobs]

See if they will give you an extended warranty pro bono. I think you're justified to that at least.

Very good suggestion I would at least try to get that.

[Aquineas]

Sorry to hear about the problems with your car; I'd feel the same way you do. Hopefully those are the only ones from here on out.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Aquineas

[hybridbear]

Welcome and sorry that you're experiencing problems. I like kuzzi's suggestion above about asking Ford to give you the extended warranty at no charge if they won't give you a different car. I would also try to find out as much information as possible about what repairs need to be done and if you're uncomfortable with that then I think you would be justified and entitled ( ;) ) to ask for them to give you a new car. Especially since your car only has 200 miles on it. I hope that you get treated well by your dealer and by the Ford Corporate employee who is handling your case. Please let us know how it turns out. Thanks

[Aquineas]

In Texas I believe you have a 3 day right to cancel major purchases; there may be something similar there. Of course that would put you in the position of having to wait for or order a new car.

[jeff_h]

What is the VIN of that car? I wonder how long ago it was built...

[Sleddog]

In Texas I believe you have a 3 day right to cancel major purchases; there may be something similar there. Of course that would put you in the position of having to wait for or order a new car.

From the Texas Attorney General Site.

 

The 3-Day Right to Cancel a Purchase

Many consumers are under the impression that they have a 3-day right to cancel any and all consumer purchases. However, this is not true. The right to cancel law applies only to very specific situations.

 

The 3-day right to cancel law applies to sales made at facilities other than the seller's place of business. Such locations may be the consumer's residence and places rented on a temporary or short-term basis, such as hotel rooms or convention centers.

 

A "home solicitation transaction" takes place whenever a consumer purchases goods or services for more than $25 payable in cash or installments at a place other than the seller's place of business. The place other than the seller's place of business may be the consumer's home, but it may also be a place that the merchant has rented on a temporary basis, such as a hotel room or convention center.

Door-to-door sales laws do not apply to certain transactions, such as:

• Sales of insurance and farm equipment;
• Real estate purchases under $100;
• A sale where an attorney or broker assists in the transaction;
• Sales made pursuant to prior negotiations at the merchant's business establishment, where the sale is the result of those negotiations; and
• Sales conducted entirely by mail or telephone, with no other contact between the buyer and seller.

Under Texas law, the door-to-door seller must advise you orally and in writing that you have a right to cancel the sale within three days. He or she must also give you a contract or receipt stating the date of the sale, the name and address of the merchant, and a statement of your right to cancel the contract which includes the address where you send your cancellation notice.

The contract or receipt and the notice of your right to cancel must be in the same language as that principally used in the sales presentation. For example, if the buyer and the salesperson spoke in Spanish during the sale, the contract must be in Spanish.

 

Reading this, the 3 day rule does not apply to a car purchase.

[B25Nut]

Sleddog, thank you for clarifying this issue. It bothered me that "consumer rights" would have been extended to this extreme. It would just be another way for people to not take responsibility for their actions since they changed their minds.

[Aquineas]

Sleddog, thank you for clarifying this issue. It bothered me that "consumer rights" would have been extended to this extreme. It would just be another way for people to not take responsibility for their actions since they changed their minds.

Or a way to protect the consumer if the dealer sold them a POS lemon. It all depends on point of view. Furthermore, since dealers in Texas have lobbied to make it illegal for a manufacturer to sell a car directly to a consumer (making dealers mandatory), honestly if they're not making money (which they are), then it really is their own fault. I'm sick of companies and corporations who get politicians to guarantee sources of revenues for them at the expense of the consumer. And don't even get me started on how SBC and other RBCs banded together to prevent any city in Texas from offering municipal internet service... Yeah, I'd say "consumer rights" don't go nearly as far as they need to. Edited June 6, 2013 by Aquineas

[JeffO]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. The last six digits of the VIN are 297486. The window sticker had a date of 4/10/13 on it. I talked to my service advisor today and gave him the case number that Ford gave me and he informed me that parts for the AC system will arrive tomorrow and they will start that repair. They were still trying to find the source of the transmission leak and expect the repairs to take a week for that. I reiterated my concern that this was a new car and he understood. He was waiting on Ford to contact him as well. Hopefully in a few days I will have some idea of where we are going…at least they have provided me an enterprise rental car.

 

I also reached out to the administrator of our states Lemon Law. They are going to mail me a packet of steps I need to complete to get them involved. They did suggest since Ford is engaging me to continue to peruse that first…which I will.

 

Thanks again for help and suggestions!

[jeff_h]

The last six digits of the VIN are 297486.

 

Oh OK so it's not that old, was built in April. When the Fusions started to build last August there were issues in the Sep-Dec timeframe where they had a glut of thousands sitting outside the plant, some for 5 months (one of our users here) and some probably more... I was wondering if maybe yours was part of that old bunch, but nope.

[Sleddog]

Sleddog, thank you for clarifying this issue. It bothered me that "consumer rights" would have been extended to this extreme. It would just be another way for people to not take responsibility for their actions since they changed their minds.

I've know a few people that have tried to use the 3 day rule to cancel a car purchase. It was buyers remorse in those occasions. A car was bought and then it was realized they could not afford the payments. If buyer were allowed to change their mind and return a car with in a 3 day period, none of us could afford to buy one new. The price of a car would be inflated to cover the cost of depreciation of the cars that were returned. Once a new vehicle is titled it can not be re-sold as new. So the dealer would have to eat the depreciation. We as buyers accept the fact the car will lose value once we drive it off the lot.

 

The car buyer is protected by the state's lemon law. Stuff happens. Do we want it to happen to us, of course not. All we can do is make sure obvious defects are noted at delivery and take the vehicle in service when a problem is discovered.

 

And that's why I refused delivery of the first FFH I was going to purchase and ordered one. For each new car delivery, I have a checklist I run before I sign any paperwork. It takes me an average of an hour to run it. I do my best to crawl under the car and look at everything. If something looks out of place or if I have question, the car goes to service and up in the track for me to inspect it.

 

If the dealer refuses to put it on the rack, I refuse to take delivery. It's my money and I will only spend it once I'm happy with condition of the vehicle.

 

JeffO, I hope all goes well with your warranty work. Just be sure to double check their work. And give your car a good close look when they give it back to you.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Sleddog

[Bob Teddy]

Sleddog, What is your checklist that you go through that takes an hour?? Im very curious to see it, or even steal it so I can use myself.

[acdii]

The Lemon law does have flaws in it, not all problems can be resolved through a Lemon law. Case in point when the car does not get the expected MPG, and you know something is not right with the car, but trying to prove it is near impossible. OTOH when you have a car like the OP has, then it is a lot easier to pursue.

 

When I had the headache of the other FFH I had contacted a LL lawyer regarding it, and he basically said, unless there is a physical issue, and the same repair has been done 4 times, then there isnt much else that can be done, even if you have an identical vehicle that does well. With mine I had the fouled plugs at 4500 miles, and if they fouled around the same miles again, that's 9000 miles, that would be #2, then they would have to foul 2 more times before I would be able to proceed. He did mention that after the first documented claim, that mileage would not become a penalty, only time would, so it would have to occur 3 more times within the 12 month period. For the amount of miles I drive, that could happen, but if you read the law, the result is, the car manufacturer can replace the car, or buy it back. In either case you still pay for the miles on the car, and that varies by state, here I think it was about .15 a mile. I did the math and between what I would pay out for a LL and miles, I was able to trade off the car on something else, for roughly the same amount that it would cost between what they gave for trade and what I would have paid for a replacement. In your case with only 200 miles on it, the depreciation difference and miles on it is huge. Going the LL route would be much better in your case.

 

Whatever happens I do hope it gets worked out, these really are nice cars and getting one like what you got hopefully doesn't sour you to the Fusion.

 

EDIT, need to clarify, the amount I got in trade was equal to the amount of miles I currently had on the car at the time I traded it, not what it might have been had I gone the whole route and then pursued it.

Edited June 7, 2013 by acdii

[LEM]

<kind of off-topic>

Edited June 7, 2013 by LEM

[Sleddog]

Sleddog, What is your checklist that you go through that takes an hour?? Im very curious to see it, or even steal it so I can use myself.

It's a checklist of the items I check. Everything from paint to drivability to fluid levels to phone pairing to Sync version. I customize it to the vehicle. I've made mistakes when taking delivery of vehicles by not checking things. This takes the emotion, and wanting to get the vehicle home, out of taking delivery. I take nothing for granted when taking delivery. Unfortunately, the forum will not let me attach the file to this post.

 

If you would like a copy, PM me with an email address and I'll send it to you.

 

[hybridbear]

I've know a few people that have tried to use the 3 day rule to cancel a car purchase. It was buyers remorse in those occasions. A car was bought and then it was realized they could not afford the payments. If buyer were allowed to change their mind and return a car with in a 3 day period, none of us could afford to buy one new. The price of a car would be inflated to cover the cost of depreciation of the cars that were returned. Once a new vehicle is titled it can not be re-sold as new. So the dealer would have to eat the depreciation. We as buyers accept the fact the car will lose value once we drive it off the lot.

 

The car buyer is protected by the state's lemon law. Stuff happens. Do we want it to happen to us, of course not. All we can do is make sure obvious defects are noted at delivery and take the vehicle in service when a problem is discovered.

 

And that's why I refused delivery of the first FFH I was going to purchase and ordered one. For each new car delivery, I have a checklist I run before I sign any paperwork. It takes me an average of an hour to run it. I do my best to crawl under the car and look at everything. If something looks out of place or if I have question, the car goes to service and up in the track for me to inspect it.

 

If the dealer refuses to put it on the rack, I refuse to take delivery. It's my money and I will only spend it once I'm happy with condition of the vehicle.

 

JeffO, I hope all goes well with your warranty work. Just be sure to double check their work. And give your car a good close look when they give it back to you.

Some car dealers will offer people a week or so after they buy a car to return it if they have buyer's remorse. The fine print indicates that the dealer charges a fee per mile driven and often a flat administrative fee for doing this. My aunt & uncle used this once when they bought a used car and then a few days after taking it home they found an identical one with 20,000 less miles for the same price. So they returned the first one, paid the fee and bought the lower mileage car and came out better off. If the dealer of the OP offers a similar program you could maybe talk to them about using that program to get you in a car without issues.

 

It's a checklist of the items I check. Everything from paint to drivability to fluid levels to phone pairing to Sync version. I customize it to the vehicle. I've made mistakes when taking delivery of vehicles by not checking things. This takes the emotion, and wanting to get the vehicle home, out of taking delivery. I take nothing for granted when taking delivery. Unfortunately, the forum will not let me attach the file to this post.

 

If you would like a copy, PM me with an email address and I'll send it to you.

Sleddog, I'm very interested to see this and it would likely benefit many users here. There have been some threads in the "Buying, Leasing, Ordering" section about this very topic. Perhaps you could post your checklist there by copying and pasting it into a post. I think it would be very helpful to all of us. Thank you

[JeffO]

Has anyone heard of a Good Faith Review? After talking with a Ford regional representative they are undertaking that process with my car. They said this process takes about 10 days and the car repairs happen concurrently. There was talk of an ESP but at the time I was asking for an exact vehicle replacement. I don’t know which is better to ask for yet.

 

Any thoughts? The source of the transmission leak is not known yet. Parts have been ordered to replace the entire A/C system (Compressor, Lines, Etc...).

[acdii]

Has anyone heard of a Good Faith Review? After talking with a Ford regional representative they are undertaking that process with my car. They said this process takes about 10 days and the car repairs happen concurrently. There was talk of an ESP but at the time I was asking for an exact vehicle replacement. I don’t know which is better to ask for yet.

 

Any thoughts? The source of the transmission leak is not known yet. Parts have been ordered to replace the entire A/C system (Compressor, Lines, Etc...).

If it were me, I would get it swapped out. One issue out of the box I could deal with, but you have more than one. Was your car built on Tequila Monday, or Get drunk Saturday?

 

Since the xCVT is such a complex piece of machinery, I would be very reluctant to drive it, even if it had a 125K B2B warranty. It goes out while you are on a trip and you are hosed until its repaired. Trust issue on my part, if I cant trust a vehicle, I get rid of it.