Love my truck, hate the company

[rlynncorbett]

Even if ford built a massive dealership on that tiny Island in Alaska, you probably wouldn't have it fixed any sooner either way. My Maverick spent 2 months baking in the sun at the largest Ford dealership in the world (Galpin Ford) only for them to change the battery and release the car back to me and have it break down again the next day.

I'm assuming this has to do with the bad soldered terminal from the harness that runs from the battery up to the distribution box. If you want the vehicle to work just cut off the soldered terminal and crimp on a ring terminal. I have no idea why people are dealing with Ford and playing the waiting game to getting the entire harness replaced. You are on a military base, I'm sure someone has a ring terminal and a crimper.

You’re absolutely right! That’s the issue. I’m trying not to mess with it because I don’t want to void the warranty. I found out when we tried to tow it that it’s also missing the manual break release. It’s just a big hole where it’s supposed to be. So far no one can agree if it’s supposed to be there or not, but it seems important on a car that shifts electronically. Having it locked in park made towing it loads of fun. The mechanic said, and I quote, “someone forgot to finish building this one.”

Sponsored

 

[Edge Haley]

Sounds like Kodiak Island. I had a similar issue in Hawaii, I was transferred there and my sports car had no dealership service. Every maker is going to put the responsibility of getting a car to the dealership...I'm sure there is fine print to the effect...my car's manufacture provided the wiring harness but I was on my on finding someone to install the wiring harness. Best of luck, but I'd consider asking Ford to extend your warranty since they or you can't get if fixed now...Uncle Sam will eventually ship the Maverick home, free.

 

[Old Ford Guy]

They should LOVE warranty work, because they get paid handsomely to do it from Ford. No arguing with the customer about what's needed or not, or the cost--you do it, and that's it. But this warranty issue and the parts supply issue is getting the dealers very angry. Who has all the room to store these cars waiting on parts? So, it's not just warranty work they don't like, they don't like ANY work (besides the simple things like oil changes) because they cannot get any parts in a timely manner and they are forced to make excuses on behalf of corporate AND store cars...

Totally maddening. I suppose other manufacturers have something similar going on but it cannot be this bad in other places.

sorry but thats not accurate, actually most dealers HATE warranty work because of the miserly labor rates paid for almost every job in the book. only those rare dealerships who are smart enough to use this opportunity to win over the customer cheerfully perform warranty work.

for instance say you need a window motor replaced on a out of warranty vehicle and they quote the price of the part + 2.5 hrs labor to do the repair.
now come the next customer that needs a window motor replaced under warranty. but Ford will only reimburse the dealership 1.3 hrs labor for the same work and theres almost nothing the dealership can do about it and they lose also the almost automatic 10% or more markup on the part(s) that they typically add on.

plus the dealership really doesnt like dealing with a unhappy customer under the best of circumstances, let alone when they cant charge the higher rate for the work in question.

however you are 100% correct when it comes to dealer & customer dissatisfaction with the glacial 'speed' (yes, snark) and limited availability of replacement parts.

not trying to drag on your post but i felt a need to share my experience from over 30yrs of working in dealerships and Ford factories.

 

[Vaportrail]

Always been a Ford guy-

Still driving my 96 F-150...

 

[mdsalemi]

sorry but thats not accurate, actually most dealers HATE warranty work because of the miserly labor rates paid for almost every job in the book.

I was once stuck hundreds of miles away from home with my Ford Explorer. AAA towed me to the dealer in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They realized I was from out of town, it was warranty work. They literally dropped what they were doing, fixed the problem and got me on the way again with a smile and no invoice. Turned out to be a bad battery connection. No talk of the miserly hourly rate.

My dealer is in Michigan. Never had an iota of trouble with them (aside from the infernal parts problems which are 100% on Ford, zero on the dealer) with any warranty work. They treat ALL work the same, doesn't matter who foots the bill.

Some years back, I was plagued with alternator issues on a VW. Turns out the "rebuilts" and the "rebuilding" I was having done was sub-par. So I went to the dealer, figured I'd buy one and have them install it...until they told me that the flat-rate labor on that was 1.5 hours. Well, in the cold of November in Livonia, MI, in a dark parking lot of the dealer with a flashlight and my own tools, I did the install myself in about 30 minutes. VW cannot be different than others. Not sure on the miserly thing, though for certain a dealer can charge what they want for paid work at the risk of being laughed at and having a customer walk away to an independent (there are far more independent service facilities around than dealers, by a long shot...)

It's like A-Plan, X-Plan, etc. Some dealers "get it" and others don't. The dealers here in NC aren't keen to serve anyone with these plans. Downright unfriendly. But, have not had too bad an issue with any kind of service work, even a full transmission replacement on a Bronco Sport with 600 miles on the clock. They grumbled a bit, not because of the warranty part but because they only had one transmission tech. But they did it.

Our experiences are all different. If I get a sniff that a dealer doesn't want to deal with us because it's a warranty issue, or if they don't understand the employee and retiree plans on pricing, we just walk away...there's always another dealer somewhere.

 

[Old Ford Guy]

I was once stuck hundreds of miles away from home with my Ford Explorer. AAA towed me to the dealer in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They realized I was from out of town, it was warranty work. They literally dropped what they were doing, fixed the problem and got me on the way again with a smile and no invoice. Turned out to be a bad battery connection. No talk of the miserly hourly rate.

My dealer is in Michigan. Never had an iota of trouble with them (aside from the infernal parts problems which are 100% on Ford, zero on the dealer) with any warranty work. They treat ALL work the same, doesn't matter who foots the bill.

Some years back, I was plagued with alternator issues on a VW. Turns out the "rebuilts" and the "rebuilding" I was having done was sub-par. So I went to the dealer, figured I'd buy one and have them install it...until they told me that the flat-rate labor on that was 1.5 hours. Well, in the cold of November in Livonia, MI, in a dark parking lot of the dealer with a flashlight and my own tools, I did the install myself in about 30 minutes. VW cannot be different than others. Not sure on the miserly thing, though for certain a dealer can charge what they want for paid work at the risk of being laughed at and having a customer walk away to an independent (there are far more independent service facilities around than dealers, by a long shot...)

It's like A-Plan, X-Plan, etc. Some dealers "get it" and others don't. The dealers here in NC aren't keen to serve anyone with these plans. Downright unfriendly. But, have not had too bad an issue with any kind of service work, even a full transmission replacement on a Bronco Sport with 600 miles on the clock. They grumbled a bit, not because of the warranty part but because they only had one transmission tech. But they did it.

Our experiences are all different. If I get a sniff that a dealer doesn't want to deal with us because it's a warranty issue, or if they don't understand the employee and retiree plans on pricing, we just walk away...there's always another dealer somewhere.

you're absolutely right that some dealers know how to run a good Service Dept. i've been going to the same one for many yrs and couldnt be much happier with how the treat me & my vehicles.
hopefully threads like these help others find their own 'good dealer'.
happy trails...

 

[rlynncorbett]

Update on my recall work/ warranty repair work. Tomorrow will be 30 days of nothing but a dead truck.

So outside of the recall work it looks like our truck may qualify for a buyback program. When they built it they forgot to install the positive jump terminal to the battery under the hood. No one can find the part number because it’s just not something anyone ever needs to replace.

Also for anyone out there who needs to get into contact with ford for an issue with their truck…do NOT call ford customer service. Always call ford motor company. Apparently, they are essentially two separate companies. And ford motor company can advise/assist you with WAY more the the customer service number. I wish I had known this earlier as it would have saved me about two weeks of headaches. I haven’t solved all of my issues yet but have hope that now that I’m talking to the right people a solution will be offered soon.

 

[CopperMetallic77]

Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE.!! Woke up to go to work 2 weeks ago...no start. Called roadside assistance and had Mav towed to dealer. Dealer states can't locate issue ???? wtf. Advised tech I had this truck towed in for No Crank / No Start (22B39 CSP) per Ford instructions and service advisor actually argued that unless Ford authorizes a fix, they can't do anything. Showed service advisor June 2023 letter from FOMOCO and had to basically "beg" service advisor to complete the new 12V battery cable overlay replacement.
In addition, I asked them to perform the braking slamming issue under 15mph (TSB shudder / vibration TSB 23-2209 PCM correction) while the truck was in for service and their reply was unless you are experiencing this issue, there is no need to correct. Needless to say ... I had to ask the advisor to bring the service tech out to speak with me and when I showed him the actual TSB letter stating "IF customer states there is a braking issue under 15 mph here is the action that needs to be addressed" he contacted the service MGR and only then was it approved. With that info, he/they finally agreed to address the issue and complete the PCM update to correct the braking issue.

I absolutely CAN"T with these dealerships. It's totally unacceptable how they operate. I wonder if Jim Farley is aware of these issues and more importantly...is Ford in damage control mode?
Good Luck everyone!!

 

[rlynncorbett]

Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE.!! Woke up to go to work 2 weeks ago...no start. Called roadside assistance and had Mav towed to dealer. Dealer states can't locate issue ???? wtf. Advised tech I had this truck towed in for No Crank / No Start (22B39 CSP) per Ford instructions and service advisor actually argued that unless Ford authorizes a fix, they can't do anything. Showed service advisor June 2023 letter from FOMOCO and had to basically "beg" service advisor to complete the new 12V battery cable overlay replacement.
In addition, I asked them to perform the braking slamming issue under 15mph (TSB shudder / vibration TSB 23-2209 PCM correction) while the truck was in for service and their reply was unless you are experiencing this issue, there is no need to correct. Needless to say ... I had to ask the advisor to bring the service tech out to speak with me and when I showed him the actual TSB letter stating "IF customer states there is a braking issue under 15 mph here is the action that needs to be addressed" he contacted the service MGR and only then was it approved. With that info, he/they finally agreed to address the issue and complete the PCM update to correct the braking issue.

I absolutely CAN"T with these dealerships. It's totally unacceptable how they operate. I wonder if Jim Farley is aware of these issues and more importantly...is Ford in damage control mode?
Good Luck everyone!!

OMG I never got a letter about the break issue for under 15mph. But our truck absolutely does it. I just thought it was a weird hybrid thing. I swear the company is designed to make it almost impossible to trace what aspect of the company is responsible for paying or fixing your car. I’m so sorry they have been giving you the run around. I ended up filing a complaint with the Better business bureau but we will see if anything comes of it.

 

[Deweyordeweynot]

I absolutely love my Ford Maverick hybrid. However, I am in the military and was required to move from California to a tiny island in Alaska. The truck handled Alaska like a champ.

Then we were issued a no start recall. No problem! There’s a ford mechanic on the island. However, 8 months later still no part for the recall. One day our truck doesn't start.

Now ford customer service says that we MUST take it to a dealership to receive the part which you only get when your car doesn't start. It’s $2,000 to ship a car off the island one way. 20 days later no help from ford customer service, just two closed cases files because our issue was “resolved”. Also, no alternate means of transportation. I was forced by necessity to buy a beater. Great truck, bad company. It’s a real shame because my grandpa taught me to always go Ford. But never again.

To add for anyone else who has received the CSP notice for the battery harness issue…please, even if your truck hasn’t had the issue yet, take the time to check that your truck has a manual parking break release. If you have the hybrid and your battery is SOL and you don’t have it there is no way to switch your truck from park to neutral which makes getting a tow an extreme pain. My truck and several others on this forum just have a big hole where it’s supposed to be, and no one can agree if it’s meant to be a part of the build or not.

I worked in AK a few months in 2022 and again in 2023 with a company that was doing pavement analysis on many of the islands' roads...really enjoyed the state and was wondering which one you were stationed on? I spent 10 days on Kodiak, stuck while the regular ferry was down for service. The work I was there to perform was done on day 1 and it rained (and rained) the 8 of the remaining 9 days, but I still enjoyed it, stayed at a hotel near the airfield. Bears roaming the parking lot at night, eagles hunting in the fields; it was terrific!

Sponsored