NEED Someone From FORD MANAGEMENT to PLEASE HELP

[Big_Slick737]

I purchased a NEW 2008 Shelby GT500 from a Dealership in Oklahoma, On Nov 15, 2007.

After purchasing the vehicle I had it Registered and Title in the State of Texas, toward the middle to end of December I found

a factory paint issue. I contacted the selling dealership and sent photos of the paint issue, and they suggested since I live in the

Dallas, Tx area that It would be easier for me to find a local dealership to have the warranty work done.

 

These are a few pictures of the Factory Paint issue:

 

Issue: The Bumper Cover was not trimmed out properly during the factory build around both Front Turn Signal housings. Also, there

was a paint Run and Over spray along the edge of the Passenger side Rear wheel-well.

 

I contacted Grand Prairie Ford in Grand Prairie, Tx on Jan 3rd to look at the paint issue to see if they could perform the work.

They contacted me after they received a new digital imaging system from Ford Motor Company, they they are now using to

track paint issues.

 

I brought my car to them on 1/22/08 and dropped it off to have the warranty repair work completed.

The car had 2086 miles on the odometer.

GP Ford called me to come pick it up on 1/25/08, which I did and informed them of the many issues I

could see with the front bumper after their repairs. As it was a weekend day, they allowed me to take the car home with a

paint marker they provided to mark all the issues. The car had 2087.2 Miles on it when I left the dealership on 1/25/08.

 

These are the pictures from the Paint job GP Ford did between 1/22 and 1/25/08:

 

http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/b...k737/?start=all

 

Issues in the above photos are as follows:

Driver Side:

Dirt and fibers in the pain in 3 spots on top right edge of turn signal, Orange Peel texture around turn signal, Rough Paint Lower driver side above the air splitter, Trim around the turn signal still rough, Orange Peel texture inside the Fog Lamp housing, Rough Paint Under the headlight across length of bumper, Fibers in the paint near top right of the lower grill on the bumper.

Center:

Stripes Incorrectly installed, Dirt Under Stripes, Air bubbles in stripes, Rough and Dry Paint - lack of clear-coat on bumper below lower grill on each curved section.

Passenger Side:

Dirt in paint under Upper grill, Dirt in paint in front of the turn signal, paint on turn signal lens, Fibers in paint Upper left corner of turn signal, Dirt in pain lower left side of turn signal in 2 spots, and Orange peel texture in Fog lamp housing.

 

I brought the car back to the Body shop manager on Monday 1/28/08 and talked with the Body Shop Manager Ron Neelman and went over all the issues with the front bumper. He took possession of the car at that time, and the Car had 2122.2 miles on it.

I was called on Feb 4th that I could come and pick up the car on Feb 5th.

 

I showed up to pick up my car on Feb 5th, Ron Neelman informed me that the bumper was on the car, it had not been striped, and they have one issue they need to fix on the bumper that was found. Ron Neelman and a GP Ford body shop Associate went to look at my bumper on the car, along with my wife and myself.

Ron showed me Runs in the Clear-coat across the top of the bumper cover below the front Grill that was about 8 inches in length. While speaking with them I showed him other issues and I was given an Orange paint marker to show them the other problems I was noticing.

Issues after 2nd Paint Job:

The clear coat run across the top of the bumper below the grill 8inches in length, Rough texture and Orange Peel on both sides of the bumper lower part about the air splitter, also in the same previous spots below the lower grill on the bumper in the curves of the bumper, Orange peel texture across the front of the bumper on driver side below the headlight, and several areas of Fibers in the clear-coat and paint.

 

The Manager of the body shop Ron, said they would take care of all those issues and let me know when the car was ready. They planned on pulling the car in immediately and getting to work on the issues.

 

I was told that the car was ready for me to come pick up on Feb 6th, one day later. I picked up the car on Feb 6th and took it home. When I picked up the vehicle the car had 2124.4 miles on it.

 

I inspected the bumper and again found several issues with the bumper, and I contacted contacted Ford Customer Service on Feb 14th. I explained to them what problems I was having and they said they would do an investigation and call me back on Tuesday Feb 19th. Ford Customer Service Representative Chris, called me on Tuesday and explained to me that he spoke with the Manager of the Body Shop Ron Neelman, and that Ford could not do anything for me and I would have to take the car back to GP Ford.

 

These are the pictures from after the 3rd Paint job:

 

http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/b...k737/?start=all

 

Issues in the the above photos:

Runs in the paint on the driver side above the turn signal and curve, Rough paint and Orange Peel along side of bumper near bottom above the air splitter, Fibers in the paint on lower half of bumper driver side, Dirt in paint on driver side riser, Razor blade cut between stripes on center of the bumper, dirt in the paint between the stripes, Dirt Under paint on passenger side of bumper above turn signal, Rough paint passenger side lower part above air splitter.

 

I left town to attend a Grandparent\\\\\\\'s Funeral, and when I returned I contacted Ford Customer Service again on Feb 20th, not being satisfied with their investigation, that consisted of just calling the Dealership, and refusing to look at the pictures I had taken to show them the issues. I was given the name and number of the Regional Zone Rep for Ford to contact.

 

I contacted Cathy at 1-866-631-3788. Cathy looked over the information that was in the Ford Computer system as I explained the issues I was having. Cathy told me that Ford motor company had already paid for the warranty work performed, and told me it was no longer a warranty issue, that it was a workmanship issue with GP Ford and Ford motor company is no longer responsible for the work because all Ford Dealerships are independently owned. This is a workmanship issue with the dealer, there is nothing Ford Motor company can do at this point. I explained that did not make any sense because Ford Motor Company authorized GP Ford to perform the warranty work and that 3 times they have not resolved the paint issue and therefore Ford is still responsible to fix the bumper properly. Cathy then explained to me again that there was nothing she or Ford could do for me at this point, they are no longer involved and that this is NOT a warranty issue. She would however put into her computer system that I experienced an unsatisfactory experience with the work performed by Grand Prairie Ford.

 

I then contacted the Operations Customer Service Rep at GP Ford and met with her on Feb 22nd to show her the issues with my bumper and explained everything that has happened to date. She set up a meeting with Ron Neelman, myself, and her for 2/28/08. We met and went over all the problems with the bumper that I had noticed to date. Ron explained to both of us that their is no way they could keep dirt and fibers out of the paint when they paint a car. They use a Down draft system in a curtained off area, NOT A PAINT BOOTH, and that the blowers kick up particles in that air that will sometimes get into the paint. He explained that if he painted the bumper again, the amount of dirt and fibers could actually be worse than the current condition. I asked about starting over on a new bumper because this one had been painted multiple times already. He said he would not do that. They then asked me to let them know what I decide to do next week when they begin the new month.

 

I then took my vehicle to an independent body shop to have everything that was wrong with the bumper and the paint work, pointed out to me. I had missed several things.. the biggest being that they had actually done damage to the vehicle.

 

The following pictures are the issues that I did not catch when the bumper was painted from Feb 5th to Feb 6th:

 

The bumper was actually painted On the Vehicle when work was performed on Feb 5th and 6th.

Over Spray is on the Driver headlight on the lower part, Over spray is on the Left Side of the Driver headlight, the bumper is missing a brace under the the bumper on the driver side under the headlight, Under the hood the bumper Clip and bolt on the driver side has been painted and clear coated, and the passenger side bumper clip and bolt are in their original condition. Showing that they painted the bumper while on the car the 3rd time they did work on the bumper.

 

These are external issues and was told there could easily be more problems that can not be seen unless the bumper cover is removed to find them.

 

I contacted Jacque Marvin on Feb 29th over the phone to explain what had been found, and that there was actual damage to the vehicle from GP Fords body shop painting the bumper while it was on the vehicle. She told me this was impossible that the bumper was painted on the car because the paperwork indicates that the bumper was removed for the work performed. I told her I could bring the vehicle up to show her that was not the case, and she explained that maybe I should consider getting someone else to repair the bumper for me, since I probably wouldnt be happy with any work performed by GP Ford, and that she didn\\\\\\\'t want to see the car because she had the paperwork that says what work was performed.

 

I then spoke with the General Manager of Grand Prairie Ford, in Grand Prairie, Texas.... Keith Sheldon. I explained i wanted to get this redone somewhere else because they have had 3 times to do it right and have messed up the bumper and actually damaged the vehicle to this point. He requested an independant body shop quote from me which I provided on 3/19/08.

Since then the GM has not returned any phone calls after leaving several messages. I even went to the dealership on 3/27/08 and waited 2 hours in the lobby to speak with Keith Sheldon the GM. I was told he knew i was there to see him, yet he left for the day without speaking to me, and another manager came to tell me he was gone for the day.

 

I was told they would get in touch with me on Friday and they Did Not, even after I left messages at the dealership....

 

This is just Horrible the way I have been treated and somone at FORD should get involved.... this has been the worst customer service ever !! And All I want is for my New 2008 Shelby GT500 to be repaired properly by someone who will do a GOOD job.

 

Thanks In Advance

 

PLEASE HELP !!!!

Edited March 31, 2008 by Big_Slick737

[Furious1Auto]

Hey dude, it would have been easier to post this LINK!

Looks screwed up to me. I'd be pissed and they would make it right if I was forced to take alternative action. This sh-t should never have left the plant, although I love your choice of colors!

Edited March 31, 2008 by Furious1Auto

[blazerdude20]

try contacting a local news station. if they air a story about the sh!tty work there, the dealer would prob change their tune.

 

or try getting a hold of the owner.

[J-150]

that really sucks.

 

I hope your car situation gets righted

[Sixt9coug]

The situation sucks, but at this point it really is a dealer problem. Does the dealership have an in house body shop or do they sublet the work? it was a poor job to say the least. Ive worked in a body shop and never did we paint a bumper on a car, especially if it was a NEW vehicle. It wouldnt have mattered if it was a Hyundai Accent, we took the bumper off to paint it.

 

I wish you the best luck, fight the dealership over it. They messed up, its their problem to fix it.

 

Ford is right here, its not their fault the dealership did a crappy job. They paid them once to do the work, and do it right. The fact that they cut corners on it is their problem, and it means Ford shouldnt have to pay them again to do it. They messed up, they have to do it again without being paid twice. Fight them for the headlights and the other work. I wouldnt be shocked if they had a mobile guy do the work as alot of dealers use mobile guys that do used car reconditioning in the back of the shop that arent necessarily employees of the dealership.

 

Worse case, maybe small claims to repair all of the damage. I feel for ya man, that sucks.

[Sixt9coug]

BTW, i would probably fight them on the issue with the paint thickness too. With 4 paint jobs on it i wouldnt be shocked if there was upwards of 15 mils of paint on the bumper now. What paint do they use? Im sure there are regs on what that particular paint manufacter reccomends as a maximum thickness to be warranted against peeling and chip resistance.

[Big_Slick737]

Yes the do have their own in house body shop that did the work. The Body Shop Manager yesterday tried to tell the Owner/GM that I had the paint done somewhere else and that someone else must have caused the overspray.

 

He was a real about it all. The Owner/GM sent me to talk to body shop manager earlier in the day to try and work out what exactly I would like to have done. That was the first time the body shop manager had actually seen the damage to the car that they caused and got pissed off, and now he is trying to cover his ass.

 

The Bad thing for him is that I was smart enough to record the conversation I had with him, where he admits that they spot painted on the car. And the pictures I took were 2 days after the car was returned to me on Feb 6th. They do not know this yet but will find out shortly. I have a meeting scheduled with the Owner/GM and the Body Shop Manager later this week.

 

I think the Owner/GM will decide to make things right. Especially after I show him proof that his Body Shop manager not only lied to him, but how he was treating me and the situation, just to cover his butt. This guy will be lucky to have a job if the Owner/GM has any sense, once we have this meeting.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas.. I will let you know what the outcome is and what happens later this week.

[thegeneral]

Yes the do have their own in house body shop that did the work. The Body Shop Manager yesterday tried to tell the Owner/GM that I had the paint done somewhere else and that someone else must have caused the overspray.

 

He was a real about it all. The Owner/GM sent me to talk to body shop manager earlier in the day to try and work out what exactly I would like to have done. That was the first time the body shop manager had actually seen the damage to the car that they caused and got pissed off, and now he is trying to cover his ass.

 

The Bad thing for him is that I was smart enough to record the conversation I had with him, where he admits that they spot painted on the car. And the pictures I took were 2 days after the car was returned to me on Feb 6th. They do not know this yet but will find out shortly. I have a meeting scheduled with the Owner/GM and the Body Shop Manager later this week.

 

I think the Owner/GM will decide to make things right. Especially after I show him proof that his Body Shop manager not only lied to him, but how he was treating me and the situation, just to cover his butt. This guy will be lucky to have a job if the Owner/GM has any sense, once we have this meeting.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas.. I will let you know what the outcome is and what happens later this week.

 

NICE!!

[tommy8768]

Yes the do have their own in house body shop that did the work. The Body Shop Manager yesterday tried to tell the Owner/GM that I had the paint done somewhere else and that someone else must have caused the overspray.

 

He was a real about it all. The Owner/GM sent me to talk to body shop manager earlier in the day to try and work out what exactly I would like to have done. That was the first time the body shop manager had actually seen the damage to the car that they caused and got pissed off, and now he is trying to cover his ass.

 

The Bad thing for him is that I was smart enough to record the conversation I had with him, where he admits that they spot painted on the car. And the pictures I took were 2 days after the car was returned to me on Feb 6th. They do not know this yet but will find out shortly. I have a meeting scheduled with the Owner/GM and the Body Shop Manager later this week.

 

I think the Owner/GM will decide to make things right. Especially after I show him proof that his Body Shop manager not only lied to him, but how he was treating me and the situation, just to cover his butt. This guy will be lucky to have a job if the Owner/GM has any sense, once we have this meeting.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas.. I will let you know what the outcome is and what happens later this week.

Does he know you recorded him? I dont know about where you live but in RI you cant record someone without telling them first. I believe this applies to everyone not just phone scammers.

[ford4v429]

Dumb question, but cant Ford backbill the payment for the crappy repair from dealer account AND then authorize another dealer to do it properly?

I think in cases like this if Ford dont get someone to step up to the plate and make things right, the writing is on the wall they aint gonna survive no matter how many times they slash/reorganize, etc...

if Ford would just have someone at CRC that had ANY authority at all to insist on dealer conduct/performance that Fords actual customers could talk to (vs. the 'call your dealer' loop of tape type 'support' the useless CRC provides) they might not deserve the black eyes they get from dealer errors- but as long as ford dont at least 'act' concerned, they deserve every black eye a shoddy dealer causes.

This kind of crap is a big chunk of 'why' Ford is in such trouble...I know of way more folks who feel screwed by dealer/factory authorized service than folks happy with dealers...truth be told bad news travels fast, and probably only a few dealers inflict HUGE damage to perception of 'Ford' quality/warranty/etc...

 

I'd love to know one thing- HOW IN THE HECK IS THAT DEALERSHIP AUTHORIZED TO REPAINT A CAR WITHOUT A BOOTH??? dont Ford require adequate equipment on site before allowing a franchise to be certified as a factory authorized facility???

 

ps- anyone see the story in the paper about the tacoma frames rusting out- Toyota is paying 1.5 time high retail book irregardless of mileage, and extending warranty on frame to 15 years on all of them...a local guy sold back his >200,000 mile 10 year old truck for $12,500. I thought it was some kind of april fools joke or something, but no- its real...after reading that, and then stories like this, its no wonder Toyota is becoming such a threat to american automakers...Ive always been a diehard ford guy, but gotta say if they dont start investing in improving owner perceptions, they aint gonna be around much longer I'm afraid.

 

PS_ when you get that car back I would seamseal the front hood underside crimp- mines 2 years old, got 18,000 fun miles(never in snow- but some rain) and the underside of the aluminum hood looks like a 20 year old rocker panel...there are bubbled/blistered areas about 3"x1" long and about a third of the hood bottom lip is bubbled along the visible edge- this ALL happened since I waxed it last fall and put it away for the winter...I'd read of the problem last year, but mine didnt have it, sadly tonight I did a stupid thing and ended up hitting a rusty old fence scraping up the hood/fender/bumper...checking out the damage tonight saw the hood edge and thought aint no way I'm getting that repainted- if the factory baked paint did that, it aint ever going to last. when I'd read about the issue on themustangsource.com, they said ford will not cover due to 'not outer body rust thru'- and some of the cars that had it were under a year old. as its aluminum skin, I guess water gets under that edge and starts oxidizing(not rust thru, but looks just like rotting from inside out) any notes to owners to watch for the problem, or recommended preventative measures- nope...seems they more just hope they go out of warranty before folks notice it. Cant tell me fords not aware of the problem, but all too often if anything an obscure tsb gets issued to dealers...owners never get any info...If Ford would just get someone (like Kzinti) to setup website access to owners, give them a 'friend at the factory' and POST ANY AND ALL TSB's on a site the owners are informed of when purchasing (instead of obscure websites many folks dont know exist- but the info can be found if you look hard enough, and NOT on a Ford site) things might not seem so adversarial between the factory and the TRUE customer. As long ad Ford sees dealers as their customer, and the car buyer as someone elses problem, there is no way they are ever going to grow marketshare...safety/quality/pricing/styling/performance...let somebody feel screwed over even one time chances are no matter what great things a company peddles, folks will walk out in spite anyways. when a company like toyota stands behind a long out of warrany product like the crappy truck frames, kinda gives me a different perception about them, even if I dont care for their products...but gotta say I can SEE why folks are leaning their direction.

 

sorry for getting so far off topic, and ranting on again, but this stuff just really gets me upset...everybody knows Ford can do better except the powers that be (and change all too often) at Ford.

[Big_Slick737]

Im in Texas and yes it is legal to record your converstation without the other persons knowledge.

 

Yes the probably could have done a charge back to the dealership for the work performed, but they (Ford)

didnt want to and pretty much washed their hands of it.

 

The Owner believed me and cut me a check and is giving me the bumper stripes to have the work done

elsewhere. So looks like I will have my car fix sometime next week.

 

So an almost 3 month sage is just about over with hopefully.

 

The Owner was very stand up guy about the whole situation once he was given the complete story and

not just the story from the bodyshop manager.

[nilkilla]

I'm glad to hear this ended up getting resolved for you!

keep us updated on the repairs!

[ford4v429]

very glad to hear they offered to let you take it elsewhere...still wonder about the paint thickness someone mentioned above-

 

 

guess what- about an hour ago I was talking to a buddy with a 05, and a proud new (two weeks old- he got it at MSRP) GT500 owner white with vista blue stripes- his turn signal cutouts LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE YOURS- plus just above the license plate area the outer edge of the stripe had about a 1/8" hook in it where it looked like tape wasnt lined up(dealer painted and charged at option price maybe? I doubt the factory woulda let it out looking like that- although noone noticed the front bumper flashing wasnt trimmed...)

 

if theres anyone here that works the Shelby line, PLEASE have someone from quality control look at the fron bumper/turnsignal cutouts ASAP- a vendor is screwing up and the guys on the line aint catching it. the guy is going to another local cruise spot tomorrow- i'll see If I can get some pics of his too. Nice car- the 160 speedometer looks cool

 

Lastly- my buddy with the 05 has NEVER I mean NEVER had his black 05 in the rain- he hardly washes it, just dusts/polishes- and it looks perfect...asked him to pop his hood and sure enough the underside lip is starting to blister from the edges too slightly- but its starting...the Shelby guy said he might seal his with silicone or something as he dont want his doing that...If Ford is going to keep using aluminum skin on panels, they need to figure out a way to seal the edges so water cant get to the aluminum edge- many folks think 'aluminum dont rust'- wrong- all metals oxidize to some extent and some grades of aluminum corrode faster than steel...

 

heres a picture of mine- this was NOT like this last fall(last time I wiped down underhood area). I do drive my car in the rain, but its in the garage when the snow/salt is on the roads. the side seams are starting the same thing...if youve got a mustang, I'd suggest sealing these edges with something(and the hole atop the rocker flap just ahead of the rear wheels- half the cars Ive seen are open there- attached is another pic of the area I'm talking about- if youve got a mustang and dont want the inaccessible rockers filling with road grime- I'd strongly suggest sealing the top hole in these...

Edited April 11, 2008 by ford4v429

[jonas1022]

Not to highjack the thread. But I have friends that swear by the good service they recieve at Grand Prairie Ford. Apparently they have never had to deal with the body shop.

 

Good luck on getting things set right. There are several good shops out there. I have used Five Star Ford in North Richland Hills several times with nothing to complain about. They even performed the work for the insurance check and no more...

Edited April 6, 2008 by jonas1022

[Sixt9coug]

So how did it go? Is everything followed through and done right now?