Opinions on Ford Quick Lube?

[SVT_MAN]

I am not impressed with Ford Quick Lube. Maybe it is just the one that I went to, but they really messed up today.

 

Attached is a graphic that explains why I am not satisfied.

 

Let me start with a bit of background though ... this might seem a bit excessive, but it explains why I went to Quick Lube in the first place.

 

November of 2011, I purchased a 2010 Ford Fusion SEL I4. I love the car, and I loved what the dealership was offering me: a "Forever Warranty" on the powertrain ... but there was a catch. I have to have the vehicle serviced by "certified technicians" at "certified garages" ...

 

Thus, I went ahead and purchased pre-paid oil and service changes from the dealership I purchased from because they were discounted.

 

I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I don't have a lot of time either since I am 25, single and recently built a home (landscaping yourself sounds like a good idea until you actually do it!). Ordinarily, I just change my own oil and then I don't have to worry about it. But that is not an option with the warranty I have. I've read through the documentation and it voids the warranty if you perform any work on the vehicle related to the powertrain.

 

In any case, today I took the Fusion in for an oil change (or more correctly, my dad did because he lives near the dealership - I live over an hour away), and when I received the vehicle back I checked the oil level. You know, just for kicks. Being that I had it serviced at a Ford dealer, I never would have figured that it would be low. But I cleaned the dipstick, put it back in, and checked it. As you can see in the photo, it is low. Probably down a third to half a quart in my estimation.

 

I was not pleased to see this, so I cleaned it again, and checked it again. Still low.

 

I also noticed something that may be of concern on my invoice. I paid for 5 quarts of oil. But my car takes 5.3 quarts. Maybe they're nice and don't charge me for the extra 0.3 of a quart? But I would imagine this car takes more than 5.3 quarts anyway because of the oil filter. I always buy an extra quart for my Mustang when I change that oil (use most of it for the oil filter and then check the level after the change is completed and add if necessary).

 

Anyway, have a look for yourself. I took a photo of the dipstick and I also took some photos of the owner's manual for easy reference so you can verify what I am saying about the 5.3 quarts of oil to be true. I know that it's kind of hard to see fresh oil on a dipstick (and I took the pic with my phone), but trust me ... the shiny oil was ALL below the first hole and didn't even TOUCH the cross-hatching area.

 

 

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

Tomorrow I am calling up the service manager and telling him about the situation. Unfortunately, they were closed when I picked the vehicle up from my parent's house tonight, otherwise I would have called already ....

 

I am also emailing my sales guy to let him know about my experience. Maybe he can pull some strings and get me something for the inconvenience. I mean, I left the Fusion at my parent's house because I don't really want to drive it with it a half quart low on oil. This also scares me that perhaps the last time I had it changed by the dealer it could have been low then, too. I can't imagine that the dealership would be pleased if their service techs aren't putting in enough oil ... I mean, my car has a "FOREVER" warranty ... isn't that kind a poor way of ensuring that something doesn't happen to my engine? Oil is the cheapest insurance I know of for an engine.

 

The other thing I'm trying to figure out is what to do with the oil situation anyway. I feel that the dealer should compensate me for gas if I have to end up taking it back to them due to the warranty. I mean, I would have already added the quart of oil myself if I hadn't been worried about voiding the warranty (which is ridiculous if you think about it ... considering driving without oil is a lot more damaging to the engine than some "non-ASE certified" Joe like me adding what's needed).

 

Anybody else had similar situations? I have had other oil change places shortchange me on filling up to the proper level of oil ... I am just disappointed that a place that SHOULD know Ford vehicles did this to me.

Edited April 6, 2012 by SVT_MAN

[akirby]

Obsess much?

 

Take a deep breath and relax. It's not the end of the world - you're not doing any damage driving a half quart low. Just take it back and show the service manager what happened and let them add more oil and be sure to check it next time before you leave. This happens a lot.

[SVT_MAN]

Obsess much?

 

Take a deep breath and relax. It's not the end of the world - you're not doing any damage driving a half quart low. Just take it back and show the service manager what happened and let them add more oil and be sure to check it next time before you leave. This happens a lot.

 

I hear you that you might think I am obsessive (I do have some OCD tendencies but they come in handy at times ....), but what do people who DON'T bother checking their oil do? Drive a half quart down the entire 3,000-4,000 miles, maybe further? Maybe that won't do all that much damage - but oil is cheap insurance and if I pay for a change, I want it to be at least as good as one I could perform myself. These Quick Lube places are supposed to be for average Joe who doesn't want to worry about the hassle of changing his own oil. What's the point if they aren't going to do it right?

 

This is exactly why I change my own oil on the Mustang.

 

BTW: I couldn't check the oil level before I drove it home because I didn't drive the car there. Otherwise I would have. My dad drove it there. I live over an hour away from the dealership (I did mention that in my post). My dad had the day off and he's a nice dad.

 

And I think my dad ordinarily would have checked it too, but he had the ... brats, err, I mean grandchildren with him (not mine btw ... thank God!). Long day.

Edited April 6, 2012 by SVT_MAN

[BlackHorse]

Obsess much?

 

Take a deep breath and relax. It's not the end of the world - you're not doing any damage driving a half quart low. Just take it back and show the service manager what happened and let them add more oil and be sure to check it next time before you leave. This happens a lot.

 

It shouldn't happen a lot and he has every right to be irritated about it. There's too much of the "I don't give a ****" attitude in this country and too many people that half *** do their jobs because they don't give a ****. Rather than demand that people take some pride in their work and do their job properly and to the best of their ability we have a tendency in America to make excuses or "take a deep breath and relax." I agree with SVT on this one and part of that is because I've used the Ford Quick Lane myself and I wasn't at all impressed with the substandard service I got either. I asked them specifically one morning to change my cabin air filter in my Mustang and they informed that the Mustang didn't have one. So they changed my oil, I took my car literally across the street to Auto Zone where I bought a cabin air filter. Then I went home and changed it myself because it absolutely does have one. But more on topic and to the point with respect to this thread. I noticed that when I got the bill from the Quick Lane guys that it made reference to all sorts of "we checked this" and "we checked that" on your car. I know for a fact that those things were never inspected or checked because I was standing there watching these guys as they worked. They didn't check those things on any of the cars in the service area. They checked it off on the list, but the actual inspection was never done. So I was less than impressed to be sure. They aren't any better or worse than one of those quick change oil places that change your oil, check your lights and have you honk the horn a couple times.

 

SVT, you might be better off taking your car to the main dealership to have any maintenance done. You'll end up having to wait longer but I found that as a general rule it was done properly where the Quick Lane stuff was just a joke. Someone told me they aren't even an official Ford entity, just that they have a deal with some of the dealerships. I don't know if that's true or not.

Edited April 6, 2012 by BlackHorse

[SVT_MAN]

Noticed that it's Quick Lane not Quick Lube. Sue me. =)

 

BlackHorse: I'll have to see if that is an option. I pre-paid for oil and service through a program through their dealership body. It's my understanding that QuickLane is their service place for all service, but maybe not.

Edited April 6, 2012 by SVT_MAN

[aneekr]

I am very impressed with the service I received last week at a Twin Cities area Quick Lane (as I mentioned in this thread) for my 2.5L 6MT Ford Fusion.

 

I verified on my own engine oil and other fluid levels, tire pressure, and lug nut torque immediately following the service. Everything checked out per specs in the owner's guide.

 

BTW, "Forever" or "Lifetime" warranty programs offered by dealerships should not influence your automobile purchasing decision. These are sales promotion tools with limited value to the consumer. They often have stipulations that make filing a claim challenging, and may also constrain your regular maintenance & repair options- whether DIY, dealership service department, or independent garage- resulting in higher lifetime maintenance/repair costs than would otherwise be the case.

[akirby]

I wasn't suggesting that it was ok - the service manager should be made aware that it was done incorrectly. But a half quart low isn't a huge problem, it's a minor problem. Wal-Mart used the wrong filter on my buddy's Camry and ended up buying him a new engine. Sometimes they even forget to put oil back in.

 

What exactly is this "lifetime warranty" and what does it cover? Sounds like just a gimmick to get you to use their service. And doing it with a dealer a hour away is really inconvenient.

 

Call the Service Manager and let him know what happened. Then the next time the car goes in for service, have the service manager check the oil level before you leave. That's reasonable considering the history and if it happens again the service manager will catch it and reprimand the tech on the spot. That's really your only option if you want to keep the "warranty".

 

And that's also why I do my own oil changes as well.

[GTwannabe]

"Lifetime powertrain warranty" usually only covers "internally oil lubricated parts". It's not going to cover the parts that are likely to wear out/fail prematurely (water pump, alternator, fuel injectors, fuel pump, etc. It's just a ploy to get you to do all your service at the dealership so they can sell you additional services.

[PREMiERdrum]

I've been totally impressed with our local Central Ohio QuickLanes (especially Masheter Ford's QuickLane, our home dealer), but as a franchise, your results may vary. Call the service manager and see what he says, and be sure to mention at your next appointment how badly things were messed up this time. That should keep an extra set of eyes on your car the next time around.

[BORG]

When I took the F-150 in for its first service last year, they left the oil cap off. My truck started smoking and smelling the next day and that's how I discovered it, oil had splashed all over the engine. Joy!

Edited April 6, 2012 by BORG

[fordmantpw]

"Lifetime powertrain warranty" usually only covers "internally oil lubricated parts". It's not going to cover the parts that are likely to wear out/fail prematurely (water pump, alternator, fuel injectors, fuel pump, etc. It's just a ploy to get you to do all your service at the dealership so they can sell you additional services.

 

The place where we buy our vehicles has a "tires for life" program. It requires you to get ALL service done at the required intervals, included oil changes at 5k, no matter what your owner's manual recommends. You even have to get your wiper blades there!

 

Now, we still get our vehicles serviced there (I quit changing my own oil as I really don't want to deal with 15 quarts of diesel fuel at each oil change), but I don't have to worry about missing a service by 100 miles or something. Plus, I get to pick my own tires instead of the OEM tires they put on for you with "tires for life".

[FordBuyer]

Wow, tough crowd on here. I've had good and bad service with Quick Lane. Bascially I think it's luck with how busy they are or not on day you take it in. On one occassion I gave up on oil change after almost two hour wait, and other day got in and out in less than 2 hours on coolant flush. Every day is different. Luck of the draw. As for oil level, as long as oil is in safe zone as it seemed to show on dipstick, I don't think it's a big deal. I don't know about the Fusion, but on some vehicles like my Boxster it's best to be down a little from top. Not really a big deal either way. Always best anyhow to always have an extra quart at home to top off if needed along with other fulids in garage. Btw, anyone who needs new tires..........Quick Lane has $100 rebates on a slew of branded tires after they beat your best price. Runs through May 31, 2012.

[fordmantpw]

Wow, tough crowd on here. I've had good and bad service with Quick Lane. Bascially I think it's luck with how busy they are or not on day you take it in. On one occassion I gave up on oil change after almost two hour wait, and other day got in and out in less than 2 hours on coolant flush. Every day is different. Luck of the draw. As for oil level, as long as oil is in safe zone as it seemed to show on dipstick, I don't think it's a big deal. I don't know about the Fusion, but on some vehicles like my Boxster it's best to be down a little from top. Not really a big deal either way. Always best anyhow to always have an extra quart at home to top off if needed along with other fulids in garage. Btw, anyone who needs new tires..........Quick Lane has $100 rebates on a slew of branded tires after they beat your best price. Runs through May 31, 2012.

 

I agree with the tire deal. We got tires for our Flex there. They already had the best prices and we didn't have to ask them to match someone else's. The $100 rebate, on top of the 5% back on all service through Owner's Advantage made it an even better deal.

[aneekr]

Sometimes they even forget to put oil back in.

:eek5:

OK, I can understand- though certainly not justify- foibles like insufficient fluid fill as SVT_MAN mentioned, not tightening the oil filter properly or even failure to reapply the oil cap (as in BORG's experience), but forgetting to put the oil back in? Yikes!

 

 

And that's also why I do my own oil changes as well.

I've done the DIY approach too, since the 1950s. I have a Mitivac fluid evacuator at my Indiana residence that works very well for motor oil extraction on all my family's cars. It's particularly well suited to German cars like my S-Class.

 

However, after the superb experience I had at Quick Lane recently, I'll go that route rather than DIY. At least for my Fusion. As a bonus, it gives me an excuse to check out some nice new Fords on the sales lot.

Edited April 6, 2012 by aneekr

[GTwannabe]

:eek5:

OK, I can understand- though certainly not justify- foibles like insufficient fluid fill as SVT_MAN mentioned, not tightening the oil filter properly or even failure to reapply the oil cap (as in BORG's experience), but forgetting to put the oil back in? Yikes!

 

 

 

I've done the DIY approach too, since the 1950s. I have a Mitivac fluid evacuator at my Indiana residence that works very well for motor oil extraction on all my family's cars. It's particularly well suited to German cars like my S-Class.

 

However, after the superb experience I had at Quick Lane recently, I'll go that route rather than DIY. At least for my Fusion. As a bonus, it gives me an excuse to check out some nice new Fords on the sales lot.

 

It's $7.25/hour wrench monkeys doing the work. The last time I let a minimum wage flunky change my oil, he reinstalled the oil plug with an impact wrench and split the pan. Leaked a quart a day until I raised enough hell and made them pay for an oil pan replacement.

[Edstock]

but as a franchise, your results may vary. Call the service manager

:happy feet:

[ibinubu12]

Unimpressed with my service at Village Ford's Quick Lane in Dearborn, MI. First off, the tech took my Focus and "drove it like he stole it" from the parking lot into the building - I'm sorry, but I'm the only one that can abuse my car, I'm the one paying for it! The tech also couldn't tell me if the oil life monitor was reset, didn't appear to know the 2012 Focus has such a thing. And then when I get home, I find that half of the screws holding the aerodynamic shield under the engine weren't replaced! Sorry, I'm not letting ANYBODY touch this Focus again.

Edited April 6, 2012 by ibinubu12

[Donaldo]

With Ford factory spec oil change intervals going from 7500 miles to 10K and probably even further in the future, dealerships are coming up with interesting ways to drive up their service business. I bet these dealerships hate it when customers pull up owner.ford.com and show the service writer what Ford actually recommends for servicing.

[FordBuyer]

Unimpressed with my service at Village Ford's Quick Lane in Dearborn, MI. First off, the tech took my Focus and "drove it like he stole it" from the parking lot into the building - I'm sorry, but I'm the only one that can abuse my car, I'm the one paying for it! The tech also couldn't tell me if the oil life monitor was reset, didn't appear to know the 2012 Focus has such a thing. And then when I get home, I find that half of the screws holding the aerodynamic shield under the engine weren't replaced! Sorry, I'm not letting ANYBODY touch this Focus again.

 

A couple years ago I saw a porter bringing in a brand new Ford into prep area at Bill Brown Ford in Livonia, and he basically cut his turn too short and pretty much tore off the side of this brand new car. I really didn't stick around to hear the fireworks going off as he pulled into prep minus side of vehicle. I've seen other porters there driving from lot to prep are like they stole it also. Not sure who pays for damage done by these fools working there. It sure does pay to walk around car before leaving service or prep area after buying. Another time at automated car wash I saw a brand new Corvette go sideways in rack and you would hear the fiberglass cracking. I got out of there quick as owner was cop and he looked kind of upset to put it mildlly.

[FordBuyer]

With Ford factory spec oil change intervals going from 7500 miles to 10K and probably even further in the future, dealerships are coming up with interesting ways to drive up their service business. I bet these dealerships hate it when customers pull up owner.ford.com and show the service writer what Ford actually recommends for servicing.

 

Yep, Ford dealers around here including Quick Lane use synthetic blends and I'm down to oil changes twice a year. On Boxster using 8 quarts of Mobil One 0w40, once a year unless I track it more than couple times. Cheapest oil change for that is $189 unless you do it yourself for about $75. You pay for those sweet Porsche sounds above 3,000 RPM. Service prices around here for basics like coolant and fuel filters are up about 30% in last few years. Back in 2007, fuel filter on Taurus cost me $70, now they want $100. Coolant flush was $69 in 2007 at Ford dealer. Now same dealer wants $110. I saw a coupon for $75 at Hines Park Quick Lane, and lucked out there. I'm fussy about using indies unless I know their work and mechanics well.

[theDuff]

It's $7.25/hour wrench monkeys doing the work.

 

Exactly. We don't have a quick lane. We do all the oil changes inside the service department so I get a front row seat to watch these flunkies. There is a crazy amount of turn-over in the lube department. If we're lucky, they stay for a little over a year. Our dispatcher qc's every oil change that leaves. That means checking all the fluids, re-checking the tires, checking the lube sticker and, 9 times out of 10, resetting the oil change reminder because the lube guys can't figure it out.

 

I feel for them a little bit. I did start on the lube rack. I was 18 years old. It's hard work. Lots of burns. Using myself as an example, though, there is room for advancement if you put your nose to the grindstone.

[fordmantpw]

Using myself as an example, though, there is room for advancement if you put your nose to the grindstone.

 

That can be said for any line of work! Nobody starts out at the top unless you start your own business, and that isn't easy!

 

Low pay isn't an excuse for poor quality work. The way I have always viewed things, if I don't want the low pay, I need to busy my a$$, do the best possible, and get a job that pays better. Sadly, many people today don't have that philosophy.

[White99GT]

The Quick Lane is nothing special. The dealerships take their uncertified, untrained low-wage hourly employees (usually young kids) and stick them in the quick lube. The result is you've got a bunch of grease monkeys working on your car just like any other quick lube, the fact that it is on a Ford dealership property means nothing. All of your trained, experienced flat rate Ford techs are in the service department dealing with drivabillity, trans, etc. issues. What the quick lane ensures is those flat rate techs don't get "gravy" work, that's all.

[YT90SC]

All of your trained, experienced flat rate Ford techs are in the service department dealing with drivabillity, trans, etc waranty issues. What the quick lane ensures is those flat rate techs don't get "gravy" work, that's all.

 

Fixed it for ya.

 

However, our small, non QuickLube equipped dealership has an experienced, very dedicated lube tech. So much so that techs ask him for correct quantities or types of lube as he is faster and as accurate as the shop manual.

 

To the OP, there are lots of reasons that MISTAKES can be made and I am not 'defending' your service. Per the owner's manual and the WSM, did you allow for the correct 'drainback' period for the oil to return to the pan? It can look lower than it is, if not allowed to return to the sump. If so, it could have the correct 5.3 and you were billed 5 instead of 6. Most billing software does not allow for tenths of a quart of oil so it is rounded down or up. Most customers get pissed if they are billed 6 when they got 5.3. I have even worked with software that in order to make the 'oil change special price' come out right, you had to bill 5 quarts even if you used 6 or 7 to fill it, as the 'special' was not properly set up. Customers REALLY get mad thinking that they have 5 instead of 7! Even with the correct amount after drainback, on almost all current Ford engines, the oil will be halfway up the crosshatch portion of the stick, not the 'MAX' line. 'MAX' is actually overfilled. Slightly low is actually better for an engine than overfull. Overfull does not allow the crankshaft to shed oil properly as all 'windage' devices are usually covered in oil at that point. Overfill enough and you will whip the oil with the crank, which aerates it and can lead to bearing damage from the foamed oil. Slightly low is not harmful unless it becomes very low, contaminated, or excessive G loading sloshes oil to the point of uncovering the pickup. On all the engines I can think of this occurs nowhere near the level of oil that you have showing.

[SVT_MAN]

I am very impressed with the service I received last week at a Twin Cities area Quick Lane (as I mentioned in this thread) for my 2.5L 6MT Ford Fusion.

 

I verified on my own engine oil and other fluid levels, tire pressure, and lug nut torque immediately following the service. Everything checked out per specs in the owner's guide.

 

BTW, "Forever" or "Lifetime" warranty programs offered by dealerships should not influence your automobile purchasing decision. These are sales promotion tools with limited value to the consumer. They often have stipulations that make filing a claim challenging, and may also constrain your regular maintenance & repair options- whether DIY, dealership service department, or independent garage- resulting in higher lifetime maintenance/repair costs than would otherwise be the case.

 

I didn't purchase the car because of the "forever warranty" ... I purchased it because it was the vehicle I wanted and it suits my needs. It gets great mileage (31+) and it's been reliable so far. I've also read good reviews on it. The forever warranty was a perk. I'm not that worried about this car's mechanicals - it's a Fusion. It's reliable. But it's still good peace of mind to have a powertrain warranty beyond Ford's 60,000 miles ...

 

The price of this vehicle was lower than other comparables I was looking at, and it had the features and amenities I was looking for - I did not pay extra for the warranty and it is included as a perk of buying any used vehicle at this particular dealership.

 

I'm not saying you were implying this, but I'm not a completely helpless consumer.