Advise On A Ford

[Neil Nicholls]

Sorry about the swearing in the title...
Just wondered if anyone could offer any advise on this.
Basically, my nephew was stuck in a bit of a rut at work. He was a machine driver, looking to go self employed, but had no capital. He also lives with me, and is a hard working lad.
I lent him some money, and together, 13 months ago, we bought a Ford Ranger, 2 years old, from a Ford dealer, and also bought an extended warranty from the dealer.
The main dealer 3 year warranty, expired last month.
On his way home last week, he had a message flash up on the dash 'coolant temp', and pulled over. On first inspection, a top hose had blown.
Ford sent the AA, and he said the engine was f*cked. It was transported to Ford, who have also said that its f*ucked.
The warranty, turns out to be Ford approved, not actually Ford, and the dealer has been lees than helpful. He is now asking for £900 to strip the engine, to determine cause of failure, and says if its the hose, then its not covered.......
The dealer we bought from, has now closed.

Its a proper nightmare, and I don`t really know what advise I can give the lad. He has spent the last of his cash buying some new (cheap) wheels to get about.

 

[Lukavell]

I'd try get another opinion from a trusted mechanic if you know one mate

 

[Pauly]

Have you tried contacting Ford UK for any input, my local ford dealer rejects everything all the time and wants it to be a paid job (as they earn more) so I ring ford direct explain the issue and they ring my dealer and tell them to fix it under warranty

 

[Neil Nicholls]

I'd try get another opinion from a trusted mechanic if you know one mate

I do. Problem is the top hose did blow. Jack, told me exactly what happened, and he saw the warning on the dash, saw smoke from under the bonnet, then heard the pipe pop.
So it blew after the engine failed.
Would there be any way to determine this though ?

 

[Neil Nicholls]

Have you tried contacting Ford UK for any input, my local ford dealer rejects everything all the time and wants it to be a paid job (as they earn more) so I ring ford direct explain the issue and they ring my dealer and tell them to fix it under warranty

Not yet, no. Thats the next thing to try I guess.
How have they been with you ?

 

[Pauly]

Pretty good to be fair, I think it’s fairly standard in the motor industry for the labour rates to be significantly reduced when it’s a warranty job paid for by the brand (ford) so dealers would always rather the be customer paid so they get their full labour rates and make more money
I had things like transit 7 keys split at 18 months old and dealer said no and wanted £300 for a new key, 5 mins on phone to ford UK and they agreed it was rubbish and told dealer to supply me a new key FOC

I’m not sure exactly how this will apply to you as technically it’s not a ford factory warranty but if the dealership has finished/gone bust then I think someone (ford) must honour any warranties provided by that garage

 

[Volkywagen]

I do. Problem is the top hose did blow. Jack, told me exactly what happened, and he saw the warning on the dash, saw smoke from under the bonnet, then heard the pipe pop.
So it blew after the engine failed.
Would there be any way to determine this though ?

Try again through ford UK customer services as above, dig your heels in, use phrases like ‘I don’t want to have to go to the press’ however in the mean time i would get an independent qualified mechanic to prove that it was mechanical failure first. They will hang their hat on the hose going is what did the damage. Even so, if it’s still under warranty then the hose should be covered.
How long did he drive it for after the pop?
He needs to be careful, if it needs a new engine then they will fight it.
He/you will need to fight back. Don’t give in!
Failing all that, it’s the ombudsman.

 

[Daffy]

I do. Problem is the top hose did blow. Jack, told me exactly what happened, and he saw the warning on the dash, saw smoke from under the bonnet, then heard the pipe pop.
So it blew after the engine failed.
Would there be any way to determine this though ?

Yes it could be determined which came first but be careful getting another mechanic to do anything that might destroy any ‘evidence’ as Ford may hide behind this, it’s going to be a costly option but you should really use a specialist to determine the primary cause of failure in co-operation with Ford/ the dealer.

Is the hose still fitted to the vehicle and are there any photos to show the split (trying to determine if it’s burst as a result of internal pressure/weakness in the hose) Did the engine failure split the hose or did a damaged hose goose the engine?

Has it been serviced in line with ford recommendations?

Is your son being completely honest, how long between the warning and pulling over, he needs to be very clear on the course of events and his actions/reactions to any warnings.

If the warranty was sold as a ford warranty, they wont want to be dragged into this so may well get involved although it has expired so that may be their first response.

I’m not sure if the hose could be excluded from the warranty if it has split providing it doesn’t show any signs of external damage such as chaffing, if it has been serviced, the regular oil and water checks have been carried out and your son acted appropriately then he should get a sizeable portion of the repair cost covered, if he’s lucky then he will get it all.

Sorry for the rambling post, happy to discuss if that helps.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

Yes it could be determined which came first but be careful getting another mechanic to do anything that might destroy any ‘evidence’ as Ford may hide behind this, it’s going to be a costly option but you should really use a specialist to determine the primary cause of failure in co-operation with Ford/ the dealer.

Is the hose still fitted to the vehicle and are there any photos to show the split (trying to determine if it’s burst as a result of internal pressure/weakness in the hose) Did the engine failure split the hose or did a damaged hose goose the engine?

Has it been serviced in line with ford recommendations?

Is your son being completely honest, how long between the warning and pulling over, he needs to be very clear on the course of events and his actions/reactions to any warnings.

If the warranty was sold as a ford warranty, they wont want to be dragged into this so may well get involved although it has expired so that may be their first response.

I’m not sure if the hose could be excluded from the warranty if it has split providing it doesn’t show any signs of external damage such as chaffing, if it has been serviced, the regular oil and water checks have been carried out and your son acted appropriately then he should get a sizeable portion of the repair cost covered, if he’s lucky then he will get it all.

Sorry for the rambling post, happy to discuss if that helps.

Yes, the hose is still fitted.
Ford have the vehicle in there workshop, and so far they have just done a compression test, which is a failure on all cylinders.
They now want £900 to dismantle the engine, to determine cause of failure.
From the dash message, Jack said there was probably 15-20 seconds, before he pulled over. As soon as he had pulled over, he heard the hose 'pop'.
The AA guy was a Ranger enthusiast, and was looking to buy one, so was pretty clued up. He said the hose had not split, but basically melted, and said the heat would almost have been fire. At no point, did the temperature gauge itself go above normal, which the AA guy said would be right, due to way the Ford wire there temp senders in the Ranger.
The vehicle was bought from Ford, with its first service being completed. The second service was completed at the Ford dealers its at now.
Its covered less than 40k
Nightmare !

 

[Daffy]

Yes, the hose is still fitted.
Ford have the vehicle in there workshop, and so far they have just done a compression test, which is a failure on all cylinders.
They now want £900 to dismantle the engine, to determine cause of failure.
From the dash message, Jack said there was probably 15-20 seconds, before he pulled over. As soon as he had pulled over, he heard the hose 'pop'.
The AA guy was a Ranger enthusiast, and was looking to buy one, so was pretty clued up. He said the hose had not split, but basically melted, and said the heat would almost have been fire. At no point, did the temperature gauge itself go above normal, which the AA guy said would be right, due to way the Ford wire there temp senders in the Ranger.
The vehicle was bought from Ford, with its first service being completed. The second service was completed at the Ford dealers its at now.
Its covered less than 40k
Nightmare !

OK, so if the dealer is saying that they need to strip the engine to determine cause then that implies that cause isn’t external so we can rule out external factors such as coolant leaks etc.

Time for a discussion with Ford, make sure you stress that the dealer wants to strip the engine to identify cause as this suggests that this is engine related rather than a hose failure.

It’s only just out of warranty, it was bought from a dealer and properly serviced, if it is an engine failure then I would hope they would look after you.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

So, yesterday, Ford point blank refused to do anything further, without agreeing to pay the £900 diagnostic fee.
We are within our rights to remove the vehicle, and have our mechanic strip the engine. This has to be documented correctly, and they also they may send an inspector to check his findings.
The problem is, if we remove the vehicle Ford will only then accept a claim on warranty from us personally, and payment is likely to take 60 days.
Ford have also said there initial findings, are that the hose burst, and that caused the engine failure, although we know the hose burst, after the engine failed.
Ford have already spoken about some 'goodwill' but really as it should be under extended warranty were looking for full replacement, @ no cost.

 

[True Romance]

Fight back harder. If you let anyone else other than Ford touch it they will wash there hands of it so be careful. Was a guy on here who had issues with work carried out by Ford and ended up taking them to court if I recall? Pretty sure he paid someone to inspect the motor at the Ford dealers site.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

We have agreed with Ford, that the diagnostic work will be carried out, by them. They have agreed that part of the cost will be refunded, if the claim goes ahead.
It would seem that unless that is completed, there is no real way forward, unless we are prepared to cover all the costs, for 60 days, and then hopefully reclaim it.
Lets see what they say next week, when they open it up.

 

[Phils shuttle]

I sympathise with your plight and l agree with lots of the advice given from members here, but personally, if it was me, ide get straight to a specialist legal practice on this issue. I know thats not exactly helpful but good luck. We have a few transits, all out of warranty now but we know how difficult it can be to stand your ground without professional help.

 

[Johnod17]

Sorry about the swearing in the title...
Just wondered if anyone could offer any advise on this.
Basically, my nephew was stuck in a bit of a rut at work. He was a machine driver, looking to go self employed, but had no capital. He also lives with me, and is a hard working lad.
I lent him some money, and together, 13 months ago, we bought a Ford Ranger, 2 years old, from a Ford dealer, and also bought an extended warranty from the dealer.
The main dealer 3 year warranty, expired last month.
On his way home last week, he had a message flash up on the dash 'coolant temp', and pulled over. On first inspection, a top hose had blown.
Ford sent the AA, and he said the engine was f*cked. It was transported to Ford, who have also said that its f*ucked.
The warranty, turns out to be Ford approved, not actually Ford, and the dealer has been lees than helpful. He is now asking for £900 to strip the engine, to determine cause of failure, and says if its the hose, then its not covered.......
The dealer we bought from, has now closed.

Its a proper nightmare, and I don`t really know what advise I can give the lad. He has spent the last of his cash buying some new (cheap) wheels to get about.

It is a common problem with them ,my mate had one as a works vehicle and the head went.the recovery man told him it was happening to lots of them were doing it.
My hate wanted to buy it off the lease company and rebuild the engine but they wanted too much for it.
Hope he gets it sorted,I would phone ford Uk and have a rant.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

It is a common problem with them ,my mate had one as a works vehicle and the head went.the recovery man told him it was happening to lots of them were doing it.
My hate wanted to buy it off the lease company and rebuild the engine but they wanted too much for it.
Hope he gets it sorted,I would phone ford Uk and have a rant.

Yes, we have heard the same. More a problem on the 2.2 than the 3.2 which we have, but obviously still a problem.
We have been on to Ford uk, not really any help at all, until the cause of failure has been diagnosed.

 

[Phils shuttle]

Yes, we have heard the same. More a problem on the 2.2 than the 3.2 which we have, but obviously still a problem.
We have been on to Ford uk, not really any help at all, until the cause of failure has been diagnosed.

 

[Phils shuttle]

There was a factory recall on the 2.2 for a replacement oil pump as transits with this engine were lunching their engines bigtime. Oddly enough, i dont think the recall included the Ranger which shares the same engine.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

So, bit of an update.
Ford never did the diagnostic, but the warranty guys phoned today, and said the claim had been rejected, as the burst pipe caused the engine to overheat. Reading the small print in the warranty, it really leaves room for them to get out of anything.
The dealership now want around 10k for a new engine!!!
Ford UK have been pretty much useless, but today he managed to get a case opened up, and has been promised a call/response within 24hrs.
Lots of threats to sign write the pick-up and leave it out side a dealers etc, seemed the only way to get any attention at all.

 

[Phils shuttle]

I bet the water pipe blew as a result of damage already done and heat/pressure already generated. I would have an insurence or legally appointed engineer strip it and determine the failure. 2 years ago one my transits lunched its engine due to an oil starvation issue. The heat generated was colossal and caused the water system to overheat. This wasnt a vehicle in warranty btw, i just wanted to know how it failed as it had been previously running like a swiss watch. Now would you believe this, its replacement engine did exactly the same within 4 days of being fitted. So we had to but a 2nd new engine but we did get our money back on the first replacement after cause of failure was determined. All very stressful at the time. The vehicle in question has now covered another 100,000 miles of hard graft without any issues. They can be an absolute gem of an engine, thats when they arent self destructing!