First off - not one issue that has warrented a dealer visit to date (just shy of 8,000 miles). The only reasons I may take it in are #1 transmission shift TSB and #2 an alignment.

So my question is very simple - how do I handle non-selling dealer service? I bought my truck in Texas and am in Ohio so I am not driving 2 days to get my truck in the dealer for service. I know how my industry treats service on out-of-dealer sales. I would hope Ford isn't quite the same, but at least reasonable. I have a good idea of the good diesel shops within a reasonable distance, and also those that are not so good.

That brings up another question - what services can I trust a poorly rep'd dealer on a diesel (outside of an oil change, luckily my 6.7 doesn't have a threaded oil plug either)? I do my own maintenance - oil, filters, tire rotations. I just want to have a game plan together in case I do need to get to the dealer.

Will any Ford dealer handle warranty repairs? How can I expect a dealer to react when the truck wasn't sold there? We don't give any extra help or shorten up service visits for equipment repairs that are on units we didn't sell, so I am guessing that Ford dealers will react much the same way. Obviously dealers like to keep their customers happy, there is just a difference between a sold unit customer vs. service only.

 

My experience has been that Ford warranty work doesn't pay bad so most good dealers and techs are more than happy to perform warranty work on vehicles that they did not sell. Honestly most dealers make more money servicing vehicles than they do selling them.

 

Steve,

Deere is correct. In the military, I rarely ever have warranty work done on a vehicle at a selling dealer. Nothing I can do about that, but I've found that dealers will work with you if you have legitimate problems. They want you in their service bays to make money after all (after the warranty repair).

I've had good luck. As well, if the dealer "does you good"...a couple cases a beer spread between the tech and your service adviser really helps grease the wheel.

I use the beer tactic on new dealerships and it works well. .

 

I don't think you have anything to worry about, Steve.

I've had warranty work done at different dealers and was never treated any differently than if I had it done at my selling dealer. Half the time the service department has no clue that you didn't buy it from them. They see a truck under warranty that needs work and does what they have to in order to get it taken care of.

An example of this was when I had my truck in OH around new years, the day before our last meet in Millersburg. This was on a Friday just before a holiday weekend and my CEL came on. I freaked and took it directly to Masheter Ford in Columbus and explained my situation. They got it right in and figured out that the low DEF pressure code was caused by the tank running low.

They didn't sell me the truck, yet they treated me great with no notice just before a holiday weekend. Where you bought the truck from has little to no meaning to the service department. The selling dealer may have a bit more loyalty to you just because they stand to gain from a good service experience when you buy another truck from them, but a non-selling dealer could have the same perspective.

Absolutely none. At all. Ever!

Improperly done service can cause very expen$ive repairs. A slimebag dealer just isn't worth messing with on a truck as expensive to fix as these ones are. I have no trouble taking it to a dealer that I've not heard of, but one with a poor reputation won't EVER touch one of my vehicles.

 

I've bought three Ford trucks from other dealers and have them serviced at my local dealer. Believe me, they don't mind especially when I leave fat checks for them at the cashiers office when they hand me my keys back. They also do warranty work as well.

 

I don't have a problem with the issue either. My local dealer didn't sell me mine. And since I do my own maintance he has asked about it.

I point to the owners website where I log all of the maintance in at and that was good enough.

 

Scott - thats a good idea logging it on the owners site. I will have to look in to that. Ford may take that, and the effort put forth to use it, as more credible than not using it. I use Blackstone for my oil testing so that might help too.

Just thought I would ask the rest of the group - looks like everyone is in the same boat just about with no issue

 

Uh, somebody's been lying to you! It pays roughly 2/3 of cash pay.

That part is right.

 

Probably so. How many hours do you get paid for Headgaskets, EGR cooler and diagnosis on a 6.0? I have seen it pay 2.5 times the hours that the tech had invested.

 

Senix-

Could you post a link to that owner's website where you log the maintanance. I know i'll be changing my fuel filters myself. Is that logging sufficient enough if something were to happen? Im guessing the bill to change fuel filters on this motor has just as high of a mark up as a 6.0, local dealer wanted $160 to change 2 filters? And this one is easier to change the filters on!

Thanks,

Chris
Gotta Change my Siggy

 

Warranty pay for 6.0 headgaskets........14.4 hours, oil cooler......5.3 hours

 

Well I'm not Scott, but I can help you here.

Official Ford, Lincoln & Mercury Owner Site | Personalized Owner Information

Create an account and you can create and maintain your maintenance records. In theory all dealer performed work is supposed to be there, as I believe it interfaces with OASIS, but the last couple vehicles I've had in Ford Owner(formerly MyFord) hadn't had this information.

 

Flat rate has always worked that way. If a job pays 14 hours, you get 14 hours, regardless of it took you 25 hours or 8 hours.

 

I have never had an issue going to any Ford dealer for service that I did not buy my vehicle at. The dealer that I have been buying my vehicles at for the last 8 years or so I rarely use for service. There is another dealer, in another town that is closer to me, that I take my vehicles to for both warranty and preventative maintenance type work. This other dealer has a better service department which is closer to me and has extended hours that are conveniant.

 

All taken into account, we'll work on anything that comes in the door.