I took my truck in this morning for an oil change. My dealer always does a nice thorough inspection of the truck with each oil change. The record brake pad thickness, perform a battery test and check coolant, etc.

Anyway, my battery was testing 399 amps. So, for $133.00 installed I got the MC Maxx 65 series battery for my truck. The best battery warranty on the market right now with 3 year free replacement and 100 month prorated warranty.

Sooooo, after the battery install, the service writer told me that a relay was clicking in the dash and that it would probably stop. It turned out to be my center blend door actuator clicking real loud. I could only get air to move to defrost and feet. I went back in and told the service writer that the center blend door had failed.

He acknowledged again that it wasn't clicking when I brought it in and even though I don't have an extended warranty, the dealer is making the repair as if I did have an extended warranty. $50.00 will be my cost.

So, I got a free oil change for my last sales referral, got one hell of a battery at an exceptional price installed and I'm getting the center blend door for $50.00.

It's a great day to be a Bowditch Ford customer!

Crystal, if you see this, could you please make sure they get a shout out?! Thank you dear.

 

Absolutely, Tim! I'm glad they took such great care of you.

Crystal

 

Glad to hear they are taking great care of you Tim. It seems as though we hear so much about the dealers who let their customers down. But we almost never hear about those who try to really take good care of their customers.

 

Nice outcome there Tim! Glad to hear they went the extra mile for you. I have wondered about how fast my ecoboost in my F150 starts compared to the one my wife has in her 2016 Explorer Sport. Hers starts a hell of a lot faster and sounds like the motor is turning over a lot quicker during start-up than my truck.

 

It was like 22 here yesterday morning before I left to get the oil changed and I told my wife that if the battery lasts the winter, replacing it in the spring will be the first order of business. She cranked slower than normal. Just as well to get it gone before I get stranded, especially after having been warned by the truck.

As for the repair bill on the blend door actuator: My cost was $50.00 as if I had an ESP, the actual bill was nearly $900.00. The part arrived yesterday at around 4pm, they must have already torn the dash apart to diagnose. I was called this morning at 10am to pick it up. So, I'm guessing 4-5 hours in labor plus diagnostic, plus the part.

The blend door actuators have proven to be Ford's weakest link IMHO. I had to replace the center actuator on my '99 Taurus and the rear actuator twice on my '04 Expy. Now the F-150. Not impressed with the quality of these cheap *** electric motors.

Moral of the story: Next vehicle purchased will have an ESP that I can tailor to my wants/needs. I got damned lucky..........this time.

 

Glad to hear your positive story Tim!
Sadly dealerships are so hit and miss these days, so it's nice to see one go the extra mile.
I will second the want/need for an ESP. I purchased the Ford Premium Care back in August as additional insurance/peace of mind. Took it out to 7rs and 125k miles from the in-service date which should cover me thru most of the common failures. There are far too many electronic goodies in what Rob and I are driving to not have something to fall back on...the touchscreen alone is about $3k for labor and parts from what I'm told.

 

The 7yr / 125K is a great starting point. As I've said before, you can get the price at most any dealer with some decent negotiating but, service is where it's at.

My previous dealer did a piece of warranty work for me on a rear blend door actuator on my '04 expy of all things. The vehicle warranty expired and the actuator failed again a few thousand miles after. The service manager refused to help me this repair.

I took my problem to my current dealer who called Ford, got Ford to cover part of the bill, Bowditch Ford covered part of the bill and I had to pay $10.00. It was a $255.00 repair. The old dealer could have met me in the middle and hooked me for life but instead he lost my two sales and my six referrals since 2010 all to make a point.

If you have a less than perfect service experience, the owner of the dealer calls personally to find out where the disconnect is. I've never had to speak with him. He has earned my future business and referrals.

 

I wish we could all have a good Dealer like yours.