Me in the short run...Ford in the end...

Ford Motor Company is run by cowards. Instead of calling the customer to tell them that they were weaseling out of a warranty repair, they called my dealer and informed them that they will not authorize the warranty repair on my truck. Ford has been very careful to keep dialog between me and their field service staff non-existent. Keep in mind that after I was rudely and summarily dismissed by a Customer Relations Supervisor, all further evaluations were done without my participation. Their position: I can not prove that there never was a Water in Fuel Light and they can not prove there was a WIF light. The burden of proof lies with the customer so no warranty coverage. This was escalated to a very high level at Ford. This high level liaison actually told my dealer that she had heard I had turned a claim into my insurance company so they felt no need to honor their warranty as the truck will get fixed.

Reading between the lines, admittedly not a scientific way to evaluate anything, the cause of the denial is not related as much to the real problem but to internal politics. I am being punished because I pulled the truck out of a POS dealership and would not pay their bill. They loaded the customer care file very carefully to ensure that a political fight would involve two dealers, two different Field Service Engineers and me.

The parts have been ordered and the truck will be repaired by mid next week. The repair bill is $ 9,260.00. I am on the hook for a $500 deductible, the fuel filters and about 25 gallons of fuel. The truck will be professionally and competently repaired by a great dealership. Shepherd Lincoln in Richmond, Michigan has been great about this debacle. They truly believe that this is wrong and fought for me up until the gate slammed closed this morning. I am not worried about the repairs.

I am worried for all of the owners of these 6.7 powered trucks. You are all driving ticking time bombs but you can not hear the clock winding down. The fuel quality cop out by Ford should scare everyone. My fuel was always bought at reputable fuel retailers. I have never witnessed any appreciable water draining from the separator. Shepherds agrees with this analysis as they have drained the separator as well. The currently running HPFP thread on FTE should make all owners take heed of the growing concern for scar damage due to lack of lubricity in the USA fuel supply. I will be disassembling my trophy HPFP when I get it home. I will be looking for the damage that has been pointed out by other knowledgeable guy's on this site. I expect to find the roller damage pointed out to me in a private message. I will be posting, to the extent that FTE will allow, the pictures and the story behind this travesty in customer service. I have nothing to hide here. The pictures will tell the story...and it is a scary one.

Now.. onto where Ricatic is going. First, Ford has done irreparable damage to a relationship with a former ardent and vocal supporter of Ford. Their callous disregard for the customer is beyond belief. My mission has become one of making sure anyone who asks about 6.7 Fords are aware of the potential time bomb they are driving or considering for purchase. Isolated incident some will say...I will say maybe, only time will tell...but...do you feel lucky today??? Go ahead and add additives to your fuel...it should help...but Ford should come out of hiding and admit their HPFP needs additives to stay alive and recommend which additives will fill the need, without voiding the warranty. Just stating somewhere in the owners manual that you may need an additive if your fuel is marginal is not enough. When you are driving a truck that performs at 100% of the level you have seen from new, how do you know that you need the additive? My truck ran the same as always up until the HPFP self destructed. How lucky do you feel now????

I will be driving this truck for another year. Why...because GM is coming with an all new truck in 2013. It is rumored to have the interior room and accompaniments of the Ford. Keep in mind I never left GM due to problems with the many GM vehicles I owned. I left because Deb's family is deeply entrenched in the Ford mystique. Her dad was an engineer there for 37 years. Her BIL is a Plant Manager at a Ford facility. She has never been outside the Ford family. The "Z" plan privileges were an added bonus. A question can be asked about how do I know GM will not treat a customer this badly in a similar situation? The answer is simple. I do not know how GM will handle such a customer service problem. I do know that they can not make a bigger mess out of such a problem as Ford already has done. I know with 100% certainty that Ford will not stand behind their customer...I am the walking proof...hurt me once...shame on you...hurt me twice...shame on me.

To the 25 or so people who contacted me personally to discuss why they should buy a 2011/2012 6.7 Ford powered truck and then bought one, please understand I had no idea that Ford would not stand behind their product. I appreciated the thank you emails and phone calls after you bought your trucks. I am saddened by the fact that I can no longer share that position with others. I wish you all continued good service with your truck.

I have been hurt badly by this unfortunate event. It is not even about the $650.00 I am out for getting the repairs. It is about losing faith in an American icon. Like most here, I am average Joe America. I work for a living and I pay my way through life. Today, I am paying Ford's way. I will never look at a Ford product again in the same light as before this incident took place.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my friends here for the amazing support I have received. To those who offered to help in any way, it is deeply appreciated. To those who were working behind the scenes to escalate this matter up the ladder at Ford, you know who you are, I am sure you are as disappointed as I am at the final result. I am still very thankful for your efforts. To the great moderators on this site, thanks for letting the story unfold and keeping it reasonably on track.

To all who own these trucks, I wish you all the best of service out of your trucks. Just make sure you follow any of Ford's service procedures and schedules to the letter. Use an approved additive in your fuel. Most importantly, never allow your truck to be towed into a dealership without thoroughly draining the water separator. Keep a clean and seal-able bottle in your truck so you can prove a clear sample from your water separator before the truck heads for the shop. Finally, be very careful of which dealerships you allow access to working on your truck. Hindsight is 20/20 but I know that this entire ordeal would have been over a month ago and under warranty had I known then what I know now

Shame on Ford

Regards

 

I for one totally feel where you are coming from, fortunately mine was resolved back some 10 years ago on another issue. I think you have been a perfect example of what a true respectful, honest man should be. I don't know where this will go in a year or two, maybe Ford will get there just desserts when, or if, more of these fail. I hope that this will happen one day.

 

Hate to hear that!

 

Should have not gone against much advice not to buy the first model year.

Any one interested in a $62,000 6.7 Ford Super Maybe, with a useless Warranty

 

Rick.....Very sorry to hear that......Lots of food for thought, for sure.

 

Sorry to hear Rick, did you file a comp claim with your insurance? I would like a little guidance for if/when it is my turn.

It's like a gut punch, I will never look at my 62,000 350 the same again. Personally I'm going to look at a Laramie Longhorn at my local Dodge dealer today. Cummins is like Snap on, There is a difference.

 

Damn Rick: Sorry to hear how this turned out. Glad to hear that you aren't being stuck with the entire bill. My feelings toward Ford and my truck are no longer the same, after hearing how your situation concluded.
I don't know if you are going to keep the rig after the repair, but Good Luck with the rest of the trip..........Lew

 

Had a similar deal with my 08. Ford is full of nepatism and useless politics. I'm on Ford #36. 2nd 6.7 and an ecoboost F150. Very very dissappointing............

 

Rick's saga has highlighted several issues for us all. With him paying the price of the education, there is learning available to us all:

- Pay attention to the servicing dealer. Make sure you find a good one that knows what they are doing. Make the call quickly to move to a competent one if alarm bells ring.

- Drain water separator as recommended and record the events in your service record online.

- Use approved fuel additives

 

Sad and lame. GM for me in 2013. My girlfriend's father owns a Chevy dealership so it will be viewed as a homecoming when I dump my beautiful but buggy 6.7.

 

Thanks for the post Rick.
I was hopeful it would have worked out better.
Sorry you had to go through that ordeal.

 

Rick,

Really sorry to hear of your (non?) resolution....

I was remembering that you had extended family in & around Ford & wondering what this was gonna do, considering that fact..

As a loyal Ford guy since '76 - I've got two words for Ford...


"This SUCKs!"






.....

 

I have to say I am truly dissapointed in Ford with this decision. And that I am having second thoughts on completing my purchase with the current vehicle on order. I do not want to run every day asking myself if I feel lucky. I've had three powerstokes and been very proud of them all. Like you and most on this site, I would blead blue if I cut my finger. Unfortunately, a business decision like this has significantly lowered my confidence in Ford.

Sorry for you on this one Rick.

 

First, I would like to say how sorry I feel for you Rick.
Then I would like to say, It sure would be nice for a qualified representative from Ford to chime in here and tell us all why they did what they did (from the original servicing dealer till the conclusion), and what they are going to do in the future for the rest of the owners of said vehicles.

 

Unbelievable, I can't believe Ford did this!! What a shame.

What else can I say, very very sorry Rick

Jason