Hello All!

I am now at "Wits-End" with my F-150 FX4 and I would love it if anyone could explain my options with regards to the DSB??

I have had several issues/repairs on my F-150 and now I have yet another issue which the Dealer says the do not have a repair..

I spoke with Ford Customer relations who said that they will be mailing me a packet from the DSB.

What happens with the DSB?

Thanks for all information provided, it is much appreciated.

Mmadlener

 

The best place to start is with a search (upper right toolbar) on "DSB" ,"Dispute Settlement Board", and "Vibration". Sit down and read-it will take you awhile.

There was a post up top yesterday titled "I won my DSB hearing" with lots of good info.

You have come to the right place! There are several people that are starting the process, in the middle of it, have won and are waiting for the implementation. Some like myself, thenetguy and geno87_69 have won and are now in new trucks.

If you still need more info after you do a search then post again and I'm sure you will get answers to all your questions.

The quick and dirty is this: Getting to the DSB hearing is a long, slow, aggrevating process. Once you get to the hearing it will most likely be very easy.

Keep good notes on everything! Keep a diary of every contact you have with anyone involved and what they said.

 

DSB will take about 6 months.
2 major things. You should meet the requirements of your states lemon law. Also, the dealership Customer Relations Manager should be on your side.

Ford offers the DSB so that they can buy back a lemon, not go through the lemon law process, and resell the vehicle as only used.

 

Thanks All for your Feedback!

I will pursue the DSB in hopes of getting my repairs done and the possibility of receiving an extended warranty. I worry about the subsequent damages which might have occured with the problems I have had. I feel that Ford can do at least that considering that I paid $36K for this truck. I absolutely LOVE my truck and like I have told many people "Someone will have to take the keys out of my dead, cold hands."
However, as I mentioned earlier, I paid a "Pretty Penny" for this vehicle. As a matter of fact, her name is PENNY just for that reason. My 3 year old knows her name and tells everyone to stay away from PENNY because she is Daddy's truck!!
Please believe me, this truck is by far and away the best on the market; it just seems as if I got one with a farkeled-up ruinning gear..
Again, thanks all for the responses, I will keep everyone in the loop as to my progress.
Oh! The people at Ford have been OUTSTANDING as of present.

 

Good luck mmadlener!
Toypuller.....you might keep track of this guy.
I bet he's going to feel a bit different in 6 months.
Amazing this subject is always in the top 10 every day.
But then again, "it's only a select few" who have this issue, right?

 

Amen netguy,

Got my gallery up and running by the way.

Mmadlener,

Keep your possiblities open. Don't just settle for an extended warranty or for just repairs to be done. There are alot of people getting the problem resolved-that is a good thing. There are also some that have been awarded new trucks or buy backs because the problem was not resolved.

If you go DSB with your truck it is a one shot deal, so make it count. I would ask for a replacement or a refund if the dealer can not get it 100% right. If you request an extended warranty Ford will probably give you one to settle the claim. However the issues that you brought before the board are now considered closed. If the problem reappears or is still present you will be out of luck. I'm sure your 3 year old will understand.

You may proceed to lemon law after that if you do not agree with the judgement.

If you have confidence with your dealer then let him continue. My dealer's service dept went way above and beyond trying to get mine right. In the end it was not lack of service or lack of trying, it was truly unfixable. If you do go DSB get the dealer on your side.

Good luck!

 

ToyPuller...

You make a valid point... <O></O>

I will go for a replacement and see what happens.<O</O

Please explain to me what the buyback entails? Do they just pay-off the balance of what you owe, or do they refund you the whole amount?<O</O

I do not want them just to pay-off my balance and leave me with absolutely nothing..<O

How does "replacement" work? Do you have to wait until another one exactly like yours is built or do they find one comparable to yours at a dealer lot?<O</O

<O

Thanks again guys and like I said, I will be keeping everyone in the loop as to my progress. <O</O

<O

Cheers!<O

<O

Mmad

 

Buy back,

Ford refunds to you all the equity you have in the truck. You are also refunded the taxes,title fees, intrest, permently attatched or vehicle specific add-ons, or vehicle modifications. Ford also pays off the loan on the vehicle. Everything you put in the truck comes back to you.

Milage and use charges:

You may be charged a milage and use charge depending on the following:

What type of problem you are having.
When the first time that problem was reported.
The impact on the drivability of the vehicle that problem caused.

Milage charges can range from nothing to some pretty signifigant money depending on your individual situation. If you are awarded a buy back the milage charges usually stop accruing at the time of the first complaint of the DSB related mechanical defect. There are exceptions and your results may be completely different from somebody else. I was awarded a full replacement/buyback with no milage charge even though the truck had 22,000 miles on it. The reason being was that my first vibration problem started almost imediately after I bought the truck and I was able to show that the cummulative test drives and round trip milage to the dealer was more than the total miles prior to the first complaint.

The basic formula for finding milage charges is as follows:

"Refunds shall be made to the consumer,lessor,and any lienholders as their intrests may appear. The refund to the consumer shall be reduced by a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use of the vehicle. A reasonable allowance for use is that amount directly attributable to use by the consumer prior to his first report of the nonconformity to the manufacturer, it's agent. or it's authorized dealer, and during any subsequent period when the vehicle is not out of service because of repair. "Reasonable allowance" is presumed to be the cash price or the lease price, as the case may be, of the vehicle multiplied by a fraction having it's denominator 100,000 miles and it's numerator the number of miles attributed to the consumer.

This is taken directly from North Carolina Lemon Law but seems to be the standard that most lemon laws use. YOUR STATE MAY BE DIFFERENT!

Say you paid 27,000 dollars for your truck. The problem showed up at 5000 miles.

5000 divided by 100,000= .05
.05 x $27,000 = $1350.00

Your award in this case would be reduced by $1350.00

Replacement:

Repacement is an MSRP to MSRP swap. You go by the MSRP on the truck you bought regardless of what you actually paid for it. You replace with any vehicle the dealer has on his lot or can be obtained by dealer to dealer swap. You use the MSRP of the replacement vehicle as well. Add-ons on your vehicle will either be transferred to the new vehicle or the price will be refunded to you by the dealer. Dealer installed options on the replacement will be added to the MSRP of that vehicle. If the vehicle you are turning in is more expensive you get a refund of the difference. If the new vehicle is more expensive you have to pay the difference.

You do not have to replace with the same vehicle or type of vehicle. You may choose any vehicle on the dealers lot. (it does have to be another "new" vehicle)

DISCLAIMER:

These rules are not set in stone! I am not a lawyer and don't even play one on TV. I am only sharing what I have learned in the process I went through. Please take this as only my opinion and do your own research!

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Very nice job on the summary ToyPuller! Better than how it was eplained to me by those who are paid to do so.
My eye started twitching again as it brought back the whole process so accurately.
Good thing I came here for therapy or I'd be a mess!

p.s. Nice pic of your rig. Especially the toy you are pulling....nice!

 

i am mailing my paperwork today to hopefully get rid of this POS. I want my money back. if i knew these problems were in the truck in the first place i would have stayed as far away from ford as possible.now i DEFINATELY will not buy another ford again. i know its not the dealers fault that the truck is the way that it is but tehy did not seem to care to try and fix it no matter what. they only did what the TSB's said do.i sent in the paperwork to get my money back and return the truck to ford. My problems started at 1399 miles and have been there ever since. I put money down onthe truck and want to receive it back so i can go get another vehicle. Can anyone tell me how long the DSB process takes and if i will get my money down back, plus the money back for the add ons i put on it? Thanks in advance.

 

I am dealing with the same issue..requested DSB paperwork 2/04/05 Ford serv said the vibration that exist in my truck after all the TSB repairs is acceptable. I have more than exceeded the requirements for my state Lemon Law. Does anyone know if I can send the Lemon Law paperwork out at the same time as the DSB paperwork and if I get a settlement from the DSB before my state Lemon Law then cancel one or the other? I just want this over, the sooner the better. I gave FORD service a month (after 6 previous repair visits for the vibe) and they did not accomplish anything.....POS! I will never buy another FORD if the DSB fails, maybe not even if I win.....this is just WRONG and the fact that I have had to drive a truck that has not lived up to the FORD name really ticks me off...my own personal experience makes me think they just want to sweep it under the rug. Also any harm in putting signs on my truck to warn others? I have really had it and am ready to resort to tactics that even I did not think I would ever do.... For one I want to get the word out about this site...and keyword search "vibration" and "DSB"...maybe I can save one poor soul from living my nightmare.... I would not wish this on anyone and envy everyone who is driving around in a NORMAL truck. Sorry so negative but this takes it toll after a while Kay

 

Thanks netguy,

I still have the folder right on the desk beside the computer, I'm not throwing that away anytime soon. I guess you could say that the education wasn't free. I can't tell you how many hours I researched this stuff and how many people I talked to. In the end it worked out.

Therapy for me is to let people with this type of problem know how to deal with it. I had a friend with a new Thunderbird with almost identical vibrations and that one is going soon and I also had a friend of a friend with a Toyota Camry that has a seized engine, I was able to point them in the right direction.

The toy behind the truck will get up and move when she wants to! Only problem is I can't fiqure out how to use the throttle-It's always running full speed! My wife said I don't need a gas pedal,only a switch.


db3812,

If the DSB accepts your case:

7-10 days from when you mail the application in to get a case #

Up to 40 days from reciept of the case # until you get your hearing. (count on 40 days)

Up to 10 days until you get the results of your hearing (count on 10 days)

If you are awarded a judgement Ford "will make every effort" to implement it within 30 days (count on 60 and be happy if it takes less)

As for the rest of it read above. Also try searching under DSB, Lemon, or vibration.

I can understand how your down on Ford, I don't know anybody that was treated right through this process. The fact is that ALL auto manufacturers make a bad vehicle every now and then. ALL auto manufacturers treat their customers the same way that Ford acts. If you don't believe that go to any website like this for any brand vehicle and you will read the same things. The problems may be different but the attitude is identical. As thenetguy and others will you, it is a long slow painfull process with no guarantee it will go your way in the end. The most important thing to do is stay calm, polite and persistant!

 

Well Said Toypuller!!
I am in the beginning... I have yet to receive my Paperwork for the DSB.
It is funny; looks like Ford had a few DSB request on Firday!!!

Again, I cannot say how appreciative I am of your advise. I will most definitely remain calm. My major problem is that I have a rear end that is about to blow and since I recently moved from my Home state, I am screwed until Ford reaches a solution..

Anyway, you and I share something in common my friend; 35 to stay alive on the water!! My wife said the same thing about my Sea Ray... You should just have an on and off switch.. I told many people that I would stop burning 35 gallons of fuel in two days if I could just learn how to drive the thing like a normal human being!!

Talk to you soon!
mmad

 

Just some hints on the DSB. I had a 2003 F150 lemon. The service manager provided the application. I won my case and the service dept was somewhat helpful. Here are some extras that will help your case:

Have all of your paperwork.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Develop a separate time line document for each visit, conversation, promise, lack of response. ect. ...from the dealership. Quote the service ticket numbers in your time line. Include lost time and inconveniences caused by the incident.

Don't be afraid to quote conversations, as they are not in the service tickets.

Expound on the service tickets, they are usually written in the dealers favor (short and non descript)

You will be asked to appear or phone in to the DSB. If you can, go. If not definitely do the phone option. (this won my case and it was documented so from DSB)

You will get a copy of the service managers report. Review carefully and comment on any vague or untrue statements. There were 3 in my case.

Be extra courteous to the DSB. They are volunteers. Show your appreciation for their efforts without sounding like a suck up.

Do not berate the service provider. Stick to the facts.

Unfortunately I went with the MSRP trade and got a 2004 with a unsolvable "rough idle" condition and the rear axle has been replaced because of the "rear end howl" problem.

 

hey folks. i was wondering if anyone could help me make a decision or give me any advice on my situation. i have filed my paperwork to the DSB. My dealer is going to put new brake rotors on the truck to see if it stops the steering wheel nibble. I have asked others on here if it will and they say no. My steering wheel only shakes when driving, not braking, so i don't know why the brake rotors would have anything to do with this. My frustration is, if this does fix the truck i am not sure that i want to keep it or not. i mean i have been back to the dealership service department more than some folks with older vehicles. iam not sure i trust that the truck will last me 100,000 miles or more.if the steering wheel nibble does stop after the new rotors, but i still do not want the truck, whats the advice anyone has as to present the DSB with? i mean the steering wheel nibble, the idle vibration, the rough ride( feels like i am running over bumps in the road that i know aren't there), the rough shifts in the transmission, the lasck of power that they claim to have, all these things make me feel as thought the truck will not last longer than the durn warranty of 36000 miles. I just don't feel as though the truck is dependable. on top of all this ... i did buy a NEW truck didn;t I? I mean where is that feeling... haven't felt that since... oh yeah when i bought my 04 dodge...anyway... does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what would be my best thing to do? many thanks in advance.
daniel