Had my truck in for motor work at Berge Ford for the second time in a year. F250 with V10. Last time they replaced motor - said it had a bad crank or rod bearing. This year had it in for noise again, they tore it down and siad it needed a new crank, bearings & seals. After 2 weeks they told me to come pick up, when I got there they couldn't find it and hten siad it was stolen out of their service dept.!! Anyone else have this happen at Berge Ford in Mesa AZ?

 

I've only had my car in once a long time ago and it was for a recall, I have heard horror stories though. I have a friend who works there, I'll ask him if he has heard about this.

 

>Had my truck in for motor work at Berge Ford for the second
>time in a year. F250 with V10. Last time they replaced motor
>- said it had a bad crank or rod bearing. This year had it
>in for noise again, they tore it down and siad it needed a
>new crank, bearings & seals. After 2 weeks they told me to
>come pick up, when I got there they couldn't find it and
>hten siad it was stolen out of their service dept.!! Anyone
>else have this happen at Berge Ford in Mesa AZ?


hey man. i just registered here to repsond to this.

i'm a heavy line tech at berge and i remember your truck because i know the tech who was working on it. i remember seeing the v-10 torn down etc. i worked a few bays down from the guy who was doing the work.

your situation was one of four incidents in the last week. 4 other trucks were stolen from our service dept. the police have been down there interviewing etc.

just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

i hope you can get your situation resolved; you have a really nice truck and i hope you get it back.

 

Thanks for the input. I had heard some others were stolen and wanted to get some more info in case I need it to resolve this situation. I am told it has all been turned over to there insurance company. So I need to be prepared in case the insurance company doesn't try to do the "right thing".

 

sorry to be off topic here, but Fixer, you should be posting here anyway since now you are an f150 man.

 

>Thanks for the input. I had heard some others were stolen
>and wanted to get some more info in case I need it to
>resolve this situation. I am told it has all been turned
>over to there insurance company. So I need to be prepared in
>case the insurance company doesn't try to do the "right
>thing".


hey you didn't hear this from me, but Berge doesn't have an insurnace company--they are "self-insured."

you need to be prepared for the fight of your life.

 

>sorry to be off topic here, but Fixer, you should be posting
>here anyway since now you are an f150 man.


f-150online.com

is where i usually go for f-series stuff.

but i'm getting fond of this site too.

 

Thanks for the input! I kind of figured I was in for a fight so I'm not too shocked by your news. However for warned is for armed so thanks!

From what I know about insurance even though they are self insured they would still have an insurance company which handles all of the claims and details. Self insured basically means that they have a fund set up to handle claims etc - and yes they would have a little more input in how they are handled. I'll do what it takes for this to be resolved fairly, whether I have to drag them through the courts etc!

That's why I am looking for any info I can gather on previous losses, frequency of losses, and what action or inaction they have taken to prevent losses. Correct me if I am wrong but it seems negligent that the vehicles in for service sit there with the keys in them and there is no security to prevent anyone from walking in, getting in one and driving out. There is no gate, no guard etc! Now that would be OK I guess if you weren't having a problem, but obviously there is already a pattern of loss and nothing has been done to prevent future lossses - therefore they would have a hard time showing that they are not negligent!

Of course that's just my opinion and it remains to be seen whether my opinion means anything!

 

I would say that the lemon law might apply to your truck. My dad bought and F250 Crew Cab SB from Berge in March of 2000 and hasn't had a single problem with it. He hasn't had to be over to Berge since he bought it.

Plus, even if it had a problem, he lives in the west valley, so he would probably take it to Sanderson or Sunset.

I think that is weird about your truck though, 4 in one week. Not do diss fixer, but that is very strange and very on the side of wrongdoing. IMO.

Fixer, I don't think you had anything to do with it though.

This site is the first ford site I ever saw. Check some of the first posts in the Chapter.

 

> Correct me if I
>am wrong but it seems negligent that the vehicles in for
>service sit there with the keys in them and there is no
>security to prevent anyone from walking in, getting in one
>and driving out.


you're right. we don't have any official security. there really isn't any sort of plan for it and there hver has been.

but the keys in the ignition thing is a necessity because of the way the dealer works. the dealer (and all domestic dealers are like this)is split into "lines." each line is a different specialty.

alot of vehicles come in for different complaints that are different specialities and hence different lines.

so a front end guy fixes a clunk. well the veh is also in for a blown fuse. well the front end guy does his job and parks it with the key in it for the next guy. its a policy that has is been developed out of experience. if techs were keeping the keys or the advisors were keeping the keys or something along those lines, chaos would ensue.

the lack of a security plan is the problem--not leaving the keys in the car.

almost all car garages leave keys in the car when repairing them.




There is no gate, no guard etc! Now that
>would be OK I guess if you weren't having a problem, but
>obviously there is already a pattern of loss and nothing has
>been done to prevent future lossses - therefore they would
>have a hard time showing that they are not negligent!


well 4 in a week is a terrible thing. but this is the first time that i know of that this has been a problem (over many many many years).

is there haphazard security?

oh yeah... try no security.

 

Fixer - I certainly understand the neccesity of the keys being left in the vehicles. I think though that after the 1st vehicle was stolen a prudent person would have hired a security guard (company) to man the exit and check customers paperwork before letting the vehicle out - or check the tech's ID against a list before letting them take a vehicle out for a test drive.

With the kind of volume you guys deal with there is too much movement of vehicles & people to not leave the keys in - BUT that doesn't mean there can't be some kind of security in place like I just mentioned. I've seen plenty of dealerships that have a gate like at a parking garage on the exit lane for the service area and they have a guard who checks people out. Sure would be cheaper than paying to replace vehicles for people - but than again I guess maybe Berge hasn't been doing that YET.

I do appreciate your commenst and insight! If you hear of anything in regards to my situation in the next few days/weeks I would appreciateyou passing them on. If you ever have info that you don't want to psot but would like to share with me let me know & I'll give you an email address you could send them to.

Again, THANKS!

 

I know at Earnhardt's Honda/VW (Formerly Bidduplh) at the side entry, you could only get in and not out and at the entry on Glendale, there was a security guard posted at all times, with a security system.

Fixer, I have not seen the type of work system that you are talking about, but I guess hondas and VWs are a little different from Fords. How did the system come about.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-Oct-02 AT 11:13 PM (EST)]Just get a lawyer!

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-Oct-02 AT 04:07 AM (EST)]I could be wrong on this, but I belive your insurance company should help you in a situation like this, they may even be willing to replace your truck, & then go after the dealer to compensate them. I don't know for sure, but I'd call them up & talk to them at a minimum.

I'd be totally after a rental truck too... you could even try to really push & try to get something comparable to what you had.

 

seems like a smart idea for a dealer would be to fab up some boxes that could hold the keys, that would fit onto the window, then roll up the window and no one can takew the box, and the keys are locked safe inside, then just get the locks keyed to 2 or 3 different keys then give the mechanics the keys. would keep people from just walking in and take ing the car and is less expensive than a security guard/system.

as far as insurance goes, when i worked at statefarm you only got a comperable car if the car was a new car. not sure how other companies work, but if you got a good insurance compnay go to them and tell them. i know at statefarm they would probably fight for you. good compnay, but damn these insurance prices.

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