Folks,

Does anyone know how how can get in touch with the Southwest Louisiana or Southeast Texas Regional Ford reps?

Here's my situation:

Last week, on Sept 13, 2017, I bought a new 2017 Ford 150 King Ranch from a dealer, just across the Louisiana border, in Luftkin, TX(2 hours from home). The following evening on Sept 14, 2017 the dealership notified me that they must come and get the truck due to the 17C12 seatbelt recall that has been issued as a "No Sale" recall. After some research, I found out the recall was issued on 28 August 2017 and someone at the dealership knew my F150, along with 11 others on the lot were under the "No Sale" policy and chose to sell anyway.

I know for the fact that during the finance paperwork portion at the dealership a service code popped up on the screen and the finance rep called someone ( I believe to be the service manager) asking about it. She was told it was fine to sell the truck and if there is an issue the customer can deal with it( found this out after the fact). When the paperwork was submitted to Ford Corporate to mark the truck as sold, that's when the sales manager realized that the "No Sale" recall was in effect(so I am being told).

The bottom-line is I am getting the run around at the Dealership, my new truck is sitting at the dealership, and there is no expected return date. I am being told it could be sometime mid-October until I get it back(if I would have know this, I would have not released the truck back the dealership). I have asked to talk to the dealership owner, but keep getting passed to the Ford sales manager. I have paid for the F150, the dealership has my trade-in, and I want my new truck....

I have contacted Ford Customer Care and ended up talking to some who spoke poor English and was absolutely NO help....I was told to contact the dealership for repairs. She couldn't comprehend my situation.....

They only thing the dealership has done is provided me with a truck to drive during this whole fiasco....but, that's not the answer....

Any help/advice is appreciated!!!!Hope someone from Ford PM's me....

 

What do you want, specifically? Money? Get a personal injury lawyer. They usually show at 2 or 3 in the morning on TV with somebody who won MILLIONS. That's right, you can get millions too!

 

Really wiggums!!! Don't you have something better to do than be a comedian?

If you don't have something constructive to put, don't type it.

Ford owes me an explanation of whats going on with this recall and how a dealership could sell a vehicle to consumers uder a "no sale" recall .....If any users have any info on the timeline of inspection and repairs of 17C12 recall, it's much appreciated. When you pay $50K+ for a vehicle and it's sitting at the dealersip instead of in your driveway, that's not a joke.

 

I feel for your situation.
Ford Motor Co is not the one that owes you an explanation the selling dealer does.
Been in the dealership world for 25 plus years and still can't figure out why this kind of thing keeps happening.

Did they do the inspection? Did the seat belt fail the rivet install height test? They probably don't know because I think the gauge tool is not even available at this time. If it passed the truck is good to go. If not parts are not available yet. (Possible availability if seat belt has deployed)
When there are stop sales it comes up on dealer home page. Many times in bold red print. The manufacture provides VIN numbers of affected vehicles in dealer inventory.
A prudent dealer would quarantine these vehicles until repairs are done to avoid your problem and even more so to avoid being the liable party if it caused an injury.
It's a combo of poorly trained personal and laziness.
I would keep hammering on dealer management and owner to kill the deal and refund or get you in another truck.

 

jds, you may have "lemon law" deal here because of time. That's a possible way to go. If the belts are special to the model it could be the problem. If it's an identifiable defect in body mounting that they found at the factory after assembly Ford would definatly want your truck back but with no repair in site I'm guessing you only recourse is lemon and drive the **** out of the loner.
I'm guessing the trucks in question went thru the line all in a row and after shipment the problem was found. Your dealership had vehicles on the lot and $$$ invested they wanted moved or they would they were going to eat at their profits. Getting in touch with a TV station is sometimes the best way of getting Ford to know what the dealer did.... They may not know and are assuming no dealer sold one of the trucks in question. Good lick.

 

Thanks for the reply....No, the vehicle has not been inspected. My understanding is the same as your, Ford has not released the inspection procedures or the tools required. My truck may not even have a bad rivet, but who knows. It seemed I knew more about the recall then the dealership once I knew there was a recall. It never crossed my mind, there may be a " no sale" recall and I should have done a VIN search before purchase . What blows my mind is 141,000 F150s are affected, but no procedures are in place. It has to be pretty substantial to put a stop on sales of remaining vehicles in stock. How many of those purchased before Aug 28th, 2017 are on the road? A whole bunch, I can assume. I believe the dealership ignored the recall and were selling these vehicles, anyway. The way I look at it is, if the Ford logo is on that dealership and that vehicle, Ford Motor Co. is just as responsible to make this right, as the dealership. The whole idea of breaking the deal and giving me my old vehicle back is not an option(i wish it was) and the dealership knows this. The morning after purchase, I ordered $3500 in accessories for that specific truck. One of them being a color-coded ARE topper. By the time I realized this recall was going to take a long time, it was too late to cancel orders. I have asked the dealerahip to find the exact truck in 2017 model not under the recall or put me in the same one that is an 2018, however they didn't entertain that idea.

Thanks for your input. Something shady went down and it's time Ford corporate gets involved. The dealership is admitting nothing and playing stupid with me.

 

What changed with the seat belts for 2017?

 

There is a procedure for inspection and there is a tool/gauge for it. Right now the tool shows as not available but that doesn't mean some are not already out there.
With some effort the dealer could check with proper Ford persons to see if a tool can be found or what the gauge limit is. Knowing the gauge limit it is feasible to fabricate a tool or whatever.
If they sold you the truck one day before the stop sale you would be in your truck and just waiting for inspection/part production. It is the sold after stop sale that is that real problem. I think there is even a GOV fine for the dealer for doing so (hence reason they "confiscated" it). If they were looking at a 10-20 grand fine they may very well just find you other exact truck to keep that from getting out.

 

Thank you, Good info!!!!!

 

Ah, don't know what your asking, but there is a recall for an inadequate rivet of the left rear seatbelt bracket on some 2017 F150s made at the Dearborne and Kansas City plant during certain dates. Look up 17C12 recall.

 

The recall is for 2017 models and not any '16 or '15. So I was asking what changed?

 

ok, I'm not familiar with the 2015-16 F150s . I had an F350. The recall reads ford is recalling certain 2015-2017 F150s and 2017 F250 and F350 crew cabs.
The left rear inflatable seat belt buckle assembly may be inadequately attached tp its mounting bracket. Affected vehicles mist be inspected and if fivet is found inafequate repairs are necessary. last count I saw was 141,000 truck were affected, 117,000+ in the USA.

The only thing left for me to research is exactly when did ford issue the NO-SALE of the vehicles affected. I believe it to be August 28, 2017. If anyone knows, please share!!!

I did find out, just recently, that if one of the affected vehicles are sold and delivered to a consumer uder the recall a call to the NHTSA will cause an investigation to be persued on the selling dealership and hefty fines can be issued.

 

ok, I'm not familiar with the 2015-16 F150s . I had an F350. The recall reads ford is recalling certain 2015-2017 F150s and 2017 F250 and F350 crew cabs.
The left rear inflatable seat belt buckle assembly may be inadequately attached to its mounting bracket. Affected vehicles must be inspected and if rivet is found inadequate, repairs are necessary. last count I saw was 141,000 truck were affected, 117,000+ in the USA.

The only thing left for me to research is exactly when did ford issue the NO-SALE of the vehicles affected. I believe it to be August 28, 2017. If anyone knows, please share!!!

I did find out, just recently, that if one of the affected vehicles are sold and delivered to a consumer uder the recall a call to the NHTSA will cause an investigation to be persued on the selling dealership and hefty fines can be issued.

 

OK. Thanks for the reply. Now I understand. I don't have that option so I guess I'm good.

 

Here is a picture from another thread, show the dealer this and see what they think about the 21k fine.
I did also read someone else mention the mid Oct time frame.