This will be rather boring compared to most of the other posts here ... but I recently discovered that my '04 ZTW did not come with the rear seat heat ducts; and FOC tells me they were deleted for the '04 model year.
How I found out, BTW, is after a long drive on a very cold day the centre console was almost too hot to touch - the reason being that Ford engineering decided to leave the plenum chamber opening, well ... open - and all the hot air that would normally be directed under the front seats blows directly into the console.
I did a search and nothing came up ... anyone else with an '04 notice this?
The outcome of my dance with FOC so far is this ... Ford won't re-install the part despite all the marketing materials (order guides etc) indicating that it is standard equipment ... because it would be deemed to be a "modification" that would have the effect of voiding the warranty!
I'm not finished with them yet, so if anyone's interested I will keep you up to date with what's happening.
never heard of it.
Keep on them. FOC is a bunch of retards, I know, I had to deal with them and my elevetybillion recalls. :rolleyes:
EDIT: And if it indeed says that it was standard equipment and you dont have it, tell them you want some money back or install the freakin part. ;)
ZTWsquared,Jan 25 2005, 05:15 PM Wrote:This will be rather boring compared to most of the other posts here ... but I recently discovered that my '04 ZTW did not come with the rear seat heat ducts; and FOC tells me they were deleted for the '04 model year.
How I found out, BTW, is after a long drive on a very cold day the centre console was almost too hot to touch - the reason being that Ford engineering decided to leave the plenum chamber opening, well ... open - and all the hot air that would normally be directed under the front seats blows directly into the console.
I did a search and nothing came up ... anyone else with an '04 notice this?
The outcome of my dance with FOC so far is this ... Ford won't re-install the part despite all the marketing materials (order guides etc) indicating that it is standard equipment ... because it would be deemed to be a "modification" that would have the effect of voiding the warranty!
I'm not finished with them yet, so if anyone's interested I will keep you up to date with what's happening.
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Give mw a break.
FOC is a joke.
If they do agree to put them in for you, they'll charge you afortune to do it. :rolleyes:
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT... AMEN BRUDDAH!
if it's there on all the materials, it should be in the car.
fools....
Paper trail.
Print everything including read reciepts, document everything, use couriers, regisisted letters etc.
Our '04 ZTW does not have them either. My '02 SVT did. I should have taken them out before selling it :lol: . I have noticed when I've put change in the front cup holder, when I take the change out it seems pretty hot. Maybe we could go after Ford concerning a possible fire hazard?
Just like the cross rails for the roof rack. 'Decontented' for 2004, even on a ZTW, which is supposed to be top of the line model of wagon. Ford is becomming as cheap as Honda to make money for the shareholders.
CanadaSVT - thanks for checking. Seems FOC is ignoring my second letter hand delivered a week ago yesterday.
In the meantime I spoke to a senior technical guy at FOC who did some research and reported that there are no "technical or safety" issues that required the removal of the heat ducts; and conversely nothing that would prevent their reinstallation.
He also said that, according to Ford engineering, there are no safety or technical issues associated with directing hot or cold air into the space beneath the console.
But it gets really, really hot. And in addition to concerns about fire how about fumes from plastic or carpet or premature wear on switches or other components?
If they made a decision to delete for non-technical reasons, how much engineering could they possibly have done to study the long-term effects of hot air under the centre console?
Personally, I think it was Ford taking advantage of a short model year to claw back a bit of money. Too bad they forgot to mention it to the marketing guys.
Wow I have an 04' and I've never noticed that until you mentioned it. Your right about the center consel getting really warm. Never knew where it was coming from either...................
So looks like I'm done - here's the outcome:
1. 4 letters and 6 phone calls to Ford's "Executive Response Team" (they wouldn't give me an email address or fax number)
2. My dealer has intervened twice on my behalf
3. The Ford territory sales rep (DOM) has intervened once on my behalf
4. FOC = logic be damned
5. FOC = common sense = water off duck's back
6. FOC = Ontario's consumer legislation means nothing - we don't care that we lied
7. FOC = we don't care that you've leased 14 Ford's since '88
8. FOC = we don't care if your kids are shivering in the back
9. FOC = we don't care if you are uncomfortable about a too hot console
10. FOC = BTW - despite what said, we actually do care about you as a customer - please accept this free oil change - have a nice day.
11. ZTWsquared = really, really p!ssed - now a matter of principle
In the meantime I had the dealer go ahead and install the ducts at my insistence; and I'm going after Ford for the - wait for it ..... $105.
ZTWsquared,Feb 9 2005, 02:58 PM Wrote:In the meantime I had the dealer go ahead and install the ducts at my insistence; and I'm going after Ford for the - wait for it ..... $105.
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Unbelievable and that is the retail cost of the fix on a one of basis. The actual cost in an assembly line situation, a dollar or two.
I can't believe they deleted the roof rack cross bars! That is just plain cheap and really low class.
As for FOC's handling of the situation, I've experienced it to a lessor extent than yours and that was enough for me to swear off ever buying any Ford again.
ductwork I guess I can see being decontented..
but the roofrack cross bars??? that's just stupid!!! The roof rack is completely useless without them... why make people pay twice for an 'included' option?
bleh... stick it to 'em
I'm no stranger to FOC either.
I started calling them after several visits into the dealer to fix faulty parts.
After spending close to an hour on the phone with somebody in customer service at Ford telling me how problems with the Focus are few and far between I asked for somebody higher up. It got me nowhere.
Eventually they caved and extended my warrantee to 100k on 13 ADDITIONAL PARTS ON THE CAR!!!!!
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??? 13 ADDITIONAL PARTS!
What a joke. This is where I told them that I'm 27 (then) and will own SEVERAL new cars in my lifetime... and none of them would ever be a Ford. EVER! They said they were sorry to hear that. Have a nice day as she hung up.
I make sure to call them EVERYTIME I have the car into the dealer for work. Now when I call and they run my number... the phone clicks. They tape all of my conversations now.
The last time I called them was for the rockercover gasket. I told them that I am in no way paying for another faulty part on this car. she said that I would have to speak with the service manager at Discovery Ford.... He was nice nough to wave the fee. The guys at Discovery truely feel sorry for me now. It's a joke.
Last mont, I have had to replace parts on my car totalling more than my monthly payment. This car costs more to fix than it does to pay for it. REMEMBER... THIS IS A 2002! A little much for a car that is barely 3 years old. I can understand if it was 8 years old with 120k on it.... but 3year old???
I would sell this car tomorrow....
The only problem is that I owe more than what I'll get for it so there really is no point in selling it. I'M STUCK WITH A WORTHLESS LEMON! and Ford doesn't care enough about keeping me as a potential future consumer enough to help me out.
I am now on something like 134 different repairs made to my car because of faulty parts. I have complained to Ford untill I've felt rage. They just dust you off untill you finaly cave and sell the car.
EVENTUALLY YOU WILL GO AWAY. I TRUELY BELIEVE THIS IS THEIR ATTITUDE.
I truely hope you get the treatment I hoped I would get. but realistically.... don't hold your brealth.
I think I will almost feel guilty when the day comes to sell this car. I just might have to go to confession because the poor sap that gets this bucket after me will probably experience a lot of the frustration I went through.
I dont think so. He'll have a car with 134 newly revised parts. :lol: :P
Flofocus,Feb 9 2005, 11:58 AM Wrote:I dont think so. He'll have a car with 134 newly revised parts. :lol: :P
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It's like driving a new car every week.
So I get a call from Ford of Canada yesterday - they're sending me a cheque for the cost to install the missing heat ducts - $155.
Too bad it's ....
4 months after my original complaint
3 months after my dealer gave up talking sense into FOC
2 months after I started my CAMVAP claim - which FOC fought all the way
2 months after I cancelled my order for '05 ST
2 months after I decided that #14 was my last Ford ever
1 month after I gave up FOC as a client
2 weeks after I decided that if I won (it was never in doubt) I would tell my story to as many '04 Focus owners as I could reach.
If you want the documentation I used to "win" my case, pm me or email me at ken_ken52@hotmail.com
And BTW - in case you couldn't tell ... I won but I'm still p!ssed. They shoulda listened.
Anyone on here interested in hosting a website?
Thanks for listening. Cheers.
ZTWsquared,Apr 14 2005, 07:29 PM Wrote:So I get a call from Ford of Canada yesterday - they're sending me a cheque for the cost to install the missing heat ducts - $155.
Too bad it's ....
4 months after my original complaint
3 months after my dealer gave up talking sense into FOC
2 months after I started my CAMVAP claim - which FOC fought all the way
2 months after I cancelled my order for '05 ST
2 months after I decided that #14 was my last Ford ever
1 month after I gave up FOC as a client
2 weeks after I decided that if I won (it was never in doubt) I would tell my story to as many '04 Focus owners as I could reach.
If you want the documentation I used to "win" my case, pm me or email me at xxxx
And BTW - in case you couldn't tell ... I won but I'm still p!ssed. They shoulda listened.
Anyone on here interested in hosting a website?
Thanks for listening. Cheers.
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Good for you! I swore off getting another Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, Volvo PAG car years ago.
In my case I was giving Ford a try after nobody in the family owning one since 1973. There will be no repeat business from me.
I take pleasure in the fact that Ford made negative money off my buying the car based on the amount of waranty repairs.
My dad is going to head to head with Ford rigth now over his sport trac. Yikes
my dad was just yelling at the guy on the phone.
Wow, I'm going back to the non-Focus site where they are discussing whether or not the Focus was the biggest piece of crap made. There was more love for Ford there.
My boss needs to give me a hug tonight after the browbeating Ford took tonight from the likes of you 3.
meford4u,Apr 15 2005, 01:38 AM Wrote:My boss needs to give me a hug tonight after the browbeating Ford took tonight from the likes of you 3.
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If you're like the dozens of Ford employees I know that want nothing more than to build a good product and do the right thing for customers, than you deserve the hug.
But the same company that challenged dealers to significantly improve customer satisfaction (Blue Oval Certified) needs to understand that listening to the voice of the customer needs to be more than a slogan - it needs to be a way of doing business for real.
I gave Ford of Canada dozens of opportunities to do the right thing - presented my case with reason, good humour, logic and patience. My reward was basically disdain. I didn't deserve that - nobody does. In this case the consequence of their actions and attitudes is to lose another customer - just one of many apparently.
My dealer friend always tells me that "the market knows best" - and if Ford of Canada's continually declining market share says anything - it's telling them to do things differently and better. In this case, it's not about the car which I really like.
Like I said - they shoulda listened.