An acquaintance with a 2011 Fiesta is having their TCM replaced under warranty. See here:
The problem is they are without the car (which is at the dealer), and are stuck renting a car to get around. I see that the warrant covers exactly 1 (one) day of rental car coverage. The part is on back order. How do I help them push the dealership to cover the rental car until they get their Fiesta fixed? Any magic words I can tell the service department manager?
Sub-question. Can someone check the Ford parts database to see if there are any TCMs available in the country. Part number AE8Z-7Z369-F. I'm seeing messages online that some dealerships have the TCM in stock, but no warranty repairs to use them on. And other dealers are reluctant to buy a TCM from another dealer unless pushed to do so.
Looks like the 1 day is preapproved, but not that it's limited to just one day.
Additional days need to be approved:
"Prior approval for more than 1 rental day is required from the SSSC via the SSSC Web Contact Site."
I'd press the dealer to make arrangements for a loaner or rental until it's fixed.
on edit: I'd ask the dealer to get approval for the rental while mine was in the shop, and then park my butt in the dealers waiting room until they arrange for the rental or a loaner vehicle.
Does the dealership actually need to keep the car, or is the car undriveable, until the backordered part is physically received? Has the dealership actually stated that they wouldn't provide a service-loaner, rental coverage for the duration of time that the car needs to be in their possession to remedy their warranty issues?
This has never been a problem at any of the dealerships I've taken cars to. Granted, this was all pre-COVID too, so I suppose that could have changed everything on this too. So take the following with a grain of salt:
To the best of my recollection, "Please" and "thank you" are the closest thing to a 'magic word' that I ever had to use with the service department to get a loaner or rental provided... And I'm not even sure on the "please". It may have just been "thank you".
While the dealership might be largely to blame for not asking if they'll need other transportation while the car is out of their possession, they would be to too for not making their needs known. Unfortunately though, if they're already in the rental, seeking reimbursement after going outside of the 'preferred' channels is probably going to end up being too little too late. Next time they really need to have that conversation before independently renting... And if they don't like the answer from that particular dealership, look for a better one. If they're all that bad now, I guess the customers (car buying public) are all just SOL then.
In reply to slefain :
I'm a Ford parts guy, they have 39,000 of the tcms on backorder right now. I think we have 13 on order for customers right now with the oldest being from early June. Most dealers won't sell to another dealer if they have them because they're for a customer of theirs, but there are a lot that have them.
I can't get a head gasket so I can fix the busted lifter in a 2015 5.3 Chev truck. They don't exist. And the lifters are not in this country...
In reply to Driven5 :
Yeah, I wasn't looped in until it hit "crap, this sucks so who do we know that is a car person" level.
From what I can tell the TCM issue was a crap situation for years, even before COVID.
Just a bit of insight, the reason most dealers don't have loaner cars is because they put them on the used car lot. Yes, the service department spazed out. But there was money to be made.
In reply to slefain :
So why don't they just drive their own car while waiting for the new TCM?
Driven5 said:In reply to slefain :
So why don't they just drive their own car while waiting for the new TCM?
Apparently it got to the point it can't be driven, so that wasn't an option.
In reply to slefain :
Ouch. So it really is that bad. I'm not an insider, but the first place I'd start is advocating for themselves with the service manager for loaner or rental coverage ASAP. If that fails, escalate up the chain from there and hope the magic word wasn't "lawyer".
Tell your friend to call the Ford Consumer Affairs line and explain the situation. Most likely they will offer to reimburse rental car fees. It sucks you have to pay the bill and then get reimbursed but that is typically the way I have seen it work in my dealer days. If you start threatening lawyers it makes everybody from dealership to corporate go "Ok. Have your lawyer call our lawyers".
Streetwiseguy said:I can't get a head gasket so I can fix the busted lifter in a 2015 5.3 Chev truck. They don't exist. And the lifters are not in this country...
They came off back order last month and I got 5 trucks done. Then they went back order again.
logdog (Forum Supporter) said:Tell your friend to call the Ford Consumer Affairs line and explain the situation. Most likely they will offer to reimburse rental car fees. It sucks you have to pay the bill and then get reimbursed but that is typically the way I have seen it work in my dealer days. If you start threatening lawyers it makes everybody from dealership to corporate go "Ok. Have your lawyer call our lawyers".
Came here to basically say this. When an individual dealer gets you a rental car, it's an expense on the repair order. In rare occasions, the dealer will put your butt in a used car from the lot for a few days, but this sounds like a longer term thing. If you ask the dealer to put you in a rental for a few months, that is basically going to put them in the red for the next couple months. They have incredibly strong motivations (like profit expectations from corporate) to consider.
If you go up the chain to corporate, I won't say you have a good chance, but you have a better chance. They are at least invested in not pissing off owners of their cars, and they have a big customer satisfaction issue on their hands here (if you present it that way... which you should)
I do have a tiny bit of sympathy for corporate since it's not really their fault with the chip shortages they've been having, but this is one of those situations where it isn't entirely their fault but it is their responsibility. They are basically defaulting on your rights to have the repairs done in a timely fashion. Their inability to provide parts isn't your shortcoming, it's theirs.
As much as I begrudge dealer service departments sometimes, this is not their fault. That service department is currently your biggest asset. Treat them with honey, not acid. Make them aware that you're not happy but you understand that it's not their fault, but maybe throw in that you are so angry with corporate. That puts them in a position where they will want to help. Maybe ask them to call corporate as their voice may carry more weight.
Good luck.
bobzilla said:Streetwiseguy said:I can't get a head gasket so I can fix the busted lifter in a 2015 5.3 Chev truck. They don't exist. And the lifters are not in this country...
They came off back order last month and I got 5 trucks done. Then they went back order again.
A bit of advice for me, then. #7 intake valve not opening. What are the odds that the lifter has failed, as opposed to having rotated in the sleeve? Chances I will need a camshaft? No odd noises. 80k miles or so.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
50/50. I've seen them both ways and it always needs the tear down to see.
In reply to bobzilla :
This is my first direct injection one, which I figured out yesterday uses the same plastic lifter guides as the early ones, so I guess the 50/50 fits with my history. If only I had parts...
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