Complaint Review: Earnhardt Ford

Here is my horror story about this place. I brought my 4x 00 Ford Explorer for maintenance on June 2008 as I usually do every 6 months or so. They performed all necessary maintenance work or at least I thought they did. A couple of days later my engine started overheating, I had to stop in a middle of nowhere in 110F AZ summer and arrange for a towing company to take my vehicle back to Ford Earnhardt dealership immediately. They informed me after the inspection that my engine has a problem and needs a new radiator and a new coolant. The job would cost me an additional $1,300 on the top of $230.00 that I have already paid a couple of days ago for my first appointment.

Between the towing fees and a couple of car rentals my total jumped from $1,300 to over $1,900 (after they agreed to pay for a small portion of my rental car fee and a towing cost). I had no other choice but accept it. Always having my doubts whether or not all of the work was necessary in a first place, I asked Earnhardt Ford manager over the phone on the same day to save my old radiator after they replace it with a new one. My inquiry was never honored.

After showing up at dealership to pick up my vehicle I was told that my old radiator was tossed before they got my phone inquiry. Boy, I wish they would perform their work on my truck as fast as tossing the old radiator - so I did not have to rent a car overnight every time I dropped my truck at their place.

My Ford was running fine until a couple of weeks ago (March 2009) when I noticed that some green stuff is leaking from under the front part of my vehicle.
I made an appointment with Ford again hoping that there is nothing serious since my vehicle gets maintenance every 6 months or so and since my cooling system was completely replaced not even a year ago. Wrong! Next morning, after I dropped my truck, Earnhardt Ford manager called me and said that there is a problem with (I could not believe what I heard) my radiator and on a top of that he informed me that my cooling system hoses appear way too old and must be replaced. My new job estimate ran over $1200 not even mentioning rental car fees again. After disputing the problem with their manager over the phone for about 20 min, they agreed to pay a portion of my car rental fees for one day and give me some discount on labor, but would not honor any warranties. I let them know that I am definitely going to file a complaint with BBB and other consumer organizations and I will definitely will NEVER use their rip-off services nor I buy another FORD vehicle EVER again - I drive my 4-wheeler on perfect AZ highways, not on dirt, and I take my vehicle for a maintenance twice a year, therefore I expect it too last quite a bit longer than 8+ something years.

Customer
Queen Creek, Arizona
U.S.A.