Complaint Review: FORD MOTOR CO. & NORTH STAR FORD DULUTH MN

I find it very hard to believe that you took no time to check out your car when you recieved it, and I am inclined to question your whole situation and how much of it is self inflicted.



First of all, you took no effort to shop around, for if you had you most certainly would have realized that at $30,000 you overpaid substantially on your car.



You also had the car long enough to spend over $1000 on accessories, yet you are going through all this over a paint job that would cost the dealer less than a couple of hundred of dollars to fix. To paraphraise an old line, I'd like to hear the WHOLE story. Though I don't trust dealers myself, I doubt they would go through all of this with you (WITH CORPERATE SUPPORT) and risk the bad press over something that would be repaired for a relatively small amout of money.



Just to bring you up to speed on a few items, once a period of time passes, the dealer is no longer responsible for your paint since any problems would be noted by you early on, and any additional problems could result from lack of care on your part. Also, your bumper to bumper warranty is IN WRITING! If you took the time to read it, you would realize what it's conditions and restrictions are. My experience, and that of every new car buyer I know is that those warranties are honored without fail.



Overall, I suspect your story is false or exagerated for these reasons:



*You mentioned that you were verbially abused, yet you do NOT tell us how this situation started.



* You say your car came back worse after dropping it off for repairs, but fail to mention what those repairs were. Many of us are mechanics, & could give you advice or reccomendations, or at least tell you how your problem occured if it was something you may have done.



*Your car has been flagged for no more paint repairs, meaning that somehow you became far fussier with your cars paint later than when you handed over the payment. The car's paint was most certainly not as bad as you are making out if YOU YOURSELF didn't notice it over what obviously was NOT a short period of time.



* You are looking for Ford to give you money back for items YOU bought to add to your car (ie: "bigger" tires that weren't used to replace existing ones, the K&N filter, etc...)



I would gladly support you or offer words of encouragement if this was an example of Ford or any company giving you the shaft on what was obviously their fault. But in this instance, based on what I've read just on your side (WITHOUT hearing the otherside of the story!) I'm guessing something like this happened:



*Someone pointed out something in the paint which was probally very minor to begin with since you didn't notice.



*The dealer tried to work with you by repainting this flaw.



*You by now are suddenly hypercritical (and obviously extremely vocal) and non-diplomatically confront everyone from the service manager up to the special liasion and most likely the District Manager.



*2 of them (as you point out) lost patience with you and your tactics, and told you so.



*Now, as a act of revenge (and to get attention) you have embarked on this campaign to get back at the dealer, at Ford, and as soon as you discover that your car DOES NOT fall under your state's "lemon law", "polititians" as well.



I am sure if I were to nose around and check the other side of this story, I'd find out quite a bit more. But I am only going by YOUR side of the story, and to tell you honestly and straightforwardly, based on ONLY what you say, it's obvious that you are leaving out alot and are either at best very gullible, or at worst devious and vengeful.

After 24 days of North Star Ford having my vehicle they finally call to say it was ready to be picked up.



I got to North Star Ford and Pam Brown, North Star Ford Accessory Specialist, walked me back to the service department. I asked if all my concerns were taken care of and Chad Schoeber, assistant service manager, came up to me and said, "We're finished with you. You have no warranty. You have no paint warranty. Ford and this dealership are sick of you and we're done with you. There are 60,000 Ford dealerships you can go to...don't come back here. We will not do a thing for you...go somewhere else."



I requested this in writing, but was refused anything in writing. I asked Pam to stay and witness this because I was being refused a written copy of these statements.



I then went to the reception desk to drop off a letter for Mr. Gilcrest, general manager of North Star Ford, and also requested to speak with the Customer Relations manager, Libby Stenson. Some man came over to me as I was headed to her office, and told me I had to leave. I requested his name, he refused this information. Christine Schepers then offered her help, stating that she was the assistant to the general manager, who was not in at this time. I accompanied her to her office and was explaining my concerns and complaints in regard to the lack of quality in the repair work, the lack of courtesy in treatment...When Brian Gilcrest, general manager of North Star Ford, stormed into her office stating, "I had 2 seconds to get out of here or he'd call the police." He further stated, "That I am to never come back, he's had it with me, Ford's had it with me, and it's all because I've contacted the Executive Office's and I said I'm willing to picket."



The vehicle is not fixed. The damaged piece of dash is still damaged (was damaged by service person replacing cracked plastic that goes in front of gages). The rattle inside the vehicle is back. The paint issues are not resolved...and this is "BLUE OVAL CERTIFIED COMMITMENT"?????

North Star Ford got another Mustang in...it has the same slip-shot paint job...and I have pictures to prove it.



**There must be a problem at the plant with the pressure of the paint spray; edges are not getting full coverage of paint and there's globs of ???? in the paint.



I have gone to several competitors (Larson Chevy & Kari Toyota, to name a couple) dealerships in my area taking photos of their vehicles for comparison. All the dealerships have been very willing and helpful once I explained what I was doing and why I needed the photos.



For clarification: the paint didn't just "go bad" it always was. A ruptured disc and major back surgery (BAK implant and fusion)kept me from bringing these concerns to the dealership sooner. However, I'm WELL within a reasonable time frame, and well within my warranty period.



VERY DISTURBING:

I was also sold out by my dealership. According to Ford's report in their computer: No further repairs will be made, both North Star Ford and the regional representative agree that the paint is "consumer acceptable".

I don't understand this complaint. Didn't the

buyer actually look at the car before

buying it? I can't imagine that the paint was

perfect the day they bought the car and then

went bad over the period of a few weeks.



Also, if the buyer paid $30,000 for a Mustang

Convertible that isn't a Cobra, they over paid

by at least $3,000.



I have a 2001 Silver GT Convertible and am very

happy with the paint job. It has no flaws at all

that I have seen (well not until it got a door

ding, but that can't be blamed on Ford).

Kristen, The Great Thorn has some helpful info JUST FOR YOU.



Below is a list of websites That I would like you to check out real good, and then Come back to your Rip Off Report and post an UP-Date as to what you think the below list of web sites do for car dealers nationwide, OK?



www.jeffsacksandassociates.com

www.stukertraining.com

www.probac.com

www.paulcummings.com

www.nationalautotraining.com

www.appliedconcepts.net

www.joeverde.com

www.grantcardone.com

www.davidlewis.com



Let me know Kristen if you want more to check out.



Next I would like to tell you how to get in touch with the man at THE TOP at Ford Motor Corp. We all know that Henery Ford was the founding father of Ford motor corp. Henery Ford Had a Great Grandson named William Clay Ford. He is now at the helm at Ford motor corp. William Clay Ford's email address is WFord@ford.com



If I were you Kristen, I would email him and say, Hey you say Ford's number one job is quality. If this is true then tell me why I have a $30,000 dollar pile of JUNK?



Tell me now that you have my hard earned money who is going to help me fix this $30,000 dollar pile of JUNK?



I also would send by snail mail a copy of your Rip Off Report to

Ford Motor Corp

16800 Executive Plaza Drive

P.O. Box 6248

Dearborn, MI 48121



I also would send by email to corp executives at Ford motor Corp. These people at Ford need to know about the pile of JUNK that you bought. Exposing your trouble to the top is a fast way to get real attention Kristen.



If I were you, I also would email a copy of your Rip Off Report to the following people at Ford Motor Corp.



Kristen you need to make sure that company excutives at Ford know that they have made the Rip Off Report. Here are the email address. So Fire away and go get'em girl.



Anne Bork

abork@ford.com

Ford Motor Company

Department: Investor Relations



Meera Kumar

mkumar10@ford.com

David Reuter

dreuter@ford.com

Brand(s): Ford Motor Company



Karen Hampton

khampto2@ford.com

Ford Motor Company, Ford

Department: Ford Division



Susan Krusel

skrusel@ford.com

Brand(s): Ford

Department: Ford Division



The Great Thorn's motto is

"Go Deep when exposing it FEELS BETTER"