Complaint Review: Ford Motor Company

Yes, my name is Robert. I actually work at the Ford Customer Relationship Center. On the fact that you beleive your a/c is not fuctioning properly it well understood. As I seen from a former statement from someone else about taking it to a independent shop is highly not reccommended.. expeically if you are still under your bumper to bumper.

Usually if one customer is not satisfied with one dlrshp answer. you are always more than welcome to contact another dlrshp and get a second opinion. I have a concern with my chevy cavalier 2002 a/c. So honestly it is not only ford who has these problems. EVERY car manufacture will have defects in some of their veh. and EVERY car manufacture will have vehicles that will run for hundreds and thousands of miles.

so if you are still having difficulties with your a/c or if the condition changes or worsens contact us back 1-800-392-3673.. and if you dont mind you can respond back to this and i can look into your past case and see if it was handled correctly. i DO have my own expierneces with improper customer service procedures such as DOCUMENTATION.

Yes, my name is Robert. I actually work at the Ford Customer Relationship Center. On the fact that you beleive your a/c is not fuctioning properly it well understood. As I seen from a former statement from someone else about taking it to a independent shop is highly not reccommended.. expeically if you are still under your bumper to bumper.

Usually if one customer is not satisfied with one dlrshp answer. you are always more than welcome to contact another dlrshp and get a second opinion. I have a concern with my chevy cavalier 2002 a/c. So honestly it is not only ford who has these problems. EVERY car manufacture will have defects in some of their veh. and EVERY car manufacture will have vehicles that will run for hundreds and thousands of miles.

so if you are still having difficulties with your a/c or if the condition changes or worsens contact us back 1-800-392-3673.. and if you dont mind you can respond back to this and i can look into your past case and see if it was handled correctly. i DO have my own expierneces with improper customer service procedures such as DOCUMENTATION.

Yes, my name is Robert. I actually work at the Ford Customer Relationship Center. On the fact that you beleive your a/c is not fuctioning properly it well understood. As I seen from a former statement from someone else about taking it to a independent shop is highly not reccommended.. expeically if you are still under your bumper to bumper.

Usually if one customer is not satisfied with one dlrshp answer. you are always more than welcome to contact another dlrshp and get a second opinion. I have a concern with my chevy cavalier 2002 a/c. So honestly it is not only ford who has these problems. EVERY car manufacture will have defects in some of their veh. and EVERY car manufacture will have vehicles that will run for hundreds and thousands of miles.

so if you are still having difficulties with your a/c or if the condition changes or worsens contact us back 1-800-392-3673.. and if you dont mind you can respond back to this and i can look into your past case and see if it was handled correctly. i DO have my own expierneces with improper customer service procedures such as DOCUMENTATION.

Yes, my name is Robert. I actually work at the Ford Customer Relationship Center. On the fact that you beleive your a/c is not fuctioning properly it well understood. As I seen from a former statement from someone else about taking it to a independent shop is highly not reccommended.. expeically if you are still under your bumper to bumper.

Usually if one customer is not satisfied with one dlrshp answer. you are always more than welcome to contact another dlrshp and get a second opinion. I have a concern with my chevy cavalier 2002 a/c. So honestly it is not only ford who has these problems. EVERY car manufacture will have defects in some of their veh. and EVERY car manufacture will have vehicles that will run for hundreds and thousands of miles.

so if you are still having difficulties with your a/c or if the condition changes or worsens contact us back 1-800-392-3673.. and if you dont mind you can respond back to this and i can look into your past case and see if it was handled correctly. i DO have my own expierneces with improper customer service procedures such as DOCUMENTATION.

This is in response to the victim of the new Ford truck not cooling. First I must say I have a 2007 Ford F150 and the air cools perfect as have all my Ford trucks in many years, but that doesn't mean that they all may work perfect.

I find it hard to believe that the dealership you bought it from would not want to repair the problem. It is just like this.. The truck has a system and if it is not cooling it can only be the dryer, or the freon. All simple to fix. If it were my dealership I would be on the phone telling Ford I am repairing it at their expense because they buy millions of dollars worth of cars and who is telling who what here? Have you personally contacted Ford? have you told your dealership you will never buy another truck from them? Do you know anyone who might personally take a look at your a/c and get their opinion? This problem has to be a simple one and not something that takes huge money to fix. Also, you don't have to be bound by a rule that says if the air is 30 degrees cooler then you have to take it. That spinds like some emplyee crap he heard in the mens room. Where is that a law? Where is that a Ford rule? Here's a suggection to you. Get someone to take all the freon out of it and drain it dry. For gosh sakes don't let it loose in the ozone, but any home a/c man can safely catch for you. Then take it back to Ford and say "My air ain't workin"!!!! I bet when he fills it up with new freon it will be cold as ice. Don't pay him a dime either. I bought a used Ford F250 6 months ago and the air never worked right. So help me today, I told the boys working for me to drain it and fill it up again with 2 cans of R134 freon from autozone and it is freezing cold right now! Swear it happened just a few hours ago. If you don't want to do that then get you a big sign and say the a/c on this new truck sucks!!! Post it all over the truck, take a picture of it and send it to Ford, then drive by the dealership and pull in and get out and tell them you stop by to drink a coke. Leave it there for about an hour. Or... park it next door to the dealership for several days. You have to take the bull by the horns and quit being weak. I see people all the time taking abuse from other people. They would take one look at me and fix that air before I could get out of the bathroom. Put some grit and growl in your voice like you really BY GEORGE mean it. Fix it and do it now!!!! I hope this helps you.

Hey Mike. They don't pay utilities here, so in the summer, due to the bad A/C, the electric bills is 300 to 350 every month! This is totally outrageous for a 1 bedroom apartment. In the winter it drops to around 75 to 100 a month, so I'm pretty sure this is directly connected to the A/C running 24/7 and not being good enough to cool the place down.

I know one of the A/C guys they sent here told me that the rating on this unit, due to it's age, would be no higher than a 2, when the new ones made today are like 20. I would think just replacing the unit would in the long run save everyone hassle and money, but the owner obviously is trying to avoid that. When you are poor and every penny is going to rent and utilities, they know you are stuck.

Some of my online friends are now trying to get together 2000 bucks so I can move out of here and into a place that pays untilites, but given the amount, it's not something they will be able to do overnight.

The fridge here isn't very old, so I don't think that is part of the problem at all.

The useful life of a central A/C is about 15-20 years even if it is a very good brand to start with. Old equipment should be replaced even if it is working perfectly because there has been tremendous improvement in energy efficiency over the years. The payback by lower electric bills is really quick. You may try that on the landlord if he is paying for the electric.

The same also goes for refrigerators. It is suprising how long a refrigerator can keep going but realize that it ought to go to the scrap heap anyway. Old refrigerators especially the frost-free type really guzzle electricity.

I can't afford an A/C unit, which is why I have to wait on them to do something. I only eat once a day as it is and I have nothing else I can cut down on to save up.

I talked to the state and they said the most I can do legally is to take next month's rent and use it towards either an A/C unit or more swamp coolers (which did work pretty well btw), if they haven't done anything to fix/replace the existing unit there now.

That means another month of suffering though any day it's over 100, which is quite often in Phoenix in the summer as you know. I pretty much figure they will drag this out like they did last year and by the time they feel like doing anything to help, summer will be over and it won't be an issue again till winter hits and we can't get it warm in here.

I'm going to enclose a note with our rent payment I'm sending off tomorrow and asking them one more time when I can expect the A/C to be fixed so it cools the apartment off to the 75 degrees I need it to be for my health probs. Their name doesn't start with the letter you mentioned. This is their first time owning a building in this area, everything else they have is out around the LA/Orange counties part of California.

When you get my email addy from ED I can explain more there. I feel I've waylaid this report enough already, but appreciate the time you guys took to help me out. Thanks again!

Lorraine,

Here's an easy solution to cool yourself off and get their attention so they fix it.

Get a small window unit a/c and put it in your bedroom so you can sleep at least. The maint person or manager will see the unit and tell you you cant have it. Then you ask for that in writing. Now you have them when you file your complaint.

Forget the swamp coolers. They are useless.

BTW...Does the name of that owner start with a "W"?..Properties?

Anyway, good luck!

Thanks Robert. The owner of this place owns a bunch of units in California, this was their first attempt to get into the Phoenix market. They got ripped off! The prior owner didn't do needed maintanence for years by the looks of things after it was purchased by the present owners. Once they tore into the walls and found the mold, replaced bad windows in some units, fixed broken fridges, stoves, etc; well, the place wasn't worth the 1 1/2 million they paid for it. (Only has 22 units.) While I feel for them, I can't live without a decent working A/C.

After talking to the new manager last night, he's gonna again email/call the owner's rep, who works directly for the owner in his office. She also comes here once every few months to check on the progress, so I will try to catch her next visit (to be soon) if they haven't gotten it fixed yet.

I did ask them about using rent money for a couple more swamp coolers, but haven't gotten an answer yet. The manager feels she's probably gone for the holiday and will get back to him soon though. At least monsoon started this week, so we actually got a break last night and it got down to 79 degrees by 3 am with a good breeze, so I was able to open up the place and get some cool air moving thru it and that cooled it down.

By 6 am it was down to 74 degrees inside here and I was able to finally get a good day's sleep! The humidity even went up to a lovely 70%, I almost felt like I was back in my beloved Florida again.

When the A/C guy gets here, I'll tell him to really check over the compressor and recheck the freon, which I know was filled about 2 months ago when they had someone come out and top all of the units on the roof off. I'll also ask him if he has one of those thermometers and have him hold it by one of the vents.

BTW, you never answered my question on the other thread Robert; your arm or my waist? LOL. (I figure you missed it since it's been a couple weeks since I posted it and I didn't think you'd pass on that one.)

Thanks again for the info. I owe ya one!

Lorraine,

Although the basic principle is the same, the setup is different. That unit on your apt just needs to be replaced.

When I lived in PHX, many of the apt mgr's did not even know the difference between a/c and a swamp cooler!

The apt I lived in, I was very specific in asking about the a/c..Yeah...yeah..central a/c & heat..

Then the summer hits and I find out all we have is a huge swamp cooler. Well, swamp coolers are not a/c, and are totally ineffective after it hits 85-90 degrees.

I would start writing letters and sending certified/rrr to the management company and/or the owners, as well as the housing dept. You can also report an unsafe dwelling to the health dept and/or fire inspector just for fun. This will cost them some money.

Good luck.

ALL A/C systems operate the same. Get an A/C thermometer from an autoparts store. Stick it in the vent and see where it levels out to. It will have a "blue" range, showing where the system should be. Window units usually last 10 years and then need to be replaced, just as central systems do.

More than likely, the system is low on freon, or the compressor itself is just worn out. A worn out compressor will not make proper head pressure, and the system will be less efficient, even with a full charge. The more a compressor is used, the faster it wears out.

If enough tenants complain, the landlord should fix it. "Rent strikes" are one way to effect change. Just remember to put the rent money in an account so it's available when everything is "cool". Most owners use a management company to handle everything. Most times, the owners don't even know something is wrong. The management company(usually a realtor) simply collects the checks and pretends everything is fine. They have no interest in fixing anything if they don't absolutely have to. If you can get to the roof, you may consider "fixing" the unit yourself. A hammer and long screwdriver work very nicely. Wear gloves and safety glasses. If you "fix" it good enough, the whole unit will be replaced.

Good luck.

Would the same apply to an apartment A/C roof mount unit that's very old (like from when the building was built in the 60's / 70's)?

Every year ours gets worse here and the building owner is not local to us. His rep isn't touching base with our manager either, even though I'm sure they are aware the law gives them 24 hours to have it looked at and fixed after a complaint by a tenant.

I've been complaining all last summer (they got us 2 swamp coolers which promptly died when we tried to use them this year) and started again before summer arrived this year. Still nothing.

This apartment is rather big for a one bedroom, but I'm not sure A/C's work the same from home to auto. I can't see them putting in a new unit, which is what is needed, since this old one has a rating of at most a 2, according to one A/C guy from last year. It blows cold, so they won't do anything. even though it's not blowing enough to cool us down. So I'm sitting here in 85 to 90 degree heat, day in and day out, sweating my brains out.

I'm gonna email the owner's rep tomorrow, again. That was the only advice the manager could offer when I talked to him today. I can't afford to move (or I'd be in Florida now, the one place I lived where the weather was perfect for me and I wasn't so darned sick all the time as I am here), so I am trying to think of a way to get this old A/C unit working enough where it will cool us off to 75 like I need it to be.

Any advice you guys could offer will be appreciated.

Thats what happens when I get in a hurry!

The above post of mine should read 36 degrees at the center vent.

That's a good idea for any vehicle anywhere.

My idea to have the freon checked is still a good idea however. This is supposed to be part of "dealer prep", but you know as well as I do, it doesn't get checked.

A low charge will cause the system to be extremely inneficient, and therefore, not as cold. Low humidity regions also allow the A/C system to work better than high humdity areas. I really think the system is low, and should be checked by another shop to be sure. Most shops charge less than $100 for a complete service, including dye and freon. Charles should get by with less than 1/2 that amount if his system is nearly full.

Since he's getting nowhere with the dealership, it's a small price to pay to be cooler. If it is low, the General Manager of the dealership will probably cover the cost, since it makes his dealership look foolish.

We are talking about an extremely hot desert climate with very little humidity. Summer temps hit around 115 degrees in Merced.

I have operated several new vehicles that could not cool down in that desert climate. The reason is that they were not designed for it.

It is a simple modification. I have modified cooling systems that produced 36% at the center vent after 5 minutes running. That was in an 88 Lincoln Limousine! In Las Vegas in August with an outside temp 0f 118 degrees.

Make the upgrades I suggested. It is relatively inexpensive and will make your a/c system last longer, as well as your engine.

FYI...It's called a "Desert Package".

Many vehicles are not designed to operate in desert conditions. The interior size that needs to be cooled makes the difference.

I know this for a fact, and how to fix it. As I lived in Vegas 7 years, Phoenix/Tucson 6 years, and drove that entire area frequently.

I know how hot Merced, CA gets. And I can tell you for a fact that truck was not properly equipped to operate in that climate.

Does it have that little 2 row radiator in it? Or does it have the 4 row that comes with the Desert Package?

Properly equip the truck and be happy.

Ummm, there's a reason they sell a thermometer made for A/C work.

Sixty degrees from the vents is in the good range. I like getting it down about 50, but 60 is still well below he upper limit of 64.

I don't think you'll win in this case. To get a proper reading, let the A/C normalize, usually about 5 minutes of running. This will give you an accurate measurement of what the system is doing. Sixty from the vents is not going to mean sixty in the cab IMMEDIATELY. It will take about 20 minutes to bring a 100 degree cab down to sixty...maybe longer. I'd give it 30 minutes just to be sure.

If you still think there is a problem, take the truck to an independent shop and have it checked. Have them evacuate the system and see how much freon is actually in the system. It can be low from the factory. It happens. Have them vacuum the system for at least 45 minutes, and then recharge. See if it works better. If it does, take that invoice back to the Dealership and see what the GENERAL MANAGER says.

Good luck.

Ford will play you. I know they did it to me. So I can tell you file for lemon law now. Don't wait as i did. Then they will tell you it's too late out of warranty. File now

Charles,

This is easy to troubleshoot. Here's what you do. You will need a second person to assist you.

It sounds like your condenser is not dissipating the heat, and it may need an auxilary pusher fan.

Make sure you pop the hood and be sure your assistant knows where the condenser is. It is the thing that looks like a radiator mounted in front of the radiator. Have your asistant turn water on and have hose in hand to spray on condensor at your command.

Park the truck where you normally do, and close to a hose, but NOT in the shade. Sit in the truck with it closed up and A/C on Max. until it is as good as it gets. Tap your horn to let your assistant know you are ready for the condenser to be sprayed. Have the assistant spray for about 2 minutes.

Now, did the A/C get noticeably cooler? If so, your airflow/cooling capacity across the condenser is insufficient.

If this is the case, just get an external pusher fan and have it installed on the condenser and be sure it is wired to the A/c relay switch, so it is on any time the A/C is on. Ignition hot, not battery hot positive lead if relay not accessible.

Hope this helps