Pat Milliken Ford - Ford Motor Company Electric vehicle leased under false pretenses. Redford Michigan
Back in July I traded in my Ford Escape for a Ford Focus Electric at Pat Milliken Ford in Redford,MI. This would be my family's only vehicle. Based on the window sticker on the car and the information from the sales person, Patrick Leaman, the vehicle was able to drive about 76 miles on a full charge. I fully understand that about does not mean I will always get 76 miles on a full charge. Never at any point was it disclosed though that the car would experience a drastically reduced range in the colder months. I live in the Detroit area where it's cold 3-4 months out of the year.
During the summer and fall the car performed as expected and I was very happy with it. I made it a point to tell everyone how much I loved the car. I was a promoter of the Ford brand. Fast forward to the winter time and my experience is vey different. I'm getting on average about a 40-50 mile range on a full charge. Some days as low as 35 miles. Big change from the expected 76 mile range. This is with the heat on of course. The heat causes a 15-20 mile drop in range.
Not turning on the heat causes the windows to fog up which is a driving hazard. The only other option I would have to combat the window fogging is to turn the cold air on. Since this is a family vehicle with kids almost always in the car, driving with no heat and cold air blowing is not an acceptable option. Freezing cold air blowing on your face while driving isn't very comfortable either. I contacted the dealer to try and get some help from them and they have done noting but explain that this is completely normal.
The Sales manager, Ray Nabozny, went on to explain that in Norway people drive their electric cars with snowmobile suits on so they don't have to run the heat. I asked Ray if he would feel compelled to explain the reduced range to anyone in the future after my findings and he said no. He then explained that this is not a primary use vehicle. No where on Ford's website is this marketed as a secondary use vehicle. At no point during the sales process was this vehicle positioned as a secondary use vehicle. The sales person, Patrick Leaman, knew this car would be the main car for my family. My one year old son and three year old daughter were with us at the time of purchase.
I spoke with the regional customer service manager, Kathy, from Ford who overseas the dealers in my area and she reiterated that the vehicle is performing as expected and that the 76 mile range is under perfect conditions. I don't think that an almost 50% reduction in range is an acceptable variance. Both Ford and the dealer have made it clear to me that they are not responsible to disclose the reduced range in the winter months. The customer service manager told me that since it's a specialty vehicle most consumers are more educated than the sales people.
She said she couldn't say who's fault it was that I was not aware of the reduced range. Where would I know about the reduced range in the winter months if Ford's website and the window sticker on the car are not disclosing the reduced range? Why would Ford not feel that they are at all responsible for disclosing the winter range to their consumers? The sales manager from Pat Milliken Ford, Ray Nabozny, explained that they are not in the business of talking people out of buying cars when I asked him the same question. All he has done is talk me out of ever buying a car from Pat Milliken Ford or any other Ford dealer in the future.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Pat Milliken Ford
Redford,Michigan,
Response to your concerns
#4UPDATE Employee
Fri, February 07, 2014
We are sorry to hear about your disappointment with your 2013 Ford Focus Electric and your experience at Pat Milliken Ford. Like any hybrid or electric vehicle, the range and fuel economy of a Focus Electric can vary greatly based on driving conditions. Based on Ford testing and EPA standards the Ford Focus Electric is rated at 110 MPGe with up to 76 miles of driving on a single charge. That being said, EV driving range can vary drastically. The following is a list of factors that affect this, as mentioned on the Focus Electric page of Ford.com:
Many factors can affect it: ambient temperature, traffic conditions, terrain, driving behavior, use of the vehicle’s climate control system, number and weight of passengers in the car and weight of cargo. That’s why the Focus Electric comes standard with numerous features to help you maximize your range, including cabin preconditioning, which allows you to preheat or precool the cabin while the vehicle is still plugged in to avoid drawing energy from the battery.
A fully electric vehicle like the Focus Electric is not for everyone. For most customers interested in their first hybrid or electric vehicle we steer them toward the C-Max or C-Max Energi (plug-in hybrid). It’s our understanding, however, that you had done quite a bit of research before purchasing to make sure this car would fit your needs including calculating the distance of your route to and from work, and also had the expectation that a charging station was going to be installed at your work in the near future. In your letter you even mentioned that during the summer and fall you loved the car. You have only had problems since it has become so cold this winter. While Ford provides the list of factors that can affect range, there are no resources that we are aware of from Ford or the EPA that would allow us to tell you exactly how much any of these factors (ambient temperature in particular) would affect the range. Even with outside temperatures dropping, factors such as the temperature within your garage and whether you take advantage of cabin preconditioning when the vehicle is plugged in could make a large difference.
As you know, your lease through Ford Credit does not expire until July, 2016. We do not have the ability to waive remaining payments if you were to turn that lease in early. We did investigate buying the vehicle back from you, but the current purchase option price through Ford Credit is dramatically higher than the value of the vehicle. As you know from your interactions with them, Ford also does not consider this situation a reason to buy back the vehicle. We have asked that Ford have a subject matter expert reach out to you to make sure you are aware of all the best practices available to maximize the range of your electric vehicle. At this point we feel that is the only option to make sure you are maximizing the range in your vehicle until the weather begins to warm up. If now, or at any point in the future, you believe there is a mechanical problem with the vehicle we would of course be happy to inspect, test and make any necessary repairs while the vehicle is still under the manufacturer’s warranty.
Ken
Colorado,I think I would be disappointed too, but in Ford's defense...
#4Consumer Comment
Tue, February 04, 2014
The sticker does state the following:
"Actual results wil vary for many reasons including driving conditions and how you drive and maintain your vehicle"
"I contacted the dealer to try and get some help from them and they have done noting but explain that this is completely normal. "
What kind of help were you hoping to get from the dealer? I am NOT a Ford fan, but I think the quote I posted above from the sticker pretty much covers them. Sorry you're disappointed with your new vehicle.
If this is your familys only vehicle, you have pretty much limited yourself to other than long highway trips under ANY conditions. I would venture, though, that it's really nice not having to spend a lot on gas. Understanding the limitations, I hope you can overall enjoy your new vehicle. It sounds like it's a nicely equipped one.
Tyg
Pahrump,Nevada,
What did you expect??
#4General Comment
Tue, February 04, 2014
Apperantly you do not understand that the more things you turn on the faster the battery is going to drain. This is BASIC understanding of electricity. The electric cars are NOT meant to replace your gas guzzler. Its meant for SHORT trips. Lastly, whats to stop you from just charging it when you get to your destination. Most businesses will get a kick out of watching you do this.
Also stop trying to assign blame. Just because they sell the car doesnt mean that THEY have drivien the vehicle AT ALL!! They can ONLY give you the information they have. Sounds like youre just mad because your new toy doesnt perform as YOU have expected. Perhaps you need to see if you can get an extended battery or an extra battery. There is ONLY so much electricity that a single battery bank can put out. The dealership IS NOT responsible for this.
This is a limitation of electric cars. Generally you should get 30-50 miles in inclement weather, but its going to be determined by WHAT YOU DO!!! If its cold and you do not wish to use the heater, then bundle up. Did you ever think to maybe get your vehicle warmed up while its still plugged in? Maybe get some portable hand heaters for the kids?? You have options. A extra battery would go a lot farther to keeping you comfortable. It wouldnt weigh all that much and it would give you a "spare" gas tank.