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Love the vehicle..hate the repair bills!

  #1  
Old 07-04-2012, 12:14 PM
LinA's Avatar
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Default Love the vehicle..hate the repair bills!

(I hope I'm posting in the correct forum...my apologies if I'm not)

We have always been a GM family but in late August 2009, we got a brand new Ford Escape. My husband and I love the driving experience we get with this vehicle. It's easy for me to park which is saying a lot because I'm a terrible parker and it's very roomy. That's about where our love affair with this vehicle ends. Last year (2011), the tailgate locking mechanism started acting up. We had it into the local dealer three times over a 9 month period and when they finally discovered that the electronic mechanism had shorted out due to moisture in the door, it was out of warranty. My husband fought with Ford because he felt it was a design flaw (how did moisture get in a sealed door?) and got part of the repair bill covered by Ford Canada. At the same time it was in for the door, we had to replace end links. In March of this year our air conditioning worked when I used it during a freak heatwave. Two months later it stopped working. The dealer tells us that it will cost $4,500 to repair it because the whole unit must be replaced. Oh and we have also noticed that the tailgate has now started to rust along the bottom. We're assuming the moisture that caused lock problems is now coming back to haunt us and causing rust.
A friend of ours had similar issues with her 2009 Escape and had to replace end links and fix her a/c to the tune of $4,500. Last week my husband was driving on a four lane highway that was stopped because of heavy traffic. We are having yet another heatwave and he was sitting in the Escape with all the windows down. A gentleman called out to him from two lanes over and asked if our air conditioning had stopped working and how much it was going to cost to fix it. During the conversation that ensued, my husband learned that yet another Ford customer was faced with a $4,500 repair bill for a/c.
It would appear there is a problem with these vehicles and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues?
 
  #2  
Old 07-16-2013, 04:28 PM
Ken Terry's Avatar
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Join Date: Jul 2013
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Unhappy

Originally Posted by LinA
(I hope I'm posting in the correct forum...my apologies if I'm not)

We have always been a GM family but in late August 2009, we got a brand new Ford Escape. My husband and I love the driving experience we get with this vehicle. It's easy for me to park which is saying a lot because I'm a terrible parker and it's very roomy. That's about where our love affair with this vehicle ends. Last year (2011), the tailgate locking mechanism started acting up. We had it into the local dealer three times over a 9 month period and when they finally discovered that the electronic mechanism had shorted out due to moisture in the door, it was out of warranty. My husband fought with Ford because he felt it was a design flaw (how did moisture get in a sealed door?) and got part of the repair bill covered by Ford Canada. At the same time it was in for the door, we had to replace end links. In March of this year our air conditioning worked when I used it during a freak heatwave. Two months later it stopped working. The dealer tells us that it will cost $4,500 to repair it because the whole unit must be replaced. Oh and we have also noticed that the tailgate has now started to rust along the bottom. We're assuming the moisture that caused lock problems is now coming back to haunt us and causing rust.
A friend of ours had similar issues with her 2009 Escape and had to replace end links and fix her a/c to the tune of $4,500. Last week my husband was driving on a four lane highway that was stopped because of heavy traffic. We are having yet another heatwave and he was sitting in the Escape with all the windows down. A gentleman called out to him from two lanes over and asked if our air conditioning had stopped working and how much it was going to cost to fix it. During the conversation that ensued, my husband learned that yet another Ford customer was faced with a $4,500 repair bill for a/c.
It would appear there is a problem with these vehicles and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues?
I've had a very similar experience with my 2012 Escape. As you said, I love the vehicle, but I can't believe that after one summer, the A/C has stopped working. I contacted my dealer who estimated the repair at $1000 and they encouraged me to contact Ford directly as I was over my 60K bumper to bumper waranty. I did so and later received a call from Ford customer service who said that as a 'good will' gesture, they would cover 1/2 the cost of the repair... but then told me that the estimate for the repair was now $2000, so still I would have to pay $1000.
The next day, I contacted the dealer again and asked how the estimate doubled to which they replied to fix it correctly, they really needed to change more parts (meaning they weren't going to fix it correctly the first time???)... Long story short, the final price quote I got from the dealer was $2600...
So lets sum up:
- purchased a brand new 2012 Ford Escape in the fall of 2011.
- because I have a long commute to work and four active children, I drive more than 20K km per year.
- After less than 2 years, at the start of the 2nd summer, the A/C isn't working.
- Ford refuses to admit that the problem (a broken bag of desicant in the accumulator) is their fault and will only pay 1/2 the cost of the repair.
- Estimate for the repair leaps from slightly under $1000 to over $2600 in a few days.
- Ford has one very dissatisfied and very disillusioned customer (or former customer)...

I will certainly take all these factors into consideration when I purchase my next few vehicles and I'll attempt to tell my story and inform all of my friends about the way I've been treated....
 
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