Modify your car: no warranty!!!

martyal44 · 09-07-2013, 10:24 PM

I've had Ford Cust. Service advise me today that because I modified my original seat trim to fit properly, and that I glued the 2nd replacement part after they had refused my warranty claim and many weeks later, that I have no recourse, no claim at all and 'I'd better read my manual carefully.'
So good luck to all of you with anything similar.
(this is on my 2010 FG G6E, in the FG Falcon section is more info and explanation)
I shaved down a cm on the 1st bit and glued a piece the size of 10c coin on the 2nd.

2011G6E · 09-07-2013, 10:45 PM

Surprised this is surprising to people. I think a lot of dealerships let things slide a lot of the time, but basically, if you mod a vehicle in any way, the warranty is gone. Keep a good relationship with your local stealer, and you might get away with things...but if they are feeling narky, they'll pick every little thing.

I personally know a guy who bought a new WRX about seven or eight years ago, then straight away got lowered suspension fitted, a bigger turbo, different intercooler, chip, and entire exhaust system fitted. He then had an problem, and was surprised when Subaru virtually laughed him out of the service department when he tried to make a claim on his warranty. He was honestly shocked.

Little stuff like you have mentioned? I wouldn't think it was worth worrying about...but they could just be in a bad mood. Try a different dealer.

Cuyper · 09-07-2013, 10:49 PM

Unfortunately you need to understand unless you break a diff reversing out of your driveway you will never get a cent out of Ford Australia's "warranty". Even then they would try and find a way to get out of it. You can buy a great car but you need to do so understanding the warranty part won't exist. I'm sure we've all been there and done that and can see they just front have the money to honour warranty anymore.

XR Martin · 09-07-2013, 11:47 PM

uniacidz · 09-07-2013, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuyper

Unfortunately you need to understand unless you break a diff reversing out of your driveway you will never get a cent out of Ford Australia's "warranty". Even then they would try and find a way to get out of it. You can buy a great car but you need to do so understanding the warranty part won't exist. I'm sure we've all been there and done that and can see they just front have the money to honour warranty anymore.

Um, best to say you werent driving it at all, car wasnt even on and the diff broke

STINKY NINJA · 09-07-2013, 11:55 PM

Im surprised that your surprised! Seriously dude

Lucky its only a poxy seat trim that broke,my bloody 2012 turbo ute has had 2 diffs replaced,roof lining,centre console,dash trim pieces and is in for a gearbox rebuild(manual) already and its only done 14000km,talk about a lemon,i wish it was just a piece of plastic on the seat!

FGII-XR6 · 10-07-2013, 12:09 AM

Whingefest MkII : we all put up with your last whinge and you ignored sound advice by me ( to contact the dealer principal) instead preferring to go down the poor me route and cry how bad ford and their dealers are. you modified and glued the item making any claim impossible and identifying manufacturing defect impossible also.
build a bridge

**PG2** · 10-07-2013, 12:33 AM

Didn't I read about this somewhere else where the thread was locked?

**Dave R** · 10-07-2013, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuyper

Unfortunately you need to understand unless you break a diff reversing out of your driveway you will never get a cent out of Ford Australia's "warranty". Even then they would try and find a way to get out of it. You can buy a great car but you need to do so understanding the warranty part won't exist. I'm sure we've all been there and done that and can see they just front have the money to honour warranty anymore.

I don't understand posts like this, from what I've read you personally own a Fiesta, I'm keen to hear what sort of issues you've had with Ford's warranty and whether it was Ford itself that denied the warranty or just a shonky dealership. Across a Territory and 3 FG Falcons I've never had a warranty claim knocked back and I have made a lot of claims through a lot of dealerships. I have experienced one dealer (Peter Warren Ford Warwick Farm) trying to profit off denying a warranty item but that's only an example of a bad dealership, not Ford themselves knocking it back as I had the issue sorted at a different dealer under warranty shortly afterwards. Many people unfortunately have bad experiences with incompetent dealerships and end up blaming Ford themselves for their troubles when in fact it's nothing to do with Ford.

As far as this interior trim goes- storm in a teacup. You fitted the trim yourself, it wasn't broken when you fitted it and the trim failure itself is not a common fault yet you had two break in close succession, so I don't blame the dealership for being hesitant about replacing it.

Regarding "modify your car: no warranty!!!" - yes, that's right, read your warranty booklet next time.

randel · 10-07-2013, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Im surprised that your surprised! Seriously dude

Lucky its only a poxy seat trim that broke,my bloody 2012 turbo ute has had 2 diffs replaced,roof lining,centre console,dash trim pieces and is in for a gearbox rebuild(manual) already and its only done 14000km,talk about a lemon,i wish it was just a piece of plastic on the seat!

and none of these done under warranty???

Smoke Pursuit · 10-07-2013, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyal44

I've had Ford Cust. Service advise me today that because I modified my original seat trim to fit properly, and that I glued the 2nd replacement part after they had refused my warranty claim and many weeks later, that I have no recourse, no claim at all and 'I'd better read my manual carefully.'
So good luck to all of you with anything similar.
(this is on my 2010 FG G6E, in the FG Falcon section is more info and explanation)
I shaved down a cm on the 1st bit and glued a piece the size of 10c coin on the 2nd.

Easier just to leave them broken....

I had the same problem with my FG XR6 and was told I must be too heavy... Gave up!

Spurious · 10-07-2013, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Im surprised that your surprised! Seriously dude

Lucky its only a poxy seat trim that broke,my bloody 2012 turbo ute has had 2 diffs replaced,roof lining,centre console,dash trim pieces and is in for a gearbox rebuild(manual) already and its only done 14000km,talk about a lemon,i wish it was just a piece of plastic on the seat!

Sounds like you've been giving it a hard time. Interior damage wouldn't be caused by a passenger hangin' on for dear life would it?

RAPID_BA · 10-07-2013, 01:01 AM

Years back I had a vw gti and modded it, apr tune with 22psi, front mount intercooler, lowered and bigger wheels.

Drove it in and asked dealer to check and tighten my turbo bolts, he admired the car and did the turbo bolts on the house.

In saying that, I didn't expect it. Some of us mod our cars to 400+rwkw and then expect ford to pitch in for the destroyed gearbox or diff. Ridiculous isn't it

mik · 10-07-2013, 02:37 AM

One thing the matter with these type of posts, the dealer is always the bad guy and not around to defend itself, having worked in a ford dealer service department for a few years, i never saw a reasonable or legit request for warranty turned down, in fact i'd say they were on occasion overly generous and on some items and i'd be stuffed if i would have paid out had i been the head honcho ,
of course this varies and no doubt there is the odd bad egg dealer and............. you will always hear about that nasty old dealer, even from your mothers brothers sisters cousins goat herding son , but on the other hand you will never ever hear the customer admit to being a right royal pain and partially at fault.......which is sometimes the case.
not saying that is the case here.....but it happens.

**Dave R** · 10-07-2013, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

One thing the matter with these type of posts, the dealer is always the bad guy and not around to defend itself, having worked in a ford dealer service department for a few years, i never saw a reasonable or legit request for warranty turned down, in fact i'd say they were on occasion overly generous and on some items and i'd be stuffed if i would have paid out had i been the head honcho

Exactly and I've had that experience as a customer. Ford has surprised me at times with how generous (or perhaps careless) they can be when approving warranty jobs. I had an XR6 in for a service last year, there was a rattle in the exhaust which I didn't mention as it has an aftermarket intake, headers and cat back, the rattle could have been coming from anywhere and the exhaust warranty was void anyway. That didn't stop them from noticing the rattle during the service and replacing the cat (which retails at over a grand). The same car also scored a new gearbox despite being modified for more power. It's also had half the bushes in the front end replaced despite the fact that they perished because the car is lowered. That's just the XR6, I could write a book about all the warranty items my XR6T has had that it didn't deserve. People who claim the Ford warranty is useless are simply going to the wrong dealers and the same could be said for this thread- as much as I think the dealer was technically in the green to deny the claim on the trim, they should have just replaced it out of good will, now they've probably lost his business forever.

vanman_75 · 10-07-2013, 07:19 AM

Nissan , Toyota , ford , I have never been knocked back warranty ...rubbed through trim , dodgy dash , broken lights , ill fitting panels , squeaks rattles all fixed ...one would have to wonder how you have approached them ...or maybe I'm just a cool guy that they don't wanna pee off

Trump · 10-07-2013, 08:20 AM

Harden up!!! You were knocked back on warranty on a part YOU MODIFIED. If $60 is a problem for you, sell the car now as you may faint repeatedly if the auto needs attention.

martyal44 · 10-07-2013, 08:50 AM

I did see the DP, got some good advice and it was all civilised, but then emailed Ford CRC that I still disagreed with their decision. I got a phone call from Ford CRC (same guy every time!) yesterday who used the 'modify'
word so I put up this latest post.
Please understand that I bought the new bit as in replacement part from Ford, it got loose,
I took it off to see a tear from the front, I took it to ELN Ford who got in a warranty replacement only to have it knocked back by the service manager.
Only now have I heard that overtightening the front bolt can be an issue and that getting in and out of the car is relevant. How would I have known that?
I'm only putting this up as a warning to others that if you fit a Genuine Ford part yourself
or 'modify' it in any way after the warranty is knocked back several times (only to get it to work/fit) that they have you over their barrel and as I said 'Good luck with any warranty claims from Ford'!!

flappist · 10-07-2013, 09:17 AM

This is the second time you have started a thread complaining that Ford will not replace an item you modified.

If it is faulty take it in to be fixed, that is how warranty works.
Try to do some dodgy "Tim the Toolman" fix and then want your mess cleaned up for free will always end the same way.

Closed