Front bumper valance (plastic part under the front bumper) warped at about 1500 miles, so i took in in and they ordered one, replaced it and washed the truck for me. When i picked up the truck it was dark out, but looked clean.
Truck is black by the way.

Next day it was sunny and the truck look terrible! looks like they washed it with a bag of rocks. Every panel on the truck is swirled, scratches thru the paint, and light grey scratches that are probably half way thru the paint.

They said "well we will have it buffed out" so they took it to the local detail shop and they took most of the swirls out but it still looks like its 10 years old and poorly taken care of.

They now say "we will wet sand and buff the scratched out" but i know as well as anyone with a little body experience that the paint on these trucks are thin so they will burn thru it and for the future.... it can never be buffed again because of it being so thin. and how does that fix scratches?
Plus it will still never look right.. i can see it being a spotted nightmare!

In conclusion this is a brand new truck and they need to either paint the entire thing or replace it (and you know they will never do that)
The value of the truck is diminished greatly and it will never look right again.
In my opinion they VANDALIZED my truck.
How is what they did any different than if i just keyed one of there cars (wich if they dont fix it im going to do to the owners car and the punk that washed it) Other than i would go to jail?

What do you guys think i could do. and before you suggest calling Ford headquarters... i already tried that and they told me there is nothing they can or will do.

Thanks!

 

This is why I never let the dealership detail my truck. Every time they offer me a free detail or something I laugh. Those guys (for the most part) could care less how well it turns out. It is all about volume for them.

What can you do? Honestly, depending on just how bad it is, you will need to have a professional detail shop check it out. If it isn't past the clear coat, you might still have a shot at fixing everything. Some of the detail nuts on here can surely help if you want to tackle it yourself. If Ford won't help, you could possibly file an insurance claim depending on what it will cost and what your deductible is. Otherwise, I guess it is going to have to come out of your own pocket. Horrible situation. Sorry man.

Also, contact Ashley (Ford rep) on here. She may be able to help.

 

Ya i cant afford it, the reason i got a new truck is because they wouldnt fix mechanical issues with my 2012 (that was under warranty)and i couldnt afford to fix them.
So i got a cheaper new truck.
I am a detail Nut and thats a hug reason it hurts me so much.

Why i bought another ford i will never know, and why i purchased it from the same dealer... well..... lol

Thanks tho

 

Witnesses that can attest to the condition before and after trip to the Stealership? If so, then small claims court. I suggest you notify Ford beforehand but don't expect any help from them so go ahead and immediately start court action. It's the only way that you'll ever get any justice. Anything else will just wear you down. That's how large companies get past things like this. That just do nothing and drag it until the plaintif eventually gives up in frustration.

Oh and right now, take truck to several reputable paint and body shops and get estimates and their opinion of what happened and repairablity in writing. Go to the GOOD EXPENSIVE shops and don't worry about the costs, with any luck you won't be paying for it. It wouldn't hurt to take a good witness with you in case, later, they "forget" and want to change their story. In fact, take a witness with you when you go to stealership to discuss this! That's very important! Also make stealership put EVERYTHING in writing. What has been or will be discussed verbally simply does not exist!

BTW don't let this become a warranty issue since as a buyer you've already agreed to binding arbitration by a person of their choice. Pursue this exactly as you would any other case of vandalism.

My 2 cents worth.

PS The paint on a repainted truck will never hold up the way that an original paint will AND a repainted truck is worth less, so IMO you're due some damages even if they do repaint the entire truck!

 

The key to this issue is they accepted the fact that they scratched it by offering to have it buffed. Had they denied the scratch occurred on their premises entirely you'd have a more difficult problem on your hands.

I'd get the general manager involved and politely review the matter. I'd thank them for trying to resolve it with buffing as that seemed to be a reasonable course of action. But, as you can see that didn't work and caused a bigger problem. Explain you love the truck, take pride in its appearance, it's new, you're a happy customer until this and you need some help to get this issue to the point everyone goes home happy.

I can't see your truck from where I'm sitting, so I can't prescribe if a shot of clear coat would do it or what this will take to resolve. When I lived in a big city, I knew some high end paint shop guys and would pay them a visit to ask for steps & a quote to fix it. If you live in a town my size this is more difficult and I'd have to drive several hundred miles. But I have no traffic, so it's a fair trade to have to do this occasionally.

I'd have that estimate when I talked to the general manager as part of the help that everyone goes home happy discussion. I would not rush to small claims court - just be unemotional, fact based, and to the point on getting it resolved in a win/win way ought to work.

 

I hope you can take this as the friendly advice it's intended as.

First thing you need to do is calm down (based on the bit you posted, quoted below). Until then it will likely only get worse, not better. I know, easy for me to say, and I'd probably find it hard to do in your place, but I could.

Presuming this isn't rhetorical and/or hyperbole, the big difference is intent, and that would by why you'd go to jail and they won't. I'd advise you genuinely apologize and clarify by follow up post here that what you said there was frustration speaking and you would never actually follow through on the threatened vandalism. Unless you really do want to go to jail. In your place I'd also hope nobody else keys their vehicles in the near future as you've made yourself an admitted premeditated prime suspect.

I hope it works out but as j2014_F150 also suggested you will almost certainly get better results approaching this politely, calmly and reasonably. The dealership has already got the high moral ground here by admitting responsibility, and attempting to correct it, once already done and another offered. You need to rise to that level.

I also think you're going to have to lower your expectations on getting it back "like new". You agree that's not going to happen. If you can't accept that maybe talk trading it in on a new truck for the best value ignoring the loss for the reduced paint quality. That seems like the only way you're going to come out of this with something "good as new" and they might actually go for it.

 

DigbyHD,

I responded to your PM about this.

Ashley

 

Really? thanks for your opinion but im already in the hole with this truck because of the problems with the last.
They are not willing to fix it at this point, like i stated they want to fix it CHEAP by trying to buff it and wet sand it.

The truck was new before they VANDALIZED it and that how it should be now.
If it was wrecked they would have to do their best to get it LIKE NEW(?)
and i would never key anyones vehicle... just blowing off steam.

Again thanks for your opinion tho.

 

Thanks guys, i will go in calmly and sit down with the managers and talk this over.
They are a shotty (to say the least) the only reason i go there is because they give deals.

They dont even have certified techs working on vehicles, just 18 year old kids out of highschool and one older guy??

I will keep it strait and collective with them and see where that gets me.
I know its not the managers fault but unfortunately its his problem now.
I just want my new truck back.
Thanks again

 

Hang in there & we'll hope for the best.

My wife is not very good at driving after decades of experience. She backed out of the garage with the passenger door open last year in our new 2011 Brand X SUV. This destroyed the passenger door.

A few months prior to that, she decided to attempt to push around a 12" steel post filled with concrete buried 4' deep in a parking lot. After munching the front end thoroughly, she decided she was unlikely to win and mercifully stopped. To explain, the concrete post was the only thing between her and sticking the credit card in the car wash money machine, so you can see where she was coming from.

The color of the rig is silver, which isn't a particularly easy color to match. Today, I have a keen eye and I can't tell. She also gets a Christmas card from the body shop guys which looks nice on the mantle, so everyone is a winner here.

And I've got her quarantined from the F150 until it hits 200,000 miles. I just want to keep the new truck smell as long as I can. I'm sure a good paint shop can make this right.

 

IF I ever take my vehicles in to the dealer, they get a nice wash by me first, then they are specifically told not to wash it. The closest Ford dealer to me has this "car butler" service, which they say is just as good as it being professionally buffed, which is also a scam because they try to charge you for the service when you buy for several hundred dollars, but they do it for free anyways. So me knowing a decent about about detailing, I don't let my vehicles anywhere near that thing.

 

LOL that story made my day Sir. Im glad you guys got a good body shop that fixed it right because thats hard to find.
The local Ford here has a body shop that is literally falling down.
They had to close off part of the building.
And the guys working there are not in great health.
This is also not the first time this has happened, the new body shop manager told me he heard stories of them painting a wrecked vehicle, having it washed than they had to repaint it? Why not fire everyone in the wash bay?

But thanks for the story and im happy you get an xmas card from them lol. All i ever get is a bill.

 

When i traded in my 01 F150 Ext cab it was really clean, hardly any swirls nice shiney paint, I got my 03 KR and had to go back up there a couple days later to get my free oil change, i saw my 01 sitting in the shop and it looked horrible, Dull Paint and swirls galore. I couldnt believe it!

Since then i will never get my truck washed at the dealership.

on the otherhand My dad has a Mercedes and just started recently taking it to the dealership in fort worth, those guys wash it after any kind of service and it looks perfect.. They take their time and clean it properly.

Just depends on the type of dealership.

 

I know this has nothing to do with your paint problem but....You said your 2012 had "mechanical issues" and you had to trade it in, would warranty not fix the issues?

 

I believe he said they tried and could not fix the issues. I would have filed a lemon law claim on the 12 before I just traded it and took the huge financial hit.

To the OP, I agree with others, go in there being polite and discuss the issue and how to resolve it. get everything in writing, and do not get irate. Stay calm, remember you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. If all else fails, then pursue legal action.