My 2010 manstep hinge broke. The weld on the right side snapped a couple of weeks ago when I opened it. I went to Ford, they said they would replace it. I asked if they could order one without the manstep. After a couple of calls to Ford, they said no, they have to replace gate for gate. I said OK, I was thinking resale value with the manstep. I go to have the new gate install on Friday and the body shop manager says, I got you the one WITHOUT the manstep. I was a little taken back because of the above stated issue. I reluctantly agreed to have the new gate installed. After the install I looked at the new gate and there was NO bed cover on it. The manstep had one and my truck has a bed liner. The body shop manager says, "Oh, thats the way it comes". I said "No, I need the tailgate liner as it was". He told me to give him a few days. So I get in my truck, put it in reverse, yup, you guessed it, the reverse camera does NOT work. Go in to the shop with one issue, they fix the hinge and screw up two others. The manstep is a $375 option on the 2010 truck. So, my question is how are they going to replace that value?
I have today to think about this, all ideas will be appreciated. I was thinking that a remote starter installed would be a start.

 

You asked him to get you a tailgate without it and he did that. Can't fault the guy for trying to do you a favor.

As for the bed liner, the plastic liner is included with the step gate because it would be more expensive to make a piece of steel to fit where that handle goes in the slot at the end of the gate. Instead they just include a plastic liner that is easy to form around the handle. If you were to remove the liner and handle there would be a hole going all the way across your tailgate. The non step gates have a steel access panel that covers that hole and as such do not come with the bed liner preinstalled from the factory. That is an option that costs extra.

I will say that he should've made sure the reverse camera worked. They had to notice the wiring when they were installing the new tailgate. If it didn't you just had to tell them and any respectable shop would fix the problem.

They guy was trying to be nice and get you want you wanted when it wasn't what you had in the first place. When he did that you come back and tell him you changed your mind without telling him and now it's his fault?

 

I did ask for the regular tailgate, when he said he culd not do it, I agreed to get the tailgate with the manstep. He called me and said the manstep tailgate was the one I was going to get. When I dropped off my tailgate at 3:00 PM Thursday, he told me then that the regular tailgate was the one I would get. By the way, if the tailcover was installed and the camera worked than this thread would never have been started. I did go and have a bed cover installed with a hard tonneau when I bought the truck in December 2010. The tailgate cover was included with the bed cover but the manstep gate has a plastic cover on it anyway, so the tailcover from the bed cover was not used and could not be used. So, as I stated, the body shop manager never called and said, I got you the regular tailgate, I did not know this until Thursday. On Friday, they installed the gate and when I opened the gate, no cover on it and went I started the truck and put it into reverse, NO CAMERA. Its not the guy was a good chit getting the regular gate, its fix the *#%^ thing the right way and make the consumer happy, right now I'm pissed.

 

bummer man, I rely pretty heavily on my camera for backing into spots and I would hate to be without it...and I use the man step every single time I need to get in the bed...Good luck with getting everything worked out

 

It simple. You asked for the plain gate. He said he couldnt do it. You said okay... Thst was an agreement for the original style mangate. When he found out he could get it plain, probably realizing he could save the dealer money, he should have called you and asked what you wanted to do. Poor communication.

As for the plastic liner, the plain gate doesnt have it. Your out this option. The gate does however get the rail, or edge guard. The dealer is jacking you around.

The camera should have been pulled from your old gate and that's a simple fix.

Sounds like you are at best, stuck with a plain gate, the dealer should install the camera, and install the edge guard. As for manstep value, you no longer have it, and won't get it on future resale or trade.

Why would you give up the step if you had it to begin with? You paid for it. I doubt it was an inconvenience having it on you tailgate. Did you think they would give you the plain gate and a check for $375?

 

When was it that you was thinking of resale?



Tailgate cover? Do you mean the near flat part of a bed liner that goes inside the bed except it's mounted to the tailgate? What did you do with the one you said you couldn't use with the "manstep"? Was it also for a "manstep"?

You are complaining because they found they could make you happy getting a "manstep delete optioned" tailgate after all? It reads like they had every reason to believe they were doing you a favor. You knew when you asked for a "manstep delete optioned" tailgate that your cover wouldn't fit .... didn't you?

Not ******* on you, but the mistake was made when you suggested that you'ld be happy with a plain version tailgate with the "manstep delete option" before thinking it out. When Ford replaces a defective part, it's just that part that FOMOCO replaces, not everything associated with it.

Worst comes to worst, you can get just a tailgate liner. As for "value" added or lost by the new "manstep delete option install" .... that cuts both ways. Some like it, some don't. Surely you see the value in this option as you once wished for it yourself.

I understand the beef with the camera ..... did the camera not fit in the regular tailgate? Is it there and just not hooked up? Or did they leave it out altogether? Where is the camera and harness now?

If it were me, I'ld be happy to get the camera going. They've painted a tailgate now, I don't see them undoing that.

 

Flareside,

That sounds like a real bust, sorry it happened. Hopefully the dealership will be honorable, and be willing to get you what you really needed/wanted in the first place.

08stx,

I've been in his shoes, where someone tries to "do you a favor" and completely screws up more than they fix. In any case, a "fix" that causes thing to stop working properly is no fix at all.

 

To clarify.

The dealer said that they could NOT do the swap.

The dealer said I will call you when the tailgate comes in.

I went to the dealer after 2 1/2 weeks to see what the problem was. He told me the gate came in, he painted it, it was the regular tailgate, after we agreed that he could NOT do the swap. I was under the assumption that I was indeed getting the manstep tailgate as the warranty replacement. The problem is, I was under the assumption I was getting the manstep back, when I show up to inquire about the tailgate, I am told I got you the regular one. NO COMMUNICATION whatsoever from the day he told me about the "problem of not being able to do the swap" and the day I went to inquire about it.

The camera is installed in the Ford emblem ( it is the original ) but it does not work! Connections are made, but NO function.

We both agreed that I was getting the manstep tailgate under warranty. Although that was what I wanted in the begining, his manager said we have to swap gate for gate.

When I bought my truck, the manstep had the plastic cover on the tailgate, there was no need for it or any inkling that I would ever need it, so it was disguarded.

When the issue was bought up about tailgate for tailgate and it could NOT be done, that is when I thought that it would be better to have it than not., and the original paperwork endoreses that. That is when I thought of resale value, not after the fact.

This all came into factor because the tailgate hinge on the right side of the manstep snapped because of a bad weld, google manstep hinge, and you will see other people have this problem also.

Also, have no paperwork on this at all. Do you think this was them giving my manstep gate to someone else? I do.

 

This is really a tough situation. I can see both sides of the story here.

At a minimum, the reverse camera functionality has got to be restored by the dealer, no question.

Regarding the tail gate change, well, I can only say that had you never asked for "downgrading" in the first place, you wouldn't be in this situation. I'm not sure how much emphasis you may have placed on pursuing the change, but if the dealer came away that you eagerly desired the different tailgate, that could have been the deciding factor when the opportunity presented itself to them to get the different tailgate. I just hope that you never actually also expected a check back on the difference in price in the components (no dealer that I am aware of would ever agree to do that).

As Smokewagun mentioned, the "step" tailgates come with the plastic liner from the factory as an integral component to both cover the access openings in this version of the tailgate as well as to provide a relief to stow the stripper pole. The "non-step" tailgate comes with no plastic liner and has a full width metal cover instead (although a plastic liner is available as part of the "drop-in" liner accessory). You should have performed proper research beforehand to understand the ramifications of your decisions and what you will and will not receive when requesting deviation from how your truck was built from the factory. Assumptions are the bane of disputes.

Yes, there apparently has been miscommunication. But that's a fact of life as wars have begun from miscommunications. Once that "bug" was laid in the ear of the dealer by you, they apparently went with that suggestion...

At a minimum, attempt to retrieve the entire discarded tailgate. Perhaps you can have the broken hinge properly welded and reinforced, then either swap that back onto your truck, or sell it for a handsome reward.

 

I hope you can get your old gate back. What a mess.

 

That's exactly wot I thunk when you started this thread.......

No paperwork whatsoevah, seals it for me.

A man step is worth $2,000 retail.

(Trying to add a man-step after the truck not having one.)

Wouldn't even think about parting with mine. Or my bed-steps.

Don't understand why your camera doesn't work unless it was swapped out, too.

 

The dealer would never hand over parts replaced under warranty. Never. If you force the issue, and threaten to call fard if need be, they will give you a new gate with the old man assist, but it would pretty much burn that bridge with them. Next time you needed a little help on a warranty issue, you may be facing an uphill battle. That said, warranty returns don't happen that fast. They will still have it, unless there is some fishy business going on behind the scenes.

Downgrading without a fair trade off wasn't a good idea. I would at the least discuss it further with the service manager.

 

Seriously, does anyone think that a defective part that is a "higher end" (read more expensive) component than baseline would result in some sort of "trade" or other "upgrade" of a different item if the customer asked to "down grade" that defective component?

Really?

I mean, it's not the dealer that's "paying" for this; it's Ford corporate. And you think Ford corporate is going to provide some sort of "offset" trade value or package as an exchange for selecting a lower cost component on a warranty repair, especially if that additional component requires dealer installation?

I truly don't think there wasn't any real thought or negotiations on this at all, and it was all based on "assumptions" on the OP's part.

This will certainly be an uphill battle to fight.

 

I didn't think for a second that the dealer would have offered additional accessories. Having the gate replaced with original parts, and offering it as a trade plus cash is an option on craigslist, or other online sites.

 

As stated earlier, the deal for the downgraded tailgate was over on August 24th when the dealer said he could not do the swap, we both agreed the manstep would be replaced with the manstep. I did NOT know of the regular tailgate until I showed up at the dealer, without prior conversation from the dealer, to inquire about the issue. It was on September 9 that I found that I was going to get the regular tailgate, By the way, when I did show up, it was already painted the Red Candy color. I relunctantly accepted the tailgate but I did have a conversation about why the switch was made. If the cover was on the tailgate and my camera worked, this thread would not have been made. Its about fair buisness practice and communication. Oh, and about the $375, I will go to Ford about the compensation if my request for a new manstep tailgate are not met. More on this today after a visit to the dealship.