Ford / Firestone Recall -- questionable dealers?
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From: Atlanta, GA USA
Ford / Firestone Recall -- questionable dealers?
My dad has a 2000 Expy that came with 4 Wilderness AT tires. He had all four replaced May 14, 2001 because the front two tires had significant signs of tread separation, and one of the rear two had gone flat.
I went to J.C. Lewis Ford in Savannah, GA today to inquire about getting a refund, and this is what they told me.
1. You must turn in the old tires, or Ford will not authorize a refund or replacement.
2. The dealership made a management decision not to handle refunds, and would only handle replacements until July.
I was extremely skeptical. (1) didn't make any sense. Unless you changed the tires after Ford announced a total recall, no one in his right mind would keep the old tires. Remember, at that point, Ford said only a certain percentage of Wilderness AT tires would be recalled, in conjunction with Firestone. If after being told you're ***** out of luck, why would you want to keep the crapped out old tires? And (2) sounded fishy too. J.C. Lewis is a Blue Oval dealer, and one of two authorized recall dealers in Savannah. Can J.C. Lewis unilaterally decide not to honor a portion of Ford's recall promise?
I called the recall hotline, and answers were:
(1) is a BLATANT misinformation. I hesitate to call it a lie, just because I'm usually a bit more temperate than that. Although, tire purchases made after May 22, 2001 are handled differently, no such requirement exists for tire purchases made before that date. I certainly would hate to be a Ford customer who got turned away by this misinformation. I can guess at the motivations playing here, but would rather not name'em at this stage. This inquiry of course is not over...
(2) had no clear answer. Operator confirmed that J.C. Lewis is one of two authorized recall dealers in Savannah, but did not say whether J.C. Lewis could refuse to honor the recall. It sounds suspicious to me. You either are a part of the program, or not. I intend to research this further as well.
My sister-in-law is a HR supervising manager at Ford's world HQ, so she's the first one I'm going to ask. If she does not know, I'm sure she can ask someone who know at the HQ.
Hopefully, this is just a miscommunication between Ford and the dealers compounded by misinformed staff. Perhaps not. My gut feeling is that this was a calculated business decision. Getting information from Terry Lanier -- assistant service manager -- was like pulling teeth. He hardly volunteered any information, and when I asked him where he learned that all refunds and replacements must have old tires, he was evasive and vague. I asked to see the requirement in writing, but he demurred again, only saying that the service manager who is in charge of the recall isn't in at that time. And it was only after I asked to see the old tire turn in requirement in writing, Terry Lanier returned to say that no, J.C. Lewis was not handling refunds at all until July, and I'd have to go elsewhere.
I have a professional interest in detecting and busting bull*****. And this sure smelled like it. I'll keep y'all updated. Does anyone ever had a similar experience, with other dealerships or with J.C. Lewis in specific?
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Early 90's Ford Probe -- mods: stereo stolen to reduce total weight. Speed gain negligible, unfortunately.
Late 80's Honda Spree scooter -- mods: plastic milk crate tied to the back to carry one and a half bags of grocery. Custom-made cafeteria tray-like hard plastic tonneau cover to keep the grocery bags dry in rain.
'89 Honda CBR600F1 -- mods: Newtonian Physics mod, courtesy of 30 mph collision with a VW Rabbit. Suitably chagrined.
'92 Toyota 4Runner -- mods: Rugged Exterior Package, of mud and occasional dings and dents. Free of charge.
'95 Mustang GT Conv. -- mods: hey, no joking around this one. This was my baby.
'99 Lexus RX300 -- mods: Good looking girlfriend mod. Costs continues to add up. Honk and throw money.
'01 F150 Harley. mods: Beautiful gf mod climbed off Lexus and climbed on F150. Darn! (j/k, honey
) Dealer mod: an ugly dealer plate holder in front. Gotta... get it... OFF!
[This message has been edited by chaean (edited 06-02-2001).]
I went to J.C. Lewis Ford in Savannah, GA today to inquire about getting a refund, and this is what they told me.
1. You must turn in the old tires, or Ford will not authorize a refund or replacement.
2. The dealership made a management decision not to handle refunds, and would only handle replacements until July.
I was extremely skeptical. (1) didn't make any sense. Unless you changed the tires after Ford announced a total recall, no one in his right mind would keep the old tires. Remember, at that point, Ford said only a certain percentage of Wilderness AT tires would be recalled, in conjunction with Firestone. If after being told you're ***** out of luck, why would you want to keep the crapped out old tires? And (2) sounded fishy too. J.C. Lewis is a Blue Oval dealer, and one of two authorized recall dealers in Savannah. Can J.C. Lewis unilaterally decide not to honor a portion of Ford's recall promise?
I called the recall hotline, and answers were:
(1) is a BLATANT misinformation. I hesitate to call it a lie, just because I'm usually a bit more temperate than that. Although, tire purchases made after May 22, 2001 are handled differently, no such requirement exists for tire purchases made before that date. I certainly would hate to be a Ford customer who got turned away by this misinformation. I can guess at the motivations playing here, but would rather not name'em at this stage. This inquiry of course is not over...
(2) had no clear answer. Operator confirmed that J.C. Lewis is one of two authorized recall dealers in Savannah, but did not say whether J.C. Lewis could refuse to honor the recall. It sounds suspicious to me. You either are a part of the program, or not. I intend to research this further as well.
My sister-in-law is a HR supervising manager at Ford's world HQ, so she's the first one I'm going to ask. If she does not know, I'm sure she can ask someone who know at the HQ.
Hopefully, this is just a miscommunication between Ford and the dealers compounded by misinformed staff. Perhaps not. My gut feeling is that this was a calculated business decision. Getting information from Terry Lanier -- assistant service manager -- was like pulling teeth. He hardly volunteered any information, and when I asked him where he learned that all refunds and replacements must have old tires, he was evasive and vague. I asked to see the requirement in writing, but he demurred again, only saying that the service manager who is in charge of the recall isn't in at that time. And it was only after I asked to see the old tire turn in requirement in writing, Terry Lanier returned to say that no, J.C. Lewis was not handling refunds at all until July, and I'd have to go elsewhere.
I have a professional interest in detecting and busting bull*****. And this sure smelled like it. I'll keep y'all updated. Does anyone ever had a similar experience, with other dealerships or with J.C. Lewis in specific?
------------------
Early 90's Ford Probe -- mods: stereo stolen to reduce total weight. Speed gain negligible, unfortunately.
Late 80's Honda Spree scooter -- mods: plastic milk crate tied to the back to carry one and a half bags of grocery. Custom-made cafeteria tray-like hard plastic tonneau cover to keep the grocery bags dry in rain.
'89 Honda CBR600F1 -- mods: Newtonian Physics mod, courtesy of 30 mph collision with a VW Rabbit. Suitably chagrined.
'92 Toyota 4Runner -- mods: Rugged Exterior Package, of mud and occasional dings and dents. Free of charge.
'95 Mustang GT Conv. -- mods: hey, no joking around this one. This was my baby.
'99 Lexus RX300 -- mods: Good looking girlfriend mod. Costs continues to add up. Honk and throw money.
'01 F150 Harley. mods: Beautiful gf mod climbed off Lexus and climbed on F150. Darn! (j/k, honey
) Dealer mod: an ugly dealer plate holder in front. Gotta... get it... OFF![This message has been edited by chaean (edited 06-02-2001).]