My truck in shop and dealer isn't giving me loaner. Options?

[David1986]

My dealer has New courtesy vehicles they put into service for loaners. They have about 25 or so F-150's, Explorers etc. Most are all XLT trim levels. Dealer get's and extra incentive through Ford once the loaner hits about 3K miles, then they sell it as a demo. Works out Great as they can sell a low mileage F-150 demo pretty quick.

If the loaners are all out my dealer will put me in a demo. As others have stated I request a ride before I schedule any service work.

Good luck with your repair!

 

[isis]

My daughter has a Cadillac (bought new). Separate dealer where she lives. Crap service. No rental vehicle and that thing is in the shop more than any car ought to be. It is sad. But, American manufactures do not get service. If this was BMW, Mercedes or Porsche, she would have a rental for the duration and the problem would be fixed the first time it was brought in. Not the 3rd or 4th time. Sorry to hear about your experience, but having lived in Colorado Springs, there is not much of a choice on dealers, so they probably feel they can get away with it.

On a separate note... My wife just took her X5 in for service yesterday. They literally sent her a video of her car on a lift, describing all the areas they check, etc... Took the mechanic a few extra minutes, but was awesome!! Her X5 got a clean bill of health. This is service. The Germans have it figured out. I wish our manufactures would do the same.

As one poster said previously, the only American made vehicle in my stable is the Raptor. I will not buy anything other than German because...... They just run and everything just works, and when I do take it in for service, I am taken care of.

I took my 15 yr old Cadillac in for a couple of recalls to a dealer that I did not buy it from and they still gave me a brand new ATS turbo to drive for the day while they did everything they needed to. Your dealer just sucks. It’s not an American/Foreign thing.

 

[FordTechOne]

The whole money thing keeps bugging me. There has to be money in it somewhere. Phil Long has gone out of their way to avoid giving me a loaner, pissed me off in the process, and now has corporate involved. Pissing off customers is bad business. Waving red flags in FMC's face seems like it might be bad business. But Phil Long is successful, they've got dealerships all over. The only source of money in this case is from FMC. So somehow, Phil Long is making more money when they deny customers a loaner or when they successfully put them off for a while than they lose in future business. Enough money to be worth it. When I shopped Raptors, I gave their sales guys a shot at the deal and I was willing to be a little flexible to buy local during the shutdown. It didn't work out, but I wasn't annoyed enough with them that I wouldn't give them another shot in the future. At this point, I am that annoyed. So they lost a potential customer. And I will never go there for service again, ever. So how are they coming out ahead overall? What don't I understand about the business? What's their percentage? Are they ******** Ford, too? Why would Ford put up with it?

You're preaching to the choir my friend, glad to hear Ford Corporate took care of you though. If you have to question whether that dealer is ******** Ford as well as their customers, you already have your answer.

Dealership franchise laws are very strict and their lobbyists are powerful. That is good if you're a franchisee as it protects you from the manufacturer imposing unreasonable requirements or costs, but that is a one-off scenario and rarely ever happens. More often it's the dealers exploiting the franchise laws to benefit themselves, while ******** over the manufacturer and consumer. Whether it's falsified warranty claims or floor plan fraud, the bad dealers have every opportunity to rake the OEM over the coals. Same goes for the customers - exorbitant doc fees, ADM, pre-installed aftermarket junk, etc. The best thing we can do as consumers is to stop supporting these businesses and let them sink. Once they either become insolvent or the OEM has enough of a business case to shut them down, they will go through a Buy/Sell, and with any luck a more reputable dealer/dealer group will come in.

 

[Mike O]

This has nothing to do with American vs. foreign brands. It has everything to do with mainstream vs. luxury brands.

All of the things you mentioned are available to Lincoln customers. You can’t compare For with Audi; the Ford brand equivalent is VW.

As for price, it’s irrelevant. If you bought a vehicle with the capabilities of a Raptor from a luxury brand (if one existed), it would easily be double the price of a Raptor. Even a base model Mercedes G Wagon starts at $125k, and that still can’t match Raptor’s capabilities.

As for a loaner, OP’s dealership is not following Ford’s in warranty loaner program. Here are the details of the 2020 in-warranty loaner program for reference:


CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM – IN-WARRANTY LOANER POLICY
Dealers are empowered to provide Ford based on the following:
• Customer’s Ford vehicle must have an open Repair Order for a warrantable repair. All Ford New
Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverages are eligible for this support within the time/mileage
guidelines.
• Customers are eligible for an In-Warranty Loaner if the vehicle meets one of the following
conditions:
◦ Vehicle requires a repair over four (4) hours based on Service Labor Time Standards.
◦ The condition requires extensive diagnosis.
◦ The parts needed for the repairs are not readily available making the vehicle inoperable.
• In-Warranty Loaners may be provided to customers with vehicles within the period of 5 years / 60,000 miles from the Warranty Start Date.
• The Loaner period is from Repair Order Open date through repair completion date (RO Line Close date).
• Vehicle under repair must be a sold unit with a Warranty Start Date.
• Loaner Duration
◦ All Ford Dealers may provide a customer with a Loaner for up to four days without the need for prior approval.

This prove, again, why FordTechOne is the most valuable member on this forum.

 

[FordTechOne]

This prove, again, why FordTechOne is the most valuable member on this forum.

Well, thanks!

 

[Kaz109]

This prove, again, why FordTechOne is the most valuable member on this forum.

Welllllllll it was me that helped him realize he was right when I pointed out about being a ford/Lincoln franchise vs a stand-alone Lincoln franchise..... so I mean really I should be getting all the credit for his post in this thread lol

 

[Mike O]

Man... I love reading your posts! I also truly enjoy @FordTechOne. I am also going to add this, as a professional in Real Estate for many years, and now a new elementary school teacher at 43, I’ve learned that an over the top smile and a positive attitude go a long way.

Good luck with your issue, and go grab them a dozen donuts!

Lags, what part of socal are you in? I have been working at a school district for 23 years and used to teach elementary grades and special ed.

 

[Mike O]

Welllllllll it was me that helped him realize he was right when I pointed out about being a ford/Lincoln franchise vs a stand-alone Lincoln franchise..... so I mean really I should be getting all the credit for his post in this thread lol

Kazman, you are the second most valuable!!

 

[Kaz109]

Kazman, you are the second most valuable!!

@FordTechOne

 

[DINOZR]

When we get my wife's 2005, 165k mile Lexus serviced at the Lexus dealer, they put her in a 2019+ Lexus loaner every time, whether it's for 2 days or 4 hours.