Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue

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Fri 17 Jan 2014 12:27
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - Ninja2111

Hi all, I'm in need of some advice before ringing Ford Direct and the Dealer.

My son bought a 2 1/2 year old Ford Fiesta 1.25 petrol with 25000 miles from a local dealer around July 2013, it came with Fords Direct approved used car warranty - "two-year comprehensive unlimited mileage warranty included in the price".

In Oct 2013 he broke down due to having no drive (clutch wouldn't engage gears), he had the AA tow him to a Ford dealer who after 2 days told him there is nothing wrong and handed him back the car.

2 days ago he broke down again this time he had it towed to the Ford dealer where he bought it from. He went back the next morning to arrange a courtesy car and was told they had already looked at the car and the problem was the clutch friction plate and have quoted him around £700. Ford have subsiquently refused the warranty claim as the friction plate is classed as wear and tear.

The problem is, in order to diagnose the problem they have removed the bell housing and are now refusing to give him the car back unless he pays for the full repairs with them or pays around £400 to put everything back together so he can take it elsewhere. He is adamant he never gave them authority to carry out any work.

Whilst I understand the bell housing would need to be removed to properly diagnose the fault, the dealer would know that it would cost a substantial amount to do so AND if it was the friction plate as they suspected they would also know it wouldn't be covered by the warrant they sold!

The dealer is stating that any diagnosis work is normally covered by the warranty but as the clutch is not covered then neither is the very costly diagnosis. Why didn't they tell him A) if it was the clutch the warranty they sold him wouldn't cover him and B) why take it apart then hold the car ransom.

I've had a quote from a trusted local independant garage for £370 for the same work - but 'son' took it to the dealer as he knew all work had to be carried out by an authorised dealer otherwiae he would void the warranty.

Any advice would be appreciated.

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Fri 17 Jan 2014 13:12
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - skidpan

It is often impossible to diagnose a fault until the car has been dismantled enough to access the part, that costs money. Your sons car was taken to the garage with a problem so what would be the point of telling them to not carry out an work, the car would simply have sat there.

A clutch fault is always contentious,no manufacturer covers a clutch against wear and tear even on a new car. Some drivers can destroy a clutch in no time because of their habits, why should they ghet a new clutch, they should learn to drive properly. But if on inspection the problem is deemed to be have resulted form a manufacturing defect you will be covered.

The ball is in yoursons court now. Either he pays the garage £700 to fix it or £400 for the work they have done so far and then another garage £370 to finish it off. Looks like an easy decision to me.

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Fri 17 Jan 2014 13:47
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - Galaxy

I don't believe you've really got very much choice, I'm afraid. You are caught between a rock and a hard place: If you tell the Ford Dealer to just put the car back together it will cost you £400 plus the cost of getting the clutch done at the other garage £370, making a total of £770.

If you ask the Ford dealer to complete the job then it will be £700.

Clutches are never covered in warranties, I'm afraid, unless a definite manufacturing fault can be found and proved, which is always very difficult. I'm sure that, had you read all the terms and conditions of the cars, warranty, OP, then this would have been included somewhere.

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 08:05
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - Ninja2111

Many thanks for your replies and I agree - the clutch is not covered and we knew that when he bought it, I also agree that he shouldn't get a clutch for free.

What I am angry about is that this is not some £50 plug in a diagnostic machine it's £300+ for diagnosing a problem - a charge he was not told about when he dropped off the car, he wasn't 100% sure is was the clutch it could've been something else in the drivetrain. Surely they would see the symptoms and inform him that there would be a substantial charge for them to diagnose it fully as the clutch is not covered by the warranty they gave. I'm sure if I went to the doctors with chest pains they wouldn't knock me out and cut me open without telling me or the wife first ;)

To me it seems they knew exactly what the problem would be and that it wouldn't be covered therefore they took it apart in order to 'persuade' him to have the work done there.

Thanks again for your replies, much appreciated.

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 13:27
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - coopshere
An unfortunate expensive lesson of where not to buy your next car or have one serviced. Tell all your friends and family about it too.
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Mon 20 Jan 2014 13:34
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - thunderbird

Faults like the OP's are simply not diagnosable by plugging the car into a computer. Inspection of the parts is the only way to find out whats really wrong. If the OP expected £50's worth of diagnosis to sort a problem like he had he was expecting far too much.

Even in some cases where a light comes on and the computer says a certain problem it can be missleading and costs can rapidly mount even before the fault is found.

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 13:46
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - daveyK_UK

can the dealer be named?

It shouldnt be a problem as the OP is re-telling a story.

Or am I wrong?

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 15:36
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - coopshere
I would expect anyone with even a little mechanical knowledge to know if the clutch was likely to be the problem by trying to drive it. If that knowledge was not imparted to the owner with an indication of the likely cost involved at the time then it amounts to a little sharp practice by the garage.
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Mon 20 Jan 2014 16:14
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - skidpan
I would expect anyone with even a little mechanical knowledge to know if the clutch was likely to be the problem by trying to drive it.

The OP appears to have known it was a clutch problem since they could not get gears or drive. To find what component is at fault needs a strip down which is what the garage did. At this point we do not know what was said between the OP and the garage. If he said "find out what the probelm is and let me know the cost" they did exactly what they were asked to do. Garages have to charge for time spent diagnosing faults, if they didn't they would go bankrupt.

But since none of us were there we have no idea exactly what was said. But from 39 years of driving I know that the only way to diagnose a clucth fault is to strip it down

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 16:51
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - gordonbennet

This from the OP.

''In Oct 2013 he broke down due to having no drive (clutch wouldn't engage gears), he had the AA tow him to a Ford dealer who after 2 days told him there is nothing wrong and handed him back the car.''

A worn out clutch didn't magic a couple of mm of friction material back on whilst it stood at the Ford dealer it was transported to.

Why did the clutch fail to engage but seemingly given the all clear only to suffer a similar problem later.

I'm not convinced by the fact its simply a worn out clutch, but the OP isn't in a good position with, it would appear, a hostile or at least unhelpful garage...lesson learned there no doubt.

I expect he will have to pay up for a new clutch and lump it...but i would insist on the parts replaced being available for me to take away for inspection.

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 18:48
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - Galaxy

Last year my Niece telephoned me in desperation telling me the clutch had gone on her Fiesta and she couldn't engage any of the gears. I went out to meet her and had a very quick look at her car, including attempting to engage the gears which, with the engine running, was impossible, but, with the engine switched off, engaged easily. I told her that I had my doubts whether it was the clutch but I suspected it could be the linkage. However, I didn't examine the car any further.

She had already called the breakdown company who came along a while later. They examined the car thoroughly and told us that it wasn't the clutch, it was the master cylinder, so took the car to the local Ford Main Dealer, the only local garage who could do the work the same day, and she desperately needed her car. They fitted a new master cylinder and all was then fine; still cost her (or, rather, me!) £250, though!

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Mon 20 Jan 2014 19:07
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - thirts

Clutches are never covered in warranties, I'm afraid, unless a definite manufacturing fault can be found and proved, which is always very difficult.

My expereince with Toyota differs. Going back some years I had a new Yaris and within a couple of months it was experiencing clutch problems. It was very difficult to move of from a stand still smoothly.

I took the car back to Toyota and no problem, after a quick test drive, they booked the car in and replaced the cluctch.

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Tue 21 Jan 2014 08:51
Ford Fiesta - Warranty Issue - skidpan

Clutches are never covered in warranties, I'm afraid, unless a definite manufacturing fault can be found and proved, which is always very difficult. .

Liike I said in my post and the poster said above it depends on the reason for failure. If they are simply worn out or even burned out by abuse they are not covered, if its a manufacturing defect they are. Had a Golf one replced under warranty.

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