Thread Outlining What Is and Isn't Covered Under Warranty?

[HalifaxDC]

Assuming that your particular car is still covered under the Ford warranty ...

Do we have such a thread somewhere on the forum?

The more I read, the more confusing it is to figure out what is and isn't covered under warranty.

For example, if you have a failed OTA update a week/month/year ago, will warranty cover it if you go into a dealer to get them to "force update" the failed OTA update? If so, how long do you have to wait after the failed update before you can get it updated under warranty?

Another example, I read about people (whose car is still under warranty) who haven't received an OTA update in 6 months or even a year, and whose car is obviously way behind on updates. Are they able to get their car updated under the warranty? If so, how long do they have to suffer without OTA updates before they're able to get their car updated under warranty?

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[Mach-Lee]

This is definitely a gray area and emerging issue that needs further clarification. But it's my understanding that if Ford breaks something via OTA, they are obligated to fix it. The fix might be another OTA, which could take up to 6 months in some cases. If they cannot deliver a fix via OTA, then they should cover parts and labor for the repair at a dealer.

Again, this is all pretty new stuff to Ford, the possibility of an OTA breaking a vehicle outside of the warranty period may not have been considered before.

Other than OTAs, what's covered by part warranty is pretty clear and the same as other Ford vehicles.

 

[leehinde]

Other than OTAs, what's covered by part warranty is pretty clear and the same as other Ford vehicles.

But some items seem to be at the whim of a dealer. I've seen members here say that a broken sun glasses holder was covered and others say it was not covered.

 

[RickMachE]

I think it's clear that after warranty ends, Ford has no obligation to send further OTA updates, UNLESS those updates maintain a connected feature that the customer is paying for.

 

[Mach-Lee]

But some items seem to be at the whim of a dealer. I've seen members here say that a broken sun glasses holder was covered and others say it was not covered.

That one's tough, it could have broken because the part was defective, or it could have broke from the customer being too rough with it. Ultimately it's up to the warranty claims department to decide what is covered and what isn't.

 

[HalifaxDC]

This is definitely a gray area and emerging issue that needs further clarification. But it's my understanding that if Ford breaks something via OTA, they are obligated to fix it. The fix might be another OTA, which could take up to 6 months in some cases. If they cannot deliver a fix via OTA, then they should cover parts and labor for the repair at a dealer.

Again, this is all pretty new stuff to Ford, the possibility of an OTA breaking a vehicle outside of the warranty period may not have been considered before.

Other than OTAs, what's covered by part warranty is pretty clear and the same as other Ford vehicles.

Yeah, I'm mainly referring to OTA/software updates (and lack thereof). That's the area that is going to be the most problematic and hard to figure out.

A "fairness" case could be made for customers who have similar or identical cars/models, where one car is up-to-date on their software and OTA updates, and the other car is lagging far behind. Especially considering that the promise of ongoing OTA updates was/is an integral part of Ford's marketing campaign for these EVs.

 

[RSH]

I think it's clear that after warranty ends, Ford has no obligation to send further OTA updates, UNLESS those updates maintain a connected feature that the customer is paying for.

I can't find where the warranty states OTA's are/are not covered post warranty. Do you recall where that is stated? I really thought OTA's would continue as long as the car had the capacity to handle the OTA. Our Tesla is no longer under warranty and we still receive OTA's for that vehicle. I know Ford isn't Tesla, but just pointing it out as an example. Thanks for whatever info you have.

 

[Shepherd]

I think it's clear that after warranty ends, Ford has no obligation to send further OTA updates, UNLESS those updates maintain a connected feature that the customer is paying for.

Which warranty? The original warranty or the Ford extended warranty?

 

[hack-e]

I can't find where the warranty states OTA's are/are not covered post warranty. Do you recall where that is stated? I really thought OTA's would continue as long as the car had the capacity to handle the OTA. Our Tesla is no longer under warranty and we still receive OTA's for that vehicle. I know Ford isn't Tesla, but just pointing it out as an example. Thanks for whatever info you have.

Do Teslas get the the software updates even if they aren't paying a subscription fee?

I hope market pressure and competition drive this to our benefit regardless of what is officially/legally covered under warranty. I feel like I've heard higher ups in Ford, maybe even Jim Farley (would need to go back and confirm), talk about the new era of automobiles and how they can be software updated years after the product is manufactured and sold to provide new capability.

 

[RickMachE]

Which warranty? The original warranty or the Ford extended warranty?

Base warranty. I suspect if you search the extended warranty for "software" or "updates", you won't find those words.

 

[DRCal68]

o Teslas get the the software updates even if they aren't paying a subscription fee?

Yes.

 

[Mach1E]

This is definitely a gray area and emerging issue that needs further clarification. But it's my understanding that if Ford breaks something via OTA, they are obligated to fix it. The fix might be another OTA, which could take up to 6 months in some cases. If they cannot deliver a fix via OTA, then they should cover parts and labor for the repair at a dealer.

Again, this is all pretty new stuff to Ford, the possibility of an OTA breaking a vehicle outside of the warranty period may not have been considered before.

Other than OTAs, what's covered by part warranty is pretty clear and the same as other Ford vehicles.

There is a whole thread on this subject for a guy whose car was broken by an OTA, is outside the warranty, the service bulletin says to have a dealer fix it…….. and he had to pay out of pocket.

I don’t think that there is anything that obligates Ford to pay to fix things at a dealer for cars outside warranty, even if it was an OTA that caused the problem (unless the fix is a future OTA).

It’s not just a Ford thing either. Tesla will continue to send OTA outside warranty but aren’t paying for a trip to a service center.

 

[RSH]

Do Teslas get the the software updates even if they aren't paying a subscription fee?

I hope market pressure and competition drive this to our benefit regardless of what is officially/legally covered under warranty. I feel like I've heard higher ups in Ford, maybe even Jim Farley (would need to go back and confirm), talk about the new era of automobiles and how they can be software updated years after the product is manufactured and sold to provide new capability.

Yes, even without subscriptions we continued to receive OTA's on the Tesla. For at least a year, we did not update the subscription for premium connectivity, and we still received OTA's during that period.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I don’t think that there is anything that obligates Ford to pay to fix things at a dealer for cars outside warranty, even if it was an OTA that caused the problem (unless the fix is a future OTA).

I'm not a lawyer, but there is legal doctrine that if an action initiated by someone else causes damage, then whoever party that initiated that action would be responsible. If Ford initiates a damaging OTA, they would be the legally responsible party if something goes wrong.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I'm not a lawyer, but there is legal doctrine that if an action initiated by someone else causes damage, then whoever party that initiated that action would be responsible. If Ford initiates a damaging OTA, they would be the legally responsible party if something goes wrong.

That's my thinking too. I guess a (further) grey area here though is one of timing. If the OTA "broke" something while the car was in warranty, but the owner didn't go to get it fixed until after their warranty expired, would Ford be on the hook? I can certainly see a dealership declining the claim (and I think that's roughly what happened to the owner in the other thread on the topic). This is definitely a thorny subject and it seems clear Ford didn't think through the implications in advance.

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