I bought a new Mach-E on Tuesday, 6/14

[PNWJustin]

Also keep in mind if you return the vehicle to them, you’re still making payment and your warranty remains active (for possibly months). I would never.

Sponsored

 

[Jbkimmel]

Don't dealers have insurance for these kind of things?

That’s a good question. My consulting company has an errors and omissions policy - it would make sense for dealers to have something comparable…

 

[Rfehl62]

That's right. We bought the Mach-E Select AWD the day after the stop-sale recall. First thing the next morning my husband saw a news story about the recall (this was the first we'd heard of it).

The dealer called today (Friday, 6/17) to tell us about the recall. They told us the car needs to be brought back today and won't be available to us until after the service is complete. My husband asked how long it would take, they said we'd get it by the end of August. He told them this would leave us without a car, they said they would see what they could do (without promising anything).

Our assessment is that they're trying to cover their butts by asking us to bring the car back. We have a second car, but it's a 2008 Ford Focus not exactly suited for long trips, which is what we're planning to take on Tuesday (120 miles) and in July (300 miles) (which is one of the reasons we decided to go electric!). If they can't give us an EV loaner, we're considering refusing to bring it back and waiting for the fix whenever it's available.

Are there any downsides to us in this plan (aside from the apparently remote possibility that we experience the issue that's the cause of the recall)? And is this how new car sales are supposed to work? Isn't there a problem with selling a new car with a known defect?

You can absolutely keep it but they will not be able to punch it sold with Ford until the recall is fixed which means they will not be able to register it. I am sure they can get you a loaner but unsure if it would be an EV since they are so hard to get. Try to see if you can get a normal gas loaner. Otherwise youll be driving around in expire tags once the paper ones go out.

 

[MustThee?]

Agreed with everyone else, they need to “make up” for their error. If you don’t get to drive it for 3 months then your mfr warranty date should start at that time, not now. You should not have payments and should not have to carry insurance during those months. Plus of course I would check the condition of the car when you finally get it as I have read some other stories about scratches and stuff While at the dealer.

I hear Hertz is now carrying Tesla‘s, maybe remind them about that option

 

[MrFlood]

So I found myself in the exact same situation.

- Warranty has not started as dealer cant Register the car sold with Ford.

- Dealer has provided me a brand new Ford Explorer at no cost until the car is returned

- Dealer was willing to refund my money until the car is ready for pickup.

- Dealer has agreed to pay my interest incurred prior to refund

- Dealer will be providing winter tires at cost in the fall

- Dealer has promised to provide a gift card for a nice family meal when I pick up the car.


The situation sucks, I fell in love with the car in the short two days I had it. However, they are trying to keep me happy.

 

[ToadStool]

Hmm, we financed the car with Ford Motor Credit, so apparently they were able to do that on 6/14. Should we be worried about something there?

Nah. The dealership fumbled by giving you the car and now they're just trying to cover their butts with Ford.

Personally, I'd keep it and drive it carefully and just tell the dealership, you can't return it because it leaves you guys in quite a pickle and it seems to drive just fine.

Plus this eliminates any potential of them selling it to another between now and August.

Besides, you already signed the paperwork and have your copies, right? If they choose NOT to file/submit the paperwork, that's outside your scope.

But you might push the dealership to submit the paperwork to the DMV otherwise they might get in trouble there.

It's a bit of a quandary and a rather unique situation for all. But I'm guessing you minimize your risks if you keep the vehicle.

 

[GABAR]

That's right. We bought the Mach-E Select AWD the day after the stop-sale recall. First thing the next morning my husband saw a news story about the recall (this was the first we'd heard of it).

The dealer called today (Friday, 6/17) to tell us about the recall. They told us the car needs to be brought back today and won't be available to us until after the service is complete. My husband asked how long it would take, they said we'd get it by the end of August. He told them this would leave us without a car, they said they would see what they could do (without promising anything).

Our assessment is that they're trying to cover their butts by asking us to bring the car back. We have a second car, but it's a 2008 Ford Focus not exactly suited for long trips, which is what we're planning to take on Tuesday (120 miles) and in July (300 miles) (which is one of the reasons we decided to go electric!). If they can't give us an EV loaner, we're considering refusing to bring it back and waiting for the fix whenever it's available.

Are there any downsides to us in this plan (aside from the apparently remote possibility that we experience the issue that's the cause of the recall)? And is this how new car sales are supposed to work? Isn't there a problem with selling a new car with a known defect?

Well, it looks like it was just a simple mistake whereas the vehicle shouldn’t have been sold to you because of the issue. Clearly there was miscommunication within your Ford dealer and your salesperson.

Do you really believe that a dealer would intentionally sell a new not used vehicle to a customer if the manufacturer issued a stop sell on said vehicle?

The dealer has already covered their butt because they asked you to bring it back in so they can repair it so now, the ball is in your court.

Also, they’re not obligated to give you a loner EV or even an ICE vehicle until your vehicle is repaired. Every dealer is different and a loner vehicle is just a “customer perk“ offered by a dealer.

This is nothing more than a warranty repair.

I know it’s frustrating but it is what it is.

 

[NewGuy]

The dealer made a mistake. I can’t imagine trying to use that mistake to try to extort the dealer out of $10k, especially when you probably don’t have much of a leg to stand on legally.

I bet there’s some fine print that says the deal isn’t done until all the financing goes through on the back end. If you used Ford financing then I’m assuming the financing didn’t actually go through, so you probably haven’t truly bought the car yet. I’d imagine the dealer could come repo the car if they wanted to. Also, if the financing hasn’t gone through, and you haven’t truly bought the car yet, it’s probably not insurable by you. What happens if you total it?

You mention that you would be without a second car. If you traded to the dealer or sold privately a second car when you picked up this one, then I do think the dealer should offer you a loaner comparable to whatever car you sold.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

You are missing the point. According to the recall notice, Ford is explicit that the dealer can sell, but can’t deliver. They sold and delivered, therefore violated federal law, punishable by a $21,000 civil penalty. The customer is fine here (they were unaware, they filled their end of the bargain), it’s the dealer that is totally screwed.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

It’s also funny that when the dealer demands $15,000 ADM, it’s free market. But when the customer tries to negotiate a way out of not being screwed, for a mistake they didn’t make, with some leverage they have, its extortion.

 

[DennisD]

Well, it looks like it was just a simple mistake whereas the vehicle shouldn’t have been sold to you because of the issue. Clearly there was miscommunication within your Ford dealer and your salesperson.

Do you really believe that a dealer would intentionally sell a new not used vehicle to a customer if the manufacturer issued a stop sell on said vehicle?

The dealer has already covered their butt because they asked you to bring it back in so they can repair it so now, the ball is in your court.

Also, they’re not obligated to give you a loner EV or even an ICE vehicle until your vehicle is repaired. Every dealer is different and a loner vehicle is just a “customer perk“ offered by a dealer.

This is nothing more than a warranty repair.

I know it’s frustrating but it is what it is.

Everything you have mentioned, I almost agree with except the part where you state the dealer "covered their butt".

The Dealer knows they screwed up. If the Dealer wants to save face, they would at minimum say that were very sorry that they messed up and try to work out a deal that would make the customer happy.

Now while I realize that the Dealership has the upper hand in most cases, they still rely on customer service to survive in this "jungle" of buying and selling thus bending over backwards in this particular case to save face.

It is unfortunate on both ends but to make it right (and cover their butt I might add), they SHOULD do the right thing and give the customer (at the least) a loaner car for the time being and offer a gas gift card for their inconvenience of not having an EV over a gas vehicle that I am sure they will give as a loaner.

That my friend, is how a Dealership "covers their butt" and gets out of this misfortune on both ends.

I own a Driving School and anytime that we mess up, I always offer them a free t-shirt and ask them if there is anything else that we can do, thus "covering our butt".

If the Dealership simply takes the car back and does not offer anything else in kind, I would tell them that this would be the last car purchased here.

 

[ChuckA]

OP didn’t say if they did a trade-in on the MME purchase. If they did, then that could be the loaner and driven on a dealer plate.

Then again, any used car on the lot can be a loaner.

 

[GABAR]

Everything you have mentioned, I almost agree with except the part where you state the dealer "covered their butt".

The Dealer knows they screwed up. If the Dealer wants to save face, they would at minimum say that were very sorry that they messed up and try to work out a deal that would make the customer happy.

Now while I realize that the Dealership has the upper hand in most cases, they still rely on customer service to survive in this "jungle" of buying and selling thus bending over backwards in this particular case to save face.

It is unfortunate on both ends but to make it right (and cover their butt I might add), they SHOULD do the right thing and give the customer (at the least) a loaner car for the time being and offer a gas gift card for their inconvenience of not having an EV over a gas vehicle that I am sure they will give as a loaner.

That my friend, is how a Dealership "covers their butt" and gets out of this misfortune on both ends.

I own a Driving School and anytime that we mess up, I always offer them a free t-shirt and ask them if there is anything else that we can do, thus "covering our butt".

If the Dealership simply takes the car back and does not offer anything else in kind, I would tell them that this would be the last car purchased here.

The dealer covered their butt by asking the customer to bring the vehicle back in for service and that’s all they can do. If the customer doesn’t take the advice from the dealer and the vehicle leaves the customer stranded somewhere, who’s fault is it?

Like I said before, a mistake was made by the dealer…..simple as that.

They did the right thing by asking the customer to bring the vehicle back. The wrong thing would be if they didn’t ask the customer to bring it back.

What if the vehicle didn’t have a stop sell on it and after a few days, something goes wrong with the vehicle and it has to go in for service. Are you saying that the same or any dealer should provide a free loaner vehicle and maybe even a gas card if said loner is an ICE vehicle?

Like I said before…..LOANER VEHICLES ARE A PERK OFFERED BY SOME DEALERS. Dealers are NOT required to provide a loaner vehicle when a vehicle is in for warranty work.

The bottom line is that this is nothing more than a warranty claim.

Let me tell you how the real world works and not some fantasy of the past.

This dealer does not care if the OP purchases another vehicle from them or not nor would they care if the OP backs out of the sell entirely.

They would just repair the vehicle and re-sell it.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

The dealer covered their butt by asking the customer to bring the vehicle back in for service and that’s all they can do. If the customer doesn’t take the advice from the dealer and the vehicle leaves the customer stranded somewhere, who’s fault is it?

Like I said before, a mistake was made by the dealer…..simple as that.

They did the right thing by asking the customer to bring the vehicle back. The wrong thing would be if they didn’t ask the customer to bring it back.

What if the vehicle didn’t have a stop sell on it and after a few days, something goes wrong with the vehicle and it has to go in for service. Are you saying that the same or any dealer should provide a free loaner vehicle and maybe even a gas card if said loner is an ICE vehicle?

Like I said before…..LOANER VEHICLES ARE A PERK OFFERED BY SOME DEALERS. Dealers are NOT required to provide a loaner vehicle when a vehicle is in for warranty work.

The bottom line is that this is nothing more than a warranty claim.

Let me tell you how the real world works and not some fantasy of the past.

This dealer does not care if the OP purchases another vehicle from them or not nor would they care if the OP backs out of the sell entirely.

They would just repair the vehicle and re-sell it.

Your argument is completely irrelevant. No one cares whether loaners are perks or not. The customer doesn’t want a loaner. They want to drive the vehicle they purchased and to be left the hell alone. It’s the dealer that’s demanding the customer returns the vehicle to them because they made a $21,000 mistake and violated federal law. That’s the story here. No all caps required. Take your anger somewhere else.

Sponsored