Nightmare Situation

[Gmork]

I bought my used 2021 Mach-E GT in March. Shortly after that I received a warning that the front collision camera was malfunctioning. It happened one time and didn’t again for a bit so I thought nothing of it.

Over my time with the car I started to notice other issues.

First, I noticed that something had been chewing on the black foam underneath the mat in the trunk. Dealer blew me off when I mentioned it. It’s entirely possible that took place after my purchase, but I noticed it within the first week or 2 when I spend a lot of time driving the car..

Then I noticed little pieces of foam floating and flying around the car when I had the windows down. White and blue in color. That was strange, and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.

Then I noticed a constant rattle coming from the driver side seatbelt molding. I saw a recall for the seat belt so I wasn’t concerned.

Then I noticed the molding going from the roof to the dash on he passenger side was loose. I figured maybe there had been some warping from heat because it sat on the lot before it was sold for over 60 days. I was unable to snap it back into place.

Then the camera issue became worse. It would fail while cruise control was on, immediately causing the car to slow down on the highway. Lane keep assist would also suddenly stop working. The issue is intermittent, but it’s there none the less.

I decided it was time to take the car in for service today because while some of those things are strange/annoying, the cruise control failing at random is flat out dangerous.

I just received a call from he service desk asking if the car had been in an accident in March, the month I bought it.

It has not been.

The reason they asked is because they’re saying there’s damage to the A-Pillar and because of that nothing that would be covered under warranty will be.

They said they’re going to dig into it further and contact me tomorrow. I have no idea how to handle this.

Purchase info:

Car was bought with a clean carfax from a Ford Dealership. Supposedly it was owned by the service center manager there and they assured me the car had been incredibly well cared for. I saw that as a positive and it’s part of what made me pull the trigger.

Now I’m starting to wonder if, in my excitement to purchase and the fact that I didn’t sit in the passengers seat, I simply didn’t notice the damage to the molding. It would have bothered me, and after all the hype about it being the service managers car and so well cared for, it would have raised a red flag.

I think I’m about to get screwed really hard. Clean carfax. Incredibly expensive repair required, and even if I wanted to go through insurance, how could I get it covered if there was no accident?

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[atllauren]

Some of these issues seem like they could be caused by a rodent chewing on wires. The damage to the molding/A pillar not included. But if the car were in an accident, I don’t see how that wouldn’t have been flagged on a Carfax. Unless the owner never called the cops/did the repairs themselves. Any body shop would get reported to Carfax, as far as I know.

 

[Gmork]

They called me back and said an animal was living in the dash somewhere and chewing on the foam.

They also said the car needs 4 new tires and a rim, somehow, 4000 miles after being told the tires were fine.

Needs that front molding replaced.

$2700 of work before the A-Pillar is fully checked and the collision camera is addressed.


Stuff like this irritates the hell out of me because while I should have pressed them on the tires, I never would have recognized an issue with the A-Pillar.

I need to check the CARFAX again. If there was work on, say, the front bumper, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to conclude there was an accident but the service manager reported it as warranty work because he could. That may be a stretch, but I don’t know what else it could be.

 

[socalh2oskier]

I bought my used 2021 Mach-E GT in March. Shortly after that I received a warning that the front collision camera was malfunctioning. It happened one time and didn’t again for a bit so I thought nothing of it.

Over my time with the car I started to notice other issues.

First, I noticed that something had been chewing on the black foam underneath the mat in the trunk. Dealer blew me off when I mentioned it. It’s entirely possible that took place after my purchase, but I noticed it within the first week or 2 when I spend a lot of time driving the car..

Then I noticed little pieces of foam floating and flying around the car when I had the windows down. White and blue in color. That was strange, and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.

Then I noticed a constant rattle coming from the driver side seatbelt molding. I saw a recall for the seat belt so I wasn’t concerned.

Then I noticed the molding going from the roof to the dash on he passenger side was loose. I figured maybe there had been some warping from heat because it sat on the lot before it was sold for over 60 days. I was unable to snap it back into place.

Then the camera issue became worse. It would fail while cruise control was on, immediately causing the car to slow down on the highway. Lane keep assist would also suddenly stop working. The issue is intermittent, but it’s there none the less.

I decided it was time to take the car in for service today because while some of those things are strange/annoying, the cruise control failing at random is flat out dangerous.

I just received a call from he service desk asking if the car had been in an accident in March, the month I bought it.

It has not been.

The reason they asked is because they’re saying there’s damage to the A-Pillar and because of that nothing that would be covered under warranty will be.

They said they’re going to dig into it further and contact me tomorrow. I have no idea how to handle this.

Purchase info:

Car was bought with a clean carfax from a Ford Dealership. Supposedly it was owned by the service center manager there and they assured me the car had been incredibly well cared for. I saw that as a positive and it’s part of what made me pull the trigger.

Now I’m starting to wonder if, in my excitement to purchase and the fact that I didn’t sit in the passengers seat, I simply didn’t notice the damage to the molding. It would have bothered me, and after all the hype about it being the service managers car and so well cared for, it would have raised a red flag.

I think I’m about to get screwed really hard. Clean carfax. Incredibly expensive repair required, and even if I wanted to go through insurance, how could I get it covered if there was no accident?

I bought my used 2021 Mach-E GT in March. Shortly after that I received a warning that the front collision camera was malfunctioning. It happened one time and didn’t again for a bit so I thought nothing of it.

Over my time with the car I started to notice other issues.

First, I noticed that something had been chewing on the black foam underneath the mat in the trunk. Dealer blew me off when I mentioned it. It’s entirely possible that took place after my purchase, but I noticed it within the first week or 2 when I spend a lot of time driving the car..

Then I noticed little pieces of foam floating and flying around the car when I had the windows down. White and blue in color. That was strange, and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.

Then I noticed a constant rattle coming from the driver side seatbelt molding. I saw a recall for the seat belt so I wasn’t concerned.

Then I noticed the molding going from the roof to the dash on he passenger side was loose. I figured maybe there had been some warping from heat because it sat on the lot before it was sold for over 60 days. I was unable to snap it back into place.

Then the camera issue became worse. It would fail while cruise control was on, immediately causing the car to slow down on the highway. Lane keep assist would also suddenly stop working. The issue is intermittent, but it’s there none the less.

I decided it was time to take the car in for service today because while some of those things are strange/annoying, the cruise control failing at random is flat out dangerous.

I just received a call from he service desk asking if the car had been in an accident in March, the month I bought it.

It has not been.

The reason they asked is because they’re saying there’s damage to the A-Pillar and because of that nothing that would be covered under warranty will be.

They said they’re going to dig into it further and contact me tomorrow. I have no idea how to handle this.

Purchase info:

Car was bought with a clean carfax from a Ford Dealership. Supposedly it was owned by the service center manager there and they assured me the car had been incredibly well cared for. I saw that as a positive and it’s part of what made me pull the trigger.

Now I’m starting to wonder if, in my excitement to purchase and the fact that I didn’t sit in the passengers seat, I simply didn’t notice the damage to the molding. It would have bothered me, and after all the hype about it being the service managers car and so well cared for, it would have raised a red flag.

I think I’m about to get screwed really hard. Clean carfax. Incredibly expensive repair required, and even if I wanted to go through insurance, how could I get it covered if there was no accident?

Unfortunately, carfax is not always accurate. I had an accident in a leased BMW that cost over $20k to repair. The police came to the accident and filed a report and I was taken to the hospital. The car was repaired. When I turned it in at lease end a year later I was amazed to see that it supposedly had a clean carfax when it was up for sale from the dealer.

 

[Gmork]

For sure.

I know I’m going to get screwed hard no matter what. I just want to know how or when the damage may have happened. I could draw some conclusions based on what kind of work was done to the car before I bought it.

There were no accidents on the report (whether there were or weren't any reported to police/insurance) so it would had to have been logged as warranty work. I’d be less suspicious if they didn’t talk so much about how well it was cared for because it was owned by the service manager, a person in a position of power to manipulate reporting.

I know it likely won’t change anything, other than the fact that I’ll never do business with Lilliston Ford (or probably Ford in general) ever again, though I’m still open to suggestions.

 

[BMT1071]

For sure.

I know I’m going to get screwed hard no matter what. I just want to know how or when the damage may have happened. I could draw some conclusions based on what kind of work was done to the car before I bought it.

There were no accidents on the report (whether there were or weren't any reported to police/insurance) so it would had to have been logged as warranty work. I’d be less suspicious if they didn’t talk so much about how well it was cared for because it was owned by the service manager, a person in a position of power to manipulate reporting.

I know it likely won’t change anything, other than the fact that I’ll never do business with Lilliston Ford (or probably Ford in general) ever again, though I’m still open to suggestions.

Far more likely that repairs were done on the side for cash, or by the owner himself, than warranty fraud.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

There are a couple of threads on how to rodent “proof” your Mach-e. The search function is a bit lacking here, so maybe someone with the link to the detailed instruction thread can help.

Sorry you had to go through this.

 

[AZBill]

The rodent damage should be covered by your insurance. We had a $6500 repair on our MME because of rodent damage, they had to drop the battery to get to the damaged wire harnesses. It was covered by our comprehensive insurance. Ours would unlock but would not start at all.

 

[Derail_90]

If the vehicle was owned by the dealership it is extremely possible that it was involved in an accident and the A-Pillar was repaired internally. That would not have shown on the car-fax. The frontal collision fault is a common thing known by Ford. My vehicle has gone to the shop 5 times and set to go back tomorrow for the exact same thing. My recommendation if you truly have not been in an accident is to ask to speak to the GM of the dealership and explain the situation. If you purchased the vehicle from them they were not honest about the vehicle’s accident history. The rodent issue should be covered under insurance as previously mentioned as well. Good luck

 

[Teslaeata]

I expect the accuracy of Carfax is reliant on notification so if repairs are not notified Carfax will now know.

If the A pillar has been repaired should be obvious to a qualified and experienced vehicle inspector even without a paint depth gauge because the trained eye should be able to discern that dismantling, repair and painting had been done.

No painter however good can replicate exactly the Manufacturer’s finish, many painter’s work is just substandard especially if undertaken on the side or otherwise unofficially and many other painter’s work actually produces a better quality finish though still different to the trained eye.

Then the use of a paint depth gauge used to map the depth of paint & coating materials all over the car can help inform if the car’s been repaired or just repainted in any area.

If you can get hold of a paint depth gauge (ferrous & non-ferrous type) and map your paint depths I could compare with areas that are known not to have been repaired to assist you understand the repair history, or lack of it.

The other stuff you’re experiencing if unconnected with a possible repair is probably something you’ll just have to deal with yourself.

Rodent, wheel & tyre damage could happen anytime even in those 4,000 miles since your tyres were checked so your concern that you’re being stiffed with the remedial cost matches the Manufacturer’s reluctance to be stiffed for something that they shouldn’t be expected to pay for under warranty.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

My realtor is top 1%, sells multi-million dollar homes and lives in a shack. Sometimes these pros are the worse when it comes to handling their own stuff. But it sure looks like your guy is a complete crook.

 

[burritoman]

Can you talk to the service manager who previously owned it about the car? Just curious what he will say about the A-pillar damage. Also how did he store the car, was it garage kept or not? Could explain the rodent situation. Maybe you’ll get a sense of his character just having a talk with him.

 

[4sallypat]

CarFax, Auto Experian and other "consumer reports" are lacking most of the time.

Never honestly reported because they never receive all reports of damage from multiple sources.

I always do a pre purchase inspection by my mechanic on any used car no matter what the dealer spouts.

I'd go after CarFax in the OP's case and have them pay for their lack of reporting.
They should have an insurance clause for Errors & Omissions (E&O).

 

[Gmork]

I think if I spoke with the prior owner he’d just BS me, especially since he’s a manager at the dealership.

I think I need proof of the A-pillar damage before I can talk to the selling dealership. Again I don’t think it’ll get me anywhere but it’s worth a shot.

 

[4sallypat]

I think if I spoke with the prior owner he’d just BS me, especially since he’s a manager at the dealership.

I think I need proof of the A-pillar damage before I can talk to the selling dealership. Again I don’t think it’ll get me anywhere but it’s worth a shot.

May want to get an attorney before you speak to the dealership since all they do is cover their rear ends.

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