Transport truck damaged my Mach-E before delivery!

UPDATE ON FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022
Last Monday was my dealer pickup date until damage was discovered. The dealer set an expectation then that Friday or “Saturday at the latest” would be when the MME would be fixed, painted and ready at the dealership. My dealer rep just contacted the outsourced body shop and connected with me saying that “it looks like it will be ready Monday…Tuesday at the latest.”

Oh geez. My belief I’ll ever have this MME delivered is pretty damn low. By the time it gets into my hands, my give-a-shit-meter is going to be close to zero. All-in-all ordering this car (and the lack of communication by Ford all the way along) has made this adventure an experience I’ll never recommend or repeat myself.

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Sigh @Ford Motor Company ...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:



My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

sborsch said:

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

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That sucks. But even a replacement will need to be painted.

They will likely say, accept it however we repair it or don't accept it at all. They would rather you back out because they can add ADM and make a lot more. Technically they own the car, not you and therefore I'm not sure your "demands" are gonna make much of a difference.

I would be pissed myself but I'm just not sure you have the upper hand here. Having your late father as an adjuster, I'm sure you know that the trucking company's insurance isn't going to authorize a claim for a more expensive repair "just because".

Good luck!!

sborsch said:

Sigh @Ford Motor Company ...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:

My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

Click to expand...

It definitely sucks. I would think that they could use a bit of fill and sanding before re-painting the front to make it look indistinguishable from the rest of the front. If you are going to reject it, I would weigh the time you will have to wait for another of the same model to come in. Personally, I would just have them do the body work and re-paint it. instead of potentially waiting another few months.

Mathington said:

It definitely sucks. I would think that they could use a bit of fill and sanding before re-painting the front to make it look indistinguishable from the rest of the front. If you are going to reject it, I would weigh the time you will have to wait for another of the same model to come in. Personally, I would just have them do the body work and re-paint it. instead of potentially waiting another few months.

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I'll accept it if the painting looks good, but I've already asked my dealer rep to put in the contract I want a new nose ("grill") piece from Ford. Painting it will never look right. Or maybe I get one of those faux GT appliqués?

sborsch said:

Sigh @Ford Motor Company ...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:

My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

Click to expand...

Pick up your car on Saturday and enjoy it. Life is too short.

sborsch said:

I've already asked my dealer rep to put in the contract I want a new nose ("grill") piece from Ford. Painting it will never look right.

Click to expand...

But even if they agree, the new grill from Ford is not going to be red, so they're going to have to paint it.

This sucks, it's particularly the most frustrating when the car is brand new because that is when you care about it the most.

I would give them a chance to paint it, you'd be surprised how good of a job they can do. Particularly with a brand new car, where let's say the rest of the body hasn't faded from being under the sun for a few years, I think it is easier for them to get it to match correctly.

Had a situation similar to this at my Ford dealership in the 70's. Door on a Ranch Wagon was dented in transit....it happens. Customer took delivery with the understanding that the repair would be done at their convenience. They were going away for a few days, so they dropped the car off. Body shop did the repair, and all was good....so we thought. When they returned, they asked for proof that the door was a "new door painted at the Ford factory" which of course it was not. They went as high on the Ford chart as they could demanding a "door painted at the factory like a new production car would have". After many "conversations" with FCSD staff they were finally given a "lifetime guaranty" on the door by Ford. And anyone in the early 70's in the Northeast knows the half-life on a full-size Ford in the salt was measured in hours.....

The worst thing about having a brand new car in the body shop, is the dust and the overspray that can get in and on the vehicle. It would be best if the nose cone could be removed, and the body work and paint only carried out on the affected part. I hope it all turns out ok. Maybe you get the Faux GT “Grill” just because? Maybe add the backlight Pony while it is apart?

That sucks, but as others have noted, it happens. My GT was delivered with the front airdam/spoiler scratched through the paint and into the plastic. The dealership paid for it to be replaced (and painted, of course). I had the work done by a different dealership that was closer to me, and they billed the selling dealership. It can't hurt to ask for new panels, but in the end they'll be painted by a body shop, not by the factory...

This is incredibly common. The only reason you even know is because it was a special order. Most of the time they just fix it and sell it without ever disclosing and 99% of people will never know.

Just let them fix it and enjoy your car.

sborsch said:

Sigh @Ford Motor Company ...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:

My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

Click to expand...

I waited 1 year and 1 day. The last six weeks was to replace my rear hatch which was badly damaged in shipment. They had already notified me to come in and pay when the shop noticed the damage. So I got a new lid and it looks perfect.. as an aside, the purchase process took 3 hours. I have to say that damage in shipment should be a very rare thing. It’s not like they haven’t done that before.

I had my mme for 2 weeks to the day and was rear-ended by someone not paying attention. Picked up the car today it looks like new definitely sucks when the car is brand new . Good luck

generaltso said:

That sucks. But even a replacement will need to be painted.

Click to expand...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:



My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?
[/QUOTE]
I am very particular with my new cars and would

sborsch said:

Sigh @Ford Motor Company ...

After seven months and one week, my MME came in yesterday to my dealer (Santa Margarita Ford here in California). My appointment to pick it up was today at 3pm but now the dealer will need the MME until Friday for body shop repair. I'm booked Friday so will have to pick it up on Saturday.

What the actual F**K! To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

The damage is on the nose is to the right and left of the pony. Here is the worst one:

My Dad was an insurance adjuster for over 30 years and, though he's been gone since 2013, his advise all my life on new cars would have been, "Don't accept it. Even painted it will never look right."

I'm going to demand that @Ford Motor Company replace the nose with the pony vs. living with it being painted. Anything else I should do?

Click to expand...

Sorry to see this, I would be upset too. I agree with your dad's comments too. Positives, it's a plastic part, so they can spray it without bringing the car into the booth. They should be able to paint this just fine and clear coat it with no dirt in the paint. Plus since it's up front and not near other metal body parts so no need to blend into other panels. I had a Porsche Cayenne that had door damage from a deer that ran into me...but just the door nothing else. The body shop was able to spray it without blending into the fender and other door and it turned out great. So I think it will be fine and easy to repaint in the future if needed. Not sure it cause me to turn away the vehicle. BUT, I agree with you, I would demand the Mach-e GT grill instead, it looks a lot better and no painting (a lot of folks get the non GT grills wrapped). It might be cheaper for Ford too, since there is no painting involved. If they said no, I would probably pay the difference anyway. Good luck!