Unsafe EDGE????

[818EDGE]

Our 2007 Edge was in for a heater problem, which turned into an electrical issue as they crossed wires under the dash and coudnt figure out what was wrong for 9 days. 2 weeks after that, my wife complained about an electrical burning smell (FWD not PTO). On her way to the dealer, the car just died. Complete electrical failure in the middle of the road. After she and our baby were towed to the dealer, completely terrified and crying, the service advisor says its a loose batt cable. They had the batt out for all the previous problems, however, the mechanic said he never removed it and was nailed for lying to the service advisor and service mgr. My wife now refuses to drive that vehicle any longer because she fears more problems from the work this guy did. The service manager and advisor agree (so they say). They are supposedly working on working out something to get us out of this Edge and into a new one, but their best offer was for us to basically buy a new one for aprox $30K. We want to go above this dealership and get some info on what can be done.

 

We arent asking for a new vehicle free and clear, but possibly a new one at a substantially reduced price. Possibly keeping our remaining loan balance and term for the next 3 years or so? Is this asking too much???

[bbf2530]

Our 2007 Edge was in for a heater problem, which turned into an electrical issue as they crossed wires under the dash and coudnt figure out what was wrong for 9 days. 2 weeks after that, my wife complained about an electrical burning smell (FWD not PTO). On her way to the dealer, the car just died. Complete electrical failure in the middle of the road. After she and our baby were towed to the dealer, completely terrified and crying, the service advisor says its a loose batt cable. They had the batt out for all the previous problems, however, the mechanic said he never removed it and was nailed for lying to the service advisor and service mgr. My wife now refuses to drive that vehicle any longer because she fears more problems from the work this guy did. The service manager and advisor agree (so they say). They are supposedly working on working out something to get us out of this Edge and into a new one, but their best offer was for us to basically buy a new one for aprox $30K. We want to go above this dealership and get some info on what can be done.

 

We arent asking for a new vehicle free and clear, but possibly a new one at a substantially reduced price. Possibly keeping our remaining loan balance and term for the next 3 years or so? Is this asking too much???

 

Hi 818EDGE. :D Sorry to hear about your problems. If you are not happy with the service your vehicle has received, the proper procedures to follow are listed in your Warranty Guide Booklet. You were given this booklet (along with your Owners Manual, Maintenance Schedule etc.) when you purchased your Edge.

 

If you can not find your copy, you can download a PDF copy here: LINK: Ford Owner Information

 

Fill in the drop down boxes and click "Submit". Then click on "Warranty Guide". Pay particular attention to the first page, which outlines who you should speak to and gives phone numbers for the Ford Customer Relations Center. Also important are the sections dealing with the "BBB (Better Business Bureau) Auto Line Program" and "State Warranty enforcement laws". Check the Table of Contents for the pages in your Guide. The guide is only about 40 pages long, and explains exactly what your rights are, and what you need to do to enforce those rights.

 

It would first be normal procedure for the Dealer to attempt to fix your Edge. If your vehicle can be properly repaired, I do not know how willing your Dealer or Ford will be to allow you to turn it in. That is something only you will be able to determine.

 

Any outside deal you may be able to strike with the Dealership would be strictly between you and the Dealer. In general, it is always better to follow the proper procedures and guidelines already in place.

 

If you can not come to some agreement with the Dealer representatives, you should open a BBB Auto Line Arbitration claim. Your particular State may also have certain Lemon Law procedures that you should follow. From the limited information you have provided so far, it seems unlikely that your Edge would qualify for Lemon Law status. Especially if it is subsequently repaired properly. But again, this is between you, the Dealership and Ford.

 

Also, keep in mind that in most States you need to file any claims before your Bumper to Bumper Warranty expires.

 

Let us know how thing work out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited January 31, 2009 by bbf2530

[818EDGE]

Thanks for the info bbf. The car is definitely not a lemon but after so many problems caused by the dealrship itself, we were thinking more of a fresh start. We are in LA and the wife makes road trips to the in-laws in Vegas with just herself and the baby. She is litterally terrified to take the car that far (or any shorter trips) after having it just completely die in traffic. We are hoping the dealer will work with us. They have already made a one months payment for all their previous problems.

[Keithj]

We bought a new 08 Escape 4wd limited in mid 07. The place we were living was off a very curvy moutain commute. My wife began complaining that the car seemed to lose power in some areas and at the same time the vehicle made a growling noise. It was somewhat intermittent, not every day or in the same places. We brought it in and they put on new tires because there was a slight width difference and tech support suspected that was the problem. Within a short period we knew that did not resolve the problem. The service adviser lived in the area so they supplied a loaner for us and he drove our car for a few days. He experienced the same problem. At this point they talked with corporate who sent 2 engineers out to California. They found out that the computer module that controls the traction control was the culprit. It was so sensitive that the traction control was kicking in when it wasn't necessary. There was nothing "wrong" with the module but they said it would take 3 or 4 weeks to make an optional module with less sensitivity. I understand a TSB was issued following this. We were given the option at this point to continue driving the loaner or to initiate a buyback from Ford. Aside from this problem we liked the Escape so we said we would wait with the understanding if we had any problems once it was returned that we would want the buyback. Once we got the Escape back it was about 3 weeks later that we noticed the shudder again particularly around curves. I called the dealership GM and explained the problem wasnt resolved to our satisfaction and we wanted to initiate the buyback. The dealership working with the zone manager got the buyback done within one month. We had put about 15k miles on the Escape but they gave us what we originally paid. We of course had made payments for several months but also had put many miles on it so that seemed fair. They also gave us a great deal on a new Edge SEL+ AWD with everything (roof, navi, etc) and added a year for the satellite. All in all we were very pleased with the dealership and Ford corporate wanting to keep us happy. Not too long after getting the Edge in February 08 we moved out of the mountain area and have had zero problems with the Edge.