Howdy everybody,

I was just wondering about your experiencing having your local Ford dealership service your Escape Hybrid.

I just had my first oil change and tried to get some strange squeak and rattles examined. I dropped my car off at 8 AM got it back around 5 PM and they didn't even admit the problems existed. As I drove away from the dealership to my apartment (about .1 mile) the rattle...rattled away.

I feel that the way the treated me may have had something to do with my age, 19. I provided exact explanations for both of the problems (including how I found to make one of them stop), but that didn't seem to help.

They also stuck a sticker in my window telling me to get an oil change in 3000 miles. I was under the impression (via the car and the salesman) that the service interval would be longer under normal conditions.

I sent the dealership service manager a letter and am awaiting for a response.

 

That is very discouraging to hear. I haven't had my first service but expect that in the next 6-8 weeks I'll be going in. I have a squeak in my left rear wheel(driving me crazy) and my brakes pull to the left mildly. Hopefully the dealership I go to will not ignore me...new ownership. What rattles did you experience? How did you fix it? Just in case I run into the same thing.

 

One of the downsides is that the vehicle technology is so new, not very many people know how to handle it. I have been fortunate to find that my dealership also has a fantastic service department, I've had the oil changed twice so far. (1K and 5K [before winter]) The vehicle, as both set in the manual and in the diagnostics, are set at 10K, and that's all you really need to do. (I'm just taking extra care, especially in this first year, and I found a slight MPG boost after an oil change too. )
Anyway, as for not addressing your issues, I would probably say that your age may have played a small factor, and I would definately bring this up with everyone you can about your very poor service visit, if you have the time, in person with the manager or whomever is in charge there, as well as a few letters of complaint.

I had a '95 Explorer, and the last time I took it in for service (March 2005), it had a coolant leak and a broken (EGR) tube. I explained the problems, and got a call back that they couldn't find the coolant leak. I explained to them what to do to see coolant spurting out, and they found and fixed it. I picked it up, paid for it, and found they didn't fix the EGR tube. Took it back, got that fixed on another visit, and raised hell over it (Claiming that they were trying to get two service/labor charges out of me). While waiting to pick it up again, I was in the new car showroom, where I wasn't helped. At that point, I had decided that after a good decade, the Explorer was just going to end up costing me more and more money, and an Escape was pretty well priced and had its appeals. No one helped me, asked me if I could use help, nothing. I had been going to that dealer my entire life, my parents went there, and after that, I have never gone there again. It was 20 miles from home, I went to a different dealership less than 2, after doing the research, and have been treated very well since, and got the FEH (On A plan nonetheless!) from them. My point? The right people can make all the difference in the world. In fact, the last time I got the oil changed, my salesperson came and sat with me, bought me a snack, and got my paperwork hurried up so I could leave faster when he thought it was taking too long.

 

It occurs where the a-pillar plastic and dashboard meet on the drivers side. Usually occurs whenever the Escape hits any uneven or rough pavement. To stop it, I just apply some pressure on the left corner of the dashboard right by the a pillar.

Fun huh?

 

Neither of my FEH have been back to the dealership since I bought them except for the free state inspection sticker that can't be done until after the plates are transferred.

I keep getting calls and letters telling me I am overdue for my 3k, 6k and 9k service. Finally, last week I asked the caller exactly what service I was overdue for since my manual says that an oilchange is the first service due (except 5k tire rotation) on the Hybrids. The woman, obviously not a tech, says she doesn't know anything about service intervals, just that the dealer hires them to make the calls. I asked her to tell the dealer to look at the maintenance schedule and that I am under 10k and am not due for service.

In yesterday's mail I got (from the dealer) a printout of the hybrid Escape maintenance schedule. Maybe they will leave me alone for a while now that we are all on the same page.

Any time I have gone to the dealer for parts (I do my own oil every 4-5k), they have to order either the filter or the o-rings or both. Do I really want to drop my car off for a 2-day oil change? Or worse, have them cut corners? Most of the parts guys didn't even know about the o-rings.

I stay on good terms with the dealer in case I need warranty work but for routine maintenance, do it myself.

 

On the last oil change, they botched the "O" rings, the tech didn't know about them.
When they came to get me, they told me they had to order the "O" rings. I went ballistic.
I questioned how they could have my appointment one week in advance and not have the parts.

And then I asked, how did you find out...THEY TURNED THE CAR ON and the vehicle leaked oil. They tried to do it WITHOUT the "O" rings.

Finally the rented me a car and I came back at 4pm.

I will do the oil myself, next time.

If, when, I need to bring the car in again, I will ask who is working on it, and what training did they have.

 

When I bought my first car, I had a spoiler put on it. Since they didn't have it ready at the time of delivery (they didn't believe I would show, and didn't want to drill holes in the trunk until I actually bought the vehicle), I had to take the car in the following week for the install.

That went fine, but after I got the car back, it would rattle when I went over any sizeable bump.

I took the car back, and told them it rattled. They said, "Well, sir, as cars age they sometimes start to rattle. This is a normal part of the aging process." It was seriously condescending and annoying. After they let me tell them the circumstances, they agreed to look at it. Turns out the installer forgot to put on a clip, and the trunk springs were hitting each other.

Did age play a part for me? I was about 22 at the time, so very likely. I've seen it happen through my life, but your dealer sounds particularly bad. Hopefully you can switch dealers without any trouble!

 

Service has been very good for my FEH. Since everything is at 10k intervals, things aren't bad. The dealer who services my car was not the dealer that I bought the FEH with (though I had bought by '01 Escape there) -- but here's something telling about the business these days - there's a display in the service write-up area with license plate frames from other local and regional dealers -- bragging that they service without any hassles any Fords that drop by! Good policy, and always keeps them busy between those that bought cars there, others like myself, and the large contract they have with county government - fixing all those police Crown Vics.
Plus the service writeup guys know that FEH parts like filters and O-rings aren't always around, so I call a week in advance and they order 'em up for me. And they know to schedule the trained FEH tech, too. Nice.

 

An update on my situation...

The service team responded to my email quickly and I received a call today. They provided what seems to be a good service solution. A tech and the service advisor will ride with me and I will indicate the noises to the both of them on the road. They said they will provide a car for transportation if there is a problem requiring an extended service. Finally they tactfully apologized for my experience and declared that they are committed to making me (and every customer) comfortable and providing service that will make me want to return.

That seems appropriate enough to me, I'll update after my driving experience on Monday.

 

I have had issues with my dealer also. My first issue was the lack of a cabin air filter. They at first said Ford forgot to install it , then they decided there was no cabin air filter on FEH's. Thanks to stevewa , I put one in myself.

Next was my first oil change. I called the dealer 4 days before the visit and asked them to make sure they had the filter and to call me if they were not going to be able to do it.

I did not hear from them. When I arrived I also pointed out to them that the button on the parking brake handle was stuck in and was hard to release. They did not have the handle and would order it for me. After about an hour they said "oops we got the filter , but no "O" ring. I told them to get the ring and the brake lever and I would see them in a week.

One week later they had it all. They changed my oil and installed the parking brake handle. They got oil or grease all over my seats and got scratches all over the new brake handle ...They tried to remove the grease and failed..They offered to get another brake handle... I declined.

I decided not to go back for the first tire rotation and had a tire shop do it.

Three weeks later I started having some brake noise and decided to give them one more shot. They said the tire shop MIGHT have warped my disc's--- they were slightly out of true... I dunno but, this new advisor was no nonsense and I hope he stays there.

I told Ford ,in their Viewpoint poll , about these events.
I have heard nothing from them and frankly don't expect to.

I do like my FEH ... but, the dealer experience is lousy.