New Ford Owner - Looking for Service options

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maxeon

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#1227850 2-Feb-2015 16:16

maxeon:
sep11guy: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-834425845.htm

listed for 32k , could have nego'd for 29-30ish

Thanks, but ..

1 - It is an Import
2 - It is a Petrol version

Petrol versions are often cheaper than Diesel equivalents in Kuga.

And - the interior is completely different. No where close to what features the NZ New Titanium model has.

mdf

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#1227858 2-Feb-2015 16:23

Have you read the fine print of the warranty? It should set out the terms and conditions.

In particular, not all warranties are "warranties" (believe it or not). Sometimes a warranty is actually a warranty (in the sense that the supplier of the product warrants (represents) that it will last a certain period of time - if the good doesn't last that long, the manufacturer is in breach of the warranty and is liable for damages - essentially replacing or fixing the good). But in relation to cars, a lot of "warranties" are actually something usually called "Mechanical Breakdown Insurance" or similar. Like other insurance policies, you pay a premium to the insurer in order to get cover for a specific event happening - in this case, a break down. And the premium for cars is often paid by the manufacturer.

From the consumer's perspective, this amounts to basically the same thing. But from the car manufacturers perspective, it takes the contingent liability of paying out for breakdowns off their books and on to the insurer.

But, for you (and it took me a while to get there) it often means that the insurers are somewhat more flexible about who fixes/services the car - they have no vested interest in it going back to Ford, so long as it is still serviced by someone competent.

A quick goople found this. Not directly relevant for you (as its a used vehicle warranty), but essentially a "Ford Solutions" product is actually provided by Vero. You have to get the car serviced by a "Ford Authorised Repairer" (someone approved by Vero), not necessarily a Ford Dealer or a Ford Service Center.

It may well be that your usual mechanic is an authorised repairer (I'm almost certain mine is - Midas Newtown, Dave and Thinus are awesome), but you should double check.

AND obviously check your own terms and conditions first. It may well be that the new car warranty/mechanical breakdown insurance is different.

--//--

Completely off topic, but this seems to be my 200th post. Only took like 6 years.

maxeon

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#1230503 3-Feb-2015 13:27

After emailing Ford - I received the following response.

To [Name],

Thank you for your email to the Ford Motor Company of New Zealand.

In response to your email, we recommend that you service your vehicle at a Ford Dealer because they have access to specialist tools required and technical expertise should the need arise.

If you choose to have your vehicle serviced by an independent mechanic, please ensure that they tick, sign and stamp the relevant pages in the back of your Owner’s Manual to indicate completion of the required servicing schedule. We recommend all services be carried out in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. This will ensure that your new vehicle warranty remains valid. Also, we recommend that Ford Genuine Parts are used, as Ford will not warrant non-genuine parts and any consequential damage they cause to your vehicle.

Furthermore, we cannot diagnose any concern that you may have with your vehicle, unless you take your vehicle to a Ford Dealership for assessment.

We hope this clarifies the situation and we trust that you will enjoy many happy and safe years of Ford

Regards,

[Name]
Customer Service Representative
Customer Relationship Centre

Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Limited
Tel 0800 FORD NZ | Fax +64 (0) 9539 4115

Postal address: Private Bag 76912, Manukau City 2241, New Zealand
www.ford.co.nz

sep11guy

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#1230532 3-Feb-2015 13:43

maxeon: After emailing Ford - I received the following response.

To [Name], Thank you for your email to the Ford Motor Company of New Zealand. In response to your email, we recommend that you service your vehicle at a Ford Dealer because they have access to specialist tools required and technical expertise should the need arise. If you choose to have your vehicle serviced by an independent mechanic, please ensure that they tick, sign and stamp the relevant pages in the back of your Owner’s Manual to indicate completion of the required servicing schedule. We recommend all services be carried out in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. This will ensure that your new vehicle warranty remains valid. Also, we recommend that Ford Genuine Parts are used, as Ford will not warrant non-genuine parts and any consequential damage they cause to your vehicle. Furthermore, we cannot diagnose any concern that you may have with your vehicle, unless you take your vehicle to a Ford Dealership for assessment.
We hope this clarifies the situation and we trust that you will enjoy many happy and safe years of Ford Regards, [Name]
Customer Service Representative
Customer Relationship Centre

Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Limited
Tel 0800 FORD NZ | Fax +64 (0) 9539 4115 Postal address: Private Bag 76912, Manukau City 2241, New Zealand
www.ford.co.nz

pls allow me to break it down into layman language : ( in lighter vein , pls take no offense ;) )

access to specialist tools required and technical expertise should the need arise. = We have got branded name tools and overqualified overpaid staff and we need to cover the bills

we recommend that Ford Genuine Parts are used, as Ford will not warrant non-genuine parts and any consequential damage they cause to your vehicle. = We will charge you 7.5 times the amount because we have a local warehouse filled with parts and it costs to maintain the operation.

we cannot diagnose any concern that you may have with your vehicle, unless you take your vehicle to a Ford Dealership for assessment. = please bring in your vehicle to our place, were we will inspect it and try to find out a fault and point out to you that it wasnt covered under warranty but its general wear and tear and you would have to pay an arm to get it fixed with genuine parts.

TLD

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#1230571 3-Feb-2015 14:49

They guard some of the specialist equipment very tightly. When electronic dashes were introduced in the early 2000s one of my best buddies was on on the section that controlled a lot of that stuff, and he carried a laptop that could adjust things like the odometer. The bugger point blank refused to give us access, and he was far from being a pedantic jobs worth. I imagine the reality is that as soon as that software gets to the dealers, it is going to start leaking out to dodgy folk, and looking back on it, it is good that my buddy took his job seriously.

Hmmm... I just Googled and of course there are stacks of links on how to hack your dash.

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

jonathan18

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#1230649 3-Feb-2015 16:26

maxeon:
Dratsab:
maxeon: Also doing some maths diesel economy might not work as I hoped for when adding RUC to it.

This is the thing that a lot of people don't seem to factor in when buying a diesel. That and the higher costs associated with engine servicing if something goes wrong. Be careful to always keep on top of the RUC - the fines associated with not doing so are triple the cost of any overage detected [or at least they used to be], on top of which you still have to pay for that distance!

True... Although I hope they change the law for the new vehicles. The engines (crdi) are much more reliable and reduced emissions than the old models and even compared to some Petrol vehicles. The more economical they are the more counter productive it is working when we do the 0.06 per km RUC math.

Good idea buying privately but within the period of warranty - this is what we've done recently and I think it provides that ideal balance between value for money and peace of mind.

One more thing to watch out for with newer-generation diesels, however, is the burning off of particulate that happens every few hundred kms.

I've got a diesel Mazda6 Ltd (same 2.2 SkyActiv engine you refer to above), which is absolutely brilliant, other than this automatic and unavoidable burn-off process. It happens without warning. It's a damn annoyance when it happens around town because 1. the car needs to be doing at least 80km to work 2. it needs about 10-15 minutes of driving AND 3. it uses a stupid amount of fuel while it's happening (and definitely puts a dent in the supposed overall efficency figures).

I'd find it far less frustrating if there was some user control over the process, eg an ability to delay the process for up to x kms. It also does point towards something I wasn't fully aware of at the time - diesel is more appropriate for vehicles spending a decent amount of time on the open road, not primarily limited to the city limits.

Diesel vehichles also pay more for licencing - a significant proportion more. This, the higher servicing costs*, the absolutely $#^%$ed RUC charging regime... all conspire against the economics of owning a diesel unless one is driving for quite some distance each year.

* Luckily servicing costs aren't a problem for us yet as Mazda are one of the few brands that provide free servicing for the period of the warranty (three years). Both 'bills' we've received from the dealership thus far have been $400-500, so I'm glad not to be paying them; not sure if I'll still be having it serviced there once out of warranty...

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maxeon

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#1230655 3-Feb-2015 16:45

jonathan18:
One more thing to watch out for with newer-generation diesels, however, is the burning off of particulate that happens every few hundred kms.

What do you mean by burning off of particulate ?

jonathan18

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#1230695 3-Feb-2015 18:18

maxeon:
jonathan18:
One more thing to watch out for with newer-generation diesels, however, is the burning off of particulate that happens every few hundred kms.

What do you mean by burning off of particulate ?

See material such as http://www.jlmlubricants.com/en/how-diesel-particulate-filters-work

I didn't know about this prior to buying a diesel, but I guess it's a direct consequence of making a technology previously considered a major contributor to air pollution more environmentally acceptable.

Check your manual for information on how your car manages the burn-off but I'm assuming it has some automatic process such as my 6 has.

maxeon

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#1240673 17-Feb-2015 10:53

UPDATE:

Learnt my lesson the hard way.

Went to oilchangers.co.nz in Burswood / Botany and they promised for a full service for 160 dollars with a Fully Synthetic oil to be used. He was super confident that he can cover all warranty servicing and they advertise the same on their website.

He showed me the air filter was dirty enough and should be changed, and agree to sell a new OEM standard suitable one for 54 dollars.

After draining the oil, he was not able to get into the engine to replace the oil filter. They did not have the right tools and it requires some special ford equipment to get into the half way of the engine.

He refilled the car with new oil and said Sorry you need to go to ford. Charged me for the air filter obviously.

Speaking to ford now and the oil he replaced cannot be used when they swap out the oil filter because they need to re-fill it with their version of the oil.

So - waste of time and money doing the above. Going to ford now for full service for $350 dollars :)

Wheelbarrow01

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#1241537 18-Feb-2015 12:38

maxeon: UPDATE:

Learnt my lesson the hard way.

Went to oilchangers.co.nz in Burswood / Botany and they promised for a full service for 160 dollars with a Fully Synthetic oil to be used. He was super confident that he can cover all warranty servicing and they advertise the same on their website.

He showed me the air filter was dirty enough and should be changed, and agree to sell a new OEM standard suitable one for 54 dollars.

After draining the oil, he was not able to get into the engine to replace the oil filter. They did not have the right tools and it requires some special ford equipment to get into the half way of the engine.

He refilled the car with new oil and said Sorry you need to go to ford. Charged me for the air filter obviously.

Speaking to ford now and the oil he replaced cannot be used when they swap out the oil filter because they need to re-fill it with their version of the oil.

So - waste of time and money doing the above. Going to ford now for full service for $350 dollars :)

I have a 2012 Ford Ranger and even though I'm a cheap bugger I have succumbed to the necessary evil of getting it serviced at the dealer, but I know that nothing is being missed which does give me piece of mind. It is the most I've ever spent on a car by a long way so I need to ensure it's looked after.

BUT - you have to shop around - I just got my 90000km service done at Team Hutchinson Ford here in Christchurch. Their estimate for the work ($530) was a little more than half what the other Ford dealer in Christchurch quoted me ($980). That's right, HALF! The final bill was within $50 of the estimate so I was very happy. 15000km service intervals make the higher cost per service not quite so bad.

They also did things that were not on the estimate but identified as needing attention (service bulletins) which was all covered under the warranty.

And while I am on the subject of warranties, I have extended my factory Ford warranty to 6 years/unlimited kms. It did cost me $1600 but it offers peace of mind that should my gearbox or something equally expensive crap itself at 105000kms I am not up for a horrible bill. The extension is offered direct by Ford and there is no excess - it's a direct extension of the factory warranty and is well worth considering.

When I had my old shape Ranger I did take it to Oil Changers for the minor servicing as it was out of warranty anyway, but still got the major stuff done at Ford (ie cambelt) as they know what they're doing and have the right tools. Anyone who needs to read the Haynes manual before working on your car doesn't deserve the work in my opinion - I'm not paying by the hour for them to read up and learn how to work on my car......

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

maxeon

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#1241542 18-Feb-2015 12:42

Wheelbarrow01:
maxeon: UPDATE:

Learnt my lesson the hard way.

Went to oilchangers.co.nz in Burswood / Botany and they promised for a full service for 160 dollars with a Fully Synthetic oil to be used. He was super confident that he can cover all warranty servicing and they advertise the same on their website.

He showed me the air filter was dirty enough and should be changed, and agree to sell a new OEM standard suitable one for 54 dollars.

After draining the oil, he was not able to get into the engine to replace the oil filter. They did not have the right tools and it requires some special ford equipment to get into the half way of the engine.

He refilled the car with new oil and said Sorry you need to go to ford. Charged me for the air filter obviously.

Speaking to ford now and the oil he replaced cannot be used when they swap out the oil filter because they need to re-fill it with their version of the oil.

So - waste of time and money doing the above. Going to ford now for full service for $350 dollars :)

I have a 2012 Ford Ranger and even though I'm a cheap bugger I have succumbed to the necessary evil of getting it serviced at the dealer, but I know that nothing is being missed which does give me piece of mind. It is the most I've ever spent on a car by a long way so I need to ensure it's looked after.

BUT - you have to shop around - I just got my 90000km service done at Team Hutchinson Ford here in Christchurch. Their estimate for the work ($530) was a little more than half what the other Ford dealer in Christchurch quoted me ($980). That's right, HALF! The final bill was within $50 of the estimate so I was very happy. 15000km service intervals make the higher cost per service not quite so bad.

They also did things that were not on the estimate but identified as needing attention (service bulletins) which was all covered under the warranty.

And while I am on the subject of warranties, I have extended my factory Ford warranty to 6 years/unlimited kms. It did cost me $1600 but it offers peace of mind that should my gearbox or something equally expensive crap itself at 105000kms I am not up for a horrible bill. The extension is offered direct by Ford and there is no excess - it's a direct extension of the factory warranty and is well worth considering.

When I had my old shape Ranger I did take it to Oil Changers for the minor servicing as it was out of warranty anyway, but still got the major stuff done at Ford (ie cambelt) as they know what they're doing and have the right tools. Anyone who needs to read the Haynes manual before working on your car doesn't deserve the work in my opinion - I'm not paying by the hour for them to read up and learn how to work on my car......

+1

I have asked couple of Ford Service locations for a quote and the ladies on the phone expressed it could be up to $500. I don't need to service Ford every 10,000 kms like Toyota, so I guess I will take that.

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#1244786 23-Feb-2015 13:45

maxeon: UPDATE:

Learnt my lesson the hard way.

Went to oilchangers.co.nz in Burswood / Botany and they promised for a full service for 160 dollars with a Fully Synthetic oil to be used. He was super confident that he can cover all warranty servicing and they advertise the same on their website.

He showed me the air filter was dirty enough and should be changed, and agree to sell a new OEM standard suitable one for 54 dollars.

After draining the oil, he was not able to get into the engine to replace the oil filter. They did not have the right tools and it requires some special ford equipment to get into the half way of the engine.

He refilled the car with new oil and said Sorry you need to go to ford. Charged me for the air filter obviously.

Speaking to ford now and the oil he replaced cannot be used when they swap out the oil filter because they need to re-fill it with their version of the oil.

So - waste of time and money doing the above. Going to ford now for full service for $350 dollars :)

Most manufacturers are heading down this road. It means there dealers are guaranteed service work which boosts their income as they only stock genuine parts. I had to replace the transmission dipstick on my car and could only get one from Subaru for $60 +gst

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