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First and last ford (spoiler: it’s not the truck)

NeuralFlow

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To start, I love the truck. It’s my favorite vehicle I’ve owned. Period. It’s not perfect, but it’s so good that its flaws have been easy to live with.
What’s not easy to live with is Ford Customer Support and terrible dealer service.

First, the paint on my tailgate started to bubble and peel a few weeks after delivery. I tried to get the dealer to take care of it, but they wanted to hold the truck while they sent a warranty repair request for repainting the tailgate. On top of that they said they can’t remove the tailgate and spray it separately, they have to keep the truck. They wouldn’t offer any kind of loaner vehicle and said it could take weeks. So that never happened. I need my vehicle, and I can’t be paying for weeks on a rental without a known end date.

Then, I bought a hard folding bed cover with the truck. After less than a year the glue on one of the panels failed and it came apart. I went in about warranty options and the service desk initially just ignored the fact I was in the room. They were to busy taking about some college sport for a school I pretty sure none of them have any affiliation with (not judging, but don’t blow off customers to pretend your an undiscovered nick saban). After getting someone’s attention they tell me there’s no record of my purchase. Like I don’t own the damn truck. Finally someone else gets in and figures it out. Then they tell me theres no record of me purchasing a bed cover. So I give them the receipt. Then they just tell me that ford never covers warranty claims on accessories. End of conversation. I tried calling another dealership nearby and they were even less helpful than that useless twat. So my bed cover went straight into a dumpster. F@ck you very much ford.

finally, the nail in the coffin for ford service. Being accused of lying to get a “free adapter”. Seriously! Since the sign up for the charging adapters was announced, I moved. We are military so we tend to do that on occasion. I went on fords website and updated my information. Now the adapters ship and mine went to my old address in another state. I called the service line to see if they could help sort this out. I was told the only way to update an address for ford parts is by calling. They don’t bother looking at their own internal systems when customers update addresses. Even months after an order. They don’t even check with the customer that the address on file is correct after a six month delay. Who does that? Ford. Apparently the answer is ford does that. What makes this worse, is this call center rep basically accused me of trying to get an additional free adapter. I didn’t choose to move. I also didn’t choose to promise an adapter to all previous lightning buyers. I’m just trying to fix the screw up from Ford apparently using computer software from the 90s.

But that call was it for me. If I ever buy something with a ford badge again, it’ll be 50 years old and won’t go anywhere near a dealership. Again, love the truck. Can’t stand the company and its baggage.
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NeuralFlow

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F-150 Lightning
To start, I love the truck. It’s my favorite vehicle I’ve owned. Period. It’s not perfect, but it’s so good that its flaws have been easy to live with.
What’s not easy to live with is Ford Customer Support and terrible dealer service.

First, the paint on my tailgate started to bubble and peel a few weeks after delivery. I tried to get the dealer to take care of it, but they wanted to hold the truck while they sent a warranty repair request for repainting the tailgate. On top of that they said they can’t remove the tailgate and spray it separately, they have to keep the truck. They wouldn’t offer any kind of loaner vehicle and said it could take weeks. So that never happened. I need my vehicle, and I can’t be paying for weeks on a rental without a known end date.

Then, I bought a hard folding bed cover with the truck. After less than a year the glue on one of the panels failed and it came apart. I went in about warranty options and the service desk initially just ignored the fact I was in the room. They were to busy taking about some college sport for a school I pretty sure none of them have any affiliation with (not judging, but don’t blow off customers to pretend your an undiscovered nick saban). After getting someone’s attention they tell me there’s no record of my purchase. Like I don’t own the damn truck. Finally someone else gets in and figures it out. Then they tell me theres no record of me purchasing a bed cover. So I give them the receipt. Then they just tell me that ford never covers warranty claims on accessories. End of conversation. I tried calling another dealership nearby and they were even less helpful than that useless twat. So my bed cover went straight into a dumpster. F@ck you very much ford.

finally, the nail in the coffin for ford service. Being accused of lying to get a “free adapter”. Seriously! Since the sign up for the charging adapters was announced, I moved. We are military so we tend to do that on occasion. I went on fords website and updated my information. Now the adapters ship and mine went to my old address in another state. I called the service line to see if they could help sort this out. I was told the only way to update an address for ford parts is by calling. They don’t bother looking at their own internal systems when customers update addresses. Even months after an order. They don’t even check with the customer that the address on file is correct after a six month delay. Who does that? Ford. Apparently the answer is ford does that. What makes this worse, is this call center rep basically accused me of trying to get an additional free adapter. I didn’t choose to move. I also didn’t choose to promise an adapter to all previous lightning buyers. I’m just trying to fix the screw up from Ford apparently using computer software from the 90s.

But that call was it for me. If I ever buy something with a ford badge again, it’ll be 50 years old and won’t go anywhere near a dealership. Again, love the truck. Can’t stand the company and its baggage.
 

Henry Ford

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I'd like to argue with you about how your experience is an outlier and Ford really does a great job with customer service but I can't because they don't.

Find a dealer that will take care of your tailgate without taking your truck. When you find that dealer give them more business and tell us about it. People, rightly, complain about their dealer experience all the time but rarely call them out by name or praise the good ones.
 

TaxmanHog

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@Ford Motor Company

Looks like another rough day on the front lines, lack of proper customer service is causing the loss of customers.
 

chrisvitek1

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I have been dealing with Bob Bell Ford for years. Glen Burney, Maryland. I have a 22 ER Lariat w/ 31K miles. The heater stopped working. Yesterday, I was 2 hours late for my appointment, no problem. I needed a ride home, within seconds of me asking, there was a driver standing in front of me ready to drive me home. They called later to say that one of the batteries needed replacement. They said it might take 2 weeks. They immediately followed this with an offer of a free rental car. They delivered the rental car to my home at 8:30 this morning.

I understand the frustration with the adapter and the bed cover. I work in the customer service business and Ford Corporate can do better. And, it sound like the your Ford dealer needs less business. Please publish their name so others can avoid them.
 

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ZSLC

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This is Fords Achilles heal. They will claim that dealers are independent and they have no control, so sorry your experience is off. I call BS. If McDonalds can provide quality oversight of their franchisees then so can Ford. I cannot walk into a Ford dealer and buy a new Honda so let's stop pretending you don't have any control over your dealers. Your brand language is in there from floor to ceiling to make sure I know I am at a Ford dealer. Yet, you continue to hide behind the dealership model and refuse to do anything about the bad apples.
 

TaxmanHog

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If I were the franchise compliance officer at FORD, many dealer agreements would be terminated on expiration or sooner for egregious negligence of the brand.
 

Grease Lightning

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I am sorry you had that experience. Like several have stated Ford needs to step up the requirements in their franchise compliance. Many of us have had great service. Mine has been great even following up with me when @Ford Motor Company denied my warranty request for a factory creased seat cushion. They clearly tried, but rather then replace a $100 piece of fabric, I get to see a wrinkled seat everyday in my expensive electric truck. So yeah blame goes out to @Ford Motor Company for not standing by their “Built Ford Tough” and actually warranting their workmanship issues.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 19104

Guest
To start, I love the truck. It’s my favorite vehicle I’ve owned. Period. It’s not perfect, but it’s so good that its flaws have been easy to live with.
What’s not easy to live with is Ford Customer Support and terrible dealer service.

First, the paint on my tailgate started to bubble and peel a few weeks after delivery. I tried to get the dealer to take care of it, but they wanted to hold the truck while they sent a warranty repair request for repainting the tailgate. On top of that they said they can’t remove the tailgate and spray it separately, they have to keep the truck. They wouldn’t offer any kind of loaner vehicle and said it could take weeks. So that never happened. I need my vehicle, and I can’t be paying for weeks on a rental without a known end date.

Then, I bought a hard folding bed cover with the truck. After less than a year the glue on one of the panels failed and it came apart. I went in about warranty options and the service desk initially just ignored the fact I was in the room. They were to busy taking about some college sport for a school I pretty sure none of them have any affiliation with (not judging, but don’t blow off customers to pretend your an undiscovered nick saban). After getting someone’s attention they tell me there’s no record of my purchase. Like I don’t own the damn truck. Finally someone else gets in and figures it out. Then they tell me theres no record of me purchasing a bed cover. So I give them the receipt. Then they just tell me that ford never covers warranty claims on accessories. End of conversation. I tried calling another dealership nearby and they were even less helpful than that useless twat. So my bed cover went straight into a dumpster. F@ck you very much ford.

finally, the nail in the coffin for ford service. Being accused of lying to get a “free adapter”. Seriously! Since the sign up for the charging adapters was announced, I moved. We are military so we tend to do that on occasion. I went on fords website and updated my information. Now the adapters ship and mine went to my old address in another state. I called the service line to see if they could help sort this out. I was told the only way to update an address for ford parts is by calling. They don’t bother looking at their own internal systems when customers update addresses. Even months after an order. They don’t even check with the customer that the address on file is correct after a six month delay. Who does that? Ford. Apparently the answer is ford does that. What makes this worse, is this call center rep basically accused me of trying to get an additional free adapter. I didn’t choose to move. I also didn’t choose to promise an adapter to all previous lightning buyers. I’m just trying to fix the screw up from Ford apparently using computer software from the 90s.

But that call was it for me. If I ever buy something with a ford badge again, it’ll be 50 years old and won’t go anywhere near a dealership. Again, love the truck. Can’t stand the company and its baggage.
I’m with you. @Ford Motor Company is terrible. Will never purchase another Ford again. I could care less how T3 ends up looking. In fact, as soon as I can get out of the negative equity caused by Ford when they tanked the values, I’ll be moving on and not looking back.
 

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NeuralFlow

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I’m with you. @Ford Motor Company is terrible. Will never purchase another Ford again. I could care less how T3 ends up looking. In fact, as soon as I can get out of the negative equity caused by Ford when they tanked the values, I’ll be moving on and not looking back.
I just reserved a scout. If its as good as it seems ill be selling and moving on when it comes out. hopefully I’m not upside down when that happens, or if I am not much. Which is a shame, I hone thought this would be a 10-15 years truck for me. It’s so good… except that one problem.
 
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NeuralFlow

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I have been dealing with Bob Bell Ford for years. Glen Burney, Maryland. I have a 22 ER Lariat w/ 31K miles. The heater stopped working. Yesterday, I was 2 hours late for my appointment, no problem. I needed a ride home, within seconds of me asking, there was a driver standing in front of me ready to drive me home. They called later to say that one of the batteries needed replacement. They said it might take 2 weeks. They immediately followed this with an offer of a free rental car. They delivered the rental car to my home at 8:30 this morning.

I understand the frustration with the adapter and the bed cover. I work in the customer service business and Ford Corporate can do better. And, it sound like the your Ford dealer needs less business. Please publish their name so others can avoid them.
both linsey ford in silver spring, md and sheeny ford in Springfield, VA have been… less than helpful to say it nice. What’s funny is the only thing they seem to be good at is calling me to try and sell me a new truck. Hard pass.

edit: I can’t remember the name, but the ford dealership in Bastrop, Tx (my home away from home) didn’t even seem interested in trying to work me in to a schedule when I was going to be in town for a month. I get it, first comes first serve. But not even an attempt to help me.
 

Deleted member 19104

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I just reserved a scout. If its as good as it seems ill be selling and moving on when it comes out. hopefully I’m not upside down when that happens, or if I am not much. Which is a shame, I hone thought this would be a 10-15 years truck for me. It’s so good… except that one problem.
I was able to trade my Lightning in for a 2024 Silverado EV RST. The Chevy dealership I worked with was awesome and we came to a good deal, although I don’t think they were happy about the trade in value they gave me.

The Silverado EV is incredible. Only had it for a couple weeks but first experience is that the vehicle great all around. The tech is great. The software is snappy. Feels well built. Tows well. The range is everything promised (and more). Overall, so happy that I made the switch! Interior finishes could be improved but not significantly worse than the Lightning.
 

chrisvitek1

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On the Silverado, check to see if the left rear window can be lowered from the driver's seat.
 

TaxmanHog

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I was able to trade my Lightning in for a 2024 Silverado EV RST. The Chevy dealership I worked with was awesome and we came to a good deal, although I don’t think they were happy about the trade in value they gave me.
You might want to update your vehicle profile, it's good that you're still hanging with us and providing feedback on the Chevy. Mention both so that folks aren't puzzled why a 'Chevy Guy' is hanging around the Ford Lightning forums.

Ford F-150 Lightning First and last ford (spoiler: it’s not the truck) 1731587723190-5t
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