Charging Port Needs to be Replaced (New Truck Didn't Even Get Us Home from the Dealership)

[VA Vikes Fan]

Quick update. I picked up my Lightning at Malloy Ford in Charlottesville this morning. They hooked it up to their Level 2 charger overnight and it was almost 100 percent charged when we got there. We debated hooking it up to a DC charger in Charlottesville, but decided to just come home. We enjoyed the ride home in the Lightning. Almost like riding in a luxury car. I think my wife was even begrudgingly impressed.

We will try out DC charging when we are in town tomorrow. I figure if there is a problem at that point, I can just work with my local dealership.

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[loveurdj]

Sounds like a run of bad luck, I'm sure you will love this truck. Could have been any of us. Best of luck going forward.

 

[VA Vikes Fan]

Good news! I was able to successfully hook up to a DC charger today and charge up. Unlike last week's misadventures, this time it was all pretty straightforward. I am loving my new Lightning. Many thanks to all of you for your support and suggestions these last few days.

 

[rvedala]

Totally empathize with your situation. I had a slightly different experience where we ended up towing our one week old Lightning to a charging station, and this happened on our Wedding Anniversary. No problems after that initial hiccup. Wishing that you make the best decision and have positive driving experiences.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Are you a car salesman or something?

Dealers should have to compete with every dealer in a 500 mile radius on price and service. If they believe that dealerships provide value over letting manufacturers sell directly then they need to put their money where their mouths are. (Frequently on their backsides, it turns out..)

This is a scummy dealer that didn't charge up a truck before delivery - probably because they knew the charging port didn't work after failing to charge it to 100% pre-delivery - and the OP is giving them too much credit. Name and shame, please!

The reality is that new vehicles frequently arrive at dealerships with some defect that needs to be corrected. Discovering and fixing those things before selling the vehicle is one of the few jobs a new car dealership has that actually means anything of value. Most of the time the defects are repaired and you buy your new vehicle thinking it came perfect from the factory. This one failed at it.

To the OP: You're going to love the truck once it's right. This is no big deal from the truck's perspective. It's just that the dealer is souring your experience!

You can’t blame the dealer in this one. Likely they only have a level 2 charger and as another poster shared there is a good chance that it worked fine. Then like the brand new dealer that I bought mine from only had 7kw setups so they likely started to charge it but it didn’t finish.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Agree with this, 100%. The dealer did you wrong and should be called out. If not here, you ought to complain to Ford directly as that dealer should not be selling EV's. Like Rick pointed out, they knew you had a long commute to get home. ZERO reasons why that truck should not have been fully charged. Also, ZERO excuses for not doing a full inspection to make sure the truck was in working order. I'm glad Ford is forcing dealers to put in DCFC so they can actually inspect and verify full functionality.

@VA Vikes Fan I think you should also call out the dealership that helped you out, it sounds like they did a great job and should be given due credit.

Wow Karen, you sure are a negative Nelly. They can’t test everything. That is what the warranty is for. Shoot I had a scratched piece of glass that I didn’t notice until I got home. Amazing they ordered a new side window and they are installing it. Again that is what the warranty is for.

Yes the OP situation sucks, but you can’t place the blame on the dealer.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Maybe I'm different but, I dont need or want the dealer to explain to me how my truck works. I like exploring at my own leisure and probably seen enough videos on the vehicle to know more than they do.

Also a failing pin design is a FORD issue and not a dealer issue.

I agree 1,000,000. I was so pissed they wouldn’t let me leave until the less than knowledgeable EV specialist did his dog and pony show. On so many occasions I had to show him how to operate the truck.

 

[Zprime29]

Yes the OP situation sucks, but you can’t place the blame on the dealer.

The dealer knew the buyer was traveling from out of town and would be road tripping back. How would you feel if they sent you packing with half a tank of gas and the fuel door was stuck? I don't expect a dealer to check everything but I do expect them to take care of me and to check critical systems. The Honda dealership I bought my Pilot from had a 2 page (front and back) inspection report I received at delivery. Not one issue with that car. It builds customer loyalty.

Why shouldn't we hold dealerships to a higher standard? I might be more willing to overlook things if they excelled overall but buying a car is up there with public speaking. Most people hate it. Experiences like this are why, there's no motivation to take care of the customer. I have no shame calling people out when they suck at their job. You will also notice that I asked to call out the one that was doing a good job. Do Karen's ever give praise? I'm just as quick to sing the glory of good service or products. I try my best to give credit when credit is due.

 

[Grease Lightning]

I would feel exactly the same. The dealer was under no obligation to fill up my gas either. The truck had a warranty issue, nuff said

 

[Zprime29]

That attitude contributes to the poor customer service we see in many places. When the customer doesn't care, the service provider will abuse. If I'm paying for service, I demand it be good service. I speak with my wallet, poor service means you don't earn my money in the future. And I will gladly overpay when the service warrants it. If I still lived in San Antonio, I would only buy vehicles from Gunn dealerships because they've always treated me well and I never had anything but a stellar experience with them. They are the only dealership I've taken vehicles to for routine maintenance.

I'm on the fence about the Ford dealership here. They've had loaners for me and the SA has had good communication. But they need to try a little harder after having to argue with them about the CSP for the HVB. The customer should not have to be more knowledgeable than the provider to achieve quality service. It's...their...job.... In excusable that someone not being paid to know is more knowledgeable than those who are getting paid. That would be like a NFL fan in the bleachers being able to throw the ball better than the QB on the field. There's a reason the professionals get paid, we should demand that they be better.

Sorry for ranting, apathy is major pet peeve of mine. I mean no disrespect to anyone.

 

[Grease Lightning]

That attitude contributes to the poor customer service we see in many places. When the customer doesn't care, the service provider will abuse. If I'm paying for service, I demand it be good service. I speak with my wallet, poor service means you don't earn my money in the future. And I will gladly overpay when the service warrants it. If I still lived in San Antonio, I would only buy vehicles from Gunn dealerships because they've always treated me well and I never had anything but a stellar experience with them. They are the only dealership I've taken vehicles to for routine maintenance.

I'm on the fence about the Ford dealership here. They've had loaners for me and the SA has had good communication. But they need to try a little harder after having to argue with them about the CSP for the HVB. The customer should not have to be more knowledgeable than the provider to achieve quality service. It's...their...job.... In excusable that someone not being paid to know is more knowledgeable than those who are getting paid. That would be like a NFL fan in the bleachers being able to throw the ball better than the QB on the field. There's a reason the professionals get paid, we should demand that they be better.

Sorry for ranting, apathy is major pet peeve of mine. I mean no disrespect to anyone.

I bought a Truck from a Ford dealership….not a Mercedes. My expectations are balanced by what and where I am at. I don’t expect McDonalds to do table service and use china….

I get what you are saying I do. I do sadly realize Ford is not a luxury dealer so I am happy they have me water while making me wait 5-hours to complete my sale….

 

[Zprime29]

I bought a Truck from a Ford dealership….not a Mercedes. My expectations are balanced by what and where I am at. I don’t expect McDonalds to do table service and use china….

I get what you are saying I do. I do sadly realize Ford is not a luxury dealer so I am happy they have me water while making me wait 5-hours to complete my sale….

Can't argue with that...and 5 hours...ouch.

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