ComplaintsforSunland Ford

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We got a new 2018 **** explorer from Sunland, **** & the extended warranty.The suv soon began over heating. We called customer service and we were stranded for 3 days before it got towed to Sunland on May 31 2023. I got a text from ************* says(Its ***** at Sunland Ford. On your Explorer, had a chance to inspect it the fluid leak and the noise is the water pump. I do have a little bit of a different problem with it and that is that coolant has started mixing with the oil. I will be working with your extended warranty on a possible engine).We were toldwe had 2 choices: go with a engine from **** Motor or a used one. My husband and I decided to go with the new engine,and he said there was going to be a fee.Even though we have extend warranty.After my *** was there for weeks, I called *****. He never returned our messages to him or his general Manager about whats going on with my suv and if they were able to get me a loaner. After almost 2 weeks or even longer, we went to Sunland ford and neither of them would help us. My husband went and spoke to the sales manager and told him what was happening,told them that when we bought the *** everything was covered under extended warranty. They look at our account spoke to the general manager and got a loaner in a few days. Now, after waiting for 7 months and not getting my suv fixed, ***** texted and said ( there really only one choice we have at this point and it is the used motor).We agreed BUT... before all that, they said that they cant provide a loaner any longer.I asked why if a have a extended warranty that it was all covered, their excuse is I went over the mileage.Months have passed, and dont have my *** and they won't provide me with a loaner. The warranty & repair is their responsibility. My *** is full of mold They need to make this right. Either fix my *** or provide me with a loaner while we are waiting for them.

  Business response

  12/27/2023

  Hi,

  We have spoken with the customer and the reason for not providing any more loaners was the customer was driving beyond the miles allowed. ******** was told about the allowable mileage on the loaners. This happen on 2 loaners we provided already. The service manager *************************** decided to not allow any more loaners. Loaners were provided by the dealership as warranty didn't provide any rentals. Later on in the process the customer came in to talk with my general sales manager *********************** and he got with me on the situation. We decided to provide another loaner to them and they promised to get it back to us before they went over the miles. We didn't have communication where everyone was on same page as why the customer went over on miles. ******** stated they were very satisfied with that discission. Once we get the customers engine done will will clean up their vehicle for them as well. As I do agree if one of our employees smoked or put cigarettes in their vehicle that we don't tolerate this and they deserve their vehicle cleaned.  

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I used a scan tool before taking the car to Ford which gave me a code *****, ****** "B " actuator circuit low. On 10/6/21, I drove my car to Sunland Ford and told the advisor there was an episode where the car would not go reverse and the engine light came on at that time, but the light disappeared. I told them the code that I got from the scan tool. They made an appointment for Nov,8. The car was taken back for the Appt. The advisor texted me and advised repair service for the problem and I gave the okay. When I picked the car up the advisor said I had a year warranty. My car had the same problem within the warranty period, so I took car back. The advisor text me saying they found a problem with the catalytic converter and other problems they wanted to repair but failed to take care of my primary issue of the car not going in reverse at times. After talking with the service manager ****** *******, he said he could not use the code I gave him and the code they got was ***** throttle body issue. I asked him what a throttle body has to do with my car not going in reverse and he replied "nothing". He said the throttle body was replaced to address the engine light. I said the engine came on when the car could not go in reverse. He said the tech could not duplicate the problem an got code *****. The engine light did not stay on so I don't know why they would replace the throttle body. So, during this service they found the code ***** and want to charge me for diagnostics. They also again, found a code ***** my scanner tool Innova 3100 RS did not register and wanted me to have a catalytic converter replaced. I have absolutely no issue but the car not going in reverse at times and the engine light coming on at that time but turning off later by itself. And my car just passed smog test a few months back. I think they are diagnosing wrong and suggesting repair I don't need and not repairing under warranty. Ford suggested I replace spark plugs that were replaced a month ago.

  Business response

  06/22/2022

  I spoke with the Service Director, ****** *******, regarding Mr. ******’s concerns.  Mr. ****** came in for his appointment on 11/8/2021 - *********, with the concerns of his vehicle not going in reverse and a check engine light on, however the code that Mr. ****** had on his scan tool (Code #*****) did not register on our code scanner that Ford requires to be used on all Ford vehicles.  (**It should be noted that Mr. ****** had a conversation with ****** ******* prior to submitting this letter to BBB, in which ****** asked Mr. ****** if he continued to drive his vehicle after he received the *****, ****** B code, and he answered yes.  ****** asked Mr. ****** if the vehicle had been going into reverse between the time that he ran the code and up to the appointment time and he answered yes.  ****** explained to Mr. ****** that we can take the code, that Mr. ****** received, into consideration, but when we scan and the code is not there, we can’t know what to perform/diagnose without a code or be able to duplicate the concern, and when he brought his vehicle in for the appointment, it went into reverse just fine/we could not duplicate.   At that point we can’t recommend a fix because the fix could be several things and we can’t guess on a repair possibility. ****** explains that the code Mr. ****** received (but he continued to drive his vehicle) – was cleared– the vehicle believes that the problem was corrected and cleared the code/history.**)   We did receive the code ***** that was diagnosed as a throttle body code.  Mr. ******’s Service Advisor, ***** ****** called 11/9/2021 @ 11:27am and left a voice message with an update for Mr. ****** that he needs a throttle body and PCM update which runs $669 plus tax/parts need to be ordered, along with some other recommendations.  Mr. ****** called back on the same day (11/9/2021) at 1:46pm authorizing the repair of the throttle body but hold off on the recommendations.  ***** spoke to Mr. ****** on 11/12/2021 at 1:49pm to let him know that his vehicle was completed and ready for pick up and that we were unable to duplicate the reverse concern/vehicle has been going into reverse fine.  We replaced the throttle body, due to the code received, per his authorization.  Throttle body does in fact have a year warranty from the time of repair.  Mr. ****** was not charged a diagnosis fee of $179 for the no reverse issue, because it went into reverse just fine.

  Mr. ****** drove his vehicle for 7 months, bringing it back in on 6/09/2022 ********* for a check engine light. The tech plugged the scan tool into the vehicle, and it came up with ***** (which was the code he had on his scanner in November 2021- however he declined to pay the diagnostic fee of $179) & ***** which was for the catalytic converter, these codes have nothing to do with the throttle body repair in November 2021.  Mr.****** declined repair/diagnosis.  Mr. ****** was not charged a diagnostic fee of $179 on this RO either (this RO/shows zero dollars due).

  Neither visit was Mr. ****** charged a $179 diagnostic fee regarding his vehicle not going into reverse, since we could not duplicate the issue on either visit.  We performed the repair in November 2021 per his authorization.  We will not be refunding $179 for a diagnostic fee when we never collected $179 (either visit) for a diagnostic fee.  We use the tools that Ford Motor Company requires us to use, and we adhere to and follow the policies and procedures that Ford Motor Company mandates. 

  Respectfully Submitted,

  ******* *****

  Sunland Ford

  Business response

  06/27/2022

  As explained in my first response, Mr. ****** brought his vehicle in, he brought it in on 2 concerns:  1) check engine light & 2) vehicle not going into reverse.  We checked the check engine light, which was the code for the throttle body.  Some symptoms may be improper air to fuel ratio, air flow mixture or a vehicle may not exhibit actual symptoms for the throttle body other than throwing a code.  Mr. ****** was advised of the code and he approved that work to be completed.  Mr. ****** had a discussion with the Service Manager, ****** *******, (in ******'s office), regarding this exact issue.  Mr. ******* asked Mr. ****** why he approved the throttle body repair, to which Mr. ****** replied, It was something that needed to be fixed, so I just approved it.  Mr. ****** was advised by the Service Writer that at no time did his vehicle exhibit any issues of not being able to go in reverse - it went into reverse the entire time it was here - therefore we did not charge him a diagnosis fee for the vehicle not going into reverse.   He only paid for the throttle body repair. 

  
  

  The next time he brought his vehicle in it threw two codes,  1) ***** - Catalytic Converter and 2) *****  (the code that he received on his scanner tool).  It was during this visit that he did not give us authorization to diagnose his vehicle, therefore we did not charge him a diagnosis fee.  He did not pay anything for this last visit.  

  
  

  As for the spark plugs, our technician strictly went off the mileage of the vehicle and assumed that spark plugs were ready for replacement per Ford guidelines.  

  
  

  Respectfully submitted, 

  
  

  ******* *****

  Sunland Ford

  Customer response

  06/30/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
   First of all, the engine light was not on when I brought the car to them the first time. That is why when I spoke with ****** *******, he said I must have told the service adviser because the service light was not on when the throttle body was replaced. I had no symptoms of a throttle body issue and professional techs are supposed to tie all the data together as to what happen to diagnosis the problem. There are tests to show lean or rich mixture of gas and air. Was that done and record? I told the advisor the light came on when the car could not go in reverse and then turned later after the car could go in reverse later. You would think a tech would correlate the 2 together since those 2 issues happen in tandem with no other car issues. I gave the okay for the advisor to do the work because I thought it was going to help fix the issue, physical issue of my car not going into reserve. If the advisor had said during her call that we could not replicate the problem therefore could not do any repairs for that issue you brough us the car for, but we found an unrelated issue with are scanner tool with the throttle body, I would have asked what the throttle body has to do with my car not going in reverse and after your explanation I would have declined the replacement of that part. If Ford wants no misunderstanding, they need to instruct the customer what they are attempting to repair during the first phone call from the advisor. I did not get the complete information about what they claimed to fix until I picked the car up and they gave me the paperwork. That is when found out about the codes Ford was able to find and not find. 

  
  

  As for the second time I took the car in for what I thought was coverage under warranty with the same code my scanner detected the first time, I thought it would be coverage because the same problem was happening, and the advisor told me if I had the same problem it was covered for 1 year. As you can see the paperwork I summited to BBB, during this last encounter of my initial problem with the Car not going in reverse is 4th in line to other repairs Ford wanted to perform first. This time I was aware that my request to fix my primary problem was looked over for doing other repairs that I did not bring the car to Ford for that is way I declined to do further work done at this shop. By the way, did ford do an up or down sensor test or pressure test to assure it was Soley a catalytic problem and record it? I doubt it because the tech did not even check one spark plug to see the condition of it and just went by milage to suggest spark plug changes.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my car into Sunland Ford on March 21, 2022 for an oil leak, I was told I would hear back from them later that evening or the next day, and was denied a rental car until they found the issue, well I did not hear anything till that Thursday March 24th, due to me calling them, and that time they gave me a rental car because my car was still not looked at, on Friday March 25th, I was told my car was looked at and they found an oil leak from the filter, they asked me you last changed my oil and I responded that Sunland Ford did, they said ok we will drain oil and replace filter and see if it’s still leaking, and would here back from them after they have looked at it, well that took another week for them to tell me that it was my turbo leaking and needed it replaced, so let’s go back to when I first made the appointment was in the beginning of February and they didn’t have anything till March 21st, not my fault, well of course my warranty expired on February 15th, 2022, so they would not cover the part needed, they had gave me a code because they were paying for my rental car, and had my car for over a week, because they were behind and didn’t even look at my car for 5 days and then another 4-5 days to tell me I needed a new turbo, well now the rental car place wants to charge me $90, for a 2 day rental. The dealership needs to pay that whole rental bill as they had my car. Sunland Ford has the worst communication and customer service, there is no way I need to pay anything for that rental car. I’m asking that Sunland Ford pay that entire rental bill and my turbo to be fixed at free of charge for all the time they had and not having an earlier apt before my warranty expired. The car is under my husbands name **** ******.

  Business response

  05/05/2022

  Dear ******* De ** *****,

  Thank you for sending me the information I requested. We were able to locate this customers record. 

  I see that the customer called in on February 17, 2022, at 1:53 pm.  Our first available appointment was March 21, 2022.  Over the past few years, the traffic in the Service Department has become quite heavy; most of our Departments in Service are backed up – no appointments available for 3-5 weeks out.  It’s kind of like making an appointment at a doctor’s office.  You call in for an appointment and you ask for the next available date - it could be weeks if not months out.  If you really need to get to the doctor, then you will need to go to an Urgent Care or Emergency Room.  The ******s did not have to wait for the March 21^st appointment with us, knowing that their warranty was expiring in a few days, they could’ve called other Ford Dealerships and taken their vehicle in for repair.  My Service Advisor’s advise the customers, when they bring in their vehicles for Service, that it may take up to 24-48 hours for diagnosis. Ford Motor Company will not cover a rental fee until after we have diagnosed the vehicle, therefore we don’t offer a rental right away because we don’t want the customer to be out of pocket for the rental fee.  After we get the diagnosis and know that Ford will cover it, we will offer the rental.  Now, in the ******’s case, it was taking a bit longer to diagnose the vehicle, so the Service Advisor went to the Service Director to get authorization for a rental, which was granted.  Mrs. ****** is requesting that we pay $90 for the rental – we paid $360 for the rental.   We also covered the cost of the oil change for them – NO CHARGE.  I spoke with the Service Director about the turbo, and he said that he’d be happy to look at it and see what he could do. If they would like to speak with the Service Director about bringing in their vehicle, please have them call 760/241-7751 extension 2128 – his name is Daniel Fonseca.  I have made sure that he is aware of this situation.

  Respectfully Submitted,

  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I took my car into Sunland Ford on March 21, 2022 for an oil leak, I was told I would hear back from them later that evening or the next day, and was denied a rental car until they found the issue, well I did not hear anything till that Thursday March 24th, due to me calling them, and that time they gave me a rental car because my car was still not looked at, on Friday March 25th, I was told my car was looked at and they found an oil leak from the filter, they asked me you last changed my oil and I responded that Sunland Ford did, they said ok we will drain oil and replace filter and see if it’s still leaking, and would here back from them after they have looked at it, well that took another week for them to tell me that it was my turbo leaking and needed it replaced, so let’s go back to when I first made the appointment was in the beginning of February and they didn’t have anything till March 21st, not my fault, well of course my warranty expired on February 15th, 2022, so they would not cover the part needed, they had gave me a code because they were paying for my rental car, and had my car for over a week, because they were behind and didn’t even look at my car for 5 days and then another 4-5 days to tell me I needed a new turbo, well now the rental car place wants to charge me $90, for a 2 day rental. The dealership needs to pay that whole rental bill as they had my car. Sunland Ford has the worst communication and customer service, there is no way I need to pay anything for that rental car. I’m asking that Sunland Ford pay that entire rental bill and my turbo to be fixed at free of charge for all the time they had and not having an earlier apt before my warranty expired.

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  Good Morning *******,

  
  

  I spoke with my Service Director regarding this complaint.  He is unable to locate any Service/vehicle here under that customer name.  Would you be able to obtain the name of the person that brought the car in for Service?  The VIN number of the vehicle would be helpful as well.

  
  

  Thank you,

  
  

  ******* *****

  Customer response

  05/02/2022

  The name it is under is my husband **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  February 17th 2022 I contacted Sunland Ford about extended warranty and purchased a warranty through **** ****** I was not aware if I had a pre existing issue my vehicle would not be covered with the warranty I had purchased. I then scheduled an appointment with the service department at Sunland Ford which I had to wait to get a scheduled appointment, after taking my car into the service department I received a call from ****** stating my policy was not active and to wait 30 days for the warranty to go through and my car would be covered under the warranty. i waited the 30 days and followed up with ****** on Monday March 21st she stated to me she had submitted a warranty claim and she would give me a call back when she has an update. March 23,2022 I received a call from ****** the warranty company asking about my claim I then called Sundland Ford and they told me my claim was now under review. Friday March 25th I called ****** to see if there was any update on my vehicle, I believe I spoke to **** and he stated my vehicle would not be covered under warranty because my vehicle had a prior existing issue. Meanwhile dealing with all this my family and I have been without our vehicle 3 months still having to make payments on our non running vehicle.

  Business response

  03/31/2022

  I spoke with the Service Director, Daniel Fonseca regarding this customer, ***** *******-******.  I asked him if Ms. *******-****** ever reached out to him during this timeframe and he said no, he wasn't aware of any issue(s) at all.  He did mention that on a previous visit he had a run-in with her husband and she came in to apologize for his actions.  Ms. *******-****** had no problem contacting Daniel at that time regarding the repair issue.  I had the Service Director check the records/timeframe for this issue.  We show that Ms. *******-****** called and purchased the extended warranty from Laci on 02/17/2022 - her mileage at the time of purchase was 99,791.  Ms. *******-****** then had her vehicle towed in on 2/23/2022 - Sheri Prince was her advisor who advised Ms. *******-****** that it takes 30 days to process the contract - vehicle was not written up.  Ms. *******-****** then had her vehicle towed out.  Ms. ******* , once again, had her vehicle towed in on 3/21/2022 - mileage 99,793.  Vehicle was written up, Sheri submitted it to ****** (insurance company), and they declined to cover this claim due to prior existing issue.  Most, if not all, insurance companies (be it auto, medical, computer/phones, etc), will not cover a pre-existing issue claims, however, please have Ms. *******-****** reach out to the Service Director, ****** ******* at ************ extension **** - we would be more than happy to see what we can do to assist her.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩