ComplaintsforDowling Ford, Inc

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 07/24/2023 I called ford dealership to be able to service a ford ******** I have with shaking on drive and reverse. The person spoked to told me to come with the car on 07/25/2023 which I did bring the car at 9am with my husband. Never once received any updates until I have called them 2 days later. They told me they did a diagnostic on the car the reason why that issue happened is because of coolant going inside the engine. We need a new engine. We have warranty on the car we told andria whatever her name is the first day she said ok she will quote the car and let us know. She said she submitted the claim. When I call the warranty company to get a rental due to them saying they submitted the claim since day 1 I kept getting the run around. One week later nothing has done in the car just sitting in the parking lot. I never had received one update since then from that lady. They lie and lie so much that it got to a point like wow we both adults why lie she said oh the customer line and dealer line is different from getting on the line with someone. When we call the warranty we had no issue at alll getting through and she lied because there’s no any special treatment The warranty company told me on the line. There’s never no one call even in the name of Scott. Scott say he stayed late to be able to reach someone which gave me an understanding that my husband and I were the only one that is black to get serviced by them. They made me pay $174 for only a diagnostics when I went to pick up the car on 08/02/2023 one week later same thing from day 2 they were saying to me. Now they took a $174 I work so hard they didn’t even try to help whatsoever as far as resolve the issue but apologize which that doesn’t mean anything but take our hard working money and car not fixed didn’t even tell me what is the quote for the service. No info at all just give a receipt.

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  On 8/11/2023 The owner Lauren Dowling contacted ******* ****** and apologized for the poor experience she had at Dowling Ford.  She explained that she had just fired the Service Manager that week and two other personnel in the Service Department were on vacation.  Therefore, the Department was unusually and unfortunately short-handed that week.  In addition, each time Scott and Andrea called the warranty company, they were put on hold for lengthy periods of time and they finally had to hang up and take other calls.
  
  
  Ms. Dowling explained that normally the Service Department runs much more efficiently and offered Ms. ****** either a free Works Package (oil change and tire rotation) or a signification refund of her diagnostic charge.  Ms. ****** chose the Works Package and also indicated that she would like to bring the ******** back to Dowling Ford to have the warranty work completed.  Mr. Dowling said this was great news and assured her she would have a much better experience this time.  She then relayed the news to the new Service Manager Scott L**** who immediately called the warranty company to check on the approval before calling Ms. ****** fo set an appointment.

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In March, I purchased a vehicle from the Dowling Ford dealership under the impression that it had a clean, accident-free history. This past weekend I became aware that the vehicle actually had been in an accident that resulted in the airbag being deployed and resulted in structural/frame damage! This is unacceptable. The ****** report they provided shows a clean history but ********* by ******** shows the accident history with the airbag being deployed and structural/frame damage being a result of the accident. I did not agree to purchase a vehicle that has an accident history with the airbag being deployed AND with the vehicle having structural/frame damage. That was not disclosed to me and I did not sign anything. Knowing that the car has structural/frame damage I do not know how safe the vehicle is any more. A vehicle with structural/frame damage is far less safe to drive and if I had known that I would have never purchased the vehicle. Not only that, but the vehicle should have been sold for significantly less then what it was as it has structural frame damage. Again - this was NOT disclosed to me. I'm asking they repurchase the vehicle back from me for the total cost. I spent time and resources flying up from ***** to drive the car down from **. I'm asking they repurchase the vehicle back from me for the total cost including sales tax/registration fees, down payment, insurance costs, and gas. I would have never wanted to purchase the vehicle if I knew it had structural/frame damage and the airbag deployed. A vehicle that has structural/frame damage should have never been sold to me unless it was disclosed, which it wasn’t. I've attached both the ****** report that the dealer had on file when I purchased the car, and the ********* report is from this past weekend. You can clearly see there is no accident/damage history and no acknowledgement of structural/frame damage and the airbag being deployed on the ****** report. The ********* report however does state this and this was NOT disclosed to me during the purchase transaction. I look forward to your response. *** ******

  Business response

  07/21/2023

  The primary issue in this case was the customer’s misinterpretation of the ********* by ******** vehicle history report.  As the customer states and documents, when Dowling Ford acquired the 2014 **** ** * and offered it for sale, it had a clean, accident-free vehicle history according to ******.  Dowling Ford does not subscribe to ********* but rather to ****** for vehicle histories as typically ****** is more comprehensive.  When the customer subsequently ran an ********* report, however, it indicated that the vehicle had been in an accident per a police report.  The ********* report is confusing to read, and the customer believed that the report indicated the vehicle’s airbags had deployed and there was structural/frame damage as a result of this accident.  
  
  
  Dowling Ford contacted ******** directly, opened a case, and received email confirmation that neither the airbags had deployed nor was there structural/frame damage to the vehicle as a result of the accident.  A subsequent ****** history report run on 7/10/23 confirms the finding that the damage in the accident was only minor damage.  Dowling Ford relayed this information to the customer on 7/14/23 and the customer was thankful that we had taken these extra steps and satisfied with the fact that the report was unclear.

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a 2015 Ford ****** from this dealership on July 31, 2022, about 2 hours after bringing the car home I noticed the transmission was shifting hard. I immediately called them back and brought the car back the following Monday. They had the car for 5 weeks and said they rebuilt the transmission. When I finally picked the car up and drove it home not only was the car still shifting hard, but there was also now leak and it was making noise while steering. There was also a noise in the rear I kept hearing. I called them back the next day and they had me bring the car back to them. This time they had my car for 2 weeks and said that the noise in the rear was a golf ball rolling around, that there was no leak, the steering was fine, and the transmission was fine, and I just needed to relearn my way of driving. I was told I need to drive the car 1000 miles for it to relearn my way of driving. Now my transmission is shifting even harder, the steering is still making noises and it is still leaking. I would also like to not that nowhere in the paperwork does it mention the leak that I had stated was present, but I did in fact tell the service manager at Dowling Ford as well as **** ***** *******. I called and confirmed with **** ***** ******* that it was noted prior to bringing my vehicle to get serviced.

  Customer response

  09/23/2022

  July 30,2022- Purchased vehicle July 30, 2022- Called about 2 hours after bringing the vehicle home because I noticed the transmission was shifting hard and slipping August 1, 2022- Dropped off the vehicle to Dowling Ford. When the dealership called me about a week after having the car, they had told me that that transmission would need to be rebuilt. August 25,2022- I go to pick up my car from Dowling Ford after transmission was “rebuilt" (25 days in service). I was told to drive a couple hundred miles so the transmission could “relearn” the way I drive. I could almost immediately tell after picking the car up that there was still a problem, but I was told to drive it for a few hundred miles, so I did. After a few days of driving, it just seemed to be getting worse, there was also now a leak that I noticed, (my driveway is covered with spots from this leak), a smell coming into my car that smelled like burning oil or fluid, as well as my steering wheel making noises when I turned the wheel. I called Dowling Ford and they had me bring the vehicle back.(Sept 1,2022) Sept 14, 2022- Dowling Ford called me to tell me that there was NO leak, the transmission was fine and just needed to be driven 1000 miles instead, the steering was fine (mind you there have been 3 recalls on the steering starting back to 2015) and the noise I heard in the rear was just a golf ball rolling around. I picked up the car from Dowling Ford and nothing had been fixed other than the noise in the rear, which was the golf ball. The vehicle is now shifting/leaking/steering even worse, I do not feel safe driving myself or my family in it. I fear that Dowling Ford did extensive damage to the transmission and vehicle all around. I also feel that they were taking their time with the repairs as my Ford **** ********* Warranty is only good for 3 months or 4,000 miles.

  Business response

  10/01/2022

  1.     Ms. ****** purchased a 2015 Ford ****** from Dowling Ford on 07/30/2022 with 108,197 miles.
  2.     Vehicle was fully safety checked and ** Inspection form K-208 completed by our service department on 05/05/2022. (Exhibit 1)
  3.     This 2015 Ford ****** has an original in-service date of 06/10/2015 therefore making it over 7 years old and able to be sold AS-IS at time of sale. (Exhibit 2)
  4.     Ms. ****** was made aware that the vehicle was being sold AS-IS.  She signed the completed Buyers Guide and was provided a copy. (Exhibit 3)
  5.     Ms. ****** also purchased a Service Contract at time of sale.
  6.     On 08/10/2022 the vehicle was returned to Dowling Ford for a check engine light.  Ms. ****** was supplied a loaner vehicle at no charge.  The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was found that the transmission would need to be rebuilt. (Exhibit 4)
  7.     Current supply chain and back-ordered parts issues pervading today’s service climate delayed completion of the vehicle repairs until 08/25/2022. The final bill was $4563.32, which Dowling Ford absorbed 100%. Ms ****** paid zero.
  8.     On 09/01/2022, she brought the vehicle back in with 108,560 miles for harsh shifting and “rolling noise.” Again Ms.****** was placed in a loaner vehicle at no charge. (Exhibit 5)
  9.     The vehicle was driven by the Service Manager and service technician and noise was confirmed.
  10.  The technician disassembled interior and found a golf ball rolling underneath in between rear seats and trunk area.
  11.  The Service Manager and technician also removed the wheels and checked all steering and suspension components and found no play or wear in said components.
  12.  The Service Manager and technician also took the vehicle on a post repair road test to confirm no noises were present.
  13.  Again, Ms. ****** was charged zero for this service. (Exhibit 5)
  14.  Ms. ****** was also made aware that the ****** transmission has an adaptive learning procedure that needs to be driven for 1000 miles in order for the system to learn her specific driving style.
  15.  Dowling Ford has resolved Ms. ********** complaints each time she has raised them at no charge to her. On September 30, after she filed this complaint and had an unsatisfactory experience at another Ford dealership, a friend of Ms. ******** inquired whether she would still be welcome at Dowling Ford to resolve her complaints.  The owner Lauren D****** advised her that she was welcome and gave her a loaner car at no charge on October 1st. Dowling Ford intends to continue to inspect and repair the vehicle to Ms. ******** satisfaction.

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Brought my truck in to have something checked out but running normal. No check engine light. Was told I needed a timing job and everything would be all set which I thought was weird. Was charged $5500. When I got the truck back it wasn’t running correctly whatsoever. Took it back multiple times the last month explaining they must have botched the job and messed up. They kept checking it and saying I’m all set but each time I got it back it ran worse than before. I brought it back the last time 3 weeks ago. They finally called me this past Monday saying there is nothing they can do and I need to trade it in. I’ve had the truck for two years and still owe $14,000 on the note. I can’t accept trading in a vehicle that they messed up for much lower than it’s value was before I brought it to them on top of being scammed out of $5500 from the start.

  Business response

  08/09/2022

  One 3/23/22 Mr. ********** brought his 2013 ***** in with a pending code of p504a.  At that time the timing chain was replaced, but notably, metallic debris was found in the engine.  The vehicle had over 146K miles.
  
  
  On 4/27/22, Mr ********** brought the truck in again stating that he was getting a check engine light with a code for camshaft and D****** Ford replaced the Camshaft Phasers.
  
  
  On 6/14/22 Mr. ********** brought the truck in for a final time stating that the check engine was on steady  and the vehicle was not running correctly D****** Ford determined that the cause was scored camshaft guides and internal engine damage.  D****** found VTC solenoids filled with metal debris as found in previous repair.  
  
  
  D****** Ford cleaned the VTC Solenoids and cleared DTCs at no charge to Mr. ********** as a one-time dealer goodwill.  However, if symptoms continue or return, the permanent repair would be to replace the engine long block.  
  
  
  It is D****** Ford’s position the dealership did everything in its capacity to address the immediate issues, but that the metallic debris which was present in the engine before it was even brought to the dealership is the source of  internal engine damage which may continue to create problems..
  
  
  Sincerely,
  Lauren D******

*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. ↩