Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  **** Corporate advised me to file this complaint. I purchased my new car from Mullinax **** Apopka in 4/23. I took it to Mullinax Kissimmee on 12/12/24 for a warranty issue and also to have the oil changed, a tire checked, and tires rotated which were included with the purchase. I dropped it off at 8am. They couldnt replicate the noise. It was not sent for the oil change etc until I called at 3pm. I was told it should be about an hour. I arrived at 4pm. At 4:45pm, I looked at traffic patterns and realized it would take me 45 minutes to get home. It got dark at 5:30pm. I asked the blonde girl, Do you know how much longer it will be? I have a light sensitivity from a brain injury. I cant drive in the dark. I need to get out of here. A man came out several minutes later. I told him, Youve had my car all day and accomplished nothing. He responded with attitude, Well youre about to get even less accomplished. He then led me and my small dog out of the lobby, when I could see my car was still up in the air. As soon as we stepped out, he accused me of trying to assault him when I pushed my glasses up my nose. It was ridiculous. Rather than continuing to take the bait, I asked for his name. He replied, Thats for you to find out, and he walked away from me. I snapped 2 pictures of the back of his head and then found out he was ******, the CUSTOMER SERVICE manager. He did not provide me with any paperwork after sending me out to drive in dark. The only thing I had expressed to the staff was that I looked forward to taking the survey from **** Corporate. So, ****** made sure I didnt receive a survey by not documenting the services performed. Now I keep getting emails from Car Fax that my oil change and tire rotation are past due, and I will lose my well-maintained status. I opened a case with **** Corporate. They confirmed there is no record of any services performed, were unable to obtain any records from the dealership, and advised me to file this complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Attached is a copy of the requested Repair Order # ****** detailing what was done to the vehicle on 12-12-2024.  The Customer was not charged for any of these services due to the circumstances of her visit and the dealership wrote off the costs.  We verified that the CarFax Vehicle History Report was updated with this service visit and the Customer retains her Well-Maintained status with CarFax.  A copy of the current CarFax report is attached for your convenience.  Please advise the Customer that ****************** added a new Safety Recall 25V019 to her vehicle on 01/21/2025 for a battery inspection and she should get that handled on her next service.  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is about the ********* FL location. *** had my car in and out of this shop countless times over the years. Countless times again, theyve done faulty work on my car and refused to address it. On top of that, their staff has lied to us regarding warranty dates and the state of repairs, ignored phone calls and refused to speak to us regarding our vehicle. I have countless recorded conversations, texts and emails showcasing this information and their behavior. Today is a perfect example. I called because the purge valve on my car (a part theyre repairs multiple times) has gone bad again in a little over 2 year time span (this may or may not be true; theyve directly lied about date of repair to avoid fulfilling a warranty before for my battery). I was told ***** would look into it, and the staff knew I missed work waiting to hear from them. This is also a common theme, as it an evident in my documentation of the issues thus far. After a few hours, he called saying that he was handing the issue over to *******, a tech we have had countless issues with in the past. I decided to give him another chance to repair the work and his reputation, but he did exactly as I expected and never returned my calls. Over an hour later again, ***** called back asking if ******* contacted me (he didnt) and said they would have to charge me a diagnostic fee and take it to the main shop. I asked for the codes they did fine (which he still has not provided) and asked why it took over 3 hours to let me know this, when I could have picked it up and taken it to a mechanic I actually can trust to do honest work. This car also has countless recalls (for my model; with these exact issues) , which they have also denied

  Business Response

  Date: 04/30/2024

  Good Morning,

  In the complaint information they indicate this complaint is for the Kissimmee location, not the **************** location.  Can you please assign this to Kissimmee?

  Thank You,

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2024

  Good Morning,

  In the complaint information they indicate this complaint is for the Kissimmee location, not the **************** location.  Can you please assign this to Kissimmee?

  Thank You,

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  I researched the ****************** history and then contacted the Customer.  The Customer has presented the vehicle a few times for service over the years but in all the history, the Customer only completed one purge valve repair.  We know this repair was completed correctly otherwise the Customer would have experienced difficulty putting gas in the car.   All other vehicle concerns were unrelated to this repair and the Customer chose to decline having the repair work done here.  So, all we ever did was replace the purge valve.

  The Customer spoke with me, and we discussed that currently the check engine light came on.  The Customer assumed it was related to the purge valve, but I explained that there are about thirty (30) other reasons a check engine light could come on and we won't know for sure unless the vehicle is properly diagnosed.   I offered to schedule the vehicle in for the diagnostic service and am waiting for that decision.  In the meantime, the Customer requested a copy of their prior repair orders which I sent.  

  If there is anything I can assist the Customer with further, I provided them my direct office phone number and told her to call me.  Thank you.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 21634852
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Im still waiting for the paperwork I was promised. My car has since had multiple issues, INCLUDING issues with putting fuel in the car, as well as irregular gas consumption. I made it clear to the business that my car is still not functioning properly and I need all paperwork and notes regarding my vehicle in order to take it to someone credible that will take care of the car properly, and not make me wait for weeks/months with no communication. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/07/2024

  Attached to this response is the complete service history for the Customer's 2013 **** Escape.  I originally sent the file to the email address provided in our database so maybe it was an old email address.  I have also resent the file to the email address provided on this BBB complaint. The BBB can forward the file to the Customer to ensure they received it.   I also made several attempts to contact the Customer via the telephone but none of my voicemail messages have been returned.  We are here to answer any questions the Customer may have.

  In the attached service history, the Customer's 2013 Escape was repaired at ********************** **** exactly twice.  We replaced a purge valve in November 2021 and performed a **** Motor Company Recall 22S43 for a transmission shifter cable in October 2022.  All other Customer concerns were not done either because the ******************** would not pay for the repair, or the Customer decided to have the work done elsewhere.  Mullinax **** only performed these two repairs.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 21634852
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did not receive any voicemails or emails as the business tried to indicate. My car is also experiencing the exact problems mentioned in the last response, which is admittedly related to the work done. This also does not address the egregious amount of time my car was in their shop for the again admittedly next to no work actually performed on the car, during which time I incurred thousands in rental car fees. The attempted handling of my multiple years worth of issues with this company is clearly performative on their part and is not actually attempting to rectify the situation, or address the continuing issues with my vehicle. I am rejecting this response, but will have to escalate the situation on my own end to see that its actually handled accordingly. Saying the location is busy is not a good enough excuse for keeping my car for months at a time without actually having done any work. When you take a **** vehicle to a **** dealership, you would expect they know how to diagnose and fix their own cars. But based on my own experience and others with my same model and year, it would seem that this car should not even be on the road as many have been recalled for the same issues my vehicle is having. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2024

  BBB please close this case as we are going nowhere.

  We have provided the Customer the materials they requested and my Service Manager has spoken with her on the phone about her repairs.  The bottom line is we have not seen the vehicle in over a year and we only repaired it one time at ******* miles.  The Customer is clearly trying to get us to pay for repairs that we did not cause.  Her vehicle has over ******* miles on it and that is why it needs repair, not anything Mullinax **** did to it.  We are no longer responsible for a repair we performed over ****** miles ago.  

  Please close the BBB case.  If the Customer wants to come in a discuss it, she is more than welcome to go over her repair history again with the Service Manager but we have no longer have any obligation to a repair we performed over two years and ****** miles ago.  Any Mullinax **** warranty on the repair has long since expired.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2024

  This is not the first time this location has lied, and this is no different. This is a manufacturer issue, and **** is the maker of this car. This car should not even have been sold to me, and is part of multiple class actions. They did not call me, or send me the information that I requested from them and lied about that in their response as well. My car was also there this year, so another lie on their part. They have done nothing in good faith as you have let them get by with. I will be getting a lawyer to help with my case further. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/09/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My son purchase his first car from Mullinax of Kissimmee 2018 ****** Versa. Full purchase price was $12,117.29. He paid cash. Purchase date 5/16/2023. The last day of the 7 day warranty came and engine light came on. We called and they were closed. We were new to all of this, waited until the next day when they opened and brought the car back to be serviced. The end result was trading it in for a 2018 **** focus and purchased it with a longer warranty as a pre-certified car. That purchase was on 5/25/2023. They traded the ****** for $10,500.00 which was a loss for my son and purchased the **** focus $15,648.75. He had it for exactly 2 months and the engine light came on. We took it back to Mullinax as it had a warranty on 7/25/2023. It took them two months to even diagnose it and it went back and forth four months to get the car back Im working condition. And yes, it has back again to their dealership on March 6, 2024 with another head gasket needing replaced. Ive never heard of a car that would continue to have the same issues. Also to note, it was never because of the **** strike as they were always able to get the parts before strike happened. They have had the **** Focus in their shop with the same issues for longer then the 11 months he has owned it. Managers ********************* and ***************** offered a full refund and all of us agreed that that would be the best outcome. We called ahead of time to pick up his personal belongings from the car and pick up the check. When we arrived at the Dealership, things turned a complete 180 with both ********************* and *****************. My son and I started off with going into *********************** little closed in office. The agreement changed into what felt like an interrogation and we both felt scared and intimidated by ********************* . I had a chain of text messages from a service employee for proof of the opposite of what he was saying to us. He changed from refund to partial and the reasons made absolutely no sense. I went to the service employee to prove out truth and get it confirmed even though I had chain of text messages and voice messages. Then ***************** came into the conversation and the interrogating and untruths continued. It got even crazier of the wild stories they came up with. Both different about the car and it turned into what felt like a shake down. It felt like they had no care and we were in the wrong. None of it made any sense and made us both our bodies shaking. My son went to my vehicle he was that confused and afraid of what these men were saying and accusing us of. After they had their lies all mixed up, they took about 20 minutes to talk to each other. ********************* took me back in his office alone. I was even more on defense and felt even more intimidated because we were alone. He tried to explain there was a mix up but even that made absolutely no sense and wasnt true because the end result was the exact same, Mullinax of Kissimmee was only going to give a partial refund. Im writing this on behalf of myself and my son. Im writing this because my son has special needs which is why I have been through entire process with him in trying to navigate this horrible experience hes had with Mullinax **** of ********** Im also a fragile person with health issues. I cant battle deceitful people like this especially with the cash money my son and I both have paid into this company for a car that needs more care and assistance then we have to give it. Im in fear of retaliation from this company. They still are in possession of the **** Focus. My son only wanted what was offered to him on several occasions from both ********************* and *****************. I believe they should correct their wrong doings and make things right. That is what honest business people do. No one should ever go through what we are going through with Mullinax **** of ********** No one should ever feel intimidated or feel less than. Especially when dealing with the amount of money paid into a vehicle.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/19/2024

  As of Friday, April 19, 2024, the Customer's 2018 **** Focus has been fully repaired under the **** Motor Company warranty and is ready to be picked up.  There is no cost to the Customer for this repair.  

  Please return our rental vehicle as soon as possible as this was provided free of charge as well to the Customer so that they would have transportation during the repair process. 

  The problem with the vehicle was a defective engine head that was previously replaced in the Summer 2023.  Since the engine head comes full assembled by **** Motor Company, Mullinax **** assumes it is in working order and uses the part "as is" out of the box when completing the repair.  Unfortunately, just because a part is new does not mean that it works.  In this particular case, there was a defect inside the engine head that caused the Customer to continue to have problems with the vehicle.   All subsequent repairs were also performed under **** Motor Company warranty and at no cost to the Customer.  When the defective engine head was determined to be the main cause of the troubles, **** Motor Company authorized a second replacement of the engine head which has now been completed. 

  While we understand that no Customer wants their vehicle tied up in the service department, please understand that this was a difficult diagnosis because the engine head was already previously replaced so it's common sense that the Technician look to other root causes for the troubles.  When everything else checked out properly, the Technician concluded that the new engine head was indeed the defective part.  This is rare that the same part needs to be replaced twice however it does happen.  Again, just because a part is new does not means that it works.  More importantly, Mullinax **** provided a rental car throughout the process so the Customer did have a no cost repair and free transportation.

  Lastly, this repair is covered under **** Motor Company's continuing Certified Pre-Owned warranty so the Customer can have peace of mind that we will continue to stand by this craftsmanship.

  Thank you.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2024

  When we got the call for the car ready, we were there in 35 minutes. Writing about us not returning the rental car back was like a punch in the face to us because this was sent to BBB after we picked car up and dropped off rental. I received notice of this posting on 4/23/24. 
  and to not bring up your management team, ********************* and ***************** and the fiasco they created is another punch in the face at us. 
  and you all had that car for months before you were even able to diagnose it. I have proof of everything in text messages from your company. You had too much on your plate, not enough workers and were months behind on work. Manager ***** said the same thing to us about the back up in work and this was all before the strike on parts. 
  the car still has issues. The brake light went out on the back right and we took it in to your quick auto service and we were told we tampered with the light. We never did a dang thing to anything in the car. We had just got it back from you all. You all were in the wrong and again reminded us why we can not give Mullinax Kissimmee any more business and can never recommend you all to anyone ever for anything. Not to purchase and not to get anything repaired. 
  Im worried about what next will happen with this vehicle and be blamed of tampering. 
  someone needs to swoop into this place of business and put every manager through retraining. Every level needs to be retrained. Everyone has lost their way in this line of business. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2024

  And if I wasnt in and out of treatment for an illness, I would have been able to reply sooner. That is my fail here but this is not resolved. My son still didnt get the refund he was promised. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2024

  
  When we got the call for the car ready, we were there in 35 minutes. Writing about us not returning the rental car back was like a punch in the face to us because this was sent to BBB after we picked car up and dropped off rental. I received notice of this posting on 4/23/24. 
  and to not bring up your management team, ********************* and ***************** and the fiasco they created is another punch in the face at us. 
  and you all had that car for months before you were even able to diagnose it. I have proof of everything in text messages from your company. You had too much on your plate, not enough workers and were months behind on work. Manager ***** said the same thing to us about the back up in work and this was all before the strike on parts. 
  the car still has issues. The brake light went out on the back right and we took it in to your quick auto service and we were told we tampered with the light. We never did a dang thing to anything in the car. We had just got it back from you all. You all were in the wrong and again reminded us why we can not give Mullinax Kissimmee any more business and can never recommend you all to anyone ever for anything. Not to purchase and not to get anything repaired. 
  Im worried about what next will happen with this vehicle and be blamed of tampering. 
  someone needs to swoop into this place of business and put every manager through retraining. Every level needs to be retrained. Everyone has lost their way in this line of business. 

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  BBB please close this case.

  The engine repair is complete and it is covered by ********** Company's nationwide warranty.  The customer may choose to have service at any **** dealer of her choice in the future.

  As for the taillamp issue, Mullinax **** worked on the engine, not the tail lamp.  This is an unrelated issue.  If you would like to discuss a tail lamp repair further, please call *************************, Service Director at ***************************** so he can inspect it himself and determine if it is a part covered under **** warranty. 

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/25/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  date of transaction May 6 , May 7 , 2023 amount Paid , 500 + 500 = $1000 type of transaction : complete the reservation down payments for 2X f-150 Lightning. originally booked 06/29/21.cars were promised to be delivered Jun-Aug 2023.promised delivery date passed and cars were not ready to be delivered.I canceled the orders on October 18 ( after new promised date passed) and they said refund will be issued.November ********************************** saying one of the car is ready for pick up and it is 2023 model while 2024 models already available everywhere. I replied confirming the orders have been canceled and I am waiting for refund.since then I visited dealership 6 times chasing the refund and all they do is to promise " refund checks will be mailed within three business days". now it is Feb 2024 ( 4 months) no refund received. after I realized it is a waste of time to contact the dealer .I am filing the complaint here so everyone beware of the dealer level of service and I will file a dispute to my credit card company

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2024

  Dear Mr. ***********************************    Attached is the check stub for the check we printed on 02-14-2024 for your $1,000.00 deposit refund.  Our Office Manager mailed it the next day on 02-15-2024.  Unfortunately, we do not have any control over the United ********************* as to their delay in delivering it to your place of business as you requested.  It may show up as soon as today's mail, but we cannot predict or confirm that.

      Also, so you know, ****************** has not shipped any 2024 F150 or 2024 F150 Lightnings to any dealers yet nationwide.  We are still receiving 2023 models and the 2024 model year vehicles were delayed by **** for a mild styling refresh.  So the 2023 models are still our current models.  Both of the F150 Lightnings you ordered have both arrived at the dealership if you change your mind and would like to purchase them.  Like the ************ we also cannot control ******************'s production schedule.  We can only place orders for production and it's up to **** to build them and ship them to us. 

     I hope that clears up any confusion. 

  Best Regards,

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

  General Manager

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2024

  Sir , 

  thanks for taking the rouble to answer . that check never received as the address on it is missing the suite number.

  ************************* took the lead and called me on Monday . and he got attached check issued Feb 26 , 2024. for me case closed. but your company  will need to have employees cares about thier business and do not ruin the efforts done by directors and owners of the business.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. the reply is not accurate . the checks I personally collected today dated Feb26 , 2024 and never mailed to us.

  anyway the problem solved and I received my check.

  I find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased a 2017 car. Bought the car from this Mullinax Ford of Kissimmee. The repair department has had my car for over a month. I have been given many stories so I am not sure what is the correct story. I do know for over a month, my car has not been repaired. I. have been told they don't have the part, I been told my 2017 car is old, I been told its a hard car cause its a hybird. I get lack of return calls. I do get a text every Friday tell me they are working on it, they will call me next week and have a great weekend. The week comes no call, then Friday the same text. I spoken to service manager. no luck. Its been over a month, and they still have not fix my car.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2023

  CUSTOMER FILED CASE NUMBER: 2023 SC 003416 SP  WITH OSCEOLA COUNTY COURTS THE SAME DAY SHE FILED THE COMPLAINT WITH BBB. Customer is seeking $8,000.00 plus court costs through Small Claims court. As a result of this pending litigation, Mullinax Ford will not reach an agreement through the BBB unless the Plaintiff terminates her open case with the Osceola County courts first and provides proof to the Defendant that the case has been dismissed.  Mullinax Ford is fully prepared to present to the Osceola County Court.

  A brief outline of the facts of the case is as follows: 

  Customer purchased a Ford factory certified pre-owned 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid from Mullinax Ford with 28,334 miles on the odometer on May 28, 2018.  The Ford warranty on the vehicle at time of sale includes hybrid battery components to 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.  

  Customer serviced the vehicle with Mullinax Ford until November 10, 2020 with 59,426 odometer miles.  At that point, Mullinax Ford has not seen the car since.

  Car was towed to Mullinax Ford on June 16, 2023 in a dead, non-starting condition.  In order to "wake up" the vehicle so our Technician could diagnose the problem, Mullinax Ford had the Customer authorize the installation of a new 12 volt car battery.  Customer approved the installation however she stated that she had recently installed a new car battery at another repair shop.  Nevertheless, Mullinax Ford needed to install a fresh new car battery as the battery that was in the car was completely dead and could not be recharged.

  After the new 12 volt car battery was installed, the car was active enough for Mullinax Ford to determine that the vehicle now has 105,886.91 odometer miles on it.  This means that the vehicle's Ford Motor Company warranty has expired at 100,000 miles and all repairs are the Customer's responsibility.  The Technician first determined that the cooling fan relay was causing a battery draw so he replaced the fan relay which eliminated the battery draw but now allowed the car to produce Code P0AE1.  Following Ford diagnostic tests, our Technician determined that the High Current Hybrid Battery Fuse had failed producing the Code P0AE1.  Mullinax Ford spoke with the Customer and her father and received authorization to replace the High Current Battery Fuse for a total cost of $1,151.81.  To replace the High Current Battery Fuse, the Technician had to remove the hybrid battery from the vehicle, install the new fuse which is really like a computer module, it is not like a typical fuse, and then reinstall the hybrid battery.  After this operation was completed, the P0AE1 Code went away however the new fuse triggered a new Code P1A10.

  At this point, before continuing deeper into the diagnosis, Mullinax Ford contacted the Customer and informed her of the current situation.  Mullinax Ford told the Customer that we would be contacting Ford Motor Company for further diagnostic assistance.  The reason Mullinax Ford did not want to continue with the chain of repairs is because the initial opinion of the Technician was that it may lead to replacement of the hybrid battery itself.  The cost of replacing the hybrid battery is $11,593.55.  The current market value of a running, driving 2017 Ford Fusion with 105,000 odometer miles is approximately $5800.  Mullinax Ford determined that it would not make economic sense for the Customer to invest in replacing a $11,593 hybrid battery in a vehicle only worth $5800.  However, our Technician wanted to see if Ford Motor Company engineers could determine if there was a simple repair we could perform that avoids replacing the hybrid battery pack. Ford Motor Company did assign an engineer to the case and he has been in regular contact with Mullinax Ford over the last few weeks.  The Ford Motor Company engineers have been requesting Mullinax Ford perform certain diagnostic tests and then report back the results to the engineers.  After some delay, the engineers answer back to Mullinax Ford with more tests they would like to perform.  This back and forth of diagnostic information has been going on now for approximately three weeks.  However, as of the writing of this BBB response, we still do not have a firm diagnosis on whether we can avoid replacing the hyrbid battery pack.

  As we view it, the Customer has several options:

     1) Let Mullinax Ford continue to work with Ford Motor Company engineers and see if we can come to a repair conclusion that avoids replacing the hybrid battery pack.

     2) Pay $1,151.81 to Mullinax Ford for the repairs performed so far and she can tow her car back out.  The vehicle is still not in a running condition.

     3) Trade the car to Mullinax Ford "AS IS" for a replacement vehicle.  The vehicle is not running so it is only worth salvage value in its current condition.  Mullinax Ford would deduct the repairs performed to this point and any remaining vehicle equity would be applied to the replacement vehicle purchase.  Of course, if the Customer does not want to purchase a vehicle from Mullinax Ford, she may still elect Option # 2 and take her car out and trade it anywhere she prefers.

  These are the only options we see at this time.  Mullinax Ford will defend itself in the Osceola County Courts including filing a Mechanic's Lien under Florida Law to protect our interest in the vehicle since we have already invested in repairs and to collect the outstanding $1,151.81 debt.  Failure to pay for these repairs will result in in the vehicle being foreclosed, retitled to Mullinax Ford, in which we will scrap the vehicle to recover our repair costs and the costs of the foreclosure process.  Please note, under Florida Law, if a Customer abandons a vehicle that is foreclosed upon by the Mechanic's Lien, the Customer is NOT entitled to recover any vehicle equity that may remain after the lien is settled.  The Customer would lose everything.

  I wanted to be very clear that this is the situation, and these are the viable options.  Mullinax Ford is willing to assist the Customer through the options listed above however we are not responsible for the vehicle being in operatable as that is the condition we received it.  Mullinax Ford will not pay for repairs on the vehicle as it is outside any warranty responsibility.  Finally, Mullinax Ford will defend itself in court against all frivolous claims as outlined in the Customer's complaint filed with Osceola County Court.

  If the Customer would like to settle this matter outside of the courtroom and the BBB, Mullinax Ford is open to work on a viable solution.  Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/10/2023

  Dr. **********

       I am the Owner and General Manager of Mullinax Ford in Kissimmee.  I first became aware of your situation because I was served your lawsuit followed by this BBB complaint.  I have investigated the issues thoroughly including interviewing Brandon, the Service Advisor, and Steve McGowen, the Service Manager and I can assure you that they were working to diagnose your Ford Fusion problem as quickly as possible.

       The only problem I see in this whole ordeal is that Brandon the Service Advisor tried too hard to help you.  I know you'll not believe that so let me explain.

       When you had the vehicle towed to the dealership on June 16, 2023, the car was dead.  You requested from Brandon at that time you wanted a loaner vehicle and financial assistance for the repair.  Brandon told you that since the car was out of Ford factory warranty, you would need to call the Ford Motor Company Customer Assistance Center to make those requests.  The Ford call center advised you that since your Fusion was outside of their warranty mileage limit, that they could not provide a rental car or financial assistance.  When you did not get what you wanted, your demanded to speak to their Supervisor and hung up on them when they tried to transfer your call.  Ford Motor Company still opened a contact case on your behalf and documented the multiple calls you made to the call center all ending in you getting angry with them and hanging up on them.

      The first delay came after the Technician put the new 12 volt car battery in the car to "wake it up" and he received code *****.  I know Brandon spoke to you and later your father to explain what the Technician did to that point and that he was following the Ford authorized diagnostic process.  The Ford instructions direct us to resolve code ***** by replacing the High Current Battery Fuse.  You authorized this repair and Brandon ordered the part.  This is where the trouble started because the part was unavailable in the Ford parts warehouses nationwide and we had to wait for the Ford supplier to actually manufacture the parts.  Once the supplier released the parts to Ford, we were able to get the part shipped to us and begin the repair process of installing it.  This delayed your repair and I know Brandon kept you informed during the delay but parts delays are completely out of our control.  If Ford doesn't have it, we have no choice but to wait for it.  

      Since Brandon knew you had opened a case with Ford Motor Company, he made the mistake of suggesting to you that he could apply for financial assistance with Ford since the part was on delay.  This provided you with a false hope.  Ford Motor Company quickly rejected Brandon's request for financial assistance however Ford did help contact the parts supplier to secure the part faster.  The mistake Brandon made was to not tell you at that time that his request to Ford was denied.  He knew he at least got the part coming so he was hoping to just finish the repair.

      Once the Technician got the new part installed, it corrected code ***** but triggered a new code P1A10.  According to the Ford diagnostic instructions, the next step was to replace the Direct Current/Direct Current (DC/DC) converter control module.  Since you already authorized the High Current Battery Fuse at $1151.81, the Technician found that the DC/DC converter would cost another $2,000 bringing the total repair bill to over $3,100.  He decided to stop and informed Brandon that according to the Ford diagnostic instructions, if the DC/DC converter does not solve the problem, then this may lead to the hybrid battery itself needed to be replaced which would add another $11,593.00 to the repair bill.  The Technician advised Brandon that the car was not worth investing $14,693 in repairs.  The Technician did tell Brandon that he wanted to see if the Ford Motor Company engineers had a less expensive way to solve this problem and so he opened his technical repair case and began the back and forth that has been going on.  However, I have reviewed their emails and they directed the Technician to use the diagnostic instruction he was already following so there is no inexpensive fix.  

      Brandon tried one more time with Ford to get you financial assistance given this new information but Ford Motor Company quickly denied his request again.  But the time all this transpired, we received your lawsuit and BBB case.  So the only thing Brandon is guilty of is trying to help you get some money out of Ford Motor Company to assist you with the cost of the repair.  He is not the bad guy you think he is, he sincerely wanted to help you.  His mistake is that he did not inform you that the car is dead and the cost of repair is not worth investing in this car anymore.  It is time for you to move on from this car.  Had he told you that, we would all be spared this back and forth.

      As I see it, we are still facing the same choices as before except we now know that Ford does not have an inexpensive fix.  Ford wants to continue down the diagnostic path that includes the DC/DC convertor, and I cannot recommend you spend that money on this car.  I have appraised your car myself and we need to stop all repairs right now.  Unfortunately, this car is not worth it and it's time to send your car to the junk yard.  

      The choices you have are as follows:

      1) You can trade the car in here at Mullinax Ford.  The car is worth $500 in scrap value.  It does not run, we received it dead and it is still dead.  To help assist you, I will waive the $1151.81 service bill for the repairs so far and I will give you the $500 trade credit towards your replacement car.

      2) If you do not want to trade the car to us and rather purchase somewhere else, than we will collect the $1151.81 for the repairs completed so far and release the car to you.  It can be towed to trade it in somewhere else but I want to be very clear, don't bother trying to take it to a third repair shop as the results will be the same that this car is dead and needs to go to the junk yard.

       That is the best that I can offer in this situation.  As for your claims of "time, health, loss of wages, etc", I can tell you from experience that those claims will not hold up in court.  Mullinax Ford did not cause your car to die.  Your car was already dead when it arrived at Mullinax Ford.  Brandon and the Technician attempted to bring it back to life but the truth is it is time to say goodbye to this car and bury the patient.  This is the same sentiment I will express in the Osceola County Court and I am confident the judge will agree with me as I do not see any liability on Mullinax Ford's part.  There was no malicious act committed, just people that didn't want to give up on the patient that was already dead including you.  If I determined in my investigation that we caused harm, I would be the first to admit it and work to resolve it however I do not see that we caused any financial damages to you in this case.  That is why I am not afraid to appear in court as I am confident the judge will agree with me.  

       That is where we are.  Nobody is working on the car anymore, I instructed them its dead and to move on to cars we can fix.  I recommend you take one of the options I outlined above and move on with your life.  This case is a loser in court for you and I would hate to see you waste even more time on this issue.   I await your decision.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: i did not ask for what you said you did or i never approve what you did. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dealership service department has returned our vehicle to us damaged and will not address issues. This stems from an already ongoing problem. We first brought our Ford Expedition in for issues with the transmission approx 2 years ago. We were denied 2 times for help and at one point told by the service manager Steve M****** he couldn’t help us or take any extra time to diagnose the problem because His department couldn’t make any money that way. Mysteriously while I was meeting with him he told me of a recall on the transmission and that work was performed in December ‘22. Almost immediately the problem recurred and it took until today (May 4) to get the transmission fixed which now we were told was replaced bc it was broken. -While in for service we asked for the running board to be checked bc it was making noise. We had retracted it and turned it off. We were told there appeared to be damage and it would be $1670 to fix. When we received the vehicle back we noticed 2 problems: 1) the running board was down and hanging and a staff member stepped on it. My wife asked for them to put it up the way it was brought in. They told us they couldn’t. She asked why it was down and they said it was not their issue bc it was damaged and they did not know how it was now hanging. 2) the tow hitch cover was also hangin off. My wife asked for that to be reset. Staff member put it back on properly and the bottom bumper trim moved and showed a large gap between the trim and bumper and trim is loose and unstable as if clips are broken. My wife asked what happened and was told trim was “as received” and that they had to use the tow hitch to move the vehicle while servicing because the transmission was out. She said it appeared like something happened they told her this also was not their issue and they wouldn’t do anything to fix it.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/19/2023

  We have addressed all the concerns the Customer outlined in their BBB complaint.  The power running board motor was physically damaged prior to our technician diagnosing the problem.  At the Customer's request, we have reset the running boards in the closed position and offered a discounted repair price if they decide to repair the motor in the future.  We also diagnosed the rear bumper alignment issue as related to the prior accident repair a body shop performed for the Customer years prior.  We refferred the Customer to their body shop for correction of the alignment issue as it was not caused by us.  At this point, all concerns have been handled and the BBB can close this case.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Better Business Bureau, I am writing to file a complaint about the extremely poor customer service I have received from Mullinax Ford. I recently brought my car into their Quick Lane service center on 04/07/2023, and have yet to receive any satisfactory resolution. The Quick Lane manager, Anthony R******** (RO: ******), and parts worker, Jeff J******, have been extremely rude and unhelpful in their service. They have refused to fix my car in the Quick Lane because they claim they do not service parts that do not come from their Ford. However, the part that I ordered came from the Ford wholesale, which is where they claim they order their parts from. What is most frustrating is that they have had my car for a considerable amount of time, and are now calling to tell me that it is "company policy" to not service parts that did not come directly from their dealership. When I requested to see this policy, they claimed that they could not provide it to me. This level of customer service is completely unacceptable. I have been without my car for an extended period of time, and they are providing me with no solutions or alternatives. I have already paid for the part that needs to be fixed, and I expect Mullinax Ford to honor their commitment to service my car, regardless of where the part came from. I am extremely disappointed with the service that I have received, and I hope that you can investigate this matter and ensure that Mullinax Ford provides the necessary repairs to my car in a timely and satisfactory manner. Sincerely, ******** ******** ***** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2023

  I have spoken to the customer and we have repaired her vehicle to her satisfaction on 04.18.2023.  The customer has picked up her completed vehicle on 04.19.2023.  No further action is required.     

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Cero out of Five. I was a Ford loyal customer, with a Fleet of 5 Ford Transit Connect and 1 Transit 350 Medium Roof Passenger Van. My problem strated in August 2022 when i took my 2019 Black Ford Tansit 350 to Mullinax Kissimmee for Warranty on the Motor that was making a Noise. I bought the unit in November 2019 for almost $50k with a $30k Cash Down, also paid for the Extended Warranty 7yrs or 150k miles. The Services Advisor (Whivh i will reserve his name) told me after inspection that the warranty will cover a New Motor. That was in August 2022. In September i called Dealer for updates, he said motor was ordered, in November they said Motor was in Back Order. Called again in December and they said Motor will arrive and be ready in February 2023. By this date, February 20th 2023 the motor hanst arrived, no further news or updates. Its been 6 long months without my van. We own a business and we need the van for work, i was forced because of thwir irresposibility to Buy a 2023 Medium Roof RAM Cargo Van in Lake Whales that cost me $53k just beacuse this Ford Dealer, Ford Motor and the Protection Plan of Exrended Warranty they sell are worthless. This is so sad and frustrating. What about those people that only have 1 car, or doesnt have the hability to buy another car, while they wait for their to be repaired and pay every month to Ford Credit? Thats not fair for no one. 6 months plus, its abussive. This is the END of my Investments with FORD. I been loyal to them, but they cant be loyal to me. Im looking foward for a legal advise, tgis has to stop. Its not fair. Open tfor any help. My name is ****** ******** from Kissimmee, Florida Email is *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/23/2023

  Mullinax Ford agrees with Mr. ********.  Mr. ******** presented his 2019 Transit van for service with a loud engine noise at 104,070 miles.  Upon diagnosis, our Technician determined the engine would need to be replaced.  We were successful in getting Ford Motor Company to approve the repair at no cost to Mr. ******* however Ford currently has the replacement engine on national back order (out of stock) status.  We opened case number ******************* to have Ford expedite the replacement engine as we understand the vehicle is off the road and Mr. ******** cannot use it.  At the time the orginal case was opened in November 2022, Ford gave us an estimate of 90 to 120 days to recieve the replacement engine which is where the February 2023 estimated arrival date of the engine came from.  Due to his frustration, Mr. ******** started to publish negative reviews against Mullinax Ford on the internet including filing this BBB complaint.  We investigated the status of receiving the replacement engine and Ford Motor Company told us their new estimated arrival date for the engine was August 2023.  We responded by opening a second case number ******************* to attempt to put some pressure on Ford Motor Company to supply the needed engine quicker.  As before, we were again provided a new 90 to 120 day window.

  Mullinax Ford completely agrees with Mr. ******** and understands his frustration however we are just as frustrated as we cannot get the necessary parts to perform the repair.  Under Ford Motor Company warranty policies, when Ford is paying for the repairs, they require the dealer to utilize Ford Motor Company parts and authorized suppliers.  We would love to fix Mr. ********'s engine today and get him back on the road immediately however Ford has not supplied us with the parts we require to do the job.  If Mr. ******** would like to help us pressure Ford, he can call the Ford Motor Company Customer Assistance Hotline at (800) 392-3673 and reference the two case numbers listed here.  We need the engine supplied from Ford Motor Company, otherwise we are stuck waiting as well.  I don't know how the BBB can help with this case.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made a reservation for a Bronco a few months after release and selected Mullinax as the dealer. Unfortunately, when it came to the time of ordering Mullinax went ahead and proceeded with the order against my wishes meaning the deposit I had tied to this order was not refunded. I reached out via email to have them revert this back to the reservation as not only the specs were wrong, but I was no longer interested in making an order at the time. They responded via email saying they would take care of it, but never did. After I reached out via telephone I was told that they had no control and could not revert the order back. They said I would have to reach out to ford directly which according to ford is not what they should have done. These dealerships are independent and therefore my deposit will be sent direct to them. Problem is this is not my car and even if I was given first dibs at purchasing (which I likely won't be) it was built to someone else's specs (i.e. manual transmission, wrong package,etc.). I have continued to receive updates on the order as this is tied to my reservation and it seems the vehicle will be delivered this week. I need my deposit back and ford customer service has made it clear that only Mullinax can give that to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/03) */ This is the first time that management was made aware of the refund request. We have cut a refund check this morning 11/03/2022 and it will be mailed to the customer today. Attached is a photo of the check for reference. Please close the BBB case as resolved. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/02/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Back in May 9, 2022 I brought my F-250 to Mullinax Ford Kissimmee for service because the check engine light was on. They scanned the truck and give one code ( control unit ) . They change the part and after that they Told me that the truck don't turn on. They said that the truck asked for software update and they did without asked me, they said that they do that in every car without asking the client for free since that the truck doesn't turn on. I spoke with a diesel mechanic explained him the part that they changed and what they did and he said that it wasn't necessary do and update the software , they could change the part without make an update. Even the part required to be replaced the truck was running good. They said that the truck have a tuner and it pass in the past with other customers and there's no way for them to determine if car have tuned or not. We bought this truck back in October 2021, used and we don't know what kind of job have done in the pass. When I spoke with the manager of the service department and I asked him why he have this experience before with other customers and having in mind that it is and old truck why he dont called me and asked if we want to do the update his answer was that he don't have time to called the customer and anyway they do it for free. If I bring the truck running for service I need this car running back. They said that they can fix it replacing multiple parts that its going to cost me a lot of money just for them don't do a simple called, that based on their experience and for the year of the truck (2008) things like that can happen, and am Saying about the supposed tuner that they said that the truck has that am really don't know if they are telling me the true or not. I just know that even is haven't the check engine light on , it was running, we did a trip to Tennessee without any issues and now don't even start, they want me to take my truck back. I need them given me the truck back working.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/13) */ We have been trying to contact the Customer to discuss ways to resolve this problem but so far we have not received a call back to our messages left on their voicemail. Please call Steve ******** Service Manager at (XXX) XXX-XXXX extension ***** Thank you. Consumer Response /* (3000, 15, 2022/07/07) */ We did a follow up yesterday, and the manager said they are waiting for a company that are working in the software of the truck.we still waiting. Business Response /* (4000, 19, 2022/07/19) */ Please call Steve M******, Service Manager at (XXX) XXX-XXXX extension ***** If you get voicemail, please leave a message with the best time to call you back. Steve has all the information on this case. Consumer Response /* (4200, 21, 2022/07/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) We still waiting they said the already put on the software but they need a technician to program