ComplaintsforTomball Ford

• Initial Complaint

  12/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In November 2023 I brought my truck to Tomball Ford for an ABS warning. For over a year prior, I had brought the truck to them multiple times with a severe vibration symptom on the highway. I spent thousands of dollars fixing other items that didn’t correct the issue despite the shop foreman initially stating it felt like a wheel bearing was going out and subsequently saying the bearings were all fine. The ABS wanting ended up being for a bad wheel bearing that finally corrected the issue but the service advisor proceeded to argue with me via text message that the fix and symptom could not be related. She would not answer the phone to discuss the previous incorrect diagnosis nor did she ever call back. I spent about $1000 for the wheel bearing repair on top of previous costs. Then week later my check engine light came on. This service was covered under a Ford warranty and I told the advisor I wanted a call with updates on the repair. After my truck waited to be diagnosed for a week with no loaner car provided, I finally received the diagnosis. Via text message I was told that the part needed was on a 2 yr back order and I would need to find it in a junk yard despite the vehicle being under warranty. I received no phone call. I called and requested twice that the service manager call me back and received no return phone call. Ultimately, I called Ford directly, the part was found and the repair made. I was charged a $100 deductible per the warranty and again the advisor argued with me via text rather than talking to me. I spent countless hours looking for potential solutions on my own and again I had no loaner car. Reasonable customer service should involve a call, a call back and discussion of options, solutions, and explanation if previous repairs were misdiagnosed.

  Business response

  12/29/2023

  All three repairs are for different concerns on the vehicle. After reviewing the repairs, I feel they are spot on with the diagnosis on the customer concern. We will be refunding the $100.00 deductible upon customer request for lack of communication.

  Customer response

  01/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  
  

  The response provided by Tomball Ford is false. For over a year I had a complaint of accelerator vibration that made the vehicle feel unsafe. After several attempted repairs they did not resolve the vibration. Finally, they changed a simple wheel bearing which did fix the problem, but again this was after a year of driving on a bad bearing. This is the definition of a bad diagnosis. My request is only that they acknowledge the misdiagnosis, the fact that the vibration was due to the wheel bearing and use the information to help other customers in the future so they don’t get the same run around I did. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  *******
   

  
  

  Business response

  01/23/2024

  I want to email you that that case was indeed taken care of. The guest wanted his $100.00 deductible back due to communication with his Advisor. We have spoken with the guest and have written a check for him for the $100.00 and he has picked the check up already and was happy that we took care of him.
  
  Thank you 
  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  01/24/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  
  
  See my previous message. They have not addressed all my concerns that were clearly stated in my complaint. The $100 refund was only in regard to the most recent issue but does not address the issues in full. I took the time to file the complaint formally and would like all the issues addressed. 
  
  Regards,
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  01/26/2024

  Based on our records we do not feel that we misdiagnosed the vehicle however we have made the customer whole by providing a refund to the customer in good faith as we do care about the customer and would like to continue our partnership in the future.

  Customer response

  01/30/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my 

  please see my previous notes. The complaint I had for over a year was finally resolved by replacing a wheel bearing even though other repairs were previously made. This is the definition of a misdiagnosis. It’s unfortunate that Tomball Ford is too proud to admit this. 
  
  Regards,
  
  
   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Traded in a vehicle using 6000 for down payment on trade and 13750 cashout to be paid to me after my trade in was paid off . 4 weeks later they have not paid off my trade in or given me my cash back just keep getting excuses

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a 2013 ****** ****** from Tomball Ford recently, (11/18/2022) with the apex protection gps presale installed.the implication that was given was that there were no fees involved. Wrong, on the sales invoice there was a $750 "protection fee, but this was still not verbalized or pointed out as an add on. Having a tracking device on my vehicle that tracks my movements is not wanted," Is a direct violation of my right to privacy “. I did not order the device, I did not want the device, I do not want the device. I called Tomball ford on Wednesday,(11/23/2022) but because of the holiday and other commitments I was unable to get back with Tomball ford until Monday (11/28/2022) whereupon I was in contact with the financial director about the apex warranty and the gps protection plan. I was told, the warranty could be canceled if I filed out the proper paper work. The *** **** could not be canceled because it was hard wired to the car and the labor cost would be prohibitive to disconnect it, therefore I was stuck with the one year $750 fee.But I could cancel the contact after the contract runs out in a year. What a moronic concept is this his is? This is completely absurd. The vehicle is a good vehicle for a nine year old car it has good low average mileage it is a car that meet my needs (to haul a mobility vehicle) very well. When I purchased the car I was unaware of the $750 charge and thought I could cancel the *** ******** I can not understand such total refusal in removing an aftermarket third party piece of equipment and returning the $750 that was charged. That money is enough to make 2 payment on the car which means more to me than wearing about car theft, which according to my insurance company does not work very well in this region any way. Beside my Insurance company has stolen vehicle coverage.

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We ordered a 2 Door **** ****** on March 28, 2022. The build was specified and priced at $40,430 and a $500 down payment was collected. Invoice number 165745. I was told the order would be placed with **** Motor Company and they believed the vehicle would be delivered between October - December 2022. I called two weeks ago to follow up on the order. No clear status was given so I personally visited Tomball **** on Nov 16, 2022 at 12:20pm and asked to speak with the general manager… Josh *****. Josh took my paper work and figured out that no order was ever placed with ****. We then met with the inventory manager who said that **** closed all orders for ******s three week before I placed my order. Tomball **** took my money and never placed an order nor did they inform me that my order was never placed. Tomball **** also said that all ****** orders in 2022 have been rolled over into 2023 and no new orders will be taken at this time. I tried to remedy the situation with Josh ***** **… I stated “order the new ****** when **** allows but Tomball **** must honor the price I was given.” A down payment was transacted. Josh agreed it would be the right thing to do. I departed the dealership and was called later in the afternoon. Josh informed me that his boss at Tomball **** will not honor the price of my order. A higher price is now required. I believe this is a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices law and Tomball **** needs to be called out and remedy their mistake.

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased a vehicle from this dealership and the check engine light came on immediately after pulling it off the lot. The check engine light was for a misfire, which almost certainly persisted prior to my purchase. This means the dealership covered up the check engine light prior to the sale. The dealership offered to trade in the vehicle for another since the issue was clearly on there end, however when I got there to do this they stated that they would give me 7000 less than what I paid for the car which is more than the repair itself. A similar situation occurred with a vehicle my mother bought from them before.

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 12/22/2021 I special ordered a Ford truck. At that time the dealer stated the selling price would be sticker minus an incentive provided by Ford, coming to $82,026.80. At that time I was presented with a detailed retail purchase agreement containing the selling price, all taxes and fees and the final out of the door price of $87,652.24, which I signed at their request. When the truck arrived 8 months later, I went to pick it up on 08/26/2022. 1. I was told that Ford had increased the sticker by $3K, and that I'd have to additionally pay that. I told them I couldn't do that, and after keeping me waiting and going back and forth they finally came back and told me I had "price protection" and that they could honor the price they originally told me. They knew this all along and tried to unethically extract $3K more. 2. Due to supply chain issues that occurred after ordering the truck, Ford deleted an option (massaging seats) and had included a $300 price reduction line item on the sticker. I never got the $300 deduction credited back to me, although the dealer was quick to try and take the $3K increase. 3. When they presented me with the second retail purchase agreement and asked for a signature I compared each line item, and they had added a $795 (plus tax) tracking device to my truck. We had never talked about this before and I asked them to remove the device as I didn't want it, didn't authorize it, and didn't want to pay for it. They told me they fit them to all of their units to protect their inventory and refused to take it off or refund the $795. I had to sign acceptance of this device (and associated cost) or walk away from the truck I'd had on order for 8 months. I need the truck and couldn't walk away. 4. The dealer took $5,176.36 in sales tax from me. I talked to them today and 5 1/2 weeks later they still do not have my tin plates or tag. In Texas they legally have 30 days to pay the tax and procure my plates and tag.

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I’m April of this year we traded in a 2016 Escape to look into buying a less expensive vehicle. We were going to go somewhere else to purchase another, but were shown a 2009 Escape Hybrid they had just got in as a trade. It was not even cleaned yet, and my guess not even inspected. Ended up getting “a deal” and paying around $5k for it. Test drive was fine, but on the way home from purchasing a major dash light came on. We were told to bring it back in and they would take care of it. We were told it was fixed, and picked it up. Not 10 miles away and the light was back on. We were told that it was test driven and the light did not come on but this was obviously not possible. It would ALWAYS come on within 10 miles or less. The hybrid system also would not function properly and was getting less than 10MPG, and air condition not blowing great. This was a back and forth for a MONTH. In the end we were told “nothing wrong was found” and that there was nothing else they could do for us. Essentially saying “haha we got your money and you got our junk.” Now with the current heat and fuel issues the car just sits. The air conditioner blows HOT AIR, and burns a half a tank of gas in 50 miles. Now since it is not able to be driven and has sat in the driveway, the hybrid battery is now dead and the car is completely inoperable. We were told from the beginning that we would be taken care of but that was obviously not true and Tomball Ford is perfectly fine with taking a families money for junk and then not owning up to their word.

  Business response

  09/06/2022

  Tomball Ford completed repairs on this vehicle after purchase. While repairs were being completed Tomball Ford had the customer in a rental vehicle for 2 weeks. Customer stated there were issues after picking up from repairs. An offer was made to the customer to trade them out of this vehicle. However, the inventory that was available in the same price range was not something the customer was interested in. 

  Customer response

  09/09/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  
  Regards,
  
  
   
  This is not true, at all. For one, they had the vehicle for 2+ months. I have text messages with the used sales manager to show this. (I have attached) Also, we were NOT given the option to trade to another vehicle in the same price range. We were told they could 'get us into something else' but the prices were OVER TWICE what this vehicle was sold to us at and would have put us right back at the cost of what our trade in was. I also have an audio recording where we were told we could 'get in another vehicle' but the associate agreed when I said that wouldnt help us because the prices of the ones we were shown were higher.
  

  We were lied to several times stating that the vehicle was test driven with no issues, etc. This is NOT possible. We would drive away and after less than 5 miles the issue would present itself again.
  
  We ended up just going to another dealer and buying a brand new vehicle because we were STUCK with a vehicle that doesn't run and is now just sitting in our driveway. We have to find out a way to not only pay to fix the vehicle but now pay it off as well.

*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. ↩