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Leave it to Ford

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I took my car in to the local ford dealer for the first time to get the oil changed. The previous owner paid for the maintenance plan so it's free or I would just do it myself. While checking in with the service advisor he told me there was a recall for the airbag. I told him I knew about it but didn't think they had the part available yet. He checked and said they had it so I told them to go ahead and do it.

The following week I receive a call from the service advisor where he told me ford updated the recall notice and they needed to put a different part in for the airbag. So I brought the car back in this Friday and they did the work. On my way out I'm reading the receipt and it states "replaced old air bag inflator due to new part not available yet". Of course I turn around and question it. Yes, they took the new part out and put the old one back in! Apparently they realized they were not suppose to put the new part in my 2013 yet, they have an order/list of which cars to do when and mine wasn't high on the list and as another advisor put it was "jumping the line".

It was their idea to put it in, not mine. And they would rather spend the additional time taken it out only to put it back in again some time in the future. It seems like a rather dumb decision to me. Of course if I had known what they were going to do I wouldn't have brought the car in. On my second trip I overheard the original service advisor was new on the job so my guess is he made a mistake putting the inflator in my car and someone saw it. Why they didn't just call it a mistake and leave it there baffles me. It's more money out of there pocket for the additional labor to take it out and eventually put it back.

Surprisingly I'm not overly upset about it. By the time I found out what happened it was too late to do anything about it. Raising hell wouldn't have got the part back in my car. I'm just chalking it up to a dumb decision by big business.
 
The whole airbag recall is a complete mess and frankly it's not Ford's fault. I agree they should have told you they made a mistake and needed to fix it.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,529
5,243
Exp. Type
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Illinois
Exact same thing happened to me. They replaced the airbags in my 20012 and 2013 mustangs. A few days later I get a call to bring the 2013 back for the airbag removal. Computer problems I was told.

From what I was told Ford is obligated to do the 2012s first, then the 2013s.
 
I don't understand Ford's reasoning here. If a few cars get done ahead a schedule so be it. The system knows they're done, What if I decide NOT to bring my '12 Boss in for the recall? Is that going to hold up all the '13's..............I don't think so.......................................
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
It's crazy. I've heard two similar accounts from other '13 owners, who ordered the airbags. I feel bad, because I haven't brought my '11 or '12 in yet.
 

302 Hi Pro

Boss 302 - Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car
2,009
441
Southeast
A few thoughts, first the title is a bit misleading, as it should be titled, "Leave it to my Ford Dealer Service Department.

Why did it have to be removed? This is because each airbag igniter is serial numbered and this SN must be entered on the warranty claim submission to Ford. The SN's are MY specific, (among other info). A week later your claim was entered by the Dealer and Rejected. Hence, the reason for the SA's call back.

This is all about Fedrial Regulations and the order of repair on this massive recall. Remember, it's 69-70 million vehicles. It is not Ford.

As for the time? Yes, the Tech should be paid and his/her labor is charged to an internal Service Department acct. It happens, the SA was new.

I'm thinking about taking mine in after the holiday weekend as I own a 2012.

2HP
 
302 Hi Pro said:
A few thoughts, first the title is a bit misleading, as it should be titled, "Leave it to my Ford Dealer Service Department.

Why did it have to be removed? This is because each airbag igniter is serial numbered and this SN must be entered on the warranty claim submission to Ford. The SN's are MY specific, (among other info). A week later your claim was entered by the Dealer and Rejected. Hence, the reason for the SA's call back.

This is all about Fedrial Regulations and the order of repair on this massive recall. Remember, it's 69-70 million vehicles. It is not Ford.

As for the time? Yes, the Tech should be paid and his/her labor is charged to an internal Service Department acct. It happens, the SA was new.

I'm thinking about taking mine in after the holiday weekend as I own a 2012.

2HP

Yes, I did struggle a bit with the title, yours would have been better. I get your theory and it goes to what I was trying to point out which I did somewhat poorly. My intention was not to bash ford, I'm a ford fan (obviously), it was to show how large corporations can make dumb decisions. I know they want to replace the parts on the older cars first because they are more susceptible to the problem but should they force the dealer to pull out the part because it wasn't my turn yet? What if I have the problem this recall is designed to stop and I'm severely injured. Don't you think ford is opening themselves up to a problem pulling out the good part?
 

302 Hi Pro

Boss 302 - Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car
2,009
441
Southeast
JTG said:
"but should they force the dealer to pull out the part because it wasn't my turn yet? What if I have the problem this recall is designed to stop and I'm severely injured. Don't you think ford is opening themselves up to a problem pulling out the good part?"

JTG:

I understand your frustration in having the recall part removed from your car, and it seems ridiculous at first glance.

But in the larger scheme of things, the recall process and procedure is Federally mandated and Ford, (as well as all effected Manufacturers), have to comply with the recall procedures. Ford had no option but to remove the part.

Part of the reason for this process is the "age" of the igniter affects its operation. Not all igniters fail to deploy the airbag when needed, but age and humid conditions have been found to contribute to higher failure rates of the igniter.

Hope this helps to clarify my first post.

302 Hi Pro
 

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