A Comedy of Errors

[B O N Y]

So I think I have a thread that you should read. Please read it ALL in its entirety. A Viper owner ran into a similar situation as you have. His Viper was totalled though, however, the advice and ultimate outcome was unpresedented. It was recently updated that he received an additional 150k over the replacement costs of his car, for punitive damages.

READ the Thread !! You will gain a LOT of insight from it, and have a MUCH better understanding of how to fight this battle and win. Also contact the poster, he is a good guy, and will be more then happy to assist with any questions you may have:

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/sh...=408327&page=4&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

Jon

good post, have read similar ones from the Vette Forums and at FerrariChat.
I noticed that an appraiser from Texas also posted, perhaps this guy can help ByeEnzo http://www.i-van.org/ However, he sounds squared away.

 

[2002_Viper_GTS_ACR]

good post, have read similar ones from the Vette Forums and at FerrariChat.
I noticed that an appraiser from Texas also posted, perhaps this guy can help ByeEnzo http://www.i-van.org/ However, he sounds squared away.

Thanks Bony. To me though it doesnt sound like he is squared away. I think they are trying to do scare tatics on him, explaining that he owned some of the damage, etc. I say stay strong, accept nothing less then a replacement or refund. He has everything in his favor on this one, the dealership is screwed, and doesnt have a leg to stand on. Fight, and Win. And while is sucks right now, the payoff could be much bigger then just a car replacement.


Jon

 

[B O N Y]

Hello Jon,
ByeEnzo is in contact with an expert collector car lawyer, no doubt the referal her gets in the local area will be able to advise him. Based on T E X A S consumer law he might be able to recover his costs. That has to be a determining factor in how one attacks this problem. You can sue anyone, problem is you just might be buying your lawyer a real ENZO. Just my two bits.
Cheers, daniel

 

[canibl]

...just letting you guys know that a Ford dealership crushed the front bumper of my company's F450. I'll save you the details but it's the same situation of the GT in this thread. Sucks. No one wants to claim responsability and won't supply me with a free rental while it's being repaired. I love Ford, I never had any problems with their cars/trucks but I've always been disappointed in the dealerships. :thumbsdow :mad

 

[ByeEnzo]

Here's an update on what's going on with my car. The body shop has all the parts (diffusers and underpanels) including a nose piece in primer. I have asked for a factory painted nose, but no word yet from the regional Ford rep. That is holding up the whole process. The auto body supervisor is the only guy so far who has been of any help. He's a straight up guy who restores cars on the side. He also feels that he can match up the white with blue stripes job without problems on the bumper he has. He will check the frame against factory specs with a laser, and check wheel alignment and wheel spin balance also. Ford and the parts and service dept. may just wear me out to the point I give up and have them to put on the bumper they currently have.
I called Ford Customer Relations yesterday about the nose. Last week, I wrote 30 certified letters to the entire board of directors of both AutoNation and Ford corporate to tell them how I have been treated in this matter. No reply yet, but no surprise.
I have spoken with several appraisers with experience in diminished value and basically the amount would be so little that it would be a wash after paying for the appraisals etc.
Anyone have any contacts so I can get a factory painted nose piece (called a cover in the parts catalog)? Or at this point, is it time to get on with it? I had my car for 9 days before all this started. It's been sitting under cover at the body shop for 3 weeks now. Thanks, AC

 

[ENZO BTR]

AC

Pivate Message me a contact phone number and I will give it to my Ford contact. I saw him at the Detroit Auto Show last week and he said he'd seen my blog about your situation. He admitted that ultimately the dealer controls the response, but he also said he was willing to make some phone calls...

His words: "The dealer should do what it takes to make this right, and while he's not legally bound to supply a new car, that's what I'd like him to do."

I'll send him your number, if you want me to.

 

[ByeEnzo]

Thanks. I sent you a PM. AC

 

[LEMANSZ]

want the name of a good 'lemon law' lawyer?

 

[forddude]

AC

Pivate Message me a contact phone number and I will give it to my Ford contact. I saw him at the Detroit Auto Show last week and he said he'd seen my blog about your situation. He admitted that ultimately the dealer controls the response, but he also said he was willing to make some phone calls...

His words: "The dealer should do what it takes to make this right, and while he's not legally bound to supply a new car, that's what I'd like him to do."

I'll send him your number, if you want me to.

Just to add my 2 cents....... Your Ford contact is correct about what the dealer "should do".. However even if the dealer wanted to replace the vehicle, unless he/she has allocation for another one, this option won't happen. Period ! REMEMBER that every GT is sold to a dealer. As of right now, I do not know of any fellow Ford dealer that will transfer a GT at invoice to another Dealer, which would be the only way it could happen. That option however could be possible if there is a dealer is willing.
The incident is extremely unfortunate. I would give them 1 shot at paint matching this GT, as long as there is no frame damage....This is 100% between the dealership and the customer, not Ford Mtr Co. Litigation is long and expensive.... You can always sue for damages after.
Please keep in mind for those of you who wish to slam dealerships in general.
There are good and bad professionals everywhere. I know many many Dealers that are outstanding citizens in their stores and the communities where they live....Good luck . Thanks for listening to my 2 cents..Forddude

 

[Neilda]

Whilst the legal position of Ford will be that this is a 'dealer problem', there is no doubt that their (AutoNations) response (to a mess of their making), as an agent of Ford, could damage Ford's reputation.

This is a disgraceful situation that just shouldn't have happened. AutoNation are hoping (no doubt) that our friend will run out of patience and that the problem will go away. Hopefully the Ford contact mentioned can step in and step up the pressure. I'm sure this particular dealer would not want to lose the Ford franchise.

As I mentioned a while back, Ford describe the GT as the 'Pace car for the entire company', which is probably true, the dealers they select (and they do select them) should offer a service to match.

The compensation issue would surely be based on two hypothetical customers presented with two cars - car A is perfect in every respect, car B is perfect in every respect save for the fact it's been extensively repaired after an accident. Which car would this customer prefer? The answer is car A - ergo, a sale has been lost and compensation would therefore arise.

Please do keep us posted on developments.... and good luck. Neil

 

[ENZO BTR]

I just emailed ByeEnzo's contact information to my Ford guy. Obviously no guarantees, but my contact did mention "calling the dealer principal and trying to work something out." He even mentioned trying to get the dealer another GT allocation -- but again, no guarantees.

Hopefully it will work out and things will be made "right" for ByeEnzo.

 

[B O N Y]

whats the latest?

 

[ByeEnzo]

Thanks for checking in. My car should be ready to go by tomorrow or Fri. The damages ended up being the front and rear underpanels and the nose cover. It turns out that all nose covers have to be painted on site to exactly match up the stripes. I was advised by Ford GT engineers that a factory painted nose cover would have to be painted locally. The nose cover replacement is exactly the same as the original in terms of stampings, etc.
The power steering cooler and its attachment to the SC intercooler were bent, so both were changed out, as was the AC condenser. The frame was checked against factory specs and is spot on. The frame rails on this car are extremely beefy. I also had the tire balance checked along with front and rear end alignment and they are all within spec.
The only thing left to do is have the "diminished value" appraisers look at the car again. Hopefully there is some $ back to me.
After writing letters to AutoNation and Ford corporate, somebody leaned hard on the regional AutoNation rep. He got with me and admitted that this whole problem had been totally mishandled (tech driving car, lies, innuendo).
So far my compensation includes:
1) interest paid to date on car
2) a free Lojack, already installed
3) oil changes at any Ford dealership for life (don't worry I wont go back to these guys)
4) cost of my replacement battery, plus a new black top OEM battery
5) the printed shop service manual and the DVD version if available.

I'm also pushing for an agreement to get an extended warranty, once one becomes available.
I'm also keeping all the old parts for completeness sake.
Other than that, I just ready to have my ride back. I had it 10 days and then it spent a month+ getting fixed. This ended up being the best option rather than going against AutoNation. They've got lawyers sitting around with nothing better to do. I think they'd spend $200K to avoid paying $150K. I looking forward to happy motoring.

AC

 

[50 BMG]

After writing letters to AutoNation and Ford corporate, somebody leaned hard on the regional AutoNation rep. He got with me and admitted that this whole problem had been totally mishandled (tech driving car, lies, innuendo).

Good to hear someone else is "feeling the heat" concerning the stupidity of this situation.

-Thanks for the update

 

[Steve T]

Don't let this whole situation ruin your enjoyment of the GT. Sounds like you are going to be OK with the out come.

We need to get a few of us local D/FW owners together to celebrate your GT's return :thumbsup

 

[ByeEnzo]

I'm going to look into Southwest Ford for service and warranty work in the future. Turns out Hillard Ford doesn't even know how to get one of these cars up on a lift correctly. See you out on the road in Parker County. AC

 

[Neilda]

Hmmm! I think, and has been discussed before, they could have and should have handled this differently. Have they written a full apology? Would they give you an undertaking to buy the car back from you (at current market prices) if you ever decided to sell in the future - given that they will assert, no doubt, that the 2nd hand value is unaffected.

Did you ever get a response from Ford?

I guess you have to drive away and give them the finger.

 

[ByeEnzo]

The reply from Ford was a form letter stating they were looking into the matter. This was after I called both the GT "hotline" and also Ford Customer Relations. AutoNation's response was to have the Texas regional rep. meet with me. He offered a verbal apology, admitting the whole matter had been "rogered up" (as you would say in England). The "diminished value" appraisal will be undertaken today. Anyway, I'm just ready to move on with getting the car back with the above mentioned concessions on their part. I have private mechanics that work on my vintage cars (including my 67 Vette), who are quite capable. They will ultimately handle service issues in the long haul. Thats the purpose of getting the full-on shop manual for future use. I have a friend who goes to the Revival at Goodwood. I hope to tag along with him this year or next. Cheers, AC

 

[Neilda]

AC - your position is undoubtedly the best one, I guess you have to put the whole irritating episode behind you and get on and enjoy the car. And I hope you do....

I'm just very p*ssed off on your behalf having had a similar thing happen to my Lamborghini - customer satisfaction is SUCH an easy thing to achieve and some dealers just dick us around as if we're friggin' morons. Grrrr!

Would love to meet up if you're planning a Goodwood trip - my house is 20 minutes from Goodwood and I have driven at both the Revival and Festival of Speed.

If I had to choose how to end my life, option one (of course) would be face down in an eastern european escort in the Savoy (I have yet to mention this to my wife by the way), but a very close second would be Goodwood driving something special...! :biggrin

 

[ByeEnzo]

I love the French Alps. I have been 3 times to watch the Tour de France. Riding up the climbs on a bicycle is hard work though. Next trip may be on a BMW moto or in a sports car.
Thanks for your supportive thoughts. I have been so angry over this, that finally I just realized it was time to get things fixed and on with my life. Too much negative energy has been wasted. I do have the satisfaction of having them eat crow for their attempt at a coverup. If they had been honest from the start I doubt any of this would have occurred.