Rle

I previously posted on another thread. Our C-Max battery failed nine times over two years. The last time was in May and we had had enough. We had the car towed to the dealer and left it there. The dealer did the latest "fix" for the problem, but both the dealer and Ford told me that they would not guarantee the problem was fixed. After some haggling, I started a case under the Minnesota Lemon Law. After a little more haggling, Ford agreed to purchase the car back. We returned to the dealer to sign up the deal and when they tried to bring the car in for a final inspection, it wouldn't start. (It had been sitting in their lot for about a month without being started, so we don't know why it wouldn't start). The service guy at the dealer told me that so far, the latest "fix" of the problem seemed to be working. They had not had a car returned to them since applying that fix. (Just as a final note to our adventure with Ford, after the check arrived, my bank put a hold on it for ten days because Ford's bank reported that it was of "doubtful collectability." Not sure what happened there, but after ten days, my bank deposited the funds in my account.)

I have started a Lemon Law claim in MInnesota on the dead battery issue. The last time it died (May 8) was the eighth time in a little over two years. I picked up all the service records (but not the car) in order to start the Lemon Law process. The records show that they "Reprogrammed PCM, IPC DC/DC and GMW modules" on May 8 or thereabouts. Then on May 19 they performed "15B04." They have reprogrammed stuff before and the battery kept dying, so I have no confidence that this one will work any better. You never know if they have fixed it until it fails again -- which has been our experience 6 times. (Two of the 8 times we didn't bother taking it in). I will watch this space with interest to see if this "fix" seems to fix the problem for others.

So to update the story, the car was towed in on May 8 and the regional service rep called me and told me that he would be getting back to me. As of May 15 I had heard nothing from him or the dealer. I called him and he said that the car was "fixed" on Wednesday and that they would keep it another week to test it. Then the dealer service manager called me and said that the car was finished, they had no further tests to do and that I could pick up the car any time. I asked him what the problem was and how they fixed it. He said they reprogrammed the computer because that is what Ford told them to do. But he could not say that the problem (unidentified) was fixed. I called the regional service rep back and told him I did not want the car anymore. He told me that he could not help me further. He said it was not his job to help a customer who wanted to return the car. The car is still at the dealer after the last phony "repair." I appreciate the people who are trying to help and providing tips for avoiding the problem. But I just want a car that works. It is not my job to make Ford a better company. So today I filed my case with the Better Business Bureau who runs the Minnesota Lemon Law mediation and arbitration process for Ford. The car is leased through "Ford Credit" and I was tempted to just quit making lease payments. But one thing I have learned in this process is having the "Ford" name on your company means nothing. "Ford" Credit has no responsibility except to ruin my credit rating if I fail to make a payment for a car that doesn't work, sold by a "Ford" dealer who can't fix it, and manufactured by the "Ford Motor Company" who clearly couldn't care less what they put their name on. To a Ford person, "customer service" means keeping the customer guessing until they give up. Needless to say this is my last Ford product. If I lose the arbitration I will likely sue them. (I am a former trial lawyer, so I can do it cheaper than most can). If I lose there, I will just send in all the remaining lease payments and tell them to keep the car.

Our 2013 cmax was towed in yesterday for the fourth time with a dead battery. It has happened seven times, but sometimes we are just too busy to have it towed, only to be told that nothing is wrong with it. I spent half my day yesterday on the phone with various people. All of them work for a company with "Ford" in the name, but almost none of them are responsible for anything, apparently. One of them explained that if only I had backed the car into the garage, the towing service could drag it out without jumping it. I finally got a case number and had it. "Elevated" to the regional service rep. He called and assured me that the boys back at the lab were going to be all over my case. He also, however, acted as if he had never heard of this problem, which is contrary to what the dealer service department has told me, and, contrary to the record found online on this site, for example. I have now read many of the comments on this site, which will be helpful come Monday when someone tries to come up with a story line to explain what is happening with the car. I have a copy of Minnesota's lemon law sitting on my desk.

Dead battery for the fifth time.