Caveat Emptor

Okay, I've cooled off a bit, but I'm still frustrated.

It's gonna be a long day today. It will likely officially begin at 6:45 a.m. when I will have to feed the boys breakfast. It's usually at 8 a.m.

But we need to dress 'em up and pack 'em into the van to drive mommy to work for 7:30 a.m. and then to the airport for 8 a.m. Why, you ask?

Well, we're a one-car family and will be so for up to three weeks. And that, friends, is why I'm frustrated.

The fun began Monday, when Neomom went out to start our 2008 Ford Ranger for work. It kinda started, but it sounded like a wounded dog with asthma. Not good. So I phoned the Ford dealer in Thompson to book an appointment. First available was yesterday. So be it.

Yesterday morning, truck was towed to dealership (I'll try to keep this short, but no promises). And here, Ford Canada gets one star. The roadside assistance plan worked. I call the 1-800 number and a tow truck was here within half an hour. No charge. One star.

So, a few hours later a get a confusing call from the dealership. According to the caller, they had not diagnosed the problem and they would have to pull the engine out of the truck to do so. This confused me. I tried to ask some questions, but didn't get any good answers. Bottom line, she said, was that the engine had to be pulled before they could give me any news.

And, she said, it would require a large block of time. The first large block of time available, she added, was on February 25th— two weeks away.

Aw shit! I mean, when you buy a new vehicle, you sort of expect worry-free driving for a few years. This Ranger has about 13,000 km on it. We haven't even had it for two years. Yeah, I know, shit happens.

Anyway, this still didn't make sense to me. How could they not know, or at the very least, not have some idea what was wrong? So, after dropping Sonwun off at preschool (with his fruit plate for the Valentine's party) I headed over to the dealership to ask a few more questions, including "Can I get a loaner while all of this is going on?"

This time I met service manager Glenn. Nice guy. He took the time to explain to me what they knew at this point and what they didn't know. And basically, they think a cam has come loose in the engine. This would explain why three of the six cylinders were misfiring. It's unusual to say the least, but based on what they're hearing and seeing, that's the best estimate at this time. Fair enough. Why couldn't the first caller explain that?

It will take a big chunk of time to start tearing down the engine and, if necessary, to pull it out to fully assess the damage, which is why they've booked that time two weeks from now. Glenn explained that if there are cancellations and such, it would be moved up. Again, fair enough. It is what it is.

As for a loaner, um, no. This dealership doesn't do that. Well, to be fair, they don't do that unless you purchased an Extended Service Plan when you bought your truck. I didn't. Mostly because I didn't think I'd need an "Extended" anything for at least the first three years. I don't know, you hear bumper-to-bumper warranty for the first three years or 60,000k and, well, you think you've got nothing to worry about. Live and learn.

So, I figured I'd give Ford Canada a call when I got home. I mean, I live in Thompson, Manitoba where a 4X4 is standard equipment. There is only one Ford dealership and again, to be fair, they're pretty busy. Which is why I have to wait 2 weeks for my full diagnosis and then, possibly, another week for parts (or a whole new engine) and then whatever time it takes to put it all back together.

This has to qualify for extenuating circumstances and Ford Canada would probably fall all over themselves apologizing for the inconvenience this defective product is causing me and authorize a loaner of some kind. They would go the extra mile to stand behind their product.

Um, no.

After about 10 minutes on the phone, being put on hold 3 times, I got my answer. Sorry about your luck chump, but we're not providing a loaner. We'll honour the warranty, but you're shit out of luck for the 3 weeks it may take to solve this problem. You should have purchased the extended service plan.

It was almost humourous when the customer service representative suggested that maybe I try another Ford dealership in the area that had a loaner program. After explaining that the next nearest dealership is about 800KM away, well, nothing changed. Sorry about your luck chump, but we're not providing a loaner.

Sooo, what lessons have I learned? I don't know. Ask stupid questions when you buy a vehicle? Questions such as: "If this fine vehicle craps out in a big way during the first two years of ownership, and it's gonna take three weeks for you to repair it, can I get a loaner?"

Why, oh why, didn't I think to ask that question. My bad. Caveat emptor.