Manufacturer defects are not Fords problem?

[sgfrd14]

I bought a 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium on 07/31/14. After 3 weeks I took the car back to the deal with the following observations:

1. My driver seat bottom cushion moves while driving

2. The headlights do not turn on for 30 seconds to 1 minute going into a tunnel and the headlights do not turn on for an extended period of time when the automatic wipers turn on

3. My mileage was significantly less than my 2010 Fusion Hybrid

For issue 1, I have had the following cases opened and closed by Ford with "no trouble found": CAS-6032594-W7M2R9, cas-6042514, CAS6316899. The dealership has had 3 people observe the issue reported. I find this interesting since the dealer was instructed by the Ford Tech line to remove the seat and "retention" it and re-install it. For has stated that even though the car is under new car warranty no replacement will be done and does not acknowledge the issue. Is anyone else having this issue?

For Issue 2, reported in case CAS-6032594-W7M2R9, Ford said that they changed the design and no modifications to the sentinel can be made. I find this interesting since many States now require headlights to be turned on when the wipers come on. My 2010 Fusion Hybrid worked flawlessly however my 2014 Fusion Hybrid with automatic wipers has a 2-5 minute delay before the headlights come on when the automatic wipers come on. Is anyone else having this issue?

For issue 3, apparently my brakes had been rubbing since I bought the car. The dealer had to turn the rotors with less than 8K miles on the car. Nobody at the dealer or Ford that I have talk to has ever heard of this occurring before and I had 73K on my 2010 Fusion Hybrid with no brake work. The car is starting to shake again and it has been less than one month since this service was done. Is anyone else having this issue?

I have had numerous calls with the Customer Service and Customer Service Escallation line personnel all the way up to the regional operations manager of the region I fall into. There were many promised calls that were never returned. There were many promises made that were never kept or followed through on and on the recorded line i was told, "It sounds like you don't like your car so why don't you trade it in and I'll make sure you get Ford family member pricing." Has anyone else been told anything like this in their dealings with the Customer Service or Customer Service Escallation lines?

As a side note, I have not received my second Safety recall on the car.

I would be interesting in other 2014 Fusion, Fusion Hybrid or Fusion Energi owners comments to see if they have also experienced any of these issues.

[Big Jim]

You have a misleading title for this thread.

 

The answer to that basic question is that indeed the manufacture is responsible for any manufacturing defects.

 

What lies at the crux of what you are experiencing is there a defect or not.

 

I can't picture what you seat problem is from what you have described. If the seat is just like all other so equipped cars of the same model, there may not be a defect. Perhaps you have noticed a characteristic that you don't like, but that doesn't make it a defect.

 

It is a normal thing for different models to have accessories that work somewhat differently. If your new one has a delay programmed into the wiper sentinal and the old one doesn't, that doesn't mean that the new one is deficient. The delay you describe should not hurt the operation of the system. I don't know why they changed it, but it could have been to cut down on false starts. What you are describing doesn't sound like a problem and Ford is clearly telling you that they are not going to modify it. If it works as designed and went through all the government mandated testing they are not going to make a modification that would not only require unnecessary engineering time to accomplish but also force them through extensive revalidation.

 

If your brakes are giving trouble again, take it back for them to fix. If you continue to have problems with the brakes and they have done all they can to make sure that they meet all engineering and manufacturing parameters, it may be that the problem is in your driving habits. If so, the best answer is to put you into another car that isn't so sensitive to your braking habits.

 

Keep in mind that the dealer is dong all they can to make you happy. The dealer cannot re-engineer the car and Ford isn't likely to.

[me32]

Sounds like for the most part you just miss your 2010. There are not the same cars so the way the operate are going to be different. The issue with your brakes should be addressed as that is a safety issue. Ford does want to make you happy