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2002 repair mechanic training question

  • Thread starter Thread starter lmc
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lmc
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Thunderbird Year
2002
I've repeatedly heard from a 2 different regional dealers that Ford Mo Co actually had special training sessions for repair technicians working at Ford franchise dealerships which had repair shops.

Does anybody know if this is true or just a myth pushed by dealership repair shops?

Our local dealership repair shop is claiming that they are now down to just one repair tech trained to repair the 2002-2005 Thunderbirds, that competent repair technicians who can fix these Thunderbirds are scarce and to rely in a regular mechanic to repair the car is folly.

Is any of this true?

I can't wait for 4 months for the local dealership repair shop which has a huge waiting list. The fees charged are absolutely outrageous, too.

When calling to a reputable local independent repair shop, the manager mentioned that he had never heard of such a situation for any type of vehicle.

Is this yet an additional falsity pushed by this dealership?

Any suggestions on how to find good mechanic?

Any tips on how to ensure that all goes well?

The previous dealership that I actually purchased the car from, they held onto car while waiting for replacement screws for convertible top which were supposedly on order from day I purchased in May until nearly August and when I went to pick car up, the used car salesman I purchased it from at this Ford dealership had actually been using it to run errands in, had put nearly 400 miles on it and it was wrecked. The rear end bumper bracket (internal) was broken by backing into something going at least 5-7 mph leaving mark on bumper which was buffed out. He actually had to make 3 trips to remove his old, dirty coffee mugs and half empty to go coffee paper cups, the front seat and trunk were packed with boxes of parts he picked up from local shops for other car repairs at the dealership. He also programmed all channels, both rows A and B, with his favorite hard rock stations which previously only had one channel set, by me, at time of second test drive and offer made to purchase. All other channels were actually blank, nothing pre set when I left car after purchase which was part of deal for agreeing to adjust the convertible roof brackets with new screws which weren't stripped - a repair that would supposedly take no more than a few weeks allowing for partmorer (screws supposedly cost $125) and brackets needed specially trained mechanic to adjust once screws arrived. When salesman turned car on to drive it up to building for me to collect it, the stereo was cranked to nearly top volume and speakers were crackling. The keys had been locked in the used car salesmans desk while waiting for screws to arrive which were supposedly on back order than nearly 1.5 months to install by 'specially trained Thunderbird mechanic.

Of course, this was different dealership in different state back in 2019, but after my experience with another bad actor used car financing/sales manager at a different Ford dealership last week as I was test driving cars because of a major repair needed on the Thunderbird (thinking that it might just be quicker to purchase a used car), with this nearly $10,000 dealership repair estimate looming.
The electric harness, right front rim, and right/passenger side front quarter panel were damaged, along with right, front orange reflecter lense.
Of course I filed complaint with the state AG (my balked at filing theft charges) while I did follow through on the AG complaint and they agreed to repair it.
I'm concerned about the continued high costs of repair for anything because of this supposed special training needed to repair.
Is this training a myth?

Any suggestions on how to select a good mechanic fluent on repairing a Thunderbird 2002?

Any suggestions on a good place to find these parts?

Frankly, all of the problems with these 2 repairs, the theft, the nonsense actually leave me concerned. Is it worth it to deal with this craziness because others love Thunderbirds so much? Or that they are so unusual that waiting for months for a backorder on a simple part leaves me without it for an entire summer until November by time body repair from accident is fixed!
Any suggestions on parts and mechanics- greatly appreciated
TY

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I've repeatedly heard from a 2 different regional dealers that Ford Mo Co actually had special training sessions for repair technicians working at Ford franchise dealerships which had repair shops.

Does anybody know if this is true or just a myth pushed by dealership repair shops?

Our local dealership repair shop is claiming that they are now down to just one repair tech trained to repair the 2002-2005 Thunderbirds, that competent repair technicians who can fix these Thunderbirds are scarce and to rely in a regular mechanic to repair the car is folly.
ny suggestions on how to select a good mechanic fluent on repairing a Thunderbird 2002?

Any suggestions on a good place to find these parts?

Frankly, all of the problems with these 2 repairs, the theft, the nonsense actually leave me concerned. Is it worth it to deal with this craziness because others love Thunderbirds so much? Or that they are so unusual that waiting for months for a backorder on a simple part leaves me without it for an entire summer until November by time body repair from accident is fixed!
Any suggestions on parts and mechanics- greatly appreciated
TY
Only 31,368 2002's were made, so you aren't going to find parts like a Mustang or F150 where there are hundreds of thousands or millions sold. They are also not obligated to provide parts for a 23-year-old car. In addition to that, all or nearly all of the parts are discontinued, so there is nothing to wait on backorder. The Jeep Dealership here won't even touch vehicles that old here. There are 19,000 incorporated cities in America; you must network locally to find a trusted mechanic. You are not going to get an answer here. This is a discontinued car, and I doubt they are still providing mechanic training on it!

Information on parts is in the parts forum or here- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/threads/ford-thunderbird-parts-on-ebay.5753/
 
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I luckily have a great independent mechanic who is within walking distance from my house. He has done numerous repairs on my deceased wife's 2005. He is also smart enough to direct me elsewhere if needed. It has over 100k because I do drive it a lot with trips to FL & all the Northeast states

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Any " good" mechanic can work on your car! It's a car, not rocket science. With a little time and patience most repairs can be done by you. A good manual, average tools, and a good quality code reader and you're in business...
 
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Any " good" mechanic can work on your car! It's a car, not rocket science. With a little time and patience most repairs can be done by you. A good manual, average tools, and a good quality code reader and you're in business...
TY Harley!

So this supposed training that happened back in 2000-2004 for Thunderbirds by Ford Motor Company dealership mechanics is just a type of URBAN MYTH pushed by the dealership mechanic...

After these 2 bad experiences with 2 different used car salesman at 2 different Ford Dealerships in 2 different states in, one in 2019 where I purchased car (and it was abused by salesman we bought it from).

Then this continual explanation that only one person at local was still on staff who 'took the special 2 week training course' sponsored by FoMoCo when Thunderbirds were released - it's all just nonsense!
That's what the independent mechanic said yesterday when I asked if he understood how to repair Thunderbirds. He had never before heard this story put out by Ford dealership service centers.

Any suggestions on good places to order parts?

Especially the electric harness and front right quarter panel and 7 spoke chrome rim?
 
Just start surfing the Internet for parts. I buy a lot of stuff for my cars off e-bay. Do your research and know what you are looking for and looking at.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 
TY Harley!

So this supposed training that happened back in 2000-2004 for Thunderbirds by Ford Motor Company dealership mechanics is just a type of URBAN MYTH pushed by the dealership mechanic...
Why does it even matter? That was over two decades ago. A lot of those guys that worked on them new like @doug7740 are now retired.

Even in the mid 1990s Ford had a state of the art satellite system at the dealership and did live training for sale people and staff from Dearborn. They even had keypads you could press to take the test or ask the instructor a question. This was cutting edge at the time.

The problem here is this wasn't a Ford Engine and they didn't sell many. Even if you were trained, it's not like you would work on one every day like an F150. People forget things which is why they have elaborate troubleshooting steps to diagnose problems in the Service DVDs.
 
When it comes down to servicing these cars you should look for a reputable repair shop in your area that may have and old school tech that has not retired yet ? or maybe a Lincoln dealer, they had the Lincoln LS for a few years and there were plenty of them.
My opinion is that most of today's young auto repair technicians lack the experience of troubleshooting a problem and who knows maybe they don't get paid enough to do it, they rely on a trouble code from a scanner and that is a great window to start troubleshooting but not to start replacing parts and hoping for the best.
 
So this supposed training that happened back in 2000-2004 for Thunderbirds by Ford Motor Company dealership mechanics is just a type of URBAN MYTH pushed by the dealership mechanic...

Then this continual explanation that only one person at local was still on staff who 'took the special 2 week training course' sponsored by FoMoCo when Thunderbirds were released - it's all just nonsense! That's what the independent mechanic said yesterday when I asked if he understood how to repair Thunderbirds. He had never before heard this story put out by Ford dealership service centers.
First off, I agree with 74 Harley that any good technician can work on your car and what JoseG said about when it comes down to servicing these cars you should look for a reputable repair shop in your area.

Secondly, there wasn’t any supposed training by Ford Motor Company for dealership technicians, there is actual training. It doesn’t matter what manufacturer a dealership technician works for, foreign or domestic, all dealership technicians are factory trained. When a new model comes out they are sent to new model update training. After a technician returns from training it doesn’t end there; continuous learning and hands-on experience within the dealership helps keep a technician up to date on the latest products and process issues.

Our Thunderbirds are over 20 years old, it’s not that the guys that worked on them are now retired, its that today’s car trends and technologies focus on eco-friendly features. Some of the new car technologies include regenerative braking, heads-up display windshields, the growth of mobility services, the rise of electric cars, and autonomous vehicles. Stop bashing the dealership. Do you really expect the dealership to still have the special tools and to train a technician on a 20+ year old Thunderbird that they might only service 2 or 3 per year!

The American Road Thunderbird Club is headquartered in southeastern Michigan. Since you are near Detroit, I think your best bet is to contact someone from The American Road Thunderbird Club and find out where their members have their Thunderbirds serviced.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

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Sorry that dealer abused you like that! I'm glad you went after them. I'd second what everyone else has said, you are very unlikely to find any special expertise on a 20 year old car at a dealer. You should look for an independent shop that services older cars, ideally one that will allow you to supply any hard to find parts. The parts for our cars are available, but they are on websites like ebay and amazon and frequently NOT at Ford dealers. I needed a radiator hose recently. I had to try five Ford dealers to find one that had it, and that one was over 100 miles away. So I got one on ebay easily and for less money. If you insist on dealer technicians, as was mentioned, Lincoln dealers may have some experienced technicians, but also Jaguar dealers too. The most common Jaguar from that era are mostly the same car underneath. Good luck! I'm so sorry that dealer kept you waiting for months for a screw. Literally and figuratively! There are no magic screws in the Thunderbird top. Any convertible shop can fix it.
 
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