A Clock Spring/Dishonest Dealership Story
Hi, Everyone. I posted this story on another thread in response to a related question. But I thought it might be useful to others who have an airbag indicator light problem. The
clock spring problem is a long story. Sorry about that.
The problem was diagnosed by the dealership when the airbag light remained on. The dealership wanted to $95 just to diagnose the problem, but "kindly" offered to deduct the cost from the repair. The estimated repair cost was about $580, of which $112 was the
part cost. The dealership also indicated the airbag light could be caused by a problem with the airbag mechanism itself, too, and they wouldn't know for certain until they repaired the
clock spring. The airbag fix was estimated to cost $860. The amount seemed a shockingly high (but I am no car-repair expert). So I called a few non-dealerships. Each quoted a price, including
parts, of less than $200.00.
When I confronted the dealership about the amazing cost disparity, the service manager indicated the T-Bird's telescoping steering wheel added time to the repair, and the standard, computerized time-estimators didn't include that cost. (Frankly, I was skeptical, because I had discussed the complexity of the
steering column with some of the other repair shops, and one shop owner had fixed three Ford
clock springs that week, but not T-Bird
clock springs.)
Of course, the dealership had a deal for me! The dealership noted I had not done my 30,000 mile servicing at the dealership. (I had done it through Jiffy Lube.) So they offered to do the servicing for (coincidentally) about the same amount as the
clock spring repair ($570). In exchange, they would fix the
clock spring at no charge and make any necessary repairs to the airbag at no charge. The servicing included all new filters, all new fluids, flushing all systems, rotating tires -- a fine list of services. My T-Bird now has about 47,000 miles, so I didn't mind another round of servicing, given the specialized knowledge (theoretically) of the dealership, if the price were reasonable.
The dealership further indicated that Ford likes loyal owners, that having the servicing done at the dealership would show loyalty, and that the loyalty would be rewarded if in the future I had serious problems. The dealership and Ford would be more willing to cover a new transmission under an elective warranty fix, for example, if I showed my loyalty.
So I trusted the dearlership and had the repair done. Of course, the repair took an extra day and they neglected to deduct the $95 diagnostic fee, which I brought to their attention. But as far as I know the work was completed.
HOWEVER, today I received a call back from another Ford dealership I contacted prior to my repair. Their estimate for the
clock spring? Not the $580 estimated by my dealership. Instead, it was FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS less. The estimate was about $200, just like the non-Ford repair shops. So I called five additional Ford dearlerships. Each one quoted a
parts-and-labor cost of between $200 and $250!!
I am shocked and mortified by the dishonesty of the dealership. I am equally shocked by their gall at overcharging me even after I brought the concern to their attention, even after advising them I am an attorney.
Naturally, I have a call in to all levels of management above the service department. Any suggestions about what would be a fair settlement and what further action you recommend would be appreciated.
