Hi Glen,
I understand that a problem with your pride and joy can be frustrating.
Here is an example:
I would like to let everyone that owns an Everest know about a problem that is coming to every owner.
I purchased one of the first ford everest vehicles available in 2015 and had adblue no engine start warnings that led to me and my family postponing and then missing out on our trip of a lifetime that we had purchased the everest for.
I was assured by the importer and the dealer that I would not have another problem with the adblue like that again.
3 years and 11 months go by.. I get a engine warning light on the dash of my Everest....
No warranty, so I take the car to NRMA motorserve to diagnose.
The fault is for a faulty reductant heater. (No charge from NRMA)
O.k. so I do some research... the reductant heater is a heater inside the adblue tank that is only required to operate if the adblue in the tank drops to minus -12 degrees Celsius or lower.
Not required in Australia's climate.
So I look up the part number and find that it is also installed in the F250, blue oval transit diesel etc. around the world and has been recognised as failing like clockwork within 4 to 6 years and has been gratified as an extended warranty item just about everywhere except Australia!
I find a technical bulliten about the error, test the resistance of the heater and find that it is indeed faulty.
I decide to call blue oval australia and ask about the problem.
I explain it is the first year model with the part fitted in Aus and that it has failed just like every other one fitted around the world.
I explain to ford rep that I want the engine caution light to not come on for this fault as it is irrellivant to the operation of the adblue system in our climate here in Australia and that it will prevent the car from passing an annual pink slip inspection as you have a bright orange engine warning light on the dash.(fail pink slip item)
The importer asks me to send the vehicle to my local dealership, so I comply and wait over a month to drive it in at their next available booking.
Four days later I receive a text message from the dealer service centre telling me the importer will pay the $800 for the part yet I will have to pay close to $400 to put it in.
I call them after doing some more research and advise that I will put the part in myself (straight forward task) and I will pick up the part when I pick up the car.
(excepting that the part will just fail again in four to six years and then it's on me)
The dealership service centre says that if I don't pay for them to fit it then I don't get the part.
O.k.
I do more research.....
I can get the $800 part delivered off ebanay for $200, I call back and tell them not to worry and that I will purchase the part myself and instal myself.
They reply that they will not give me my car back unless I pay close to $200 dollars for plugging the car into their O.D.B. diagnostic machine and testing the heater. (This was requested by blue oval Aus, not me)(NRMA Motorserve had already done this free of charge as well with an official print out of the fault from their equipment)
This is the same dealership service centre that would not fix basic warranty items at the end of my three year warranty period after loyally purchasing and having the car serviced there the whole time!
Once again I have been shafted by the dealership I purchased the car from and also by the blue oval representative that promised to help.
Held for ransom over an engine warning light that should not even be lit up.
At least after reading this you will be better prepared for the great valued customer service that they hope to duplicate on every other Everest owner.
Ps. The faulty heater can stay in the tank forever just by having the correct value resistor installed across the wires for the heater.
Special thanks to Khaled in the melbourne office for promising to resolve the issue but instead wasting my time and a particular dealership around blacktown for not missing the opportunity to suck as much money out of any situation.
I love my everest, and that's about it.