My experience at Dick Smith Ford in Raytown, Mo.

I took my Tracer into Dick Smith Ford to get the timing belt replaced. This dealer was close to work and I could have a friend pick me up and drop me off. Besides I was scoping out a new dealer for my next new car, and I have always believed that the type of service you get in the shop will be similar to the type deal they will give you. After dropping the car off, I got a call from the dealer advising me that my air conditioner line had a corroded fitting and really needed replaced. I asked him how much that was, and upon hearing the amount, declined saying I couldn't afford it at this time and would just take a chance on it lasting until I could fix it. What I didn't know at this time was that they had already broke the line. I received a call later that day telling me my car was ready to pick up. I asked if they had any problem with the AC and was told it was fine. 

Before I left the shop I fired up the AC and then checked under the hood. The AC line had no fitting and was actually wired to the fitting!!! I reached down to touch it and it blew right there in my hand. Freon blew all over and I jumped back. Naturally I blew a gasket myself, pointing up at the big "Fixed right the first time" and yelling that my AC worked fine when I brought the car in. Then to add insult to injury, the manager calmly walked over to me and said, "well if you hadn't done that at least you would have had AC on the way home".  I told him that if I had left this garage and it blew on the way home, he would have lied about breaking it, just like they were now doing. I pointed to the bailing wire still attached to the line and fitting and asked him who came up with that repair? I let him know that they would pay to replace it. They asked me to leave  and I left.

I called the next day to let them know that I wanted my car fixed. They told me that "yes the line did break, but it was due to corrosion". I asked about the shoddy repairs, and they first told me that they didn't fix it with bailing wire, and "I must have wired it like that". When confronted about the previous call about the "corroded fitting" and no mention of bailing wire they changed their story to "they were just trying to help me out since I couldn't afford to replace the line".

So I called Ford, the BBB, and my credit card company to protest the charges I had just paid. I called the dealership daily for until the General Manager agreed to meet with me. He pretty much gave me the same line. We met with the mechanic who broke the line. He actually told the truth, and pointed the finger at the manager saying he was instructed to "SELL the customer a new line. But the GM then offered to split the repair with me. I refused and informed him I could prove they broke the line and that the nut was NOT corroded. While taking photos of the shoddy repairs I had found one half of the fractured nut. It clearly had no corrosion and had evidence of a stress fracture with a clean break. I showed it to him, and he asked if he could take it out back for a second. He returned gave it back to me. He said he had taken a similar nut broke it with a hammer and the break was similar. He then agreed to order me a new line, and pay for the repairs. I told him I would need transportation and he agreed to give me a rental car.

Now I know what your thinking. I should be happy right? Well, I'm not. They broke my car, and repeatedly lied about it. They tried to get me to fix their mistake, and then fought me for over a week. They attempted to get me out of there by fixing it with bailing wire. I drove back and forth to work in the summer with no AC and was extremely stressed out by the whole fight. Not only that, but a year later all the freon leaked out of my AC and I will always wonder if it would have lasted longer had it not been busted that day. Years later I struck a deer and finished off the AC. I never repaired it as I still didn't think the car would last much longer. But it has proved me wrong. As for Dick Smith, I have never been back and have purchased 3 new cars and 3 used ones from other dealers in town. If you have to nearly have a coronary to get someone to do the right thing, they just are not worth it.

Back to the "Super Tracer".