Anonymous
I own a Ford Transit Courier.. Its a 2015 1.6 TDCI 95 PS Trend Metallic Blue, I purchased this vehicle with 1800 miles on the clock, 900 miles later the Offside driveshaft seal on the gearbox went, i had the major service and the seal was replaced under warranty, upon popping the bonnet i could see the Airbox hadn't been secured into its support clip and one of the Bonnet Stops hadn't been located into its recess, basically it was loose in the engine bay where it could have potentially caused a lot of damage had it have fallen into the pulley system, another 400 miles later and i started getting clutch whoop, i had it booked in for an inspection and when i booked the vehicle in i asked for a courtesy vehicle to which that replied no problem, when i turned up on the day there was no courtesy vehicle for me, i was greeted by a receptionist who told me there was no courtesy vehicle for me and which point she turned round to alert the Service Manager, without going into detail a few words were exchanged and a form was mentioned, at which point she swivelled round on her chair to face her computer screen, sighing as she did, i have to say it wasn't her fault there was no vehicle, but that was what i was greeted with when i walked in, i also had a television blaring in my ear which is hanging on the wall of the commercial service centre reception right next to the desk which was making it hard to understand exactly what a Head Technician and The Commercial Service Manager was saying, both were sitting in a little office off the main reception and despite me alerting them that i couldn't hear them properly which i told them 3 times, none of them could be bothered to get up off the chairs they were sitting on and come over and speak to me so that i could hear them.. Eventually i got the jist and i was asked to drive the Head Technician around so that he may hear the fault, i advised them as i had done when i booked my vehicle in that the whoop noise would only happen when the engine reached its optimum working temperature and that travelling from my home to your company would not warm the engine sufficiently enough to induce the fault, if they had have told me at the time i was booking the vehicle in for this particular fault that i would be driving the Head Technician around i would have made sure the engine was at the optimum temperature so it would have displayed the fault, i also wouldn't have bought my Wife along as we had to nip off after dropping my vehicle at John Grose Ipswich, i'd had enough at this point as they were very rude and everything i had experienced up to this point had shown me that they were not interested in me or my vehicle. I voiced that i was unhappy and that i shouldn't have to feel like i was a pain in the backside, i promptly left and drove home, i was furious, i then phoned John Grose Ipswich HR Department where upon the phone was answered by Alice Randel who is a PA to the Directors, i told her what had happened and then i was called back by Steve Syrett, the overall Service Manager, they sent out a Technician who i drove round and he diagnosed the fault, they left me with a courtesy vehicle and took mine vehicle away, i recieved an apology from the Commercial Service Manager and from Steve Syrett, long story short apparently they fitted a new DMF and Clutch, the whoop isn't there anymore and the clutch does feel better, before these components were supposedly changed i also used to get a lag when i released the clutch from changing gear which caused the vehicle to rock back and forth ever so slightly, it also supposedly had a PCM update...I digress...So another few hundred miles later and the same Offside Driveshaft Seal goes again, back in for a new one, no roughness found on the driveshaft and the recess on the gearbox where the seal seats is fine etc. I did have certain concerns about the ford 1.6 TDCI which Steve Syrett told me i need not worry as my vehicle was a 1.5..I must add at this point that John Grose Ipswich's computer system had my vehicle as a 1.5, i have proof of this too but Steve Syrett used to be a Master Technician before Becoming a Service Manager and i had been speaking to him about my 1.6 TDCI and the various faults they have with that engine many times previous, i must also add that of December 2016 they have ceased production of this engine, so he is telling me it is a 1.5 so i needn't worry, words fail me at this point as i type this, unbelievable, i advised him that the door plate states it is a 1.6 and that Ford Etis shows this too, he took a look on Ford Etis and confirmed it was correct, previous Master Technician at work there! Having had a previous Major Service at John Grose Ipswich i then rung the Commercial Servicing to see if they had put the correct engine oil in as my vehicle was listed as a completely different cc on there system, they said the 1.5 and 1.6 Models in my year shared the same oil, at the time the second Driveshaft Oil Seal failed i mentioned to Steve Syrett that i was experiencing a weird smell in the cab and that i had a rattle at idle, i was told this was the injectors learning after the Drivetrain PCM Update, to his credit he got my vehicle in got the seal changed supplied me with a courtesy vehicle at the time and got my vehicle back to me in a day and in all fairness he was never rude, nothing however was mentioned about the smell in the van and i had become frustrated and had quite literally had enough with everything going wrong with it, work was carried out under warranty but getting them to give me good service etc took me having to complain on more than one occasion, a position i should not have been subjected to, my van at this point had only covered 2900 miles, minus 1800 of those though because that was what was on the van when i purchased it, however i'm not one to go away, so i explain that the smell has not been addressed and that the rattle is still there, i left a message with Alex for Steve Syrett who was unavailable at the time, Steve Syrett advised me himself to ring him if there was any issue with my vehicle, i never received a phone call back, i complain to HR AGAIN and Steve Syrett phoned me shortly after saying he didn't put my name to the issue, what a feeble excuse, i advise HR iv'e had enough and i want to take the matter further, it is arranged and Steve Syrett has a meeting with Alister Leith Managing Director of John Grose Ipswich about my vehicle, i must say that at no point did anyone show that they really cared about the hassle i was having with my vehicle and the inconvenience caused, it was just a case of we are fixing it so...I have also met a few rude people on the way, verging on bullying and i am a little worried as it is a lot of faults for a vehicle so young with such a low mileage, it doesn't bode well for the future mechanical life of this vehicle, i can only hope though! So getting back, i received a phone call from Alister Leith Managing Director of John Grose Ipswich who was rude and condescending from the outset, he also never had a clue about what i had gone though even though he said he was aware of the situations past and present when i asked him, as i spoke to him more it became clear he didn't have a clue, he called me a liar, i was incensed by this and then he said he didn't say that, this was prompted by me telling him that i had spoke to Steve Syrett previous about the smell in my cab and this had not been addressed, well in the meeting Steve Syrett had apparently said i had not said anything about this until the day i had complained to HR again, he had either forgot or was covering his own backside, i had mentioned it previous to Steve Syrett, so basically that is why he called me a liar, Alister Leith accused me of calling his staff liars...I'm flabbergasted he even said that. I asked Alister Leith if they recorded there phone calls, he replied randomly, i said well maybe listen to them and with any luck you'll hear the conversation i had with Steve Syrett about the smell in my cab which he is denying ever took place until the other day, Alister Leith should really take a course in Complaint Training as he made me feel that everything i had gone through was my fault, i was unreasonable to complain and that vehicles have warranty's for reasons such as i had experienced, and he said that he doesn't feel that they can live up to my expectations, do you believe this guy! at no point did he say sorry for everything i had experienced and gone through or even address that he understood how i must be feeling due to this, i'm afraid he is no different from what i have experienced all the way through, maybe the attitudes are a knock on effect coming down from the top, he also said that the rattling was a characteristic of my engine, again one i might add wasn't there before! when i asked Alister Leith who had said this he got even more funny and told me he doesn't have to give me that information, i told him i had a right to know to which point he told me Steve Syrett had told him, i couldn't believe it, Steve Syrett never said that to me and i was told it was the Injectors learning and it should clear up in a certain mileage, which it hasn't, so i just though at this point these lot are back stabbing liars, i proceeded to tell Alistair Leith that to put the burden of the bad service i'd received and the rudeness i'd encountered was not my fault, and indeed i would have though a Managing Director would be concerned that customers were being treated badly, he then said they would buy the vehicle back off me, effectively he said that meant i have had use of a vehicle for free and i could then go elsewhere!, i told him i felt insulted, he replied that most people are happy with that, to which i replied what have these other people gone through then to be happy to take the money and run, he then accused me of twisting his words!!
6 years ago
Read Ford Reviews
Ford has a 1.6 average rating from 171 reviews

Start Your Free Trial Today

Send 400 review invitations for FREE!

Activate Your Account

Book your activation call by clicking the button below. Or call us now on +1 213-325-5109 . Book a Call

Alice, Customer Support

Start Your Free Trial