My Bronco Heritage Limited Purchase DISASTER!

[BoDiamond]

I feel for you, I really do. I think with all of the evidence that you have, you should be able to return that headache back to the selling dealer. I believe you have the legal right to do so. And the selling dealer also has a moral obligation to accept what they did to you. Have you called the owner of the selling dealer to explain what you know. I would skip over all the managers and call the owner. Good luck on this.

Thanks for the Support!
I have been unable to talk to the General Manager, they are very good at screening his calls. Not sure if that is the same person as the owner?

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[BoDiamond]

This is why I always go over everything with a fine tooth comb before signing on the dotted line.

I wish I had spoken to you before I bought the car! IT was raining and everything looked OK at first glance. I had a two day drive back home so I was eager to get on the road. If I had just run a car fax report it would have shown the repair done by the selling dealer. That would have given me pause. Next time I will run a car fax and do a thorough evaluation.

 

[Bschurr]

@BoDiamond I am sorry to hear about your experience - it’s really terrible.

Since the selling dealer is unwilling to speak to you, I would send a certified letter to the owner with an explanation and chronology of events along with a copy of the repair estimate and a demand for prompt payment in 5 days - I would also send a copy of the letter & documentation to Ford corporate. This should get their attention and if not, your next move should be to hire an attorney in Mississippi and get the satisfaction you deserve. Good luck!

 

[BoDiamond]

Is there a small claims court option available in Mississippi?

Suing the selling dealer is likely to commit you to funding that could be order of magnitude more than the proper repair costs you stated. Also, it could realistically take several years to realize an outcome.

Since the selling dealer might still have the obligation to fix it properly, do you really want your Bronco tied up at a dealer in Mississippi for months or trust their work again assuming a Mississippi court finds in your favor???

This really has nothing to do with Ford Corporate, and I’m doubtful they can provide any assistance to you. In all likely hood, the selling dealer probably charged Ford Corporate and or the Transport Company for the full repair costs with all new parts, then did minimum repair work and pocketed the extra money…..

Everything about this sucks!

Have you discussed this with your insurance provider or your title holder?. Perhaps they can lend assistance.

Mississippi may also have a consumer fraud division.

EDIT: You never indicated whether you purchased this vehicle AS NEW or USED. If you purchased it USED and signed a document that you purchased it in “as is condition” You’re probably just screwed.

I don't really want to Fly to Mississippi to go to small claims court. That was quite the ordeal to get there in the first place. If I was local that would be an option. I would have the bronco repaired by my local dealer in Florida if The Lemon Law case does not prevail.

The Service Manager said he would fix it if I drove it back to Mississippi. I asked him if the guy that did the initial repairs is the same guy that would repair it again. He said "Yes, it's not a big deal." He also argued that all that damage could not have been caused by the transport accident as the radiator shroud is no where near the headlight and grille they replaced. But in actuality everything that is damaged is actually physically connected to the grille and head lights and other damaged parts. Initially he told me "I don't see why we should have to fix anything". Only after a couple of months did he finally agree to give me $1,300.00,

I also figured the selling dealer might have charged Ford for all the repairs and pocket the difference. I don't have any proof of this yet. We should be able to determine this in the discovery process.

I have been in discussions with the MS Motor Vehicle Commission's Executive Director. He is the one that pointed out to me the Mississippi Law that requires the Dealer to disclose the damage to me at the time of purchase. If the damage exceeds 6% of the vehicle MSRP it must be reported. In the case of my Bronce that is $4,380.00. Since the damage is over $7,200.00 then I clearly should have been notified at the time of Purchase.

Yes, It was bought as brand new. Signed no such as-is document.

 

[BoDiamond]

Yikes! I'd take the advice if your lawyer and either do the lemon law or sue the dealership, really depends at this point if you still want the Bronco. Now what I'd do is sue them for the full repair cost and lost time and loss of vehicle including diminished value, the lawyer seems convinced that litigation cost can be recouped so no loss of money, just more time

I'm still working out the details with the attorneys. I'll see what the agreement says in terms of my costs. At this point it's more about the principal than the cost. I'm definitely concerned about the loss of value of the vehicle. I would prefer to get a new one or maybe just buy something else altogether? The attorney seemed to indicate the timeline would be in the 6 months range. If the decision is appealed in can go into the "years" time frame. I can be patient for a few years I suppose.

 

[BoDiamond]

@BoDiamond I am sorry to hear about your experience - it’s really terrible.

Since the selling dealer is unwilling to speak to you, I would send a certified letter to the owner with an explanation and chronology of events along with a copy of the repair estimate and a demand for prompt payment in 5 days - I would also send a copy of the letter & documentation to Ford corporate. This should get their attention and if not, your next move should be to hire an attorney in Mississippi and get the satisfaction you deserve. Good luck!

That's a great idea. I think my attorney will do that as part of the initial process. I have a boat load of documents, evidence, texts, emails, etc.

 

[TXBronco1313]

sorry to hear! I can only imagine how stressful this process has been for you from the get go. I’m going to be the unpopular opinion here and suggest that you just bite the bullet and pay for the repairs out of your own pocket at this point. Litigation is going to cost more than $4,200 and will def take months to be resolved. I truly think your best and cheapest way to go about this is just pay out of pocket. It sucks big time because it’s not your fault but I really don’t see Ford covering this under warranty. They might push you back to the dealer or force the MS dealer to do the repairs but cover it under warranty is going to be a tough one. This is def a hot take and ppl might not agree with me here but if it were me, that’s what I would do to get my peace of mind and most importantly my Bronco back asap. Anyways, good luck!

 

[BoDiamond]

sorry to hear! I can only imagine how stressful this process has been for you from the get go. I’m going to be the unpopular opinion here and suggest that you just bite the bullet and pay for the repairs out of your own pocket at this point. Litigation is going to cost more than $4,200 and will def take months to be resolved. I truly think your best and cheapest way to go about this is just pay out of pocket. It sucks big time because it’s not your fault but I really don’t see Ford covering this under warranty. They might push you back to the dealer or force the MS dealer to do the repairs but cover it under warranty is going to be a tough one. This is def a hot take and ppl might not agree with me here but if it were me, that’s what I would do to get my peace of mind and most importantly my Bronco back asap. Anyways, good luck!

I see your point, that is probably the logical thing to do. I wish I were more logical, my blood pressure would probably be lower...

 

[TrailRaider]

Considering Ford was at some point directly involved with the previous repair, and it was obviously not repaired properly, one would think they would want to charge back the selling dealer and open an internal investigation to find out how many other forged warranty/shipping items that dealer has milked them for.
I'm not sure exactly what the shipping damage policy is for Ford and their shipping insurance, but Either Ford or their insurance (possibly shipping company insurance) is out a few grand for an obvious false repair. If that dealer did it once, you can bet they have done it before, and will again if Ford takes no action with them.

 

[Area51BS]

I would use an attorney. Sometimes that alone gets things moving. It will cost more than the repairs. With that said look for one that will take the case working on a percentage of settlement. 30% if it settles before mitigation. 40% if it goes to mitigation. And they will go after far more than the repair cost either way.
My recent experience. Not exact amount for this example. 20k. Attorney goes for 75k. Plus 8K in professional reports let’s call it. So attorney knows he needs to end up with 28k plus his 40% of total. They negotiated down to 45k to settle. I get repair. Professionals get paid 8K and attorney gets 20k.
Or you raise hell, maybe get some compensation. Maybe not and just pay the repair.

 

[Beach_Bum]

Bryan, there is some good advice. The cost of the repair done by your local dealer is less than 5k. Just pay it out of pocket and be done with it. Consider it a life lesson. Some are more expensive than others. After you get it repaired, enjoy it with your partner. Don't focus on the past.

You indicated that you have the body of an 85 year old. You don't need to be wasting time to prove the MS dealer was wrong. No one is promised a tomorrow.

 

[Jazer]

Bryan, there is some good advice. The cost of the repair done by your local dealer is less than 5k. Just pay it out of pocket and be done with it. Consider it a life lesson. Some are more expensive than others. After you get it repaired, enjoy it with your partner. Don't focus on the past.

You indicated that you have the body of an 85 year old. You don't need to be wasting time to prove the MS dealer was wrong. No one is promised a tomorrow.

^^ This was my thought as well. You have a pretty rare Bronco with minor damage all things considered. I would pay out of pocket for repairs. If the money can be recouped over time with the help of your lawyer, by all means... The positive thing is that It doesn't have major structural damage. I'm sure it is infuriating, and it sucks, but the Bronco is still good and I wouldn't let a fairly easy/straightforward repair ruin your experience of owning it. Get her fixed & go enjoy it

 

[ScottyC]

Curious as to why you would sue Ford, due to the shipping maybe? Original dealer got paid for the shipping damage and they instead did a half-ass job and pocketed the rest. Your fight is with original dealer - NOT FoMoCo.

 

[BoDiamond]

Considering Ford was at some point directly involved with the previous repair, and it was obviously not repaired properly, one would think they would want to charge back the selling dealer and open an internal investigation to find out how many other forged warranty/shipping items that dealer has milked them for.
I'm not sure exactly what the shipping damage policy is for Ford and their shipping insurance, but Either Ford or their insurance (possibly shipping company insurance) is out a few grand for an obvious false repair. If that dealer did it once, you can bet they have done it before, and will again if Ford takes no action with them.

I agree, the attorney says he can access all that information. Should be interesting to watch.

 

[BoDiamond]

Curious as to why you would sue Ford, due to the shipping maybe? Original dealer got paid for the shipping damage and they instead did a half-ass job and pocketed the rest. Your fight is with original dealer - NOT FoMoCo.

I'll do what the attorney recommends, initially they were keenly interested where the shipping damage occured. After further research they believe Ford has culpability.

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