Should you have to pay for work done as part of a service bulletin?

bikingbarney

Just after peoples opinions on this please.

My car broke down around 5 weeks ago flat battery which is a common fault on this ford car.

Battery replaced and codes cleared and also a battery drain test carried out with no fault found apparently.

3 weeks to the day after getting the car back the same thing happens again, car towed to dealer and they have had it for over a week and didnt know what was wrong with it.

I was told about a Ford Technical service bulletin with the same faults that are apparent on my car so metion this to the dealer and havent heard anyhting back until today 10 days after they had it saying its fixed and it was part of this TSB that was the problem.

The service person then started talking about payment to me saying they were going to try and get some money off the overall bill by applying to a warranty fund they have (He mentioned CLP ??) but he said my car needed to have full ford service history for it to apply.

Now i know the car hasnt got the FFSH(It has a full service history but not ford) but i was just wondering that as the problem relates to a TSB Ford released should I be paying for it to be fixed??

If people have the same fault whilst thier car is still in warranty thern it would be done gratis but for people outside of warranty have to pay even though its a known fault??

What are your opinions on this please??

Thanks

Steve

londonTiger

If it is in warranty, you shouldn't pay a penny.

I wonder if it is even legal to force owners to use their own service centres to keep their warranties. But it is in the terms and if you want to contest the legitimacy of that it will cost you.

Surprised this hasn't been taken up with trading standards by now. It is non-competitive and any professional mechanic should be competant to carry out service on any vehicle.

bikingbarney

londonTiger wrote: »

If it is in warranty, you shouldn't pay a penny.

Sorry I should of been clearer, the car is a 2010 "10" plate so unfortunatley out of warranty

AdrianC

londonTiger wrote: »

I wonder if it is even legal to force owners to use their own service centres to keep their warranties.

It's been explicitly illegal since 2002...
http://www.blackcircles.com/servicing/about/block-exemption

What the OP's talking about is goodwill gestures after the warranty expires, though.

flashg67

TSB's are produced long after a car is produced, even after new models are introduced. Thee short answer is, yes, you will probably have to pay , but should be limited to the labour & parts shown on the TSB, not the hours of diagnosis due to the dealer's apparent incompetence - they should be checking for TSB's first.
Goodwill discount is very much dependant on your 'loyalty' to the marque - you chose to take it for service outside the dealer network, therefore their 'loyalty' to you in respect of goodwill is smaller, or nil.
Ford are usually quite good in this IMO, but all manufacturers operate in the same way.

bikingbarney

flashg67 wrote: »

TSB's are produced long after a car is produced, even after new models are introduced. Thee short answer is, yes, you will probably have to pay , but should be limited to the labour & parts shown on the TSB, not the hours of diagnosis due to the dealer's apparent incompetence - they should be checking for TSB's first.
Goodwill discount is very much dependant on your 'loyalty' to the marque - you chose to take it for service outside the dealer network, therefore their 'loyalty' to you in respect of goodwill is smaller, or nil.
Ford are usually quite good in this IMO, but all manufacturers operate in the same way.

This particular TSB was released a year after my car was made and only affects cars between a certain build date, unfortunatley for me my car falls into this period.

AdrianC

bikingbarney wrote: »

This particular TSB was released a year after my car was made

Ford may well argue that, had the car been serviced within the dealer chain, the TSB's recommended modifications would already have been implemented as part of a service.

bikingbarney

AdrianC wrote: »

Ford may well argue that, had the car been serviced within the dealer chain, the TSB's recommended modifications would already have been implemented as part of a service.

Ive read the wording on the TSB and it says "if the customer displays a concern over...... "

It doesnt actually say that the work will be carried out at the time the vehicle is in for service!

jaydeeuk1

Should have bought a Toyota . They fixed a steering rack and wiring loom issue from a bulletin on a 12 year roadster old car free of charge. Was notified by post, it hadn't been serviced by Toyota themselves for about 7 years. Even came back washed and cleaned by Toyota Derby.