What to do with a Ford Lemon

My mum bought a Ka less than a year ago and she has had a lot of problems with it. The dealers have intimidated her with their unpleasantness and fobbed her off with shoddy quick fixes and excuses. To cut a long story short: she has been towed three times and now uses her mother's 10 year old Citroen instead of her almost new Ford.

I want to help her get amends from Ford directly. A new engine or car would be best in my opinion, but I do not know what her legal position is or how to contact Ford and present a strong case. Anyone with expreience of how to deal with a Ford Lemon able to offer advice?

afaik your warranty is with ford not just a specific dealer. you could go to another ford dealer who might be a bit more interested. personally, i have had nothing but positive experiences in the past dealing with walden motors (who have now moved to malahide, i think). i bought loads of parts from them in the past and got a full respray . they were always the cheapest by far.

Thanks Eamonn66, but as you say the warranty is with Ford and I want to deal with them directly if possible. I'm not sure what the business relationship between a dealer and manufacturer is under these circumstances but I feel like they may be trying to stall until the warranty is out.

You should have the choice that whilst the car is under warranty that you can take it to any ford dealer (as Nissan & Toyota have to my knowledge).

If you want to avoid any more crap then i would recommend that you write to Ford Ireland directly explaining what the problems are & what your experiences have been with the dealership.

ninsaga

there was a very similar case on 'the spend' radio program on Rte 1 a couple of weeks ago presented by kay sheehy
There should be the usual merchantable quality consumer protection
You are entitled to a refund repair or replacement on a good that is not fit for its purpose and you are entitled to decide which option you want ie you can demand a refund even if the company has a policy of repair only
It was a van that had to be repeatedly returned on the show
If I can find a link I will post it
From what I remember his problems had gone over the year but he was able to get some recompense cos he could show he had been bringing it in for repairs from the beginning

Thanks Ninsaga and Unreg, I will investigate further.

A link for that show would be great if you can fin it Unreg.

Cant find a link to the show directly but maybe drop an email and ask if they can send the show or a summary? It was about 2 weeks ago that they dealt with this in detail good luck

24 hour phone line for your comments and queries: 1850 719303, e-mail thespend@rte.ie
RTÉ Radio 1, Saturday 11.02am
Also link to consumer rights
[broken link removed]

[broken link removed]

also found a link on RTe [broken link removed]

a consumer is entitled to expect a very high standard from a new car- partly because they are very expensive and partly because of the expectations generated by advertising. A consumer should give the car dealer a reasonable chance to repair the car but if the repairs are not successful the consumer is entitled to return the car, get a full refund and possibly get a small amount of compensation.

A note of warning- do not allow the dealer to go on with repairs over along period of time because you will be deemed to have accepted the car and will not be entitled to reject it. This means you will not be able to get a full refund.

If the dealer refuses to repair or replace your car then you should approach SIMI who offer a complaints and investigation service. They are also linked to a Quality Standards Tribunal that operates independently of the motor industry.

For claims under €1,270 the Small Claims Court can be a useful route, for larger claims you can take your claim to the district court.

Remember, by law you are entitled to a car that is "fit for its purpose and of merchantable quality."

Thanks bleary, Exactly what I need. Thanks very much.

I've emailed RTE and will let you know if I get any luck.

No Problem
I hate the way that garages take the P out of women Me included !
I would hammer them on your mas behalf
Here is a link to the show If you need it
Best of luck with it .

[broken link removed]

Excellent. I'll download the show and listen to it on the train in the morning.

My mum is polite and gentle and gets treated like crap all the time because of it. Fortunately I'm neither

Erith,

I'd make sure you have a letter in writing to Ford before the Warranty period expires. Maybe not too much detail, (without advice), but you should stress that the car is not fit for use because of the frequent breakdowns and that your Mother has had to resort to using another car. If the organisations listed previously can't help you, then I would consider engaging a solicitor to take legal action.

I don't believe the money available through the small claims court would provide sufficient compensation for an unreliable car.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice.

The key was to bypass the dealer. I spoke to Ford and was surprised to find them reasonable and accomodating in every way. After years of having to fight every inch when complaining to a business I have to say I was very happy with how well they handled the whole thing.

Anyway, well done to Ford.