The Last Straw - Lemon Lawed

[Maxpowa]

I never wanted it to reach this point, but I thought it would be a good idea to share my experiences with my 2015 Tux Black FiST. At 2 years and 23k miles, I've absolutely had it with the repairs the car has needed. I absolutely love the car and the driving experience, but I can no longer make excuses for this thing.
That being said, I honestly believe that most FiSTs out there are very reliable, I just so happen to get one that slipped through quality control; it happens.

To date, the car has required/received the following repairs:
1) A new evap purge valve for engine stumbling after refueling
2) A new left driveshaft and wheel bearing
3) Two new HVAC door actuators.
4) A new HVAC control module
5) A new interior temperature sensor
6) A new sunroof (yes, the entire sunroof)

Pending issues as of this posting:
1) Paint defect on 3 of the 4 doors (corrosion at bottom door seam)
2) Front left strut clunking over large bumps
3) Engine stumbling again after refueling (prob. the evap system again)

In the last two years, the car has been into service at least once every 2 months. Some repairs have required more than 2 visits and some repairs have taken weeks to complete. The sunroof repair alone took 2 weeks. There's a running joke in my family that if I keep the car, by the end of the warranty, Ford would have built me and entirely new car.

What I've learned, which hopefully can help some of you out:
1) If you experience issues and the dealer is non-cooperative, contact Ford directly. In my case, formal letters were sent to their customer relations department. I found that when I sent physical letters to Ford, higher-ranking representatives (in my case, some sort of legal assistant or lawyer) responded; a lot better that speaking to those call-center representatives.
2) Don't be afraid to demand compensation. You know the saying: "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." After the first year of ownership, Ford ended up giving me an extended warranty for my troubles, though at this point it's not enough. Again, bypass the dealer and go directly to Ford.
3) Keep records of EVERYTHING (dealer service orders/invoices, service records/receipts, pictures of issues, videos, etc.).
4) Try emailing your service representative rather than only calling to speaking with them (so that there is a document trail); just avoid the "I didn't say that" BS.
5) Stick with one service representative (as much as possible). I've only has two the entire time I've owned the car, so they've been able to personally see the sheer amount of issues I've had and can vouch for me (they've actually been very sympathetic and helpful to the best of their ability).
6) If you get to where I'm at in my ownership experience, know your state's lemon law requirements and discuss your situation with Ford directly. I basically told them that if they didn't buy the car back I'd seek my state's lemon law arbitration process as I meet several criterion at this point. Again, it's best to bypass the dealer and speak directly to Ford. Be specific in your demands and request that ANY agreement be offered in writing.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone for helping me with all my issues over the years. If I get another ST, I'll be back (most likely). If not, have fun out there!

 

[Truth in Ruin]

Sorry to hear brother. You deserve a good FiST. Go get a newer one without a moonroof, but if you don't, I'd understand either way.

 

[J2FoRS]

Mines had more issues than this.

If their covering it all under warranty who really cares imo.

PS are you filling your tank past full? (when it clicks off?) Cause thats the leading cause of our evap issues and stalling/stumbling after filling. After the first time I did this, and googled it, ive never filled past clicked and never had an issue.

Good luck Lemon Lawing it. From your post it doesnt sound like youve been approved yet, hopefully works out. Theres a long road ahead.

 

[Maxpowa]

Mines had more issues than this.

If their covering it all under warranty who really cares imo.

PS are you filling your tank past full? (when it clicks off?) Cause thats the leading cause of our evap issues and stalling/stumbling after filling. After the first time I did this, and googled it, ive never filled past clicked and never had an issue.

Good luck Lemon Lawing it. From your post it doesnt sound like youve been approved yet, hopefully works out. Theres a long road ahead.

Sorry to hear yours is having issues too. You're right; if it's under warranty why not just let them deal with it? I at first agreed with this 100%. My reason for changing this opinion is that several of the repairs have not solved some of the issues. The dealer, and the Ford engineers, have thrown parts at it left and right, to no avail. Sunroof still leaks, A/C still has issues, evap issue coming back. Then you need to consider what if they start denying claims...don't even want to go there.

Concerning the evap system, once it clicks off, I stop there, always have. My old man had an Explorer with the same cap-less system before I got my FiST, so I knew ahead of time. I even leave the nozzle in for almost a full minute before pulling it out (while looking like an idiot standing around with the gas pump off). The struggle is real. Besides that though, the engine stumbles even if I only full the car to half-tank, so I don't think it's an overfill issue.

 

[Maxpowa]

Update to this situation: Got a replacement 2017 ST from ford. Made a video discussing the whole situation. Check it if out if you like. Might provide you with some insight. Cheers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C63UoXYqWw

 

[Bretley]

Yay! Glad you got a new car! May the car gods watch over you with this one!

 

[FieSTa Blanca]

Nice to hear a happy ending! I just wanted to mention that my wife's Ford Escape had the door seam corrosion issue on three doors and the rear hatch, and Ford covered it under warranty, thankfully. So it's not just the Fiesta having that issue. I have yet to see any paint problems on my FiST, knock on wood...

FB

 

[The_Ryan]

Check between the panels on the hatch. I had paint chipped off in between the panels. fortunately Ford will be fixing it under warranty.

 

[blurred]

The engine only stumbles a little right after because it is cycling the evap system. Its actually perfectly normal and almost every car does this, it is just more noticeable on a small 4 cylinder. Seems like most of the issues are annoyances, its a shame you had to lemon it for essentially minor issues but congrats on the new one, hopefully you enjoy it more.

 

[MKVIIST]

Glad in the end everything worked out for you. In CA, the lemon laws are very favorable compared to other states.

 

[flaxseedoil1000]

Man I feel for you guys.
2016 with 19,500 miles.

Only issues I have had are:
- Climate control the likes to blast the wrong temp for the first 10 seconds.
- little plugs behind the interior door handles keep falling out.
- 1 time had the low rpm / stall after refueling

That's it, really been a solid ride and oh so fun to drive.

 

[DeadDred]

Glad in the end everything worked out for you. In CA, the lemon laws are very favorable compared to other states.

Lucky you guys in the US at least have some lemon laws, here in BC its fuck you sucker.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Man I feel for you guys.
2016 with 19,500 miles.

Only issues I have had are:
- Climate control the likes to blast the wrong temp for the first 10 seconds.
- little plugs behind the interior door handles keep falling out.
- 1 time had the low rpm / stall after refueling

That's it, really been a solid ride and oh so fun to drive.

2016, owned for almost a year, 6000 miles, and the squeaky/squawky clutch bushing/spring when hot, and the passenger side skirt adhesive letting go a little bit at the front edge are the ONLY even minor 'issues' it's had.

VERY; FUN, reliable, solid little car which makes you look forward to driving it whenever you can!

 

[Maxpowa]

Thanks everyone for the comments. The 2017 ST is doing well so far with almost 4k miles on the clock. One new problem cropped up just recently concerning exhaust smells entering the car. I posted a new thread about it. Check it out and let me know what you think. Also, I'm always willing to answer any questions you have about the buy-back process. Definately here to support my fellow FiST owners.