Jim Whyte

I recently contacted Blackwell Ford to have the timing belt replaced on my SVT Focus. My interaction with Patrick Sullivan, Assistant Service Manager was pleasant at first. Prompt responses and gave me an belt replaced on my SVT Focus. My interaction with Patrick Sullivan, Assistant Service Manager was pleasant at first. Prompt responses and gave me an estimate fairly quickly. Once I received the estimate though, things began to quickly go down hill. Patrick had my vehicles VIN number to do the parts lookup. I was quoted for a timing belt and the various pullys to go with it, only to then have Patrick come back and tell me that his technician said "that year and model of focus has a timing chain rather than a belt", which is pretty concerning for a Dealership Technician to give such an incorrect response. I also do not know how Patrick did not tell the Technician that no timing chains came up when searching for parts with my VIN. When I call Patrick out on the SVT engine having a timing belt and not a timing chain, he proceeds to try and lie telling me that there were two 2.0 engine used in the SVT for 2004. A basic google search can prove that is demonstrably false. Assistant Service Manager Patrick then proceeds to tell me that they do not have to remove the valve cover to service the timing belt, and tries to get me to agree to paying an additional $200 in labor for the valve cover gasket to be replaced. The 2004 Workshop Manual from Ford calls for the Valve Cover to be removed during the timing belt replacement, as you can see in my screenshots below. Fed up with Patrick, in my next email asking about their service warranty among other things I ask him to CC the service manager, Ed Waldron. Patrick CC'd Ed and ignored my questions. Two days pass, and Service Manager Ed Waldron never responds to my email I sent asking about their service warranty. I send Ed and Patrick another email today asking about the service warranty and asking him to clear up the confusion on the procedure they would take to replace my timing belt. After 6.5 business hours I still did not receive an email response from either of them addressing my questions and concerns. Do not trust these service managers as far as you can throw them. They will lie directly to you so they can stroke their ego and never be wrong. My family will not be renewing their leases at this location either, which is a shame because they live at most 1 mile away. More

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