Nick Mayer Ford East

I realize that a one star review can seem like an anomaly, especially when DealerRater shows the list of five star reviews along the side, but in my case, my service experience at AutoNation Ford Eas anomaly, especially when DealerRater shows the list of five star reviews along the side, but in my case, my service experience at AutoNation Ford East of Wickliffe, Ohio was, indeed a one-star experience. I want to CLARIFY though, that this one-star review is *NOT* for the technician that actually worked on my 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum, but rather for communication issues and the length of time for the repair. BACKGROUND- My wife and I relocated to Cleveland in January 2022 after living our lives in New York. My 2020 Ford Explorer Platinum Edition had two problems that I needed to have addressed: 1) the heated seat function for the front two seats was no longer working; and, 2) Sometimes at full stops (stop sign or traffic light) when attempting to accelerate after waiting, nothing happened when the accelerator was depressed. I would have to depress the accelerator pedal a few times before the vehicle moved. SITUATION: I dropped off my vehicle on April 27, 2022 and decided to wait for the vechicle in the waiting room at 10:00am (even though in the check box section of this site, I said that I didn't wait for the vehicle, this was because the answer was actually "yes" and "no"). After waiting until 3:00pm with NO communication/status updates from any staff, FINALLY I was told that the two problems that I had brought the vehicle in for would take longer to repair since parts needed to be ordered. I was then told that I could be given a ride home, but the person who would do that wouldn not be ready for another 2 to 3 hours. By this time (five hours sitting in the waiting room), I decided to take an Uber home because I did not want to wait any longer. AND... at *NO* time was I offered a loaner vehicle. After getting home on April 27th, I heard NOTHING from AutoNation Ford East until May 2nd (FIVE days later; granted May 1st was a Sunday) and was told that the "wrong seat cushions were ordered and came in" and they needed to re-order the correct ones and that they "should arrive in a day or two". I heard NOTHING from AutoNation Ford East for the next two days. On Thursday, May 5th, I decided to call and speak with their Service Manager. I called their main number and asked to be connected to the Service Manager. He was not in, and his voice mail greeting where he states his name was so garbled, I could not understand it. I left a voice mail for him to please call me back. I heard nothing by the end of the next day, May 6th, so I called the number and left a second voice mail. No call back by Monday, May 9th So, I called a third time, left a voice mail expressing my estreme displeasure and the VERY unprofessional way the Service Department at AutoNation Ford East was treating me, a dedicated Ford customer (I have owned only Ford vehicles since I bought my first Bronco way back in 1987.... 35 years of loyal Ford vehicle ownership) and I calmly (I don't believe in "yelling" as it does no one any good) stated that if I did not get a call back, I would look into alternative measures (contacting the State Attorney General's office, complaining to Ford Corporate, etc) which I did *NOT* want to do, but I could not get anywhere. (Oh, by the way, I attempted to contact Corina, the Service Rep who wrote up my vehicle for service, multiple times in between my attempted calls to the Service Manager.) FINALLY, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, two things happened. Firstly, I received an email from Corina (the service rep) explaining that they installed a new "module" into the seats to fix the seat heater problem, but it didn't work and the technician had to do more "detailed diagnoses", and that I could either go to Enterprise for a rental car, or they could lend me an F-150 truck, if I was "comfortable driving a truck." (Note: at no time was it explained to me why in the previous communication that they stated that they had to order new "seat cushions" ; where now it was a "module" that was installed, but not working.) Also, on May 10th, I FINALLY received a call back from the Service Manager, who I found out from speaking with him that his name was Tim (his recording of his name sounding nothing like "Tim" because of its lack of clarity). Tim apologized for any inconvenience, but had NO explanation why communication from AutoNation Ford East to me was so poor and lacking in any way, shape or form, other than the cryptic emails. I stated to Tim that I just received and email from Corina offering me the use of an F-150 and that I would very much like to use it, ESPECIALLY since my wife an I only had the ONE vehicle out in Cleveland that was in their shop (since we haven't fully moved from New York and left our other vehicle, ironicall a 2021 Ford F-150 Platinum... so I could definitely "drive a truck."). I went to AutoNation Ford East that same day (May 10th) and picked up the loaner Ford F-150. The next day, May 11, 2022, I received a text message from AutoNation Ford East, it was Tim, the Service Manager, informing me that their text message system would be a better, more convenient, easier way to stay in touch. Yes.... and no. The system was good WHEN it was used.... but, if it was not used nor monitored, then it was the same as attempting to call. The text messages were sporadic, but at least there was communication. And, on May 12th I was contacted via email to state that AutoNation Ford East could not fix the seat heater problem and a Ford Engineer was sent and told the local technician that wires would have to be traced and the center console be taken apart for a more detailed diagnosis (!). Oh... by the way, the accelerator problem was solved within the first week. It turned out to be faulty "brake actuators". These are DIFFERENT from the normal brake system (which was working normally). The "brake actuators" are used by both the electric parking brake system (you pull up an electric switch and the rear brakes are held by these actuators..... those of us old enough remember the days when you physically pulled a lever near the center console or you pressed down with your foot on a pedal on the left side of the brake... both of those methods physically pulled a cable that clamped the disk brakes... but now-a-days it's all electric) AND the "auto hold" feature ("auto hold" works when activated by applying these "brake actuators" at stop lights or long stop signs and you "tap" the accelerator and they release.... BUT.. if they don't release a "fail-safe" is incorporated that prevents the vehicle from accelerating and fighting against the "brake actuators", so nothing happens until they release.. hence the sporadic problem I had with that. But, these were now fixed. DAYS now went by... communication from AutoNation Ford East was sporadic; meaning not every day. I would have thought that I would get information, even if it was just "we are still working on it" each day. But, alas, that didn't happen. FINALLY... on May 23, 2022, I was contacted and told that my 2020 Ford Explorer was fixed!!! My wife had to have some procedures done and they allowed us to pick up our Explorer on Thursday, May 26th. The Explorer was finally back to us after being at AutoNation Ford East for 27 days! AND.. I am HAPPY to report that the seat heaters work 100% AND the brake actuators work 100%. My point in writing this long review is not to "drag AutoNation Ford East 'through the mud' " but rather to enlighten their management and offer a few suggestions: 1. If a customer's vehicle is going to take many days to repair (mostly because of supply chain issues, chip shortage, etc), then either: a) offer the customer a loaner vehicle immediately; or b) if the vehicle is safe to drive, then ask the customer to take his/her vehicle back with them until parts arrive and then return it to the dealership service department for them to fix it AND STILL offer the customer a loaner vehicle. 2. PLEASE communicate with the customer EVERY DAY about the status of his/her vehicle's repair. Even if there is no specific "new" news, customers like to know that they are not forgotten and that they are VALUED by AutoNation Ford East. I can honestly say that my feelings of "value" by AutoNation Ford East is non-existent. 3. The one thing that DID "rankle" me VERY MUCH is the fact that AutoNation Ford East charges a $129 diagnostic fee for EACH problem that the vehicle has! So, in my case with two repair issues (the seat heaters and brake actuator problems), I would have paid $258, PLUS the $1800+ parts and labor charges... LUCKILY, I have the Extended Service Plan (Platinum Edition) with the $100 deductable, so all I wound up paying was $100 total. BUT... for the average customer who either does not have an extended service plan, or vehicle in-warranty, these diagnostic charges for EACH problem quickly add up. And, this may be an "Ohio thing", but in New York at my Ford dealership that I dealt with for 35 years, there was NEVER a "diagnostic fee" charged in addition to parts and labor costs. I would suggest that AutoNation Ford East revisit this policy.... OR at LEAST when a customer went through what I did.... why not WAIVE that fee as a token of good service and show the customer that he/she is valued? As I stated at the beginning of this review.... the actual technician who serviced my vehicle did an EXCELLENT job!! I am very PLEASED with his quality work. It was the lack of COMMUNICATION and the NOT VALUING the customer that earned AutoNation Ford East its 1-star review. More