Service Department Took Advantage Of My Wife.

[ctrcbob]

Service Department at Plaza Lincoln, Leesburg Florida took advantage of my wife and I am ANGRY.

 

I alway wrote good things about their Service Department in this forum, as they always took good care of me, however the took advantage of my wife (read that as "cheated" us, or to put it better, sold her on things that were not needed or wanted).

 

My wife phoned me and said she had something wrong with the right rear tire on her MKZ. I told her to take it to Plaza Lincoln (as they used to treat me good) and they would take care of the tire. OK, she called me back and said there was a bolt (yes, a bolt) in the tire and it needed to be replaced. OK, I can understand that, but then they told her that "they needed to replace both tires because the good tire only had 8/32 treat on it and with a new tire on the other side, it would cause the differencial to go bad. I was talking with my wife, on her speaker phone, so they could hear me, and I told her, and them, that only one tire was needed. Remember, this was a rear tire on a FWD car. They insisted that only one tire would cause damage, and they got my wife all scared, worried, etc, not to mention upset, and she would not listen to me, only to them about the tire.

 

Now, I've been a married man a long time. Some could say "I was born married", and when my wife gets scared, worried and upset, I'm not about to argue with her. What gets me is that their Service Department put me in a position that I had to argue with my wife about one tire or two.

 

Well long story short, they took the two GOOD tires from the front and put them on the back, then put two new tires on the front. I instructed my wife to have them place the other good tire in the trunk so I could use it at a later date.

 

Had I known that they were going to get my wife scared, worried and upset, I would have told her to come home, or to go to one of two mom and pop tire shops I know of, to get the rear tire replaced.

What should have cost me $150 to $200 ended up costing me over $500.

 

Like I said, I am angry that they put me in a position where I had to fight with my worried, scared wife and they took advantage of both her and me.

 

They have now lost my business. I WILL NO LONGER TAKE MY CARE THERE FOR ANYTHING I HAVE TO PAY FOR. I will not buy a car there. I "may" take my car there for warranty work, but there are other Ford and Lincoln dealers where I can spend my money. They already got enough. In the short run, they got my money, but in the long run, they lost money on me.

 

Again, they put me in a position where I had to fight with my scared worried wife, and they sold her things that were not needed, plus what they did sell her (tires) were over priced, plus the labor, and tax, etc.

 

Yes, I'm angry!

[SteveB_TX]

I understand your frustration.  I will not take my Z to the only Lincoln dealer in my area unless it is something that only a Lincoln dealer can do.  If that makes sense??  Anyway, my favorite Ford dealer is just down the street from me... less than 2 miles.  They get all my business.  The Lincoln dealer gave me attitude because I didn't buy my Z there.  The service manager actually said, and I quote, "Was it a matter of money?".  Huh?  What business is it of his as service manager, or anyone else for that matter, why I didn't purchase the car from them.  I was floored.  I told him it was none of his :censored:  business, got in my week old Z, and left.  I didn't buy it from them because the sales staff wasn't too interested in finding me a Hybrid.  They didn't even have any on order.  I had to drive 3 hours to Arlington (Fort Worth) to buy a Hybrid.  I have since learned that this Ford/Lincoln dealer is rated among the lowest in the state of Texas!  Gee, I wonder why?!  :rant:

[ctrcbob]

I understand your frustration.  I will not take my Z to the only Lincoln dealer in my area unless it is something that only a Lincoln dealer can do.  If that makes sense??  Anyway, my favorite Ford dealer is just down the street from me... less than 2 miles.  They get all my business.  The Lincoln dealer gave me attitude because I didn't buy my Z there.  The service manager actually said, and I quote, "Was it a matter of money?".  Huh?  What business is it of his as service manager, or anyone else for that matter, why I didn't purchase the car from them.  I was floored.  I told him it was none of his :censored:  business, got in my week old Z, and left.  I didn't buy it from them because the sales staff wasn't too interested in finding me a Hybrid.  They didn't even have any on order.  I had to drive 3 hours to Arlington (Fort Worth) to buy a Hybrid.  I have since learned that this Ford/Lincoln dealer is rated among the lowest in the state of Texas!  Gee, I wonder why?!  :rant:

You, I like. We both go out of town if our local dealers will not deal. In my case, I live in Lake County and I often say that "you can't buy a car in Lake County". Dealers here must think that everyone is retired and loaded. Just will not deal. (This holds for all dealers, not just Lincoln Dealers). In the past ten years, I have purchased cars in Sarasota (100+ distant), in Arcadia (140 distant), Ocala (50 distant), South Orlando (35 distant), New Smyrna Beach (70 distant) and Winter Park 30 distant). I always try in my county, but they just will not deal.

 

Now Lincoln has a problem! There are now so few Lincoln Dealers, since Ford has forced dealers to carry only one brand, and there are now no longer many Ford-Lincoln Dealers.. Only one dealer each in Lake, Orange (Orlando), Seminole, Volusia (Daytona), and Marion (Ocala) Counties. These dealers are not close. NOT MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM.

 

Have received phone and email surveys (questionaire). Answered them both, giving very low marks to dealer. Questionaire always says that I may be contacted by dealer. Have not been contacted to date. They must know I will give them an ear full.

[ctrcbob]

Still have not heard from anyone after I answered their questionaire. I guess they don't want to get an earful.

 

As for the lack of dealers, since the 2013 was introduced, I've only seen two. TWO. ( and one of the two belongs to a guy I know). I drove one, a V6, not equipped the way I wanted. They had some 2.0 EcoBoost turbos in stock, but;

1. I don't want that engine. I hate the sound of four cylinder engines.

2. That engine does not give the mpg that is advertised. Big write up on that in Consumer Reports. The mpg is no better than other brand V6's, although it is better than then the Lincoln V6. I have driven with friends who own another brand V6, which gets 4-5 mpg better than my 2011 MKZ V6, the same county-city streets (21-24 vice 17-19) and same roads on our long trips (31-34 vice 26-28). (Note that the lower Lincoln V6 MPG is NOT the reason I have not purchased one).

3. The resale value of Lincolns is very low.

4. Looking at photos of Lincoln's that will soon be introduced, I don't see the Lincoln brand surviving beyond 2020.

5. The value exceeds the price.

[KenZ]

Still have not heard from anyone after I answered their questionaire. I guess they don't want to get an earful.

 

As for the lack of dealers, since the 2013 was introduced, I've only seen two. TWO. ( and one of the two belongs to a guy I know). I drove one, a V6, not equipped the way I wanted. They had some 2.0 EcoBoost turbos in stock, but;

1. I don't want that engine. I hate the sound of four cylinder engines.

2. That engine does not give the mpg that is advertised. Big write up on that in Consumer Reports. The mpg is no better than other brand V6's, although it is better than then the Lincoln V6. I have driven with friends who own another brand V6, which gets 4-5 mpg better than my 2011 MKZ V6, the same county-city streets (21-24 vice 17-19) and same roads on our long trips (31-34 vice 26-28). (Note that the lower Lincoln V6 MPG is NOT the reason I have not purchased one).

3. The resale value of Lincolns is very low.

4. Looking at photos of Lincoln's that will soon be introduced, I don't see the Lincoln brand surviving beyond 2020.

5. The value exceeds the price.

 

Can't really comment on the issues you have been having.  My local dealer is a Ford/Lincoln dealer and I have had a great experience with them.  

 

I hate the sound of 4 cylinder engines also, but I like the mileage.  A prior car had a 5.7 liter Hemi, sounded great but got 17 mpg.  I like my current 43 mpg and lawnmower engine.  You would think that with all the tech they put in cars today, they could just come up with a fake engine noise to make it sound good.        

 

Your comment on Consumer Reports caught my attention.  I don't put a lot of stock in what Consumer Reports says.  I always have to laugh when I see their review of the Jeep Wrangler.  They talk about it being seriously outdated and uncomfortable - it's a friggin' Wrangler.  It's supposed to be ugly and uncomfortable.    

 

The recent comments Consumer Reports had on the 2013 MKZ Hybrid and the mileage also caught my attention.  They were critical in that they said they got something like 36 MPG.  Not sure how they got mileage that low!  I am at 2700 miles on mine with right at 43 MPG average.  Not quite the 45 MPG advertised, but none of my cars have ever got the advertised mileage.  

 

At least on the Hybrid side of things, I feel I got a really good value for the price.  Most car makers mark up the Hybrid version 10-20% or more over their regular version, this was the same price as the EcoBoost 4 Cylinder and considerably less than the 6 Cylinder.   

 

So far, I am a happy guy with my 2013 MKZ.

[John M Young]

WOW in my area all the Lincoln dealers had Hybirds and are ready to deal. Some more then others. I got mine for about 8 percent under MSRP. Dealer had about five 2014 Hybirds on the lot already. 

The Lincolns is not going to hold it's price great, but I will still loss less then if I had paid the extra 16k to buy the new Infinity Q50 Hybrid. 

I drove both and liked both. I have owned both brands and the dealers have given me good service so I went with the ford product (MKZ) because of the price. I am confident I will enjoy my new MKZ and the extra 16K I did not spend on the Infinity.

 

Consumer Reports I don't usually agree with so I don't know or care what they say or said.

 

Thread started about Tires ok. I bought one of two 2005 Escape Hybrids that my dealer could get in Sept the year they came out. I ordered it in June from my preferred dealer in Norfolk VA. Tires started cupping and making noise at about 25k so the dealer replaced them at no charge with a different brand that carried me over the 100k mile mark. That's what I call good service! The Escape Hybrid still runs fine and has been pasted down to my son. I glad to have this next generation Hybrid from Ford in the MKZ.

Edited September 15, 2013 by John M Young

[FTBoomer]

I'm in a different position.  I took my 2002 Lincoln LS to my Lincoln dealership for EVERYTHING.  My service manager was so good to me for 11 years that I told them that the only reason I was buying a car from them was because of Bill the service manager.

[michaelinokc]

I'm heading back to the Lincoln dealer for my service.  The Ford dealer, which is nearer to me, had been doing a good job until lately.  It seemed like they were always able to find extra things wrong with my LS and some of the repairs they made didn't last for more than a year or didn't actually fix the issue.  I've been very disappointed in the decline of their service department.  The Lincoln dealer seems to get to my car faster and don't care where I bought it. 

[robertlane]

I'm heading back to the Lincoln dealer for my service.  The Ford dealer, which is nearer to me, had been doing a good job until lately.  It seemed like they were always able to find extra things wrong with my LS and some of the repairs they made didn't last for more than a year or didn't actually fix the issue.  I've been very disappointed in the decline of their service department.  The Lincoln dealer seems to get to my car faster and don't care where I bought it. 

 

I think that maybe it's because traditionally, Ford dealers are more geared toward higher volumes - a lot higher than Lincoln.  Aside from that, Jim Farley at Lincoln is demanding a lot more out of Lincoln dealers and justifiably so.  If Lincoln is to make a come back - and the Lincoln MKC and Lincoln MKZ point to, their service has to match that quality of those vehicles.

[ctrcbob]

Service Department at Plaza Lincoln, Leesburg Florida took advantage of my wife and I am ANGRY.

 

I alway wrote good things about their Service Department in this forum, as they always took good care of me, however the took advantage of my wife (read that as "cheated" us, or to put it better, sold her on things that were not needed or wanted).

 

My wife phoned me and said she had something wrong with the right rear tire on her MKZ. I told her to take it to Plaza Lincoln (as they used to treat me good) and they would take care of the tire. OK, she called me back and said there was a bolt (yes, a bolt) in the tire and it needed to be replaced. OK, I can understand that, but then they told her that "they needed to replace both tires because the good tire only had 8/32 treat on it and with a new tire on the other side, it would cause the differencial to go bad. I was talking with my wife, on her speaker phone, so they could hear me, and I told her, and them, that only one tire was needed. Remember, this was a rear tire on a FWD car. They insisted that only one tire would cause damage, and they got my wife all scared, worried, etc, not to mention upset, and she would not listen to me, only to them about the tire.

 

Now, I've been a married man a long time. Some could say "I was born married", and when my wife gets scared, worried and upset, I'm not about to argue with her. What gets me is that their Service Department put me in a position that I had to argue with my wife about one tire or two.

 

Well long story short, they took the two GOOD tires from the front and put them on the back, then put two new tires on the front. I instructed my wife to have them place the other good tire in the trunk so I could use it at a later date.

 

Had I known that they were going to get my wife scared, worried and upset, I would have told her to come home, or to go to one of two mom and pop tire shops I know of, to get the rear tire replaced.

What should have cost me $150 to $200 ended up costing me over $500.

 

Like I said, I am angry that they put me in a position where I had to fight with my worried, scared wife and they took advantage of both her and me.

 

They have now lost my business. I WILL NO LONGER TAKE MY CARE THERE FOR ANYTHING I HAVE TO PAY FOR. I will not buy a car there. I "may" take my car there for warranty work, but there are other Ford and Lincoln dealers where I can spend my money. They already got enough. In the short run, they got my money, but in the long run, they lost money on me.

 

Again, they put me in a position where I had to fight with my scared worried wife, and they sold her things that were not needed, plus what they did sell her (tires) were over priced, plus the labor, and tax, etc.

 

Yes, I'm angry!

Took my MKZ to Central Florida Lincoln for service (oil and filter changer) a couple weeks ago. Treated me right. Best of all, they did not try to sell me anything I did not want or need. While there, I got to talking with the Internet Sales Manager. The type of guy that when I'm ready, I will buy from him. Plaza lost my business, both present and future.

[robertlane]

That place used to be called Longwood Lincoln Mercury for a LONG time.  I haven't been by there for a long time though.

[ctrcbob]

I'm sitting in my Toyota waiting room while having my Avalon Limited serviced.. Talking with a customer who just came in with the exact same tire problem we had.. A large bolt or nail in his tire.. Service Manager came over and told him that the new tire, installed, will be $143. Only changing one as there is no need to change two..

 

In my case, Plaza Lincoln "insisted" that two tires were needed otherwise it would screw up the differential (even though it was a rear that was needed and the car is a FWD) getting my wife all worried and flustered. It should have only cost me between $150 to $180. Thieves!

 

I just finished congratulating the Service Manager at Phillips Toyota on not "screwing" his customer and telling him the story about Plaza Lincoln just down the street,,

 

If/when my wife decides she wants to trade for a new MKZ, it will be at Central Florida Lincoln (who went out of their way to make me happy at my last service) or Parks Lincoln.. (She likes my Avalon Limited and the Lexus ES350 also).