What warranties did Ford try to sell you at signing?

[sajohnson]

Huge red flag. I'd place the order with a different Ford dealer. The car's not even built and the guy's already trying to sell you an overpriced extended warranty. Not only that, but the extended warranty isn't part of the process -- it has nothing to do with a special order sent to the Ford factory on your behalf. My gut tells me a dealer playing these games this early on will also try and screw you after the Sport arrives. "Sorry, we added a $5,000 'market adjustment' because you never signed such-and-such..."

I haven't bought a new car for over 20 years (my 2002 WRX). The vehicle the Badlands will replace is my wife's 25 year old RAV4 (no slouch itself, with a locking center and Torsen rear). So I'm not very familiar with dealer tactics, but from what I've read the hard sell on the extended warranty is pretty common. As I mentioned above, over 30 years ago I had a salesman (the owner's son) tank an essentially done deal because I rejected his last minute warranty push. All the paperwork as done and I was ready to sign -- and he let me walk.

My guess is that most dealers would push the warranty -- even at this stage of the process -- but I don't have much personal experience.

Initially we considered buying from basically any Ford dealer in the U.S. if the deal was good enough. It quickly became clear that all of the ones I talked to were selling in-stock Bronco Sports for thousands over MSRP, and ordering them for MSRP. Even the Costco Auto deal was only $350 under MSRP -- and the dealer is over 2 hours r/t. That's a problem because most dealers (for any mfr) have a serious attitude problem when it comes to doing warranty work on vehicles they did not sell. In theory, you can take your car or truck to any dealer, but in reality, if you did not buy from them they will probably give you a hard time.

So we decided to buy locally. That meant either Hagerstown Ford, or Frederick Motor Company (FMC). Their pricing is identical, so it came down to reputation. I researched customer reviews and complaints on:

https://www.dealerrater.com/dealer/The-Frederick-Motor-Company-review-23261/page2/?filter=ONLY_NEGATIVE
https://www.dealerrater.com/dealer/Hagerstown-Ford-review-6172/?filter=ONLY_NEGATIVE#link

https://www.bbb.org/us/md/frederick/profile/used-car-dealers/frederick-motor-company-0011-90101582/complaints
https://www.bbb.org/us/md/hagerstown/profile/new-car-dealers/hagerstown-ford-inc-0011-16010463/complaints

As well as Google and Yelp. FMC was the 'least worst' by a lot. One big difference is in the number of BBB complaints: 2 in the last 3 years / 0 in the last year for FMC vs 12 and 3 for Hagerstown.

Rather than go by the overall 'star' rating, I always read multiple 1-star reviews, to get a sense of the nature of the problems, and whether the reviews sound legit or not. In this case, while FMC has it's share of horror stories, they are significantly less than Hagerstown, and they were mostly for service, as opposed to sales.

None of that means FMC won't try to pull something, but my father is a retired law prof, and Ralph Nader is a friend of his. No, Ralph would not get involved in our little car deal, but I'll make life difficult for the dealer if they try to jerk me around.

Also, the salesman showed us a Bronco Sport that he said had been on the lot for a *week*. He claimed they were just asking MSRP for it. If that's true, I wonder if demand isn't cooling a bit, at least around here. If so, FMC will be less inclined to pull the "additional dealer markup" game with us.

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[haroldqjr]

I got the premium maintenance, premium care, and tire care. Those were the only ones they mentioned when we were signing

 

[SportWest]

I got the premium maintenance, premium care, and tire care. Those were the only ones they mentioned when we were signing

Does Ford TireCare cover only the original set of tires, or any replacement tires (e.g. replaced due to normal wear) for the duration of the policy?

 

[JerryC]

The problem finance office people have with me is that I can do simple math.

They expect most people to be unable to simple math, even with a calculator app on their phone.

Salesman says "it's only ten dollars a month. "
You say , "that's $720" and they start to sweat because you can do numbers.

So the finance guy this last time goes through a list of scripted lifestyle questions that are a setup to sell warranties. That pissed me off before he was two questions into it as I knew where this was going.

Five minutes after that I get up and find my sales guy and tell him I've been talked out of buying that POS car that will have parts failing as soon as I drive away that aren't covered by warranty.
The specific example given was that headlights are not covered by the 3/36 warranty and cost $1200 each. Yeah I knew he was either wrong or or lying but he swore it was true and just happened.

In the end I went back to the finance office and the finance guy said no extras here is your price sign and drive.

I was shocked he gave in that quick until my wife said that she flat out told him one try to sell me something and I'm walking.

 

[sajohnson]

The problem finance office people have with me is that I can do simple math.

They expect most people to be unable to simple math, even with a calculator app on their phone.

Salesman says "it's only ten dollars a month. "
You say , "that's $720" and they start to sweat because you can do numbers.

So the finance guy this last time goes through a list of scripted lifestyle questions that are a setup to sell warranties. That pissed me off before he was two questions into it as I knew where this was going.

Five minutes after that I get up and find my sales guy and tell him I've been talked out of buying that POS car that will have parts failing as soon as I drive away that aren't covered by warranty.
The specific example given was that headlights are not covered by the 3/36 warranty and cost $1200 each. Yeah I knew he was either wrong or or lying but he swore it was true and just happened.

In the end I went back to the finance office and the finance guy said no extras here is your price sign and drive.

I was shocked he gave in that quick until my wife said that she flat out told him one try to sell me something and I'm walking.

I guess I don't blame them for trying, it's the tactics they use that are aggravating. It's too bad they are placed in that position -- where they have to sell X number of those warranties every month to be able to pay their bills. Our salesman tried the same tactic -- "The backup camera costs $850!" I told him that if it was out of warranty it would not get replaced, simple as that. Our cars are old and don't have features like that anyway. That seemed to bother him.

If I was selling extended warranties I would tell people the truth -- 'the chances are very slim that you will get your money back, let alone be a big "winner" (have covered repairs worth much more than the warranty cost) -- but warranties are good for piece of mind.' The buyer is probably just throwing money away, but at least they know their out-of-pocket expenses will be limited to deductibles -- unless the failed part(s) are not covered (which happens). D'oh!

 

[haroldqjr]

Does Ford TireCare cover only the original set of tires, or any replacement tires (e.g. replaced due to normal wear) for the duration of the policy?

It's mostly damage caused my the road but some things are covered, here's a link to the brochure https://fordprotect.ford.com/tirecare?searchid=291998006|21587442086|&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAk4aOBhCTARIsAFWFP9Hz7Dl3kAsY9iQpW14rJgZfPTqAcSOKMjpgkKVkLlhxwzKqnv4hU5EaAq8yEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2519!3!267762457853!e!!g!!ford tirecare

 

[Tigger]

I see some people saying they have never bought a new car until this purchase so I will offer two pieces of advice I have learned.
1) anything the finance department tried to sell you by saying how much it is per month, decline. This is a tactic to avoid saying the full price, which is too high, and saying a confusing and meaningless amount. You want to know the price in full or completely discount it.
2) everything sold is a profit for the seller, and in this case, the finance guy sitting across from you. But, there is a situation where a warranty can be needed, and for me that was when I was young and starting a family. A repair can easily run over $1000’s and if there is no chance to pay that, then you may need the protection. But, you do not need to buy right away and you do not need to buy from that dealer. Like with everything, take your time, review, shop around.

 

[Central Jersey]

[/QUOTE]
That's a problem because most dealers (for any mfr) have a serious attitude problem when it comes to doing warranty work on vehicles they did not sell. In theory, you can take your car or truck to any dealer, but in reality, if you did not buy from them they will probably give you a hard time.
[/QUOTE]

Not in my experience. I get my vehicle serviced at a dealership that is not the one that sold me my vehicle. They did not give me an attitude when I had them replace my rear taillight under warranty. They were more than happy to do the job. My last oil change when I went to pay they told me it is $0.00 no they didn’t use Ford points for it ( never bought a vehicle from them , I probably will get my next one from them after the great experience i had from the service department .)

 

[sajohnson]

That's a problem because most dealers (for any mfr) have a serious attitude problem when it comes to doing warranty work on vehicles they did not sell. In theory, you can take your car or truck to any dealer, but in reality, if you did not buy from them they will probably give you a hard time.
[/QUOTE]

Not in my experience. I get my vehicle serviced at a dealership that is not the one that sold me my vehicle. They did not give me an attitude when I had them replace my rear taillight under warranty. They were more than happy to do the job. My last oil change when I went to pay they told me it is $0.00 no they didn’t use Ford points for it ( never bought a vehicle from them , I probably will get my next one from them after the great experience i had from the service department .)
[/QUOTE]

Smart dealer!

 

[Gone Postal]

This subject is the reason I deal with the dealer I do....

The sales pitch is nonexistent.

I'm sure they'd give you the pitch if you needed it, but it took me less than an hour to purchase my F150.

It took longer to order my Bronco Sport, but that's because the other half was with me.

None of that time was the salesman (who's also the owner) trying to sell me anything.

https://www.dovimotors.com/

 

[Cobrablues]

Are the maintenance packages worth it? I got screwed with the add on maintenance and warranty add ons. However, I cancelled them early and got most of the money back. I bought the Ford Premium extended package with the money I got back and still had money left over. I am now thinking about the maintenance package from Ford. When I put pen to paper, it comes out to about $136 to $160 per oil change and tire rotation. And that doesn't include balancing. When I had my Bronco Sport Big Bend, I would pay about $75 t0 $90 for the oil change with full synthetic oil. I had Discount tires so I just took it to them because they also balanced each tire rotation.
The only caveat about the Ford plan is the extra things offered like wiper blades, brake pads and struts, etc.

 

[sajohnson]

Are the maintenance packages worth it? I got screwed with the add on maintenance and warranty add ons. However, I cancelled them early and got most of the money back. I bought the Ford Premium extended package with the money I got back and still had money left over. I am now thinking about the maintenance package from Ford. When I put pen to paper, it comes out to about $136 to $160 per oil change and tire rotation. And that doesn't include balancing. When I had my Bronco Sport Big Bend, I would pay about $75 t0 $90 for the oil change with full synthetic oil. I had Discount tires so I just took it to them because they also balanced each tire rotation.
The only caveat about the Ford plan is the extra things offered like wiper blades, brake pads and struts, etc.

Interesting that the cost of oil changes is so much more. I would have guessed that there would be a "bulk discount" because they have the money up front, and they know that human nature is such that some people will neglect to bring their car in as often as they should.

Extended warranties can make sense for people who would otherwise worry about the cost of a potential major repair. They are willing to accept that they will almost certainly not be one of the few "winners" who get more than the cost of the warranty back -- in exchange for the peace of mind of knowing that their maximum outlay for repairs will be: a) the cost of the warranty, b) any deductibles, and c) any forgone interest on the money spent.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that. My perspective is that extended warranties (like all insurance) are essentially gambling, and the house always wins. The only insurance that's truly necessary is for catastrophic loss: life; health; home; auto; and maybe disability.

When we bought our BS BL, the salesman and the finance guy were doing their best to scare us into buying a crazy expensive extended warranty. They were saying things like, "You know, that rear camera costs $850 to replace..." I replied that as a technician I'd get one either used or aftermarket and install it, or go without -- seeing as how my wife and I have both been driving almost 50 years without a backup camera (I'll admit that it's helpful though).

They did not like that at all, and became very sullen and depressed. I almost felt sorry for them -- almost. The I thought about all of the poor people that spiel works on.

 

[Cobrablues]

Thank you for the response. Yes it is a gamble. For myself, they have paid off. I started using them when I bought an FJ Cruiser when they came out in 2006. Just before it expired, I broke an axle and it was taken care of. I also had one on a 2014 WRX that I blew the engine in. I got a $5000.00 dollar engine installed by the dealership for my $100.00 deductible. And my last one was on the last Chevy I owned before coming to Ford. I broke a couple of struts on a 2105 Colorado Z71. So I believe in them because they have paid off. But maybe I am just one who needs backup plans for things he abuses.
I am still on the fence about the maintenance plan.
Thanks again.

 

[BayBrownBronco]

The problem finance office people have with me is that I can do simple math.

They expect most people to be unable to simple math, even with a calculator app on their phone.

Salesman says "it's only ten dollars a month. "
You say , "that's $720" and they start to sweat because you can do numbers.

So the finance guy this last time goes through a list of scripted lifestyle questions that are a setup to sell warranties. That pissed me off before he was two questions into it as I knew where this was going.

Five minutes after that I get up and find my sales guy and tell him I've been talked out of buying that POS car that will have parts failing as soon as I drive away that aren't covered by warranty.
The specific example given was that headlights are not covered by the 3/36 warranty and cost $1200 each. Yeah I knew he was either wrong or or lying but he swore it was true and just happened.

In the end I went back to the finance office and the finance guy said no extras here is your price sign and drive.

I was shocked he gave in that quick until my wife said that she flat out told him one try to sell me something and I'm walking.

I heard very little push from my dealer on warranties- either in 2021 when I signed my lease nor this year when I bought it out. He did mention it in 2021, gave a couple numbers, but this year not even a mention. IMHO it depends on the dealer and worse ones push more for sure.

I’ve never bought an extended warranty for a car. Like another member mentioned in this thread, the notion is carmakers have tons of reliability and repair data, and price warranties accordingly. Well of course they do; and most people won’t see an engine failure in less than 100k. But what has changed, is the wild costs now when they do fail. Your LED headlight is a good example.

I love the “Signature” headlights on my Badlands. They really add unique character to the car, and they’re effective enough at night that I will never develop a desire to upgrade somehow to brighter lights. But there’s a downside. They’re complex, OEM-specific and extremely expensive to replace. I keep hearing $1000 per side. So I went and looked at yard parts on www.car-part.com, and sure enough that’s not too far off, for a unit in “A” condition at a yard. One was even going for $1250 (!!!) “with module”. Huh? What’s the module? Then I remembered reading the average new car today has FIFTY individual micro controllers on board. Some even vote amongst themselves like little trolls - such as when the almighty vehicle brain is deciding to open or shut the front grille louvers.

I don’t want to go back to the 1970 Chevelle I drove in high school. I like modern airbags, world-class crash worthiness, rear window washers and wipers, backup cameras and yep, fan-cooled unique headlights.

That said, my Sport did undergo several warranty recalls and repairs. I’m thankful I got a new set of front brake rotors, a new APIM, a free RDU fluid change (plus newer style vent hose), and several other repairs, all free under warranty. But it left me pretty anxious about life after the warranty.

Thanks to this site, I found and checked with both Flood Ford and Granger Ford on extended warranty options. Sadly I waited too long (too many months in service) to work with Flood. But Granger fixed me right up. It was helpful dealing with an actual human there (thanks Kathy!) to get quick simple answers to my questions. One note though- I wasn’t expecting this- but near the end of the “Next…” pages on their site for signing up, two more options appear. One was specifically for key fob replacement. I added the coverage (long story related to my GF’s fob nightmares on her 2016 Escape). And two, there’s a $110 one time fee addition for LED lights. Hmm interesting. I added it. Ditto, for 10-day car rental coverage during repairs.

I don’t expect the warranty will solve every possible issue or problem I find with this car in the next 5 years and 48k miles for which I’m covered now. Maybe I won’t have any claims at all! (Yeah right). But if not it’s still worth it to me just for peace of mind.

 

[RushMan]

January of this year, when I picked up my '24 Badlands..they tried to sell me an warranty at list price.
I had done my homework and had a quote from Granger and links to both Flood Ford and Granger Ford on my cell phone. The F&I pitch man cried that I was taking money out of his paycheck if I didn't buy the extended warranty from him. What do I care? He's trying to steal money out of my bank account. He finally gave in and sold me the ESP, matching Granger's pricing.
He did not try and sell me a service package, and I was only interested in the Ford ESP.

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