Dark Horse gone, but it's the dealer who's the lemon!

[Dave_E]

TLDR - Made money on a lemon due to arrogant dealer.

Posting this for 3 reasons:
1) Therapy.
2) In case a potential buyer ever searches for it, so they know the history.
3) So Ford know exactly what happened with their stupid dealer in Sarasota FL.

VIN: 1FA6P8R07R5500508

Just gone through lemon law process and it totally didn't need to happen.

Bought Dark Horse Handling Pack Auto in Dark Matter Gray in Nov-23. Paid ADM of 5k, plus all the dealer installed crap. Taxes and fees, 80k out of the door. Traded an F-150 with a questionable 10r80 for 24k, the rest cash.

Immediately noisy transmission. Whining like crazy. Went to various local dealers who tried their best to destroy the car. Broke the front splitter on a parking block, then bent the sideskirt on a lift trying to fix that. Eventually ended up back at purchasing dealer (Sarasota Ford, FL). They denied any noise, but found transmission oil 2 quarts low from factory. Filled it, whine went away 90%. Still worrying as it had been driven 3k miles.

Immediately started getting the dreaded 'clunk' on deceleration, like many others in here. Took it back to Sarasota who identified it (correctly) as the output shaft flange on the trans. Replaced it, but took over 3 weeks waiting for part.

Went to pick it up, clunk noise gone, but now a loud knocking noise at idle. Didn't even get it off the dealer lot before I noticed it. Service advisor heard it too, described it as a 'heartbeat'. Sounded like a big end knock. Regular, deep, constant knock. Felt through the pedals and the butt.

They kept it for another week, put themselves over the 30 day lemon period, but I still loved the car and wanted to keep it. Obvious it was something they'd done in the trans... probably just misaligned the output shaft flange or something. But they wouldn't even look at it. Said it was typewriter tick and told me to come pick it up.

Pleaded with them it obviously wasn't typewriter tick. Totally different sound. Told the advisor to go listen to their own video in their own service bulletin. She agreed, but said that was the verdict of the senior tech / service manager, and it wouldn't be changed or even re-looked at. I warned them, said I'm not just going to live with this. I even reminded them they'd gone over their 30 days for lemon law, but they wouldn't listen.

Side moan: They didn't treat the car well. I told them it was garage kept, never seen rain, and asked if they could just try and look after it. It was good enough to be pride of place in the showroom when I bought it, but they just threw it out on the dirt road for 4 weeks. It was covered in dirt and bird crap, scratches on the door etc. That annoyed me.

Picked it up, took it to an independent who put it on a lift and we could feel the knocking through the driveshaft. Unmistakable. They agreed, something imbalanced in transmission, and gave me a report.

Hired lemon lawyer. Ford wanted final inspection, so took it to a different dealer who threw a belt & tensioner at it, then acknowledged the problem was still present.

Ford offered the repurchase before the lemon case even went ahead. Full purchase price including ADM and taxes, plus some lawyer fees, plus difference of the undervalued trade-in of 9k. That was a nice surprise. Slight adjustment for the 5k miles I'd put on it, but still walked away with 85k. Basically they paid me 5k to drive the thing for 18 months lol. Was told I'd have to sign an NDA but I didn't.

Now Ford have a lemon car that's currently sat at an auction house in Tampa FL, and will no doubt be hitting a dealer lot in the next few weeks. Worth what, as a lemon, 50k max? Probably less. Guess we'll see...

Ford lost their ass because one dealer tried to flip off a customer. No issues with Ford themselves, they played their part. But they want to have a word with the SM at Sarasota. Charge it back to them or something! It would have been a quick easy fix and I'd have kept that car for a long time. Was sat on a quote from the same dealer for 20k for a Whipple and headers etc. But... hey ho.

Been a Ford guy all my life but not getting another S650. Will probably get in an M4 now. Just stupid.... didn't need to happen.

Sponsored

 

[ChitownStang]

Man that sucks.. unfortunately many Ford dealerships suck. Props to Ford for the buy back!
Shame on Ford to continue to put out this messed up transmission!
I would have lost my shit if I had to go through all that.
If you were getting a manual I’d say try finding another DH as it is better manual than BMW
Auto M2 or M4 trans is so far superior over 10r80
Unfortunately the BMW’s do lack the visceral feel of the V8 when I test drove a few before buying my DH
Good luck

 

[smurfslayer]

Welcome to the ‘prevailed in a lemon lawsuit’ club. Nobody really wants to be in it, but it sure beats the ‘stuck with a lemon’ club. A great percentage of LL cases are won due to stealership delays and part delays. Kudos to Ford for making it right, but your servicing stealerships need to get taken to the woodshed by Ford Corp.

 

[VileKnight]

As someone who worked in an account management role for almost 10 years, this is jaw dropping to me. The service manager should be written up or fired for turning a blind eye to this. If they had a service advisor who could confirm your problem, they should have taken ownership of the situation to make it right. It's a shame that so many people have lost sight of how important CSAT is.

Glad to see that you had the ability to correct this - even if you had to spend time and energy like this on it.

 

[Ike99]

TLDR - Made money on a lemon due to arrogant dealer. Posting this for 3 reasons: 1) Therapy. 2) In case a potential buyer ever searches for it, so they know the history. 3) So Ford know exactly what happened with their stupid dealer in Sarasota FL. VIN: 1FA6P8R07R5500508 Just gone through lemon law process and it totally didn't need to happen. Bought Dark Horse Handling Pack Auto in Dark Matter Gray in Nov-23. Paid ADM of 5k, plus all the dealer installed crap. Taxes and fees, 80k out of the door. Traded an F-150 with a questionable 10r80 for 24k, the rest cash. Immediately noisy transmission. Whining like crazy. Went to various local dealers who tried their best to destroy the car. Broke the front splitter on a parking block, then bent the sideskirt on a lift trying to fix that. Eventually ended up back at purchasing dealer (Sarasota Ford, FL). They denied any noise, but found transmission oil 2 quarts low from factory. Filled it, whine went away 90%. Still worrying as it had been driven 3k miles. Immediately started getting the dreaded 'clunk' on deceleration, like many others in here. Took it back to Sarasota who identified it (correctly) as the output shaft flange on the trans. Replaced it, but took over 3 weeks waiting for part. Went to pick it up, clunk noise gone, but now a loud knocking noise at idle. Didn't even get it off the dealer lot before I noticed it. Service advisor heard it too, described it as a 'heartbeat'. Sounded like a big end knock. Regular, deep, constant knock. Felt through the pedals and the butt. They kept it for another week, put themselves over the 30 day lemon period, but I still loved the car and wanted to keep it. Obvious it was something they'd done in the trans... probably just misaligned the output shaft flange or something. But they wouldn't even look at it. Said it was typewriter tick and told me to come pick it up. Pleaded with them it obviously wasn't typewriter tick. Totally different sound. Told the advisor to go listen to their own video in their own service bulletin. She agreed, but said that was the verdict of the senior tech / service manager, and it wouldn't be changed or even re-looked at. I warned them, said I'm not just going to live with this. I even reminded them they'd gone over their 30 days for lemon law, but they wouldn't listen. Side moan: They didn't treat the car well. I told them it was garage kept, never seen rain, and asked if they could just try and look after it. It was good enough to be pride of place in the showroom when I bought it, but they just threw it out on the dirt road for 4 weeks. It was covered in dirt and bird crap, scratches on the door etc. That annoyed me. Picked it up, took it to an independent who put it on a lift and we could feel the knocking through the driveshaft. Unmistakable. They agreed, something imbalanced in transmission, and gave me a report. Hired lemon lawyer. Ford wanted final inspection, so took it to a different dealer who threw a belt & tensioner at it, then acknowledged the problem was still present. Ford offered the repurchase before the lemon case even went ahead. Full purchase price including ADM and taxes, plus some lawyer fees, plus difference of the undervalued trade-in of 9k. That was a nice surprise. Slight adjustment for the 5k miles I'd put on it, but still walked away with 85k. Basically they paid me 5k to drive the thing for 18 months lol. Was told I'd have to sign an NDA but I didn't. Now Ford have a lemon car that's currently sat at an auction house in Tampa FL, and will no doubt be hitting a dealer lot in the next few weeks. Worth what, as a lemon, 50k max? Probably less. Guess we'll see... Ford lost their ass because one dealer tried to flip off a customer. No issues with Ford themselves, they played their part. But they want to have a word with the SM at Sarasota. Charge it back to them or something! It would have been a quick easy fix and I'd have kept that car for a long time. Was sat on a quote from the same dealer for 20k for a Whipple and headers etc. But... hey ho. Been a Ford guy all my life but not getting another S650. Will probably get in an M4 now. Just stupid.... didn't need to happen.

I live near Sarasota County and have had VERY unpleasant dealings with Sarasota Ford. I would advise any and all....stay away from them! I have a fleet of nine vehicles I'm responsible for and I don't even use them for oil changes. No way!

 

[Dave_E]

I actually feel sorry for Ford Corp. They were reasonable. But that dealer charged a markup and gets to keep it, while throwing Corp under the bus. They had to pay it back to me, AND the undervalued trade. Doesn't seem fair really.

Like I say they should charge it back to them. But I believe under Florida lemon law they can't, unless there's exceptional circumstances. (Could be wrong, I'm not a lawyer)

 

[Alan Applegate]

This story is similar to mine, except it was a 1989 SHO Taurus. Won't bore folks with the details, but the general flow is almost exact. Well-known, multi-dealership with a rather poor service department. In this regard, I think Ford Motor Company needs to reexamine dealers lack of expertise, especially these days with all of the electronics!

 

[Crew4991]

IDK OP... I am glad to hear that you are happy now and were made whole financially, but by the sound of the frustration, stress and time.. I wouldn't consider you coming out ahead.

"At Ford, quality is job one none [these days]."

 

[erocker]

I'm currently dealing with a dealer that says my car with a clunk coming from the right front is perfect.

 

[ShadowCoyote]

That sucks to hear. I absolutely love the S650. It really nails the modern Mustang look (especially the 68 inspired rear). If you want an S650 find a different dealer. Crossroads Ford in Apex NC took good care of me. Great dealer to work with if you’re willing to shop out of state.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Man that sucks.. unfortunately many Ford dealerships suck. Props to Ford for the buy back!
Shame on Ford to continue to put out this messed up transmission!
I would have lost my shit if I had to go through all that.
If you were getting a manual I’d say try finding another DH as it is better manual than BMW
Auto M2 or M4 trans is so far superior over 10r80
Unfortunately the BMW’s do lack the visceral feel of the V8 when I test drove a few before buying my DH
Good luck

Sounds like the whole thing would have been avoided if Ford just filled the damn fluid right at the factory.

 

[Paul2020]

Wonder how dealer staff member would go if it happened to them…Why is it every Mustang owner knows what sounds are normal & not.. to bad dealers don’t but then they do just want you gone..

 

[brian5814]

Sorry to hear all your troubles. What a nightmare., ordered my GT from Sarasota Ford last September and picked it up in December had a few issues with nails in the tires that Ford took care of no need for an appointment just drive into the quick lane got me out within an hour. I was impressed with their service. every visit they comped me with lunch. Nice touch.

 

[MF2024DarkHorse]

TLDR - Made money on a lemon due to arrogant dealer.

Posting this for 3 reasons:
1) Therapy.
2) In case a potential buyer ever searches for it, so they know the history.
3) So Ford know exactly what happened with their stupid dealer in Sarasota FL.

VIN: 1FA6P8R07R5500508

Just gone through lemon law process and it totally didn't need to happen.

Bought Dark Horse Handling Pack Auto in Dark Matter Gray in Nov-23. Paid ADM of 5k, plus all the dealer installed crap. Taxes and fees, 80k out of the door. Traded an F-150 with a questionable 10r80 for 24k, the rest cash.

Immediately noisy transmission. Whining like crazy. Went to various local dealers who tried their best to destroy the car. Broke the front splitter on a parking block, then bent the sideskirt on a lift trying to fix that. Eventually ended up back at purchasing dealer (Sarasota Ford, FL). They denied any noise, but found transmission oil 2 quarts low from factory. Filled it, whine went away 90%. Still worrying as it had been driven 3k miles.

Immediately started getting the dreaded 'clunk' on deceleration, like many others in here. Took it back to Sarasota who identified it (correctly) as the output shaft flange on the trans. Replaced it, but took over 3 weeks waiting for part.

Went to pick it up, clunk noise gone, but now a loud knocking noise at idle. Didn't even get it off the dealer lot before I noticed it. Service advisor heard it too, described it as a 'heartbeat'. Sounded like a big end knock. Regular, deep, constant knock. Felt through the pedals and the butt.

They kept it for another week, put themselves over the 30 day lemon period, but I still loved the car and wanted to keep it. Obvious it was something they'd done in the trans... probably just misaligned the output shaft flange or something. But they wouldn't even look at it. Said it was typewriter tick and told me to come pick it up.

Pleaded with them it obviously wasn't typewriter tick. Totally different sound. Told the advisor to go listen to their own video in their own service bulletin. She agreed, but said that was the verdict of the senior tech / service manager, and it wouldn't be changed or even re-looked at. I warned them, said I'm not just going to live with this. I even reminded them they'd gone over their 30 days for lemon law, but they wouldn't listen.

Side moan: They didn't treat the car well. I told them it was garage kept, never seen rain, and asked if they could just try and look after it. It was good enough to be pride of place in the showroom when I bought it, but they just threw it out on the dirt road for 4 weeks. It was covered in dirt and bird crap, scratches on the door etc. That annoyed me.

Picked it up, took it to an independent who put it on a lift and we could feel the knocking through the driveshaft. Unmistakable. They agreed, something imbalanced in transmission, and gave me a report.

Hired lemon lawyer. Ford wanted final inspection, so took it to a different dealer who threw a belt & tensioner at it, then acknowledged the problem was still present.

Ford offered the repurchase before the lemon case even went ahead. Full purchase price including ADM and taxes, plus some lawyer fees, plus difference of the undervalued trade-in of 9k. That was a nice surprise. Slight adjustment for the 5k miles I'd put on it, but still walked away with 85k. Basically they paid me 5k to drive the thing for 18 months lol. Was told I'd have to sign an NDA but I didn't.

Now Ford have a lemon car that's currently sat at an auction house in Tampa FL, and will no doubt be hitting a dealer lot in the next few weeks. Worth what, as a lemon, 50k max? Probably less. Guess we'll see...

Ford lost their ass because one dealer tried to flip off a customer. No issues with Ford themselves, they played their part. But they want to have a word with the SM at Sarasota. Charge it back to them or something! It would have been a quick easy fix and I'd have kept that car for a long time. Was sat on a quote from the same dealer for 20k for a Whipple and headers etc. But... hey ho.

Been a Ford guy all my life but not getting another S650. Will probably get in an M4 now. Just stupid.... didn't need to happen.

I believe I saw your car sitting in the parking lot at SRQ when I was getting our DH serviced, and couldn't believe how dirty it was. I could hardly tell what color it was! We have not really had any issues so far with our car, and actually we really like it. Their service department treated us very well, and have been customers there for years since it was Pelican Ford. Sorry to hear about your issues...Great You Tube video on Mach 1 vs. M4. Interesting. Good Luck!

 

[LouJay99]

Uk auto dark horse owner here. I've got the clunking on downshifts and when sponge between drive and reverse. It was at the dealer for 4 weeks until they said they don't know what the issue is. Ford US have said to change the diff. Because of parts delays, they've given it back to me until they can get the parts. I've told my local dealer to politely foxtrot Oscar and am sending it back to the dealer I purchased it off.

I've raised a complaint with the finance company, so hopefully it'll get sorted soon. Im still not sure they need to replace the diff from what I've been reading on this forum. It sounds like it's more to do with the output flange.

I've only done 500 odd miles in it too. Its kind of ruined the new car purchased experience for me. That beibg said, I love the car

Sponsored