Dealer Mistake
Discussion
Car has in built sat nav which runs from a map DVD installed behind the facia.
The system has frozen up a couple of times recently but generally comes back to life overnight however decided to get it looked at so booked into local dealer for them to check over. I’ve used the dealership several times before and never had a problem. I signed a form this morning when I dropped the vehicle off which stated that I consented for them to look at the vehicle and take appropriate action as required. I suspected that they may need to re-install the firmware or there maybe a hardware fault.
2 hours later the dealer called to say that there was a problem. They’d plugged the car into the diagnostic system and it said there was a firmware update available for the sat nav system so they downloaded, deleting the old version.
New firmware initially appeared to be working fine until they re-installed the map DVD, it won’t play. Map DVD is from end of 2007 when the car was made, new firmware can only utilise a 2010 map DVD. Can’t de-install the new firmware so the sat nav is inoperative unless a 2010 map DVD is installed, they retail at £315.
Dealer claims there was no warning or advice from the manufacturer that updating the firmware would mean the older map DVD wouldn’t work. Dealer has said that manufacturer won’t supply new map DVD free of charge as it is not covered by warranty stating that if owner wants up to date maps then they have to buy the new DVD. I have no problem with the manufacturer position.
Dealer has not offered anything - even an apology - as yet, they’re blaming the manufacturer’s duff info. Unfortunately I had to break the initial call to go to a meeting and the guy I need to speak to is at lunch now.
I’m going to be pressing for new disc FOC from the dealer as they screwed up a working system (albeit one with intermittent faults) by their actions. One of their technicians may not have followed procedure to check that the old disc would work in the new firmware or maybe the manufacturer hasn’t supplied right info – either way it went in to them working and now it doesn't.
Anyone had a similar experience / offer advice on action?
The system has frozen up a couple of times recently but generally comes back to life overnight however decided to get it looked at so booked into local dealer for them to check over. I’ve used the dealership several times before and never had a problem. I signed a form this morning when I dropped the vehicle off which stated that I consented for them to look at the vehicle and take appropriate action as required. I suspected that they may need to re-install the firmware or there maybe a hardware fault.
2 hours later the dealer called to say that there was a problem. They’d plugged the car into the diagnostic system and it said there was a firmware update available for the sat nav system so they downloaded, deleting the old version.
New firmware initially appeared to be working fine until they re-installed the map DVD, it won’t play. Map DVD is from end of 2007 when the car was made, new firmware can only utilise a 2010 map DVD. Can’t de-install the new firmware so the sat nav is inoperative unless a 2010 map DVD is installed, they retail at £315.
Dealer claims there was no warning or advice from the manufacturer that updating the firmware would mean the older map DVD wouldn’t work. Dealer has said that manufacturer won’t supply new map DVD free of charge as it is not covered by warranty stating that if owner wants up to date maps then they have to buy the new DVD. I have no problem with the manufacturer position.
Dealer has not offered anything - even an apology - as yet, they’re blaming the manufacturer’s duff info. Unfortunately I had to break the initial call to go to a meeting and the guy I need to speak to is at lunch now.
I’m going to be pressing for new disc FOC from the dealer as they screwed up a working system (albeit one with intermittent faults) by their actions. One of their technicians may not have followed procedure to check that the old disc would work in the new firmware or maybe the manufacturer hasn’t supplied right info – either way it went in to them working and now it doesn't.
Anyone had a similar experience / offer advice on action?
it's a Ford product.
Dealer is still trying to wash hands and blaming the lack of info on the firmware update. According to them the system freezing is a known problem as there was a product bulletin issued by Ford saying the fix was to upload the new firmware but again the dealer stressed that there was no information / advice / warning that the old map DVD would not work with the new software. They said that at that point they would have called me to discuss. Dealer has also said that as the system had frozen a couple of times already it's likely that it would have permanently locked somewhere down the line and i'd have had to buy a new map DVD anyway.....however I'd like to have had the choice of having a system that occasionally freeze and may crash permanently rather than just been given the option of paying £315 or not having a working system!
Anyway, I've raised it with Ford customer service as a complaint and they are investigating both the situation and the dealer response. I've been advised that I may be offered a discount on the new disc however i'm going to be pushing for a new disc FOC or a re-install of the old software.
Dealer is still trying to wash hands and blaming the lack of info on the firmware update. According to them the system freezing is a known problem as there was a product bulletin issued by Ford saying the fix was to upload the new firmware but again the dealer stressed that there was no information / advice / warning that the old map DVD would not work with the new software. They said that at that point they would have called me to discuss. Dealer has also said that as the system had frozen a couple of times already it's likely that it would have permanently locked somewhere down the line and i'd have had to buy a new map DVD anyway.....however I'd like to have had the choice of having a system that occasionally freeze and may crash permanently rather than just been given the option of paying £315 or not having a working system!
Anyway, I've raised it with Ford customer service as a complaint and they are investigating both the situation and the dealer response. I've been advised that I may be offered a discount on the new disc however i'm going to be pushing for a new disc FOC or a re-install of the old software.
I'd try getting the DVD from elsewhere, and try asking them for a goodwill payment, money off a service etc...
http://navigation.teleatlas.com/en/shop/car-naviga...
http://navigation.teleatlas.com/en/shop/car-naviga...
A quick google brought this up:
http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/showtopic.php?tid/...
If issues between 2007 discs and updated firmware have existed since 2008, you'd think there would be some sort of infomation on the issue available to the dealerships.
http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/showtopic.php?tid/...
If issues between 2007 discs and updated firmware have existed since 2008, you'd think there would be some sort of infomation on the issue available to the dealerships.
Dave^ said:
I'd try getting the DVD from elsewhere, and try asking them for a goodwill payment, money off a service etc...
http://navigation.teleatlas.com/en/shop/car-naviga...
see your point on that but I don't see why I should shell out at all. System was working ( two 'freezes' in last 6 months, otherwise faultless), system failed in normal usage, system then rendered inoperative by dealer when trying to fix. Dealer has to make good.http://navigation.teleatlas.com/en/shop/car-naviga...
Beyond Rational said:
A quick google brought this up:
http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/showtopic.php?tid/...
If issues between 2007 discs and updated firmware have existed since 2008, you'd think there would be some sort of infomation on the issue available to the dealerships.
I was going to Google for info - thanks for saving me the bother. Yeah seems like either Ford haven't been bothered to put a warning On the update or the dealer ignored it in error or intentionally. http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/showtopic.php?tid/...
If issues between 2007 discs and updated firmware have existed since 2008, you'd think there would be some sort of infomation on the issue available to the dealerships.
Occam's Razor - Cut through the possibilities to find the most likely answer:
1) Ford, one of the largest motor companies in the world encounter an issue in 2008, and have not yet passed on this issue concerning possibly hundreds of thousands of cars to the authorised dealer network.
2) The Ford dealership got the information in 2008 and forgot about it.
My money is on 2).
Therefore I would call their bluff:
Dear Dealer Principle,
Further to the recent issue where upgrading the firmware on my Satnav has now made it irreparably inoperable without spending over £300 on a new DVD, I find it quite astonishing that Ford have never informed their authorised dealer network of this major issue as I have been verbally informed by your staff.
So that I can take up this issue with them at a very high level, I would appreciate it if you could confirm this is writing so that I can have the ammunition to make a successful complaint.
Yours,
OP
1) Ford, one of the largest motor companies in the world encounter an issue in 2008, and have not yet passed on this issue concerning possibly hundreds of thousands of cars to the authorised dealer network.
2) The Ford dealership got the information in 2008 and forgot about it.
My money is on 2).
Therefore I would call their bluff:
Dear Dealer Principle,
Further to the recent issue where upgrading the firmware on my Satnav has now made it irreparably inoperable without spending over £300 on a new DVD, I find it quite astonishing that Ford have never informed their authorised dealer network of this major issue as I have been verbally informed by your staff.
So that I can take up this issue with them at a very high level, I would appreciate it if you could confirm this is writing so that I can have the ammunition to make a successful complaint.
Yours,
OP
BMWBen said:
If the sat nav not working as you say is a warranty claim, and the warranty fix requires a disc upgrade in order to render the sat nav working, the warranty claim must include the disc!
Very simple I'd have thought.
Discs not covered by warranty except for first 12 months of life. Ford, and other manufacturers, say that the user should update the disc every year when a new one is released, it's classed as a consumable. Ford's position is that if they covered under warranty then they'd have to provide a new disc to everyone every year. Spoke to someone else with the same nav system in their car last night, they had to get a new disc after 18 months as the disc corrupted itself - Ford refused to supply or pay anything towards cost of the new one. Very simple I'd have thought.
I do concur with the poster above that this is likely to be the dealer at fault not Ford, my suspicion all along but I'm waiting for the response from Ford before i kick off at the dealer.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff