Rust warranty rings hollow for Ka owners
FORD'S six-year rust warranty rings hollow for Martin and Beth Whittaker whose Ka is corroding after just four years.
After complaining to the car giant, all they have been offered is £412 – half the cost of repairs.
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Martin and Beth Whittaker with their four-year-old Ford Ka.
Now they want the Blue Oval to stand by the anti-perforation guarantee.
The couple from Farmhill in Stroud bought the 08-registered hatchback new and expect a six-year warranty to be just that.
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"When you buy a new car, you don't expect it to start rusting within four years," said public relations consultant Martin.
"When you claim under warranty, you expect it to be honoured."
When they noticed rust spots on the boot lid, around the windscreen wiper and petrol cap rim they took it up with the Bristol Street Motors Ford in Stroud, where they bought the car.
They were referred to its Gloucester bodyshop, where they were told the car was unlikely to be covered because they had not had the body and paint record checks stamped in the service history.
Buy the couple says it has been serviced regularly by another garage, which gave it a visual check.
Although the service record book says the body panels should be examined regularly by a Ford-authorised dealer, Martin and Beth said it was never made clear that they had to have this done and there was no information in the owners' warranty handbook.
The Gloucester bodyshop said the Whittakers were not eligible to have the work done under warranty but would not explain why and refused to give the decision in writing, giving them a telephone number for Ford customer services.
The couple have asked Ford to reconsider its offer. But the company will not be moved.
A Ford spokesman said: "The warranty claim was rejected because body/paint checks had not been carried out and recorded (in line with the requirements of the perforation warranty) and the owner/repairer had, therefore, neglected to bring the perforation damage to Ford's attention from the outset.
"Had the damage been identified earlier, the extent of the deterioration could have been avoided."
She added: "The customer has been offered a goodwill gesture of 50% which we believe is fair, given the circumstances outlined above."
Comments
by LewBrush
Thursday, November 01 2012, 3:58PM
“If you want to buy a car
Buy a Ford
Four square wheels on a board
A sardine tin
With an engine in,
If you want to buy a car,
Buy a Ford!”
by NibNobs
Thursday, November 01 2012, 3:42PM
“Takeaway22,
I'm not surprised the BMW 3 series loses a greater value in it's 1st year than the cost of a Ford Ka... the BMW 3 series (4 door saloon, not the coupe!) that has only just been replaced after 6 years looked just like a cheap & cheerful Mitsubishi Carisma. And the previous 5 & 7 series were unusually ugly for BMW's and became more about sales prevention than style!
Recent new BMW 3/5 series models are as now as good looking as Audi A4/A6/A5's but meanwhile Audi have sold a pile of cars to BMW owners...they're everywhere!
Give me a white A5 coupe - like Mr Ian Mean's anyday!”
by Takeaway22
Thursday, November 01 2012, 1:52PM
“by NibNobs - Audi/BMW/Mercedes do keep their value better than Fords in terms of percentages but in £ notes, they lose more. A new 3 series will lose money in its first year than the cost of a new Ka!”
by NibNobs
Thursday, November 01 2012, 11:34AM
“Should have bought a VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes - better built, better dealers, more reliable, keep their value and usually no signs of rust until 15+ years old. I'd rather have a 5 year old VW Polo/Golf than a brand new Ford Ka... and definitely not a yellow one.”
by Dr_Hfrrrrr
Thursday, November 01 2012, 10:07AM
“FreeRadical1, I think I've figured it out - you used to have a Ford that rusted, now you have a Toyota that hasn't rusted. Do I win a prize?”
by paul813
Thursday, November 01 2012, 7:57AM
“stay away from them , i had one with 21.000 on the clock 4 yrs old took it for mot , the tester was a friend he advised me to get rid of it has it was starting to rust badly underneath , he said stay away from them most fail badly on rust when they get to around 5 yrs old , nippy little car well looked after but i did see what he was saying when i looked underneath ,”
by Takeaway22
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 9:19PM
“thomas1996 - The depreciation of a yellow car would be hit as you stated. but surely they bought the car originally when it was yellow so they would have bought it at a lower price anyway?
Was the rust due to manufacturing or material defect or was it caused by external interference? That will have a bearing on it anti perforation warranty.”
by cheltdav1
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 9:15PM
“Take the £400 quid from Bristol Street and get the car repaired at a proper bodyshop for the same money!!”
by thomas1996
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 7:30PM
“If there is a rust problem on the car at that age, the steel must of been of poor quality or previously recycled, however good a respray is carried out - the rust WILL return...and that will almost certainly be stated on their invoice from the body-shop.
A bigger shock for the owners of the Ford Ka will be the depreciation that a yellow car will suffer! - very few people want a yellow car so when they come to part-exchange the dealer will offer a much lower price accordingly.
I'd scrap it now to avoid disappointment in the future.”
by FreeRadical1
Wednesday, October 31 2012, 4:30PM
“Huge fail for Ford. The small print on the warranty is there to make sure that no-one can claim. I've got an elderly Toyota that hasn't rusted yet. Prior to that, I had a Ford and found it to be rather rusty. Go figure.”