Re: how to make a complaint

In article , SteveH writes

Summary: he has a Sierra with loads of front suspension bits from different model cars bodged onto it, and is surprised that:

a) it handles like s*it

b) when he took it to a Ford garage and said it handled like s*it, they took one look at the bodges and said "here's your keys back sir"

I can summarise your post with the following: you know jack all about the Sierra or about Dodge's Sierra.

I also speculate that you cannot manage the concentration to read the original post, otherwise you'd know that it started doing this in November.

I don't think that's going to help, though, as he's bodged a load of stuff together that's not meant to go together, using a mix of unknown bits from breakers and new bits from Ford. They're not going to do anything about this at all.

It will depend on the dealership, but at the end of the day a new part is a new part. There may be some colourful arguments, but I recall the VAG got into trouble by telling a Golf owner that his Leon brakes (or something like this) were a nonstandard part for his Golf, so the warranty wouldn't cover it.

VAG paid up!

The difference being that Golf / Leon parts are interchangable without any sort of bodging, and one would assume had been bought new as they'd been fitted to a car within warranty. Fitting s**te old Granny bits to a s**te old Sierra mixed with some new bits and non-recommended bushes isn't going to hold much water with Ford.

But that won't matter. Fitting (say) a Granada brake pad to a Granada brake caliper doesn't care if it's on a Fiesta or not.

VAG said that the Leon part wasn't compatible with the Golf (they lied, heh)...

One of the w--Ka Klubbers had a problem with the Mondeo brakes on his Ka. One dealership invited him to poke off, one raised an eyebrow, then replaced the duff part.

It's slightly more complex than swapping a caliper over. It's a complete bodge of totally incompatable suspension bits, which are being stressed in ways the manufacturer didn't design them for.

but in the case of Dojj's Sierra, fitting Granada calipers to it - for example - IS something Ford themselves did with some Sierra Cosworths.

Besides, Sierra / Granada suspension is very closely related.

Hello,

A long and boring message which seemed to have no point. You're either a "car cruiser" or younger driver - go and post some pictures on the BarryBoys site. They love any butchered cars, or ones with giant airfix kits stuck to them.

Doesn't matter who's Sierra it is, and how closely related the bits might appear to be, it's still a bodged together mix of old / new / non-standard parts, and as such the warranty is likely to be void.

I'm pretty sure the Ford service manager took one look and said 'get that heap of s**te out of my workshop', 'cos it sounds like a right dog to me.

Have you never looked at the Granada and thought, "odd, the track looks too narrow" then? The Granada and the Sierra are probably closer relatives than the Leon and the Golf.

Not on the parts.

Then he would have been out of order.

You're just posted a short, boring and irrelevant point.

You don't know Dodge.

You don't appear to be a regular.

You appear clueless.

:-/

You're really lonely aren't you?

Doubt it very much, given that the Leon and Golf are based on the same floorpan. I'd expect a very large number of parts to be swappable on those.

If they're being used in a way which isn't within the specification, then the warranty _will_ be void.

I don't think so myself, they'll get to see all sorts of bodged together s*it, and this sounds like a prime example of it.

To be honest, that's a pretty reasonable point of view when someone turns up with an old DIY bodged car.

I know, hence my line "Using Ford Main Agents is lunacy"

In news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net, Pete M decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Re-reading this, it doesn't appear to be Dojj's mad Turbo Sierra estate.

I can't work out why there'd be a problem using 24v Granny hubs with a 2WD Sierra.

Sounds like a huge camber / castor problem to me.

Snipped.

I'm not going to get into the right bits/wrong bits scenario but they have used your petrol, added unnecessary mileage to the car and looked at the wrong side of the car to boot. I would complain to Ford UK head office first, I've done it with Citroen and a colleague did it with Fiat (no not complained to fFord) and got results. I would ask for your mileage to be refunded at 50p a mile or whatever the recommended mileage is and a free replacement bit.

Having said that, it is a bit used in a non standard application (not that I'm knocking your workmanship please note) which may have some bearing. Citizens advice bureau? RAC legal advice?

No, we're not talking about a bodged car at all.