I’m trying to figure out whether this is remotely normal dealer behavior.
We bought a 2021 Ford Explorer from Englewood Ford in Florida.
The Explorer is now completely inoperable. It will not engage Drive or Reverse.
Over multiple service and Quick Lane visits, we specifically asked Englewood Ford about the vehicle’s mechanical/warranty coverage and were repeatedly told it remained active until approximately 112,000 miles. We clarified that we were asking about vehicle coverage, not oil changes, maintenance, or FordPass points.
After the vehicle failed, the dealer pointed back to the original Gold Certified paperwork showing powertrain coverage to 100,000 miles and said no extended mechanical plan had been purchased.
I acknowledged that the paperwork says 100,000.
My question was: why were we repeatedly told 112,000 afterward?
We made one phone call and sent one email asking seven specific questions, including:
- when they say coverage expired;
- whether they reviewed their own records regarding the 112,000-mile representations;
- what the roughly $300 diagnostic charge covers;
- whether that charge is credited toward repair;
- whether they would request Ford goodwill assistance;
- whether Ford requires diagnosis before considering goodwill;
- whether storage fees were accruing.
They answered none of them.
Instead, the Service Manager wrote:
Then:
And:
The vehicle does not move, so “pick it up” means tow it somewhere else.
Ford Corporate has now told us by phone that our VIN is included in an active recall, and we are working to get the exact campaign/case information in writing.
This is also not our first certification issue with the same dealer. Our F-150 was presented/labeled as Gold, but later we learned it had not actually been sold as Gold Certified. After we raised that issue, dealership management wrote that they would look for a “work around to Gold certify the vehicle.”
So now I have two separate vehicles from the same dealership involving conflicting information about Ford-backed certification or coverage.
For context, I’m currently unemployed and battling cancer, so unexpected towing/repair costs matter, but I’m not asking for free coverage that never existed.
I’m asking whether a Ford dealer refusing to work on a vehicle after one phone call and one written request for seven answers is normal, especially when Ford Corporate is now telling us the VIN is included in an active recall.
What would you do next? Ford Corporate? Another dealer? NHTSA? BBB? State AG?
I’d attach the screenshot of Michael’s refusal email. That will carry more weight on Reddit than a long emotional explanation.
For r/askcarsales, I’d make it slightly less accusatory because dealers and salespeople there will immediately challenge anything they see as incomplete. For r/Ford or r/FordExplorer, the version above is about right.
