AC not repaired under warranty because bumper?

[MrUnprofessional]

Wondering if anyone has any experience with AC issues on their bronco. Long story short, mine has been at the dealer for over a week. Yesterday the service writer calls me to say there is nothing wrong with my AC system (no leaks or damage), but whoever installed the bumper/winch "let out" all the refrigerant.

First, I installed the bumper. If I had somehow opened a nozzle on a high pressure gas system I would have noticed.

Second, there is supposedly no damage so somehow a bump against something near the bumper area is enough to completely discharge the AC system of an offroad vehicle? That doesn't sound right.

Maybe I'm wrong and this makes perfect sense to somebody, but if I'm being billed over $700 for it I need it to make sense to me.

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[Brian_B]

I smell

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Wondering if anyone has any experience with AC issues on their bronco. Long story short, mine has been at the dealer for over a week. Yesterday the service writer calls me to say there is nothing wrong with my AC system (no leaks or damage), but whoever installed the bumper/winch "let out" all the refrigerant.

First, I installed the bumper. If I had somehow opened a nozzle on a high pressure gas system I would have noticed.

Second, there is supposedly no damage so somehow a bump against something near the bumper area is enough to completely discharge the AC system of an offroad vehicle? That doesn't sound right.

Maybe I'm wrong and this makes perfect sense to somebody, but if I'm being billed over $700 for it I need it to make sense to me.

Can you send over a message with your VIN and the name/location of the Ford dealer you are currently working with? I would like to look into this on my end.

 

[MrUnprofessional]

I smell

My thoughts too, unfortunately.

 

[MrUnprofessional]

Can you send over a message with your VIN and the name/location of the Ford dealer you are currently working with? I would like to look into this on my end.

Sent

 

[MannyG20]

Sent

No worries now. Ford is on the job!

 

[patientB]

$700 is a small price to pay to be allowed to continue the factory warranty on your $70k vehicle that you chose to shade-tree modify in your driveway.

Seriously - that is not judgement, it's financial fact. The dealer (proxy for the manufacturer) can clearly see when someone has messed around with hand tools (a fact shared with me by an expansive Jeep service advisor.)

We all do it, but when they catch us, they're going to use their ace card and not pay for stuff.

 

[patientB]

By sharing your VIN with the Ford bot, you also are cross-referenced in any past or future posts here regarding stuff you wrench on.


Ford has been around for a century - that hasn't been based on helping enthusiasts, so much as mitigating financial claims against them.

 

[_lariat]

They're claiming your bumper install allowed the refrigerant in the system to be expelled?

Unless you physically removed something from the system, (line, connector, condenser, sensor etc,) they're pulling one over on you.

IF they can prove damage or tampering they can deny the warranty, but if your story is legitimate, I'd pressure them a little more and ask how they can prove it. IIRC a company has to PROVE an aftermarket component caused a fault to deny warranty claims.

I, a service technician that's 609 certified, have been bamboozled by a leaking line that held vacuum, but would leak under pressure. 1234yf is a little different, but runs under the same principals as any other automotive A/C system. (Low pressure vapor, compressed, condensed, and re-vaporized via pressure drop back into a low pressure vapor where the cycle begins all over again.)

 

[userdude]

$700 is a small price to pay to be allowed to continue the factory warranty on your $70k vehicle that you chose to shade-tree modify in your driveway.

Seriously - that is not judgement, it's financial fact. The dealer (proxy for the manufacturer) can clearly see when someone has messed around with hand tools (a fact shared with me by an expansive Jeep service advisor.)

We all do it, but when they catch us, they're going to use their ace card and not pay for stuff.

Warranties can't be denied carte blanche simply because you "turned a wrench on it under a shade tree" (which isn't even the right use of that term...). Crappy service departments might use that as an excuse to be lazy and charge full bore, but they have to prove it was material for the claim to be denied.

 

[TXBronco1313]

something isn’t right. I highly doubt the bumper job punctured the AC coolant unit. Did the dealer provide you with pictures of the damage? If no then they might be trying to get around the warranty claim

 

[Tilzbow]

A GM dealer once try to deny warranty coverage due to a lift I added. When I got the service manager involved and pressed him to explain how one thing had to do with the other, he quick admitted they didn’t have a leg to stand on and proceeded with the minor repair.


My message to the OP is to push back gently and ask for proof of what they say before rolling over. Might not work but then again it might.

 

[brkdncr]

“Got proof of that tall story?”

 

[TacosTuesday]

i'm always surprised when a dealership tries to deny warranty work. they get paid for the work from Ford, so why turn down income assuming it's a proper claim?

 

[Lcubed]

i'm always surprised when a dealership tries to deny warranty work. they get paid for the work from Ford, so why turn down income assuming it's a proper claim?

i've heard dealerships claim that ford's warranty reimbursement rate is less than the dealership's shop rate, so it's more profitable to work on other stuff

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