I guess now it is my turn to describe what happened to me.
I purchased a brand new 2012 Ford Focus on February 28th, 2012 as my wife's daily driver, as I have a company car for work. Had absolutely no problems with it at all, and put about 7500 miles on it until August 11, 2012.
On Aug 11 (a saturday), my pregnant wife was driving the car when the power steering locked up. Fortunately she was close to her parents house and she was able to get the car to their house. She was able to borrow her parents car for the time being.
The following day I stopped by a autozone to purchase some power steering fluid, (yeah i know) and popped the hood only to discover that the car uses electric power steering, not hydraulic! At which point I read the owners manual which said to turn the car off and let it sit for 10 minutes (but the car had been off since the day before). I turned the car on, drove it to do some errands since the car seemed to be working fine, and after about 6 or 7 minutes of driving it the power steering locked up again. (It is hard to steer, not impossible, but not something I want my pregnant wife to be doing on a daily basis.) So that same day, Aug 12, I took it to the dealership (Dealership A) knowing that since it was a sunday the service center would be closed, but at least they would get to it first thing monday morning. I spoke to a gentleman (sales rep) who showed me where to put the keys so that they would be found the morning after. My wife picked me up in her parents car and we went home.
The following day my wife went to work in her parents car, and I went to work with my work issued car, and I waited for a call from Dealership A. By the end of the day, I was concerned as I had not received a call, so I called the dealership and was told they did not know anything about my car. At which point I told them what happened the day before to which I was told "your car is not here." I then proceeded to tell them exactly where I had left my keys and they went in search, ultimately finding it, right in the main service driveway, because apparently I was told to place the keys in the wrong place. So they told me that the technicians had left and they would look at it the day after.
It is now Tuesday August 14. Again I have been waiting the whole day and have not received any information on the vehicle so I call them in the afternoon, and am informed that they have ordered the part, which will be in by thursday. Great!
Thursday, the 16th comes around and again the whole day passes without a single phone call from Dealership A. I call them and then am told that they do not know if the part is there because the parts department is closed.
Friday Morning I call back asking and am told the part will be in on monday.
Monday, Aug 20, early afternoon I call the dealership only to be told that they ordered the wrong part and the part I need is on back-order with no release date. At which point I ask if I can have a rental vehicle since it is incovenient for my in-laws to be lending us this vehicle as it is one that they need. I am informed to call Ford Customer Service to make the request. I do so and am told I will be contacted by soemone who will review the case.
Tuesday 21, the customer service manager for the region. I had stepped out of the room to ask a co-worker a question, I had just missed his call, he was recording the message, as I was waiting for a call back number. As soon as I received his message I immediatley called him back. The voicemail that answered was one of those leave a message and I will call you back asap. So I left him a message exactly 1 minute after he called. And I waited for him to call me back. by the afternoon I have not heard anything and so I become concerend and I him back several times, and am always sent to the same message. At this point I call Customer Service again and I ask If I can be called back, and the representative tells me that Mario has scheduled to call me back in 9 days. 9 DAYS. WHAT KIND OF COMPANY SCHEDULES TO CALL YOU BACK IN 9 DAYS, THIS IS INSANE. At this point I do not know what to do. I speak to the customer service manager at Dealership A and she kindly informs me that they do not offer rentals for cars where the parts are on backorder because "[they] do not know when [they] will get it back." I call Ford customer service and tell them that since I have the extended warranty I am entitled 10 days of rental. At which point the follow-up and tell me that I do not have the FORD extended warranty. Now perhaps this is my fault, but how does Dealership B (where I purchased my car) sell me an extended warranty that Ford does not recognize! So I contact Dealership B and ask them about the Warranty issue, they inform me that Dealership A should be giving me a rental regardless, and that if I had brought the car to Dealership B I would have already had a car. So then I call back dealership A and speak to their customer service manager and she tells me that there is no way that anyone would provide me a rental because of the backorder.
I got pretty annoyed with Ford that day, so on Wednesday, I decided to have Ford tow the car to Dealership B so that I can get some sort of service.
Thursday, the car arrives to dealership B, I am told they will look at the car, make a determination on the cause, and if they cant repair it then I will get a rental.
I hear nothing until Monday 26, when I am again told the part is on backorder, but that I can go to FORD and they will give me a rental. But I get home from work at 6, and I would have to be at the dealership by 4 to pick up the rental.
I took time off from work on Thursday the 29th to go to the dealership to pick up the rental, they gave me a voucher and sent me to enterprise to pick up the vehicle. There I was told that I would have to pay a under-25 age fee, and that I would have to pay extra to let my wife drive the car. I took the rental only covering myself. That same day Mario calls me back (9 days later exactly) I was called and informed that the part order had been escalated and he would inform me when they get the part.
On Saturday Sep, 1 2012 I returned the rental, because I could not afford to continue paying the fees that Ford refused to cover. At this point I had read up on the Florida Lemon Law, which states that I am entitled to a full refund if after 3 attempts the car has not been fixed OR if the car has been in repair for 30 consecutive days. Pending that a final repair notification has been sent.
That day i decide to contact the BBB submit a claim through their auto line forum, and I send them all the documentation. At this points the dates become a little less significant, but the point is that I called ford, asked for them to purchase my car back under the lemon law, and they said that 30 days had not expired since the part order had to be started over due to the dealership transfer. The BBB claim agent spoke to Ford, and I was told the same thing. I gave time for ford to get the back-ordered part in, but this is a bit ridiculus, last week, on September 20, I mailed the final repair notification to Ford. They received it the 21. If by October 5th my car is not repaired, and ford does not voluntarily buy back the car, I will go to arbitration.
I have been without a vehicle for 51 days now.
If you dont read any of that whining I just did, and they tell you the steering parts are on back order, Check your state lemon laws.
If you are still covered, immediatley file a final repair notification, and contact the BBB.