2012 5-Door tail lamp scratching body

[cbdallas]

I guess cars are designed to self-destruct these days. My Camaro is going into the shop later this week to have the convertible top replaced. The frame, or something down inside the 'well' has rubbed two holes in the canvas. The car turned 1 year old on October 1.

[Zillon]

I'd like to add something to this thread that worked for me.

I used two 1/4" x 1-1/4" neoprene washers to fix the taillight alignment issue on my car. They're super cheap, and super effective. You will need 4 washers, or 2 packs.

1/4" x 1-1/4" Neoprene washer.

Put one on the rounded locating post where the taillight 'wing' is, and the other on the forward-most threaded mounting stud. The washers will space the taillight out enough to prevent contact with the body, and also prevent any squeaking/rattling that a solid metal or plastic washer might induce.

[Holden]

^^

[lddavis]

Thanks to this thread, the taillight fit was one thing I was looking for when I took delivery. My driver's side rear was snug up against the panel at the middle top, with plenty of clearance everywhere else. I took it to the dealer. They weren't familiar with the problem, but agreed to take a look at. I emailed them the photos just for educational value, which probably helped remove some initial skepticism.

They shimmed it out with a washer or two, same conclusion as we've seen from others. Looks fine now -- not absolutely perfectly even gap top and bottom, but plenty of clearance all around for a business card. Even got a free loaner. Great service.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[cbdallas]

I adjusted the ST lights as soon as I got it home. The ones on my Titanium just required an adjustment of the positioning pin, but the driver's side on my ST required 2 washers on the bottom bolt. It was very tight up against the body. The passenger side only required a positioning pin adjustment. Now they both pass the business card test.

[GhiaFan]

Man some of the niggling issues of fit and finish coming out of Michigan Assembly Plant do not seem to be being dealt with.
I would have thought the Ford internet people Ford has assigned to monitor FocusFanatics whom say they report these issues to the departments within the FoMoCo, should be helping the engineers or whoever is in charge to fix these things, would fix these things.
What the heck is going in inside of Ford USA?
Would be appreciated if the person (I think its Cory) who is monitoring these forums for Customer Service to comment on , why there are no actions or at least it appears there are no actions from Ford correcting these fit and finish faults that owners have dealt with now for over a year. To read that this rear tail lamp fitting fault is still appearing on this years ST is ridiculous.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by lddavis

...They shimmed it out with a washer or two, same conclusion as we've seen from others. Looks fine now -- not absolutely perfectly even gap top and bottom, but plenty of clearance all around for a business card. Even got a free loaner. Great service...

Originally Posted by cbdallas

...The passenger side only required a positioning pin adjustment. Now they both pass the business card test.

It’s great you’re both set for the “business card test.”

Originally Posted by GhiaFan

...Would be appreciated if the person (I think its Cory) who is monitoring these forums for Customer Service to comment...

GhiaFan,

The way I forward the info is by escalating individual cases up to the regional customer service managers. Doing so allows for the scope of a concern to be clearer.

Cory

[GhiaFan]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

GhiaFan,

The way I forward the info is by escalating individual cases up to the regional customer service managers. Doing so allows for the scope of a concern to be clearer.

Cory

So bottom line is that there are too many layers between the social media department (who have the tools to collect real time ownership data) and quality control department who only need to worry what is said in the weekly "how's it going meeting" with Alan and the gang.

Makes me very curious how many duplicate defects it takes before it becomes clear that there is a "concern".
And how many regions there are ,and if these regional CSM's actually have any incentive (or maybe the incentive "not") to report these niggling concerns to whoever the next layer is.

Just does not makes sense to have almost 2 years of building the new Focus , and still reading that rear tail fittings are causing paint damage.
It makes me assume nothing is being reported much further then a (regional) CSM.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by GhiaFan

So bottom line is that there are too many layers between the social media department (who have the tools to collect real time ownership data) and quality control department...

I know the cases I put through definitely make a difference, GhiaFan. Plus, I’d love to attend one of those meetings. LOL

Cory

[HuskerFocus]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

I know the cases I put through definitely make a difference, GhiaFan. Plus, I’d love to attend one of those meetings. LOL

Cory

Cory wasn't my rep, but it did help that a regional manager or whatever was notified, so I second that.

However, Cory, what is the protocol if the problem is still the same even after a 'fix'? When I picked up my car after the warranty replacement and paint touch up, I checked it out, and there is still no clearance at all between the tail light and the body in spots on my passenger side... I would have notified the dealer, but it was after the manager had left for the day.