[AmerilaP10638]

Hi all,

My girlfriend has a 2012 Focus SES with dual climate control.
The driver side works flawlessly, but he passenger side only blows ambient temp air. It doesn't matter how cold you lower that side to, no change at all.
She just took it into Raceway Ford in Riverside CA (where she bought the car used from, almost 2 years ago). She's only under her extended warranty (Millennium, the dealerships offering at sale). They told her she would have to pay a diag fee if the problem wasn't covered ($100). They have had the car over a week now, they say they have replaced two AC components but the issue remains. Apparently they were stumped, so they called Ford service, Ford says to remove the dash. She just got a quote for $600 to remove the dash and inspect, they say it's a 2 day process. If they don't find anything she still has to pay for the work. I'm wondering if anyone has an idea on this issue, because the service at Raceway Ford seems to have no idea. Also I would assume a "diag fee" would mean they could locate/point to the problem, for the $100 fee. $100 is reasonable, $600 just to remove the dash and inspect because there not sure...is a bit crazy to me. But I don't know whats involved in the dash removal. They did say if the faulty part is in there and covered under warranty, the $600 removal is covered. But at this point, I feel like there just kind of lost and want to recoup some money. Please give me any useful input you guys might have out there.

Thanks.

 

[sailor]

Tough question, particularly from not knowing what components were replaced already.

BTW - too late now, but this is one reason to stick to Mfr. plans for any extended warranties. For this one you would need to look at your coverage closely to see what might be included & what is not.

The A/C system itself is working fine from your description. The problem lies in the individual side controls or the air control doors/actuators they operate.

I'd take a guess that the control unit in the dash is one item checked /replaced already, and they're looking for a fault in the HVAC unit's air control doors internal to that unit. May have already tried one or more actuators as well - can't tell from the info. you've got.

Could be a large bill for digging that deep & possibly replacing that whole unit, you'd want to check your coverage to be sure it's included.

I'd be talking to them on the lines of "you've checked all the accessible electronics & controls, right?" "you WILL find an issue in the dash that's covered under the warranty & will solve the issue, correct?"

Wouldn't give any wiggle room to pull the dash apart, find no issue there, and fix it with something external to that area that could have been found without the full teardown - leaving you stuck with that teardown bill.

No idea from a distance how limited or open ended that extended warranty contract might be. Wouldn't want to sign off on a fishing expedition without being told they'd find a way to get it covered if I was depending on the insurance to pay the bill.

 

[amc49]

X2 to all that.

Diag fee? H-ll you did that didn't you? I mean you have realized it's not working correct? Seems to me you've done more than them actively and in correct pursuance of the problem. The dealership way......................

If they have already pulled out the front panels to check the switches/dials for operability to determine if vacuum/electrical/mechanical (whatever works the hard parts to open/close doors) is working correctly then they can already pretty much tell you if the problem is deeper under dash or they are incompetent. Yet they are fishing by mentioning removing the dash????

Change dealership.

That car design now almost 3 years old, if they don't know then who on earth does? The so-called experts at work.....................and why I never use dealerships for ANYTHING. Tell them to pull out the friggin' service manuals/CDs and READ them for a bit, it will all be there including the moronic replace piece-by-piece flowchart they now give to their 'highly trained techs', a joke if I ever heard one. They now have to be shown step by step like kindergartners, they can no longer think on their own. They probably can't even read, it hurts too much. Too busy breaking other parts to shove the other cars out, they're pretty good at that for sure.

Typical dealer response, feign ignorance all the while milking the customer for more and more until he quits coming in disgust................now they are actively taking your money and not even assuring you they can fix the problem, you might as well start mailing them checks for doing nothing. I remember the old days where you put your -ss on the line, you assured the customer you would fix it or the work was FREE. You had to be better than good doing that. How at our garage we used to fix all the GM vehicles the dealership across the street couldn't......................

Lay it on them and your right. You are paying them to FIX the problem, not paying them to NOT FIX it. Go elsewhere when they don't understand that. DO NOT agree to that exploratory surgery under those conditions, if you do you have OKed them in a legal sense charging you for it, good result or not. If you feel cowed down to them then remember for sure the next time you buy a new car, and pay them BACK.

 

[AmerilaP10638]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.
Just an update; I guess the parts they replaced were the AC actuator, and the AC control panel.

They want to get under the dash to access the blend door, which they say if faulty would be covered under the ext warranty.

Thanks again!