Sometimes working from the top down gets results. Sent a letter to Alan Mulally directly, preferably certified. Explain very nicely the situation and mention that this is a hot topic on the enthusiasts forum.

Also posting on public forums like Facebook can get the wanted attention, but do it in a nice, but firm and insistent way.

Persist, persist, persist.

 

If I was in Scott's position, I would call the service manager at a dealership that did cover this repair under warranty, and there are at least two in this thread. I'd explain my situation to that service manager, and see if he has any advice on how to get this covered. Asking someone for help on a person to person level often works wonders. And you can make a call right now, no need to get frustrated with emails.

 

I just now called the Ford Customer Relationship Center and initially tried to get through to the superior of the person who answered the phone. It couldn't be done that simply and I had to re-hash the entire problem again with the phone answerer and was put on hold while she (Michelle) talked with a supervisor (Millie). Michelle came back and told me sorry, but the part's not warrantied. Again, I tried to give her the Ford case number of someone who had the cooling fans replaced under the Hybrid components warranty. She wouldn't hear the number and said that just because someone else is covered doesn't mean that I will be. I didn't know that covering a warrantied item was subjective.

I was able to then speak with Millie who said she'd research this matter and call me back Monday. When she or anyone else at Ford asks for the part number, I cringe, knowing what's going to pop up on their screen when they enter it in.

I looked through the threads and the only dealership I could find where someone was covered for the cooling fans was for a 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Not a 2007 Escape Hybrid like mine, but why not call anyway?
I talked with the Service Manager at Pacifico Marple Ford Lincoln in Broomall, PA and asked him if the cooling fan on my 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid would be covered under the unique hybrid components warranty. He checked and said YES. He even verified the part number as the same as what was replaced in my Escape. He said that when he enters the part number in his computer that it definately shows as a warrantied item and that HE HAS REPLACED MANY OF THESE PARTS UNDER WARRANTY. I asked him if Ford has reimbursed him for the work and he said YES. When he calls up the part number, it also mentions the TSB 09-17-7. He doesn't understand why this part would not show up as a warrantied part.

I tried calling back Millie to provide his new information. Of course the person who answered the phone does not have extension numbers for supervisors. All they can do is put it in the que and whatever supervisor picks up picks up. He did enter the name of the dealership in PA that I called and I also provided their address, phone number, and the name of their Service Manager.

So that's where I am right now. I am going to call back the PA dealership and ask that they send me an estimate for replacement of the fans. Hopefully it will show the estimate at zero dollars and as a warranty item.

The Service Manager also said that I need to talk to the customer service rep. for my region. Maybe that's the guy in Seattle that my local dealership Service Manager talked to. But I haven't been able to reach my Service Manager to find out who that regional person is.

 

I found these posts in this thread where someone reported getting this repair covered under warranty. Posts # 27, 53, 54, 56, 65, 69, 77, 78. Post #69 in particular might be useful.

Keep us posted on any progress.

 

Tim K - did you get my PM (post 104)?
Scott

 

Econoline,

Thanks. The post that was the most help for me was #77.
That's the only post I can find that mentions a specific dealership that I could (and did) contact. The other posts show where owners were successful in talking with Ford and/or the dealership and either the battery assembly number was entered or a successful case number was referenced. Neither Ford nor my dealership have been helpful in this regard.

Tim K was going to email to me a receipt of his that showed his fans replaced under warranty. When I get that I can then call that dealership and follow up.

 

The Service Director (Terry) at my local Ford Dealership just now returned a call that I'd made to him this morning. The message I'd left for him was that I needed Ford's regional customer service rep's name and phone number.

Bottom line is that Ford told Terry this morning to reimburse the money that I paid for the cooling fan replacement. I just need to bring in the old cooling fans (the service department had to dig them out of the trash the other day after I asked that they be returned with my repaired FEH). Ford will reimburse the dealer once the dealer reimburses me.

I asked Terry why Ford was now covering the parts. I believe that Terry told me that Ford just said to handle it. So no specific admission of the parts being covered under warranty, but you know what?

I DON'T CARE WHY THEY ARE BEING COVERED!!

Terry did tell me that it pays to be persistent and that customers are more likely to get satisfaction when Ford hears from the customer and not from just the dealer.

I will let you know when the dollars are put back onto my card. I will be taking care of this tomorrow at the dealership.

Wish me luck.

 

Just now had my best experience yet at a dealership...walking out after having over $900 put back on my credit card for warranty work that I had been charged for
Sometime in the next few days I am going to summarize my experience in hopes that it will be helpful to the next person who has this problem. And you know that there WILL be a next one.

 

The dealership and the customer assistance center personnel go to the warranty coverage parts lists to determine if a part number is covered. Please share with us the part number that made it through the system. That will help the next person have a productive discussion with their service manager when they have the problem.

 

Congratulations Scott!

Ford must think we are a bunch of dummies but I tell you what, this issue has hurt their reputation on HV battery warranties. No matter if it's a Hybrid or EV, people have a great concern about the battery cost and the replacement. A $900 repair bill is enough to stop people from purchasing a Hybrid or EV, and it certainly can lower the value of a used one. Who's the real dummy here? Ford. So there is a few dummies that go ahead and pay the repair bill and not fight it, but it still hurts Ford in the long term. If Ford wants to continue down this path, I'd sell any stock I own also.

GaryG