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Letter: Service of Ford Jakarta Selatan
My car, a 2004 Ford Escape, was brought to Ford Jakarta Selatan when it broke down after making a crackling noise when put into gear on Sept
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y car, a 2004 Ford Escape, was brought to Ford Jakarta Selatan when it broke down after making a crackling noise when put into gear on Sept. 26. The following Monday, Ford’s Service Adviser called and explained that the automatic gearbox was damaged, and at worst may need to be replaced at a cost of Rp 50 million (US$5,600)!
I requested that Ford examine the problem and try their best to repair the gear box with the hope that it would reduce the repair cost. After almost four weeks and numerous excuses, Ford Jakarta Selatan was unable to return with another estimate. Only after a strong email which I copied to Ford Motor Indonesia on Oct. 22 did they immediately reply with a repair estimate of more than Rp 78 million!
You can imagine my shock receiving a repair estimate that was 50 percent higher than the cost of a new gear box! The service advisor explained the extent of the damage and said the cause of the problem was improper maintenance.
I was extremely upset as I have always serviced my car at Ford Jakarta Selatan ever since I purchased it, and unless there were problems, the car was brought in for a regular oil change every three to four months, during which time Ford Jakarta Selatan could have advised me of any required maintenance.
During this time, I have always maintained and driven my cars in a careful and responsible manner and always followed Ford Jakarta Selatan’s advice regarding maintenance.
The long delay in providing me with an estimate and finally the outrageous repair estimate made me question Ford Jakarta Selatan’s ability to repair my car, and also their good will in finding a proper solution to my problem.
After consulting different parties, I was advised to take my car to different repair shop, which I did on Oct. 25. After examining my car’s service record and history, I was informed that the probable cause of the damage was that the transmission oil had never been replaced. The transmission oil should be replaced every 50,000 kilometers and my six-year old car has been driven more than 80,000 kilometers without a transmission oil change!
I am extremely angry with Ford Jakarta Selatan, whose service advisers have neither provided me with quality service nor professional advice in the six years that I have been their customer.
Taufiq O. Malik
Jakarta
