Failed Console Gear Shift Lever

[F-150 Prius]

So a lot transpired today, but in short I have the truck back and it’s repaired. I’d like to clear the air and say that Asheville Ford eventually did the right thing, not just the right thing but the logical thing.

That's a great turnaround! I have to suspect you made it happen. Calling Ford and the idea to call around other dealers were probably part of it – and I'll be using that tactic if I'm ever so unlucky. Of course, the customer shouldn't have to push so hard to get the logical outcome. But here we are in a corporate-centric world.
How did Asheville Ford order the part and not communicate they were making progress?
If they'd originally said "we'll order the part and hope to have you on the road Wednesday" I would have been impressed (and skeptical … : )
Good to see they came through, but they need to work their internal communication and their communication with the customer.

Sponsored

 

[Poalpo]

Good ending. So what was the actual problem, was it just the faulty shifter or as one earlier poster suspected it was related to transmission?

 

[artificial_airspeed]

Good ending. So what was the actual problem, was it just the faulty shifter or as one earlier poster suspected it was related to transmission?

Pretty much exactly the TSB I posted earlier in this thread, from what I understand anyways. They applied the TSB and determined the GSM (Gear Selection Module) had faults and possible internal damage. So they replaced the GSM with a new one and programmed/updated it with the latest firmware. The new shifter that’s in there now has even more slop/play in it than my original one did….. Doesn’t inspire much confidence in the durability of these gear levers overall. It would be amazing if there was a different option to retrofit push buttons for gears or heck even the aging round dial selector…

 

[Pedaldude]

How did Asheville Ford order the part and not communicate they were making progress?

They likely didn't "order" it, they probably had it in stock the entire time and just lied about it when OP lit a fire under their asses. The whole story actually makes them look worse, since they were perfectly happy with sandbagging him until it came to losing the job to a dealer willing to work on it.

The disservice managers usually aren't car guys, they are customer service experts that are trained in bull-shitting the customers and juggling their incoming jobs because the dealership won't pay the repair techs enough to retain a decent staff. It's a lot cheaper to have a bunch of service advisers constantly stringing people along than a well functioning team of skilled mechanics. Then, when times are slow, they try and scare people into unnecessary maintenance.

This is an illustration of the shortfalls of the dealership system that is compounded by Ford's baroque solution to a non existent problem. I would be absolutely shocked if they made a retrofit for it, since it's one of the big "improvements" that they have been harping on about since the new generation has been introduced. They'll be perfectly happy replacing them under warranty and then letting the owners do the same when the warranty period is over.

It's possible that the new shifter feels sloppier because they loosened the tolerances in the mechanism to make it more reliable. Ford is going to have to make millions of them, so hopefully, eventually they will figure it out.

 

[Lippy]

It is a *good looking* truck. Glad they repaired it.

 

[artificial_airspeed]

They likely didn't "order" it, they probably had it in stock the entire time and just lied about it when OP lit a fire under their asses. The whole story actually makes them look worse, since they were perfectly happy with sandbagging him until it came to losing the job to a dealer willing to work on it.

The disservice managers usually aren't car guys, they are customer service experts that are trained in bull-shitting the customers and juggling their incoming jobs because the dealership won't pay the repair techs enough to retain a decent staff. It's a lot cheaper to have a bunch of service advisers constantly stringing people along than a well functioning team of skilled mechanics. Then, when times are slow, they try and scare people into unnecessary maintenance.

This is an illustration of the shortfalls of the dealership system that is compounded by Ford's baroque solution to a non existent problem. I would be absolutely shocked if they made a retrofit for it, since it's one of the big "improvements" that they have been harping on about since the new generation has been introduced. They'll be perfectly happy replacing them under warranty and then letting the owners do the same when the warranty period is over.

It's possible that the new shifter feels sloppier because they loosened the tolerances in the mechanism to make it more reliable. Ford is going to have to make millions of them, so hopefully, eventually they will figure it out.

Well said and very plausible.

 

[F-150 Prius]

They likely didn't "order" it, they probably had it in stock the entire time and just lied about it when OP lit a fire under their asses. The whole story actually makes them look worse, since they were perfectly happy with sandbagging him until it came to losing the job to a dealer willing to work on it.

The disservice managers usually aren't car guys, they are customer service experts that are trained in bull-shitting the customers and juggling their incoming jobs because the dealership won't pay the repair techs enough to retain a decent staff. It's a lot cheaper to have a bunch of service advisers constantly stringing people along than a well functioning team of skilled mechanics. Then, when times are slow, they try and scare people into unnecessary maintenance.

This is an illustration of the shortfalls of the dealership system that is compounded by Ford's baroque solution to a non existent problem. I would be absolutely shocked if they made a retrofit for it, since it's one of the big "improvements" that they have been harping on about since the new generation has been introduced. They'll be perfectly happy replacing them under warranty and then letting the owners do the same when the warranty period is over.

It's possible that the new shifter feels sloppier because they loosened the tolerances in the mechanism to make it more reliable. Ford is going to have to make millions of them, so hopefully, eventually they will figure it out.

I don't know how a Ford dealership works internally. I've seen good dealers and bad, but only from the customer perspective – and at any given dealer, Sales can be horrible but Service and Parts are staffed with competent people.
I don't want to be quite so cynical about the actual people, but I can see the corporate policy manifests itself in sketchy business practices. Dealerships rely upon Service for gross profit (more than Sales.) There's a higher margin in selling parts than selling whole cars and there's a much higher margin in selling the hourly rate of a tech who functions mostly as a parts-swapper and works with a guided diagnosis tool.

 

[artificial_airspeed]

Sidenote just to bitch:

My Microtech OTF Switchblade Knife was stolen out of the truck at some point during this ordeal.

It’s between the tow company driver, dealership service manager, service advisor, or assigned mechanic. Whomever it was, I hope they enjoy my knife by falling on it. Nothing worse than a petty thief.

 

[F-150 Prius]

Sidenote just to bitch:

My Microtech OTF Switchblade Knife was stolen out of the truck at some point during this ordeal.

It’s between the tow company driver, dealership service manager, service advisor, or assigned mechanic. Whomever it was, I hope they enjoy my knife by falling on it. Nothing worse than a petty thief.

I think it's worth reporting the loss to the dealership and the tow company. By getting these reports they can see if there's a pattern of "another complaint when sticky-fingers-freddy was near a customer car …"

 

[Twg1]

All brands seem to be doing a little too much ‘value engineering’ these days. My wife’s 2021 $75k Yukon Denali destroyed its lifters 8hrs away in Orlando…with a squad of cheerleaders she was ferrying for a summer camp (she’s the coach). ORL dealer couldn't do anything due to national backorder (chronic GMC issue).
I loaded up her mom’s Explorer on my race trailer, towed it with my 200k mile ‘06 F150 thru the night and saved the day. Wife hasn’t complained about my racing habit since. Shit happens…more frequently these days it seems. Glad you were made whole (minus the knife…that would make me livid)

 

[artificial_airspeed]

I think it's worth reporting the loss to the dealership and the tow company. By getting these reports they can see if there's a pattern of "another complaint when sticky-fingers-freddy was near a customer car …"

Absolutely. I spoke with the tow company owner and the dealership about it today. Both asked the involved employees but of course no results with that. I’m also going to put it on record with Ford for my case #.

 

[artificial_airspeed]

All brands seem to be doing a little too much ‘value engineering’ these days. My wife’s 2021 $75k Yukon Denali destroyed its lifters 8hrs away in Orlando…with a squad of cheerleaders she was ferrying for a summer camp (she’s the coach). ORL dealer couldn't do anything due to national backorder (chronic GMC issue).
I loaded up her mom’s Explorer on my race trailer, towed it with my 200k mile ‘06 F150 thru the night and saved the day. Wife hasn’t complained about my racing habit since. Shit happens…more frequently these days it seems. Glad you were made whole (minus the knife…that would make me livid)

That is an awesome story man! Good on you for saving the gals!

 

[wayfarer556]

I gotta say that I'm thankful for the console shifter that my truck has. I wish you could just get that as an option for all trims.

 

[LRscott]

2021 F150 PowerBoost
2,900 miles.
I can join the screwed up shifter/transmission chorus. After getting stuck, then unstuck in P over the course of several days I became stuck in D. Truck is at the Dealership now.
BTW -Ford Roadside Assistance gets an F, they suck. I had to wait almost 6 hours for the flat bed to arrive.

 

[F-150 Prius]

2021 F150 PowerBoost
2,900 miles.
I can join the screwed up shifter/transmission chorus. After getting stuck, then unstuck in P over the course of several days I became stuck in D. Truck is at the Dealership now.
BTW -Ford Roadside Assistance gets an F, they suck. I had to wait almost 6 hours for the flat bed to arrive.

six hours is egregious. sadly roadside is all about the local operators and for 99% of them, they're just not paid to do a good job.
Whether it's Ford or Porsche or any brand, they all suffer the same lowest level.
Along with bankers and politicians, towing company operators should be first with their backs against the wall come the revolution.

Sponsored