Leadfoot
Active member
- First Name
- Marcy
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2021
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 28
- Reaction score
- 8
- Location
- Washington DC Metro area
- Vehicles
- 2021 F150 Lariat & 2015 Mustang GT 50 Year LE
- Occupation
- CFO / Office Mgr.
Here's my story... Yes, it's VERY long so if you're not interested please just skip past this post. I've included all these details just so those of you who may wish to pursue this understand how much of a struggle it will be too get this resolved on a truck you've already taken delivery of. 
Build date 11/20, took delivery 1/17/21. On 2/12 my vehicle was hit in a parking lot as I was walking out to it. Front bumper damaged. Other parties insurance covered it in full; the bumper was replaced and painted in March 2021.
I first noticed rust after seeing articles on the rust problem in Feb. 2021 at 702 miles; we found this thread in late Feb. and went to take a look. NOT happy, rust on the rear differential, rear axle, shock mounts, brake backing plates, exhaust, frame, and more.
Pictures taken on 3/12/21. Brought to my local dealers attention during front bumper replacement, picked up on 3/17/21. The body shop stated they'd heard about the issue but hadn't yet seen it. I asked if they could look at mine and they stated they don't have lifts and any claim would have to go through service.
Attempted to schedule service visit multiple times at my local dealer online through Ford Pass app, no dates available, for any advisor? Called a few times and was told they were booked 4 weeks out.
I finally got scheduled for my first service, with my local dealer's Quick Lane, on 8/12/21. (I did speak with my local Quick Lane about this concern and while they allowed me to take more photos with it up on the lift, they explained that Quick Lane is not allowed to note any concerns, complaints, factory defects, body work issues, or potential warranty matters).
On 7/7/21 I sent email with photos of the rust to the selling dealer (including GM, sales mgr., salesman, service director, and service advisor), to ask for their assistance since we'd purchased TWO trucks from Ted Britt Ford (Fairfax, VA) in Jan.
After no replies to my first two emails, the new car sales manager finally replied to my 3rd email on 7/30.
Tim Morgan, the sales mgr. stated he would forward my email to the service dept. for assistance and they'd be in touch. When I did not hear from service the following week I sent another email on 8/6 to all, including the new car sales manager. On 8/6 the new car mgr. again replied and said he'd resend his email and would follow up with service on Mon. 8/9.
On 8/9 the service director, Rob Teasdale replied, apologized for the delay, and stated, "I needed to lock down the biggest loaner vehicle I have and I was also waiting to see if my F150 Lariat loaner might return.
At this point, I can only take one truck at a time as both need to go to our Ford Body shop. I also researched the rust issue on the 2021 and do know that will be a few weeks to repair properly. I can do the 2018 first if you want or tackle the bigger issue on the 2021 first. I have a reserved an Explorer loaner to use while we tackle both issues. Let me know what works for you."
(We had an unrelated matter to address on the used 2018 F-150 we purchased the same day).
This sounded very positive, and I was hopeful they were going to address the '21 rust issue. On 8/10 we scheduled an appt. for the '18 to be addressed first, on 8/13. When scheduling via email, Mr. Teasdale commented as follows for the '21 Lariat, "Regarding the longevity of any paint repair, I am really at the mercy of following the proper Ford procedures. The day the 2021 arrives, we will be taking extensive photos to upload to Ford. We will then get it to our Ford approved Body Shop for an estimate and get it to Ford to get a prior approval. After the repairs, we will have a 3 yr/ 36K paint warranty and a 5 year corrosion perforation warranty to cover the truck. If we go outside of that, there are programs you would qualify for based on this paint repair occurring so early."
Still sounded promising...
Later that same day 8/10, I received another email from Mr. Teasdale stating, "I may be mistaken but I thought someone on our team stated there were photos of the rust on the 2021? I looked at past emails and don't see them."
I had included Mr. Teasdale in my original email with photos on 7/7. However, I replied and resent the same photos again.
The following day, 8/11, Mr. Teasdale emailed me back and stated, "I have taken the time to review the pictures and unfortunately surface rust is not a warrantable item. This is a natural phenomenon and occurs on all vehicles regardless of make or model. The functionality of the parts in your pictures are under warranty but any removal of surface rust will be temporary as this issue will occur again. In fact, all four brake rotors can have surface rust begin as early as 72 hours if the truck were to sit. My plans are to address the issue with your 2018 truck tomorrow but there is nothing that I can submit to Ford to address the surface rust that I see in your photos."
On 8/11 I replied to his email and explained that his answer was unacceptable. I explained that I did not fault the dealership for this problem, rather this was precisely why I wanted the dealer to document the problem and contact their Ford factory representative for assistance.
I received no response.
On 8/12 we brought the 2018 in for its appointment. We spoke with both our service advisor, Mr. Teasdale, and Mr. Morgan. The sales manager was very helpful with our 2018 and agreed to address its issue with no problem.
I explained to Mr. Teasdale again that 'surface rust is not a problem' line was simply unacceptable and that this is more than that, it is excessive and we feel that Ford needs to address it. He said he was looking into it, but it may take some time to get a resolution and asked me to please be patient while he worked on it.
On 8/23 I emailed Mr. Teasdale again and told him we were coming to pick up the 2018 and asked what they decided for the 2021. I again explained that I'd be happy to bring the '21 at a time when a Ford factory rep could be present.
I did not receive his reply before we left to drive down to pick up the '18; our selling dealer is 75 miles away (one way). Therefore we decided to also bring the 2021 Lariat down so they could inspect it in person.
Mr. Teasdale replied to my email (while we were enroute to the dealership) and stated, "We no longer have Ford Factory Representatives or Field Service Engineers at our disposal. On top of that, We have already discussed that this is not a warrantable issue. I understand that you feel the rust is excessive but it is all over everyone's new vehicle inventory to various degrees.
At this point, my only plan was to get a list of the rusted parts, create an estimate and see if the Sales Department will want to replace them."
Upon arrival we again met with Mr. Teasdale and I offered to let him being the truck in to get his own photos. He stated he would write up a repair order to document along with his photos and he would speak with his 'Ford resources' this week to see what could be done, if anything.
He allowed me to see the truck up on the lift and asked me to point out my areas of concern. He asked if I was talking about the rear diff, the axles, brake backing plates, exhaust hangers, and "up front there".
I asked him what the parts were on the front, and he stated those were the front axles. (This was the first time I noticed the excessive rust on the front axles as well). We again discussed oxidization and surface rust and I explained that I was aware of those matters. However, again, this is an EXCESSIVE amount of rust on a new vehicle. I have three older Ford's, one of which has 167,000 miles, and all three of them combined do not have the rest the new one has. In fact, the 2018 we were picking up that we bought the same day, with 22,000 miles does not have this amount of rust. He stated to write a repair order and send the photos to his Ford representative for assistance and he'd be in touch.
On 8/27 I followed up with an email and thanked him for his time. I asked him to let me know if he needed anything else from me and reiterated that I would try to be patient while awaiting a response.
On 9/3 I got the final 'hit the bricks email' from Mr. Teasdale stating,
"First, I want to thank you for your patience while I researched any solution options regarding your truck. I have talked with my resources
at Ford and with my contact at our Ford Body shops. As I stated to you before, I have seen surface rust on tons of undercarriage components
but have never attempted to remove it in my 22 year career. Nobody at Ford is recommending to sand and/or attempt to remove the surfacer rust without beginning to affect the integrity of the components themselves. This would include the front axles, rear end housing, driveshaft, and various iron based items. There is no procedure written, listed or known in Ford's circle to remove. This is not a procedure I am willing to perform with the risks involved. The Body shop mentioned to maybe paint the items but I feel that could create more issues.
I also learned that the parts rusted are never "coated" at the factory. Your vehicle was built and landed on our lot in 59 days. It sat until you purchased it. The surface rust that I see is consistent with the natural phenomenon that is oxidation with iron based metals. It is prominent on the majority of stock vehicles currently here. It poses no threat and we do not see rust "eating" through the components that I viewed and photographed.
In closing, you can certainly get a second opinion and always contact Ford customer service and open up a case. That phone number is 1-800-392-3673. I'm sorry I could not find a procedure to remedy this."
After fuming for several days, on 9/8, I replied to his email. I told him I would definitely be following up with Ford and asked for him to send the photos he'd taken.
After no reply, I again emailed today 9/15, and asked for both the photos he'd taken as well as a copy of the repair order he'd written for our truck. Ironically, I did not receive an email copy of the repair order (presumably to avoid triggering a customer survey). I always have revived copies of the repair orders, even when there is no charge to me.
I will be following up with Ford today to open a claim. (Pictures to follow).
Build date 11/20, took delivery 1/17/21. On 2/12 my vehicle was hit in a parking lot as I was walking out to it. Front bumper damaged. Other parties insurance covered it in full; the bumper was replaced and painted in March 2021.
I first noticed rust after seeing articles on the rust problem in Feb. 2021 at 702 miles; we found this thread in late Feb. and went to take a look. NOT happy, rust on the rear differential, rear axle, shock mounts, brake backing plates, exhaust, frame, and more.
Pictures taken on 3/12/21. Brought to my local dealers attention during front bumper replacement, picked up on 3/17/21. The body shop stated they'd heard about the issue but hadn't yet seen it. I asked if they could look at mine and they stated they don't have lifts and any claim would have to go through service.
Attempted to schedule service visit multiple times at my local dealer online through Ford Pass app, no dates available, for any advisor? Called a few times and was told they were booked 4 weeks out.
I finally got scheduled for my first service, with my local dealer's Quick Lane, on 8/12/21. (I did speak with my local Quick Lane about this concern and while they allowed me to take more photos with it up on the lift, they explained that Quick Lane is not allowed to note any concerns, complaints, factory defects, body work issues, or potential warranty matters).
On 7/7/21 I sent email with photos of the rust to the selling dealer (including GM, sales mgr., salesman, service director, and service advisor), to ask for their assistance since we'd purchased TWO trucks from Ted Britt Ford (Fairfax, VA) in Jan.
After no replies to my first two emails, the new car sales manager finally replied to my 3rd email on 7/30.
Tim Morgan, the sales mgr. stated he would forward my email to the service dept. for assistance and they'd be in touch. When I did not hear from service the following week I sent another email on 8/6 to all, including the new car sales manager. On 8/6 the new car mgr. again replied and said he'd resend his email and would follow up with service on Mon. 8/9.
On 8/9 the service director, Rob Teasdale replied, apologized for the delay, and stated, "I needed to lock down the biggest loaner vehicle I have and I was also waiting to see if my F150 Lariat loaner might return.
At this point, I can only take one truck at a time as both need to go to our Ford Body shop. I also researched the rust issue on the 2021 and do know that will be a few weeks to repair properly. I can do the 2018 first if you want or tackle the bigger issue on the 2021 first. I have a reserved an Explorer loaner to use while we tackle both issues. Let me know what works for you."
(We had an unrelated matter to address on the used 2018 F-150 we purchased the same day).
This sounded very positive, and I was hopeful they were going to address the '21 rust issue. On 8/10 we scheduled an appt. for the '18 to be addressed first, on 8/13. When scheduling via email, Mr. Teasdale commented as follows for the '21 Lariat, "Regarding the longevity of any paint repair, I am really at the mercy of following the proper Ford procedures. The day the 2021 arrives, we will be taking extensive photos to upload to Ford. We will then get it to our Ford approved Body Shop for an estimate and get it to Ford to get a prior approval. After the repairs, we will have a 3 yr/ 36K paint warranty and a 5 year corrosion perforation warranty to cover the truck. If we go outside of that, there are programs you would qualify for based on this paint repair occurring so early."
Still sounded promising...
Later that same day 8/10, I received another email from Mr. Teasdale stating, "I may be mistaken but I thought someone on our team stated there were photos of the rust on the 2021? I looked at past emails and don't see them."
I had included Mr. Teasdale in my original email with photos on 7/7. However, I replied and resent the same photos again.
The following day, 8/11, Mr. Teasdale emailed me back and stated, "I have taken the time to review the pictures and unfortunately surface rust is not a warrantable item. This is a natural phenomenon and occurs on all vehicles regardless of make or model. The functionality of the parts in your pictures are under warranty but any removal of surface rust will be temporary as this issue will occur again. In fact, all four brake rotors can have surface rust begin as early as 72 hours if the truck were to sit. My plans are to address the issue with your 2018 truck tomorrow but there is nothing that I can submit to Ford to address the surface rust that I see in your photos."
On 8/11 I replied to his email and explained that his answer was unacceptable. I explained that I did not fault the dealership for this problem, rather this was precisely why I wanted the dealer to document the problem and contact their Ford factory representative for assistance.
I received no response.
On 8/12 we brought the 2018 in for its appointment. We spoke with both our service advisor, Mr. Teasdale, and Mr. Morgan. The sales manager was very helpful with our 2018 and agreed to address its issue with no problem.
I explained to Mr. Teasdale again that 'surface rust is not a problem' line was simply unacceptable and that this is more than that, it is excessive and we feel that Ford needs to address it. He said he was looking into it, but it may take some time to get a resolution and asked me to please be patient while he worked on it.
On 8/23 I emailed Mr. Teasdale again and told him we were coming to pick up the 2018 and asked what they decided for the 2021. I again explained that I'd be happy to bring the '21 at a time when a Ford factory rep could be present.
I did not receive his reply before we left to drive down to pick up the '18; our selling dealer is 75 miles away (one way). Therefore we decided to also bring the 2021 Lariat down so they could inspect it in person.
Mr. Teasdale replied to my email (while we were enroute to the dealership) and stated, "We no longer have Ford Factory Representatives or Field Service Engineers at our disposal. On top of that, We have already discussed that this is not a warrantable issue. I understand that you feel the rust is excessive but it is all over everyone's new vehicle inventory to various degrees.
At this point, my only plan was to get a list of the rusted parts, create an estimate and see if the Sales Department will want to replace them."
Upon arrival we again met with Mr. Teasdale and I offered to let him being the truck in to get his own photos. He stated he would write up a repair order to document along with his photos and he would speak with his 'Ford resources' this week to see what could be done, if anything.
He allowed me to see the truck up on the lift and asked me to point out my areas of concern. He asked if I was talking about the rear diff, the axles, brake backing plates, exhaust hangers, and "up front there".
I asked him what the parts were on the front, and he stated those were the front axles. (This was the first time I noticed the excessive rust on the front axles as well). We again discussed oxidization and surface rust and I explained that I was aware of those matters. However, again, this is an EXCESSIVE amount of rust on a new vehicle. I have three older Ford's, one of which has 167,000 miles, and all three of them combined do not have the rest the new one has. In fact, the 2018 we were picking up that we bought the same day, with 22,000 miles does not have this amount of rust. He stated to write a repair order and send the photos to his Ford representative for assistance and he'd be in touch.
On 8/27 I followed up with an email and thanked him for his time. I asked him to let me know if he needed anything else from me and reiterated that I would try to be patient while awaiting a response.
On 9/3 I got the final 'hit the bricks email' from Mr. Teasdale stating,
"First, I want to thank you for your patience while I researched any solution options regarding your truck. I have talked with my resources
at Ford and with my contact at our Ford Body shops. As I stated to you before, I have seen surface rust on tons of undercarriage components
but have never attempted to remove it in my 22 year career. Nobody at Ford is recommending to sand and/or attempt to remove the surfacer rust without beginning to affect the integrity of the components themselves. This would include the front axles, rear end housing, driveshaft, and various iron based items. There is no procedure written, listed or known in Ford's circle to remove. This is not a procedure I am willing to perform with the risks involved. The Body shop mentioned to maybe paint the items but I feel that could create more issues.
I also learned that the parts rusted are never "coated" at the factory. Your vehicle was built and landed on our lot in 59 days. It sat until you purchased it. The surface rust that I see is consistent with the natural phenomenon that is oxidation with iron based metals. It is prominent on the majority of stock vehicles currently here. It poses no threat and we do not see rust "eating" through the components that I viewed and photographed.
In closing, you can certainly get a second opinion and always contact Ford customer service and open up a case. That phone number is 1-800-392-3673. I'm sorry I could not find a procedure to remedy this."
After fuming for several days, on 9/8, I replied to his email. I told him I would definitely be following up with Ford and asked for him to send the photos he'd taken.
After no reply, I again emailed today 9/15, and asked for both the photos he'd taken as well as a copy of the repair order he'd written for our truck. Ironically, I did not receive an email copy of the repair order (presumably to avoid triggering a customer survey). I always have revived copies of the repair orders, even when there is no charge to me.
I will be following up with Ford today to open a claim. (Pictures to follow).
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