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Dear Alex,
I bought a new Ford Fiesta automatic in December 2020. Since new it has been rattling when going over bumpy surfaces. Been to the dealer several times to try to get it fixed, and I have also contacted Ford customer services, with no success. They have been telling me it is a “characteristic of the car” and nothing more can be done. What will I do?
– VS
Dear VS,
I have to say that Fords and rattles go together in my head like roast pork and applesauce. The problem is, all my Fords are all 20-plus years old, so that’s to be expected.
Is this expected in a new car? In a perfect world, no, although some cars are better made than others. I’ve certainly driven a few press demonstrators that have had a few rattles here and there even with barely any miles on the clock, so it’s not unheard of. Then again, for a manufacturer to consider a rattle a feature of the car when you complain about it is not only to wash their hands of the issue, but also to admit the fact that they almost expect their product to is crawling.
So I asked Ford to see if it would re-examine your case. My contact in the public relations department spoke with his customer service colleagues and got back to me saying “the vehicle has been extensively tested by the dealer, and it has also been raised with the technical team, and engineering . The teams considered any noise to be within acceptable parameters”. He added that you are “given a free service for any inconvenience”.
Without hearing it, it’s hard to judge how bad this rattle is, and if I think Ford is being fair. However, the fact that Ford considers any rattle acceptable in its new cars may be worth noting for other readers thinking about buying one.
At this point you have to decide if the rattle is something you can live with. Otherwise, you may be entitled to some compensation over and above what you have already received, or perhaps even to reject the car, on the basis that it is of unsatisfactory quality.
You mentioned that the problem has been there since you bought the car. If that’s the case, and you report it to a Ford dealer within the first six months, Ford has made the most of its one opportunity to put the car right, especially if it goes back and forth to the dealer with this issue ever since.
If so, you have the right to have Ford replace the car with a similar one (at this point, we’re talking about a used example, rather than a brand new one, and this depends on Ford finding a car that matches yours in terms of age and mileage), or to offer you a price reduction, which means you get back some of the money you originally paid for the car.
Or there’s always the nuclear option: you can start a denial; return the car, and get back the money you paid for it, less a certain amount (usually 45p per mile) to cover the use you made of the car.
What would you do if you were VS? Are you going to try to return the car to Ford? Please share your thoughts below
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