Fiesta ST Blown Head Gasket - Help please?!

[jhl_96]

Hi all,

I bought a 2015 Ford Fiesta ST (Private, unfortunately), two months later the head gasket blew. I took it to Ford and they told me that the repair cost, excluding labour, would be R120k as they would order a new engine. I heard from a friend that he got excellent service from a certain Car Service City dealership (yes I know, dumb idea, but I didn't know any better and it had to be an RMI approved workshop so that the Motor Warranty could pay). I ended up taking the car there. MY extended motor warranty paid R20k, and I paid the rest. Anyways, it's been more than a year now and they still have my car, and every week it's something different and they can't seem to fix it. Is there anything that I can do? I can't ask for my car back, because it's not running and I don't have money to fix it, because in the past year, I had to pay for my own additional transport whilst still paying the finance on the car, so I'm broke to put it quite nicely.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

 

[JuggHead]

That's horrendous dude, sorry you've had such a kak experience. Maybe the ombudsman? If that fails further legal action? Have you made your complaints public because that usually gets a reaction pretty quickly.

Feels like they're milking it having had it for over a year. I'd sue the pants off them.

 

[jhl_96]

I tried the ombudsman, but they told me that they can't give me a date as to when they'll have an outcome for me as they haven't even started with my case. Sorry, I know this is going to sound stupid, but what do you mean by 'public'? Like going to the papers or something?

But yahh, more than a year.. I've never heard of anything like this, ever! And like I said, it's been costing me an arm and a leg as I need to pay for additional transport to get around. So it's not like I have the cash to fight this thing.

 

[HButton]

Wow this is a rough one. I would have sat next to Cyril after 2 months escalating this shit.

Also taking a year to take replace the engine that is already built, with limited knowledge, can be done within 2 weeks. If we had a Gas Monkey they would do it in a day.

What does Ford's say as they wanted you to take it to an RMI approve workshop?

 

[jhl_96]

That's the excuse they keep using, "The car came in as a non-runner, so they don't know what can be wrong with it", but they weren't the ones who fixed the engine, they sent it to an engineering company who fixed the engine.

Ford didn't tell me to take it to an RMI Approved workshop, the extended motor warranty told me to do it. The warranty with Ford expired a month before the head gasket blew.

 

[TurboLlew]

A car is not a mystical item that requires arcane knowledge to fix. It can't be "anything" wrong with it. Ford diagnosed it after all (though why they wanted to replace the whole motor for a head gasket I don't know) - it is just physics/engineering. Have they already been paid? How did the warranty fork out R20K before any work was done?

Unfortunately this is not uncommon in the motor trade... ST/M/AMG/RS owner shows up with a car they know nothing about mechanically after getting a fright at dealer prices and they see big dollar signs. They spin stories as though they are experts when they may never have worked on one before in their lives. RMI means absolutely JACK. There are home-garage and shade-tree mechanics that do better work than some RMI accredited workshops.

Car service city is only any good for changing oil... and discovering non-existant problems that they then 'fix'... maybe not even that... A recommendation from a person who just had basic work done is in no way any indication that they will even be competent enough to do more complex things.

Have you spoken to anyone in the Ford ST community who may be able to help at least take a look at the car and then you can weigh your options up in terms of next steps? They would also likely be able to recommend a place to take it to.

 

[jhl_96]

Ford told me that they don't repair the engine, they replace it. I already paid the initial amount I got quoted (something between R50k and R60k I think). The motor warranty only paid the R20k after they sent out their evaluator.

To be honest, I wanted to take it to 'home-garage / shade-tree' mechanic as a mate of mine knows someone who's extremely good in what he does, but as he's not RMI approved, I couldn't do that if I wanted to make use of the motor warranty (although I wish I did take it to him in the beginning).

Needless to say, Car Service City will never see me again, that's for sure.

To be honest, I haven't spoken to anyone about my situation, and I also don't know anyone in the Ford ST community. The thing is, I would love to take it somewhere else, but I've already been milked for almost everything I have. Without getting in too much detail, I stay 70km away from work, so my daily transport works out to around R300-R400 a day, and as I said, it's been more than a year since I took my car in.

 

[Jono_52]

That's sad... And wrong and I'm sorry that happened to you.

After owning a tuning shop mostly working on STs. I can tell you a few things.

1. Yes ford generally won't repair and would rather replace.
2. Car service city don't know sh1t about replacing an engine nevermind rebuilding one.
3. For the money they charged you could have built a phenomenal car.
4. WhatsApp me, 0766047411, let's chat I'll get you in the right direction.
5. If car service city is rebuilding the motor they can't get the clearance and timing right. If they replacing it... And it's taken a year?... Can't answer... It's a 2 day job.

Reach out... Happy to give you some advice.

 

[Skalabala]

I have a car here now that came from car service city, dodgy work all over. Keep even your x wife away from these people

 

[jhl_96]

@Jono_52

That's the thing, I honestly don't know what they're doing with the engine because they didn't rebuild it, they sent it to an engineering company so that they can do all the pressure tests and stuff to see whether the block/head is cracked or not and whether it can be fixed. They were notified that it was cylinder 1 that blew, but now they're getting misfires on cylinder 4..

 

[jhl_96]

@Skalabala

I don't know when it will be, but I'm considering taking my car somewhere else as soon as I get it back, just so that someone can check their work!

 

[Skalabala]

Miss fire on nr4 and they do not know why? That is poor.
They probably got dirt into the injector, those injectors do not like contamination.
Or they bent a valve

When last did you go to have a look at your car? @janhendriklaufs

 

[jhl_96]

The last time I went to go take a look was about two months ago. I'm planning on going in tomorrow morning to speak to the workshop manager. But to be honest, it hurts me to see my car like that and not being able to enjoy it.

 

[ArriBen]

If you are in JHB, get hold of Adam Ford. He owns a workshop in Wynberg called A&K motors. The reason I say get hold of him is that he is a very well known mechanic and used to host a program called car talk on Ignition TV (DSTV) with Seggie Moodley. Years ago he also hosted a program on 702 all cars and mechanical issues related. His well known in the business and will not bullshit you.

I am by now ways a car expert, but a year to try find a fault on a motor sounds either like they don't what they are doing or milking you like a new born.

If that doesn't work - take a match and burn the fucking thing to the ground.

Adam Ford | TVSA

Adam Ford is an English-born South African motoring expert, radio and television personality best known for his partnership with <a href="http://www

www.tvsa.co.za

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x1e950d331ca428df%3A0xb61430a13faba3!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMpbWe5siOAhMKQbowFi3d8EYtL0pyu76ipcDgb%3Dw411-h200-k-no!5sadam%20ford%20wynberg%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipMpbWe5siOAhMKQbowFi3d8EYtL0pyu76ipcDgb&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn4-yHiLXtAhXKesAKHU4HDg8QoiowE3oECBoQAw

 

[Sub-lime]

Another guy to chat to is Panic Mechanic. Stephan van Tonder (I think that's correct)
Many guys on VW Club have his details, I lost his number a whole ago but he is excellent!

 

[SurvivorX]

I know very good private mechanics they only take 2 weeks or so to fix it depending if you have money to buy what is needed and they wouldn't have charged you more than 30k....I blew my chervolet cruz head gasket took it to to them, they took it to engineer, had to buy few parts which didn't even cost me 6k and they repaired it been driving it for 3 years now without any problems. For everything including labour I could say was charged close to 20k..

 

[Gurshick]

F#*& that!! You had the patience to endure this shit for a year, NOT A F!!!!

I'd have made their life hell one month in. Also screw that shit about the car came in as a non runner, you paid them money, wich you actually only should have done once the car was running.(and my oh my, 80 efffin grand!!!) to do a head gasket nooooooo. You could have had a fully build motor with bells and whistles for that money.

Damn, this is upsetting me right to my core!!!!

See if you can get hold of someone high up the franchise network. And stop being nice and patience.

Sent from my Redmi 8 using Tapatalk

 

[jhl_96]

@ArriBen

Hey man, thanks so much, will deffs try and get a hold of the guy, thanks so much, I appreciate it!

 

[jhl_96]

@Sub-lime

Thanks man, will definitely try and get a hold of the guy, thank you!!

 

[jhl_96]

@SurvivorX

I appreciate it, will see what happens if, and when, I get my car back. Chances are extremely good that I'll be taking it somewhere to get a second opinion just to make sure my car is fine. Hopefully, it doesn't need work, but if push comes to shove, I'll take it in to get it done properly.

 

[jhl_96]

@Gurshick

I know, honestly, I wish I wasn't the way I am, cause that's just not my personality.. although I wish it was 'cause that would've meant that I could've gotten my car sooner, and could've saved a lot of money.

I tried talking to the person who manages that branch and all she kept on telling me was that she doesn't know anything about cars, and that she'll pass my message on the "workshop manager".

To be honest, I don't really know what to do, because I contacted the Motor Ombudsman, and they told me even if I log a claim, it won't be looked at any time soon as they have cases and cases that's been logged, that still hasn't been looked at.

So I don't know if I have a foot to stand on, and if something can be done about it? Because I feel like a year to fix an engine is not right, rather tell me that you can't do it, right?

 

[Brutal_Noodle]

Hi buddy i own a shop which we makes many mods for the st180 so i see them very often, i also have one myself which blew a gasket.
When this car blows a gasket its a complete disaster usually it results in the bore getting score and other sub assembly damage.

your best best is to replace the engine. Ive seen many with rebuilt engines, incl mine, they always have some issue and never the same again.

1 year for an engine replacement is too long, i would go to the obudsman

 

[Skalabala]

If the engine is not better after a rebuild then the builder's ability is questioned.

 

[jhl_96]

@Brutal_Noodle

I would've preferred to replace the engine, but I already paid for it to be fixed, so unfortunately I don't have another +/- R40k laying around for an engine.. I did speak to the workshop and I told them that they have a deadline to try and fix it, otherwise they need to replace it. So will see what happens.

I did try and go to the ombudsman, but they told me that they have so many cases that have been logged before that they haven't even looked at, that they don't know when mine will be assigned to a case manager.

 

[jhl_96]

@Skalabala

That's the thing, with the period it's been taking them to get my car running properly, I don't trust the work at all. So As soon as I have my car, I want to take it for a second opinion, as I can't drive a car that I can't trust.

 

[jhl_96]

So apparently the reason there was a misfire on cylinder 4, is because one of the exhaust valves didn't have enough clearance which caused it to not seal properly. They're getting the engineers to shim it.

 

[Pickled_Dick]

My guy,
you either need to get a good friend that will do the yelling for you,
or you need to step up and start.

These oaks are fucking you, and have been for a year.
One of my older Clio Rs blew a gasket,
Took it to RSTuning and it was sorted in 3 weeks, this with me importing parts from the UK

 

[jhl_96]

@Pickled_Dick

I heard back from the Workshop[ and they're going to try and start it by Thursday. So hopefully it works out, otherwise I'll most probably have to go to RMI and log a complaint.

 

[Skalabala]

@Skalabala

That's the thing, with the period it's been taking them to get my car running properly, I don't trust the work at all. So As soon as I have my car, I want to take it for a second opinion, as I can't drive a car that I can't trust.

Your situation is actually a part time of my job lol. Work shops use me to fix ombutsman cases.
Your case is not rare at all, I deal a lot with it. I've done cars that no one could fix for three years XD
I have to say that your car might be in a physical bad condition for being so long in the workshop

 

[BillNaaai]

Hi buddy i own a shop which we makes many mods for the st180 so i see them very often, i also have one myself which blew a gasket.
When this car blows a gasket its a complete disaster usually it results in the bore getting score and other sub assembly damage.

your best best is to replace the engine. Ive seen many with rebuilt engines, incl mine, they always have some issue and never the same again.

1 year for an engine replacement is too long, i would go to the obudsman

What’s your shops name?