North Central Ford

Reviews 3

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Dennis Frazier

The Service Department is a joke and a rip-off! Avoid this place at all costs! You have been warned! Can repair service get any worse? I sincerely doubt it! I purchased a pre-owned Lincoln Navigator (I didnt buy it from North Central Ford) that had a damaged door lock cylinder. The replacement part cost $100.00. The service advisor estimated two hours labor to install it, with the labor cost coming to just over $300.00. I thought the price to be a bit steep, but I needed to have this done. The service advisor recommended that I bring my car to them when they open at 6:30 AM and they will have the work completed that afternoon. I arrived at NCFs Service Department at 6:15 the next morning. A service advisor did the required paperwork, I gave him my keys and the replacement cylinder that I picked up from the Parts Department the day before. He assured me that my car would be ready that afternoon and that he would call me when the work was done. I received a call from NCF early that afternoon and Im thinking, "Wow! They really are fast!" It turns out that the call was to advise me that the technician has looked at my situation and advised that it should be a two hour job and the labor cost would be about $300. (Well we established that fact the day before.) The caller went on to advise me that the technician will proceed now and that my car will be ready that afternoon. At about 5:30 that afternoon, I called to check on the status of the repair. The advisor called me back a half hour later. He tells me that the technician was experiencing complications as he found that the door latch mechanism had been previously repaired with "aftermarket parts". (After reading several of the other reviews on this page, it seems the phrase "aftermarket parts" is NCF-speak for "Were really going to stick it to you now! ") He advised me that they have to order replacement rods from the warehouse and parts and labor to install those would be over $300 additional. "But well have your car ready for you by 9:30 AM tomorrow, sir!" Thinking I shouldnt be screwed like this without dinner and drinks first, I tell him to get it done. I considered waiting to go in to work that morning after I picked up my car at 9:30, but (thank God) I decided against it. By 1:00 PM that day, I have not heard from NCF. I called them to find out what is going on. My trusty service advisor told me that the technician "insurance working on it now and Ill call you when its done." At about 4:30, NCF called to inform me that the work was done and offered to send their shuttle to pick me up. When I told him yes, come and get me, Im at work downtown in the Arts District, they rescinded that offer and advised they are open until 7:00 PM. I got to NCF at about 6:30, and was swiftly and politely escorted to the cashiers desk where I reluctantly paid this $700 tab. The cashier handed me receipts and called for a valet to retrieve my car. After waiting 20 minutes for the guy to bring my car around, he reappears to retrieve a battery charger, saying that my car required a jump start. Fifteen minutes later, another valet finally brings my car to me. He advised me that when they attached the charger to my battery, they discovered one of the battery leads was kinda loose and that I should go tighten it right away. Or I could bring it back to their shop and their mechanics could tighten it for a fee. Really, dude?!? I just spent over $800 with you guys getting a simple door lock cylinder replaced (BTW, the power lock that worked when I brought it in, does not work now) . Why doesnt that merit me the 30 seconds it would take for your guys (as a COURTESY ) to tighten that nut?!? Folks, North Central Ford does a disservice to the word "Service". If you have any other options, consider them strongly before choosing this place.

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Sylvia Bearden

I had to bring my Ford Edge in for a fuel tank service recall and the passenger airbag light that had been on for a few days. In the past, Ive been turned away because Ive come after work to get some things addressed and it didnt provide them with enough time. So, a family member dropped me off at work (the shuttle has taken entirely too long in the past) and brought my vehicle in at 8:30A. By the end of my work day there was no communication with myself, or the person that dropped the vehicle off, regarding the vehicle being ready for pick-up. Around 4:30PM we had to call and follow-up, be put on hold, to only find out the vehicle was ready. This made for a long day after picking up the vehicle and then getting picked up. My main concern was the amount of money I was charged for the diagnostic after finding out a chord came undone under the passenger seat and "just needed to be plugged in," according to the advisor. I was charged a full hour of labor ($125), as well as about $20 in shop fees for a "repair" that didnt exist. I was shocked and this seemed ridiculous! The service advisor wasnt there at pick-up to discuss and close out the sale. Although this wasnt the most amount of money I had spent at NCF, I was a little disappointed and didnt feel valued as a loyal customer and/or like any sort of courtesy or reevaluation of the charges was considered. Ive owned my vehicle for 5 years, purchased it used from this dealership, and have only come here to get it serviced. I trust NCF with my vehicle, but have considered going elsewhere to due to higher prices on some services, long wait times, inconsistent customer service and communication. Customer service, loyalty and satisfaction are tenets they desire to uphold, but that doesnt always seem to be the case. I spoke with the service manager the next morning and felt somewhat listened to as I shared my experience and concerns. Supposedly, there was nothing that could be done about the shop fees that were charged and he shared their perspective on the services provided. I received a coupon for an oil-change and tire rotation at no charge on my next visit, which I appreciated! However, in giving this solution, he made mention of the fact that I hadnt paid for an oil-change for the last two years, which I dont believe to be true and/or due to the rewards I received from costly service I had done there, and quite frankly seemed entirely irrelevant. I appreciated the solution, however, Im still grappling with the inconsistent experiences Ive had here over the years and leads to my 3.5 rating. The build up of experiences has left a bad taste in my mouth, but I hope to be reminded of why I trust them when I redeem my oil charge in the future.

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David C

My experience with North Central Ford was completely different right from the start from any other new-car buying experience Ive ever had. In summary, my experience was very relaxed and enjoyable with no pressure, no haggling, no cheesy sales talk, and no hard sale tactics from the salesperson, the sales manager, or the finance manager. I would absolutely recommend North Central Ford to friends and family or anyone interested in purchasing a Ford vehicle. When I walked in the door, I was greeted, and I told the salesperson that I wanted a test drive. During the test drive, the salesperson didnt say a word unless answering a question I asked, and I cant tell you how much I appreciated that! Normally, a salesperson will be yammering on the whole time telling you about features, trying to sell you the car, and/or asking your opinion about this and that; when I test drive a car, I just want to listen to the car and experience the drive without any distractions, and the salesperson let me do exactly that without me even having to ask. Id done my homework on pricing before I got to the dealership, so I was also pleasantly surprised when they provided me with their Sonic price up front without any haggling. It was even lower than the special "Ford Partner X-plan" discounted pricing I get through my employer, and I could tell it was a very competitive price; I didnt even counter because I thought it was such a fair price. I didnt purchase that day because I wanted to check if a friend wanted to buy my potential trade-in from me. I briefly met with the sales manager who immediately understood my reason, and there was no pressure or additional sales tactics to keep me from walking out the door. I did call back later that day to say that I wanted to purchase the vehicle we discussed mainly because of my experience at the dealership so far. During the paperwork process, some dealer add-ons were presented to me by the salesperson. In this case, none of them appealed to me, so I declined, but there was no pressure or attempt to talk me into them. Likewise, during the final signing process with the finance manager presented extended warranties and other protection options, but there was no hard sale tactics like Ive experienced at other dealerships. He made some recommendations based on my inputs, but he accepted my decision cheerfully without any additional pressure.