Ford Experience HORRIBLE - Gold Certified truck been in shop for 2.5 weeks...

[voltron24]

I recently purchased a 22 Gold Certified Platinum Lightning and i love the truck. but when i got it, the GPS didnt work, it thought i was in NY and I'm in CA. Since GPS didnt work, I couldn't properly set home charging. And then bluecruise (which i do still have trial for) also didnt work. Additionally random things like seat cooling would activate on it's own, it wouldn't always ask me to stay in sport mode, it would randomly change the clock to 24HR mode...none of which were big things (besides GPS and Bluecruise).

So I spoke to the Fordpass people and they said to wait a week, since I had just gotten the vehicle that i probably just needed a software update. So I waited. Nothing. So I called again, and they ran something or another and said, well it looks like theres a TSB for your car - but we can't tell you what it is, just bring it to dealership. Ok...so i call dealership and explain everything and the guy is nice he says he cant find anything but does see theres the other recall so he's going to put it as that and when I come in I can explain everything.

so on 7/24 they told me that it was the ACM (audio control module) that was causing the issues and so they ordered the replacement part.
On 7/28 the ACM arrived and they began the swap out.
on 7/29 they told me that the programming with the new ACM wasn't taking and that they had to wait for a hotline tech response
On 7/30 they said they escalated to engineering
8/1 they installed a GPS antenna module (replaced the existing unit) and still same problem
8/1 they said additionally testing leads to the APIM module being bad and would need a replacement...but they have to wait for approval to get order the unit
8/4 it was approved
8/6 the part arrived and installed it and started programming. great news - the programming took! Bad news - now the screen doesnt display and they are verifying the part numbers/software with the hotline bling
8/7 engineering was supposed to release a software update to them

And today...still nothing. The truck itself, the drive, the room, the comfort all great. everything software related/tech wise? absolutely atrocious. I feel like I have gotten a lemon here...any thoughts or suggestions on how to get this escalated? I need this truck for work...

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[TaxmanHog]

Send a DM to @Ford Motor Company

 

[voltron24]

thank you.

 

[MaintGrl]

I recently purchased a 22 Gold Certified Platinum Lightning and i love the truck. but when i got it, the GPS didnt work, it thought i was in NY and I'm in CA. Since GPS didnt work, I couldn't properly set home charging. And then bluecruise (which i do still have trial for) also didnt work. Additionally random things like seat cooling would activate on it's own, it wouldn't always ask me to stay in sport mode, it would randomly change the clock to 24HR mode...none of which were big things (besides GPS and Bluecruise).

So I spoke to the Fordpass people and they said to wait a week, since I had just gotten the vehicle that i probably just needed a software update. So I waited. Nothing. So I called again, and they ran something or another and said, well it looks like theres a TSB for your car - but we can't tell you what it is, just bring it to dealership. Ok...so i call dealership and explain everything and the guy is nice he says he cant find anything but does see theres the other recall so he's going to put it as that and when I come in I can explain everything.

so on 7/24 they told me that it was the ACM (audio control module) that was causing the issues and so they ordered the replacement part.
On 7/28 the ACM arrived and they began the swap out.
on 7/29 they told me that the programming with the new ACM wasn't taking and that they had to wait for a hotline tech response
On 7/30 they said they escalated to engineering
8/1 they installed a GPS antenna module (replaced the existing unit) and still same problem
8/1 they said additionally testing leads to the APIM module being bad and would need a replacement...but they have to wait for approval to get order the unit
8/4 it was approved
8/6 the part arrived and installed it and started programming. great news - the programming took! Bad news - now the screen doesnt display and they are verifying the part numbers/software with the hotline bling
8/7 engineering was supposed to release a software update to them

And today...still nothing. The truck itself, the drive, the room, the comfort all great. everything software related/tech wise? absolutely atrocious. I feel like I have gotten a lemon here...any thoughts or suggestions on how to get this escalated? I need this truck for work...

Hum, so that is " Gold Certified "! Is that through Ford? or the Dealer? In any case, it should have been "drive, and, go", Not Drive and find all sorts of problems....

 

[Heliian]

Your gps system isn't working, they need to check the antenna and cable.

 

[Jesse-Infotainment]

Can you Message me your VIN. I want to look at it.

 

[tubby]

I would get prepared to realize you may need to be permanently return it. Hopefully you can find a deal on another one like it. You will also want to hope that once they figure out which part(s) it is, they will not be on backorder for XX weeks.

 

[voltron24]

i am sadly already preparing for that and frustrated ... I honestly will probably end up in something else altogether, because this whole entire experience has been horrendous. I can't believe it is this convoluted with no transparency at all. and its a real shame bc when I HAD the truck (I think I had it for 1.5 weeks out of the 2-3M that I've owned this vehicle...) it was great and did everything i wanted it to.

 

[voltron24]

Hum, so that is " Gold Certified "! Is that through Ford? or the Dealer? In any case, it should have been "drive, and, go", Not Drive and find all sorts of problems....

It was thru a Ford Dealership so I assume (and maybe incorrectly so) thru Ford.

 

[tubby]

i am sadly already preparing for that and frustrated ... I honestly will probably end up in something else altogether, because this whole entire experience has been horrendous. I can't believe it is this convoluted with no transparency at all. and its a real shame bc when I HAD the truck (I think I had it for 1.5 weeks out of the 2-3M that I've owned this vehicle...) it was great and did everything i wanted it to.

Well, with you saying that it did everything you wanted it to, that says a lot about your full satisfaction with the Lightning idea and that it actually works for you...many have come to realize that if it actually does work for you, especially with it's charging and distance limitations, there is no going back to ICE.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

i am sadly already preparing for that and frustrated ... I honestly will probably end up in something else altogether, because this whole entire experience has been horrendous. I can't believe it is this convoluted with no transparency at all. and its a real shame bc when I HAD the truck (I think I had it for 1.5 weeks out of the 2-3M that I've owned this vehicle...) it was great and did everything i wanted it to.

Confirming our engineering team is working on this in the background.

 

[MaintGrl]

Confirming our engineering team is working on this in the background.

Thank you @Ford Motor Company, I appreciate the notice...hopefully he has some resolution to his problem, soon.

 

[MaintGrl]

Confirming our engineering team is working on this in the background.

So, who stands behind "Gold Certified" certification? FMC or the Ford dealer?

 

[voltron24]

ive purchased plenty of used vehicles and never had this kind of experience. and even with all the other vehicles Ive owned from oldsmobile, VW, Toyota, Acura, Honda, Lexus, Tesla...my car has never been in the shop for this long with no clear path to resolution. Thats whats killing me...if its a software package, why is it taking multiple days to release unless they are doing custom builds PER vehicle which is even crazier...

And you're right there is no going back to ICE - but I will just have to compromise and get a diff EV brand. Maybe the Silverado EV or the smaller Rivian R1T, neither of which I thought were as comfortable and smooth as the lightning - but they do have more range and people that I know that have either havent had this type of experience. or I just get a non truck EV and deal with it. I dont know.

 

[voltron24]

Thank you @Ford Motor Company, I appreciate the notice...hopefully he has some resolution to his problem, soon.

Yes they told me this as well, but I have no idea what "working on it" means. Again, my understanding is they are waiting on a software package. and maybe I'm asking too much to ask what is being compiled, what is being changed in the software, why this isn't a commonly available package and what other things will this seemingly customized build do to my truck? Or I guess their truck since theyve had it longer than me and seems will be submitted for lemon law soon.

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