Please help me - I'm being lied to!

[kellyn1201]

Hi everyone,

I purchased a 2002 Ford Mondeo (no Ford jokes please!) with 41500 on the clock for £6995 at the end of May. I bought it on the condition that a major service was done before I collected it - agreed with the salesman and now have the stamp in my book.

The car suddenly started knocking through the steering wheel, so I popped into my local garage, they had it over the pit and he confirmed he could feel the knocking but without taking it all apart he couldn't diagnose the problem. He then looked at the power steering fluid and it was grey. He said to take it back to the garage I bought it from and get it fixed under warranty.

I took it in yesterday, and have just had a phonecall from their service manager telling me that there is nothing wrong with the car and power steering fluid will be grey after 45k. I asked him why the fluid wasn't changed at the 'major service' and he said "it wasn't a major service, we never do major services." After arguing with me for a while I said I was reporting them to Trading Standards for falsifying my service book. Suddenly, he remembered doing the 'major service' and remembered they had used Ford parts.

According to this patronising eejit Ford power steering fluid is grey, so that's why mine was grey :o . I may be a woman but I am not stupid. Grr . Anyway, I have spoken to a Ford garage since, who have categorically stated power steering fluid would only ever be red or shades thereof. If they had used Ford fluid it would be a deep red.

If you are still awake my queries are:

1. I don't think a major service was done. Is there any way of checking this? What can I do if the service wasn't done?

2. I am sure (and so are my local garage) that grey fluid would indicate something within the steering rack breaking up. The Ford garage I spoke to confirmed this as well.

3. If all of the above what am I entitled to? If I have to pay out to get the steering checked, and the service checked and my car is off the road all this time because of them lying, am I entitled to a hire car from them?

If anyone has made it this far, I'd be grateful for any suggestions (but not "next time buy German or Japanese" as my Dad keeps telling me!!)

[LancerQRL]

power steering fluid is not changed at any service interval, only topped up if required. a major service should usually be carried out at 37.5k, so maybe you have had an extra one as well.
as the service was carried out some five months ago then this would give plenty of time for a component to fail.
it would probably be best to get a better idea of the fault and go from there
btw- your mondeo is probably german built anyway

[Lula]

LOL I cant offer any advice re this, but I thought that Ford was owned by Mazda now? or at the very least they have Mazda engines in them which is the only reason I would consider buying one

[patdavies]

Originally Posted by Lula

LOL I cant offer any advice re this, but I thought that Ford was owned by Mazda now? or at the very least they have Mazda engines in them which is the only reason I would consider buying one

Other way round. Ford own one third of Mazda

[kellyn1201]

LancerQRL - didn't explain very well about the service - it had 41500 on the clock and had only had two services, at 17326 and 26198 according to the book, both annual standard. That's why I insisted on it having a major service before I bought it.

So if I have to pay another garage to tell me what's wrong with it can I make them pay for that? It seems so unfair that they can deny there is a fault when there so blatantly is.

[bmw trucks]

Hi Kellyn1201, My advice to you would be put in writing to them stating what you beleave to be wrong with the car and if they are not prepared to rectify then you will be going to Trd Stds under the design & Construct and fit for purpose headings giving them 14 Days to respond.

It do's work. good luck

[LancerQRL]

many mazda parts have a part number on that can be convereted to a ford 'finis' code
unfortunatley there can be huge differences in price between ford and mazda parts even though they are the same
the same goes for some jaguar parts also