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My son has a Ford Focus that is just 4 years old and is still under (extended) warranty. About a month before Christmas when he was visiting us, I reckoned I could hear the telltale noise of a wheel bearing. He put it in for a service not long after and they confirmed the front passenger’s side bearing needed replacing. This was done just after New Year and last week he drove the vehicle down from Brisbane to the Gold Coast where we met him for lunch. He mentioned the vehicle now had another noise since the bearing had been replaced – I drove around the block with him and it was a much raspier sort of noise – more like something rubbing, and it would come and go.
He drove back to Brisbane then on Friday he was driving over the Story Bridge when his power steering went completely; the ABS light came on and stayed on and his speed showed zero even though he was still doing 60 or 80 or whatever the speed is there. The vehicle was also pulling to one side and he thought the brake on the passenger’s side wasn’t working at all. Fortunately, he made it to the dealer where he threw the keys on the counter and said he didn’t want it back until it was fixed.
Today they rang and said it was all fixed and to come and collect it. When he got there they were a bit cagey about what had gone wrong and he was only able to speak to the receptionist in the service department – I would have pushed harder to speak to the service manager. Anyway, all he could get out of her was the bearing had been replaced again. He asked why the electronics would have played up if it was just the bearing and she said "ahhh, if it separates it can - yeah - if there's no connection … it was still attached but …" – to which he replied “… you mean the bearing completely disintegrated?" She confirmed this was true and then was very clear that the shop foreman had inspected it this time and approved it clear to go.
I’m pretty sure they stuffed up the original bearing change. I don’t know what’s involved but looking at a video on the web for this vehicle it’s a bit like the Pajero in that the bearing is pressed into the knuckle and in the case of the Focus, held in by a circlip. I’m wondering if the circlip wasn’t installed or something and the bearing moved. It took three days to fix it this time and methinks they may have had to buy in extra parts that were damaged.
My question to you guys is … even though it was fixed under warranty, shouldn’t they give him something to let him know exactly what was done to his vehicle? I know they are not going to admit they stuffed up but surely an explanation is justified as to why a brand-new bearing that had done only about 100km. just disintegrated. It’s not beyond belief that the bearing collapsing could have happened at 110kph on the freeway and caused a major accident.
Geoff
He drove back to Brisbane then on Friday he was driving over the Story Bridge when his power steering went completely; the ABS light came on and stayed on and his speed showed zero even though he was still doing 60 or 80 or whatever the speed is there. The vehicle was also pulling to one side and he thought the brake on the passenger’s side wasn’t working at all. Fortunately, he made it to the dealer where he threw the keys on the counter and said he didn’t want it back until it was fixed.
Today they rang and said it was all fixed and to come and collect it. When he got there they were a bit cagey about what had gone wrong and he was only able to speak to the receptionist in the service department – I would have pushed harder to speak to the service manager. Anyway, all he could get out of her was the bearing had been replaced again. He asked why the electronics would have played up if it was just the bearing and she said "ahhh, if it separates it can - yeah - if there's no connection … it was still attached but …" – to which he replied “… you mean the bearing completely disintegrated?" She confirmed this was true and then was very clear that the shop foreman had inspected it this time and approved it clear to go.
I’m pretty sure they stuffed up the original bearing change. I don’t know what’s involved but looking at a video on the web for this vehicle it’s a bit like the Pajero in that the bearing is pressed into the knuckle and in the case of the Focus, held in by a circlip. I’m wondering if the circlip wasn’t installed or something and the bearing moved. It took three days to fix it this time and methinks they may have had to buy in extra parts that were damaged.
My question to you guys is … even though it was fixed under warranty, shouldn’t they give him something to let him know exactly what was done to his vehicle? I know they are not going to admit they stuffed up but surely an explanation is justified as to why a brand-new bearing that had done only about 100km. just disintegrated. It’s not beyond belief that the bearing collapsing could have happened at 110kph on the freeway and caused a major accident.
Geoff
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