[Snoops]

Well so far my B-Max has been back into dealer 5 times not had it 6 months yet only done 1,734 miles. Main faults Juddering / noise they know what it is they have had several and 3 more to come in to have a modified clutch pack changed. But my biggest problem is LOSS OF POWER, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. Ford have authorised the repair but they have decided to change the GEARBOX, they recon this will NOT make any difference to power etc, as that is the way these cars are. Looks like I maybe changing my car before the year is up.

 

[JOHNWALES]

Which model is it snoops please

 

[Snoops]

B-Max Zetec auto 1596cc petrol

 

[princess max]

Well so far my B-Max has been back into dealer 5 times not had it 6 months yet only done 1,734 miles. Main faults Juddering / noise they know what it is they have had several and 3 more to come in to have a modified clutch pack changed. But my biggest problem is LOSS OF POWER, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. Ford have authorised the repair but they have decided to change the GEARBOX, they recon this will NOT make any difference to power etc, as that is the way these cars are. Looks like I maybe changing my car before the year is up.

Hi Snoops. My B-Max went back in December. I have never had such an unreliable car in my life. The car was prone to static build up, door chimes continually activating, terrible getting in to reverse gear, continuous auto headlights (never going off in daylight) and the cruncher was the "engine malfunction" notice appearing and the car dropping in to limp mode. I'd had enough after 11 months and changed to a Focus. So far so good. The B-max is still sat outside in the dealer's storage area as they can't sell it until everything is rectified.

 

[Snoops]

Hi Princess Max according to my dealer they have had a couple of B-max & Fiesta inwiththe problems I am getting (not the loss of power) but the juddering and have another couple of B-Max and Fiesta waiting to come in they are having a modified clutch pack fitted but they are putting a new gear box in mine. I will only try it for a week or so then I will decide what to do. I have had it nearly 6 months and still cannot get the seat adjusted properly, yet when I had a focus as a courtesy car no problems, I did not get out a nervous wreck after driving that because I knew I had the power to get up hills, overtake, pull out etc.

 

[philnicandamy]

i'm STILL having the loss of power issues along with ENGINE SERVICE NOW messages after the car's been returned from being off the road after an RTA

Peoples ford liverpool had it for a few days couldnt replicate the messages despite me showing them photo's i'd taken along with some video on the m62 when the car suddenly went from 60mph to 30mph for no reason

fords answer to why its doing this? perhaps it's because the car has been off the road a few months and the battery removed so the EMU is apparently learning again

didnt realise a bamax was a sentient being now.....

 

[Snoops]

Hi philnicandamy, I am afraid to say that I am a nervous wreck driving this car, I have been driving since 1968, ex ambulance driver, held 16 seater mini bus driving licence for many years, and this is the only car I feel nervous about driving. It is not know if it will get up a hill, if it will lose power pulling out / going round roundabouts.

 

[philnicandamy]

Hi philnicandamy, I am afraid to say that I am a nervous wreck driving this car, I have been driving since 1968, ex ambulance driver, held 16 seater mini bus driving licence for many years, and this is the only car I feel nervous about driving. It is not know if it will get up a hill, if it will lose power pulling out / going round roundabouts.

Hmm I know how your feeling....it's a shame really I did like the car now it's a VERY scary drive...took mum home after a visit last night & car went into limp mode AGAIN on the M62 from 70 to 30 mph...RAC couldnt understand what or why it did..advised me to call the dealership again on monday to book it in YET again

i've been the same..police pursuit trained driver for a few years till ill health retirement so usually will take a lot to shake me...this car is trying to kill me!!

 

[Bern]

Hi all.
I have a auto 1.6 and it's just started to occasionally sound like a bag of spanners have been left in the gearbox, usually occurs under gentle acceleration from standstill, only done 6000 miles ho hum

 

[Snoops]

Watch this space car in having new gearbox fitted as I speak. We shall see how it is when I get it back, but I have already been told by the mechanic that the new gearbox will not make any difference to loss of power that is how these cars are.

 

[Snoops]

Well picked my car up today new gearbox fitted, evidently they had 2 top bods from Fords down. Them 2 and the top mechanic took it out for a road test not sure if this was before or after gear box fitted. So far so good, seems to be running much better, mind you not tried it on a hill yet. Fingers crossed. Watch this space.

 

[JOHNWALES]

If Ford had sent down two 'top bods' to examine your car, I would have thought it would have been courteous if they had given you, the owner , the opportunity to discuss the vehicle with them. I have never yet had dealings with a garage that fully understand a complex mechanical problem, and talking to factory personnel could have been very advantageous

 

[Snoops]

Hi John yes I agree I would have like to have spoken to them, my friend has already started looking into new car owners rights. I'm hoping it won't come to that, and that all is ok, like I said at the moment it is running so much better, then again it did before for about a week.

 

[JOHNWALES]

It makes you wonder whether the Dealer was being truthful, perhaps they were just trying to impress you that Ford really attach great importance to your problems.

 

[hallii]

Just for info. I know someone who used to be one of those "men from the factory" who went to the dealers troubleshooting faults.

He told me that the biggest problem was that the technicians have often not followed procedure as laid down by the factory.

The problem is that they (the technician) may only see that particular fault some months or years after having the training.

Before you ask, it was Mercedes, yes, they have faults as well!

Geoff

 

[JOHNWALES]

How can you expect the technicians to follow the procedure laid down by the factory ???? When an aircraft has a problem, the first thing the pilots do is look up their little black book. NOw that really worries me !!!!

 

[hallii]

How can you expect the technicians to follow the procedure laid down by the factory ???? When an aircraft has a problem, the first thing the pilots do is look up their little black book. NOw that really worries me !!!!

That "little black book" is a massive multi pages manual, it can take a long time to go through the procedures in it.

When flying Harriers I frequently had to check in the manual to work out what was going on. I no longer fly them as the plastic steering bit on the consul broke off

Geoff

 

[Doors44]

Very good Geoff, very droll.

 

[Snoops]

Well what ever they have done, so far so good, frightened to speak too soon but at the moment, it is driving like a car not a bloody tank, it sounds like it is actually changing gear and is in the right gear, no horrible noises coming from the gear box, and I have power. Still not tried it on a hill yet.

 

[OmeJoyo]

Sounds all to familiar, I had a Fiesta Sport (Zetec) with the 1.6 after 2 years of endless visits, software updates and all kind of educated guessed, they revised the gearbox, unfortunately for me this only solved half of the problems. At this point we returned the car and bought a 1.25 titanium, which had partly similar problems, but after a recent software update everything is now finally great after a year. At the dealer we saw an awesome B-Max which we bought and will be getting next week.

I hope that your issues are now solved, so you can enjoy the great car a Ford normally is.