[Sarge]

Hi all, I have just bought a B-max on 17th May for the wife's cousin who wanted help to buy an automatic to replace her ageing 2005 Focus Ghia Automatic which had been a good workhorse. I did a short test drive and at the time seemed fine. Payment was made using a bank transfer to sellers bank account.

I don't know anything about the B-max's and when I saw it, I loved the design of the doors with no pillar and the size, well generally looks like a nice car.

This is a 2013 1.6 petrol model just out of warranty, has 24k miles on it. It has one of the disabled adapted flip up dual accelerator pedal fitted (anyone removed one of these?) and was previously owned by a disabled person. However, has developed a problem with the car, she says it judders this is a transmission problem and not engine and it feels like it slips. Today she said that there is now a light on dashboard and when I checked with hand book, it shows as Transmission


So I get her to come over and scan the car using a generic code scanner and nothing! no fault codes at all in engine or transmission. Now this is all very worrying as she is a single mother of four and needs a reliable car hence why she spent a lot of money on one of these.


Can you please advise as to what is going on with the transmission issues with these cars as I have started to have a look on internet and it seems that this is a big issue.


Also can I get the warranty extended being the third owner now, and how much is it with Ford?




The light had gone out when she started it up to come over and hence no fault codes, but I very much doubt this will be the last we see of it, I'm as worried as she is especially after I found and looked over the car for her.


Many thanks in advance

Edited by: Sarge

 

[number6]

If you scan the pages on here, you will find a lot of comments about clutch judder. My 64 reg 1.6 auto has gone through the various fixes and is now working fine.BUT you do have to keep insisting on the repairs. Push your local Ford dealer to chase Ford customer service.
The fixes are....
1. Software Update, which changes the timing of the gear changes to minimise the effect. When that fails.......
2. New Clutch pack, which replaces seals for ones which do not let fluid pass when hot. When that fails.......
3. New hardware in clutch/gearbox assembly.


In my experience, Ford will insist that the dealer goes through each stage before authorising the next repair. If you get any repairs, report back to dealer IMMEDIATELY you have any sign of a judder.
Ford should then increase clutch warranty to five years.
You must chase hard.

 

[Sarge]

Thank you for your reply. The car was first registered march 2013, therefore now out of warranty.
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Will Ford still honour the repair? How long do you think all this process take?
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Many Thanks

 

[Dan]

Does it have a full Ford dealer service history? If so you might have a very good chance (but a battle) for them to repair it.

Maybe look at 3rd party warranty providers too, some offer good deals and cover a lot more.

 

[Sarge]

To be honest I don't know, haven't bought a car for a very long time and probably should have done better checks. If it has any service at Ford then they must have it on their computers because the service book is completely blank. I thought 23k miles was nothing to worry about at the time.

I was under the impression all the owners with the gearbox issue are to be given an extended 5 year warranty no? Sorry I'm old and finding a little hard to filter through all this confusing info everywhere.


Thanks

 

[Sarge]

OK car has been in at fords since yesterday morning, they tried the software update, no go, now they have ordered new clutch pack and awaiting parts then will fit.

Is the new clutch pack possibly, or definitely going to fail? therefore lead us to the new gearbox?

 

[number6]

My experience was..1.
Software Update. Lasted 500 miles.
2.
Clutch Pack (just new seals made from a different compound.) Lasted 500 miles.
3.
Clutch Pack ( new hardware parts in clutch/gearbox AND software update)


2500 miles and it's fine. Off to North of Scotland next week. That should test it!


Maybe you should ask which clutch pack (2. or 3.) they are fitting.

 

[Ee-Oo]

I've had a clutch pack fitted a couple of weeks ago haven't had a chance to give it a long run yet but all ok at the moment. Will be really interested number6 how your gearbox gets on going to Scotland? Personally I have lost faith in the car which is a shame it does seem as though the bmax and fiesta powershift does have problems and what I don't understand is why other models with powershift don't??

 

[Sarge]

OK, got car back , i had washed it and cleaned it therefore it was mint when it went in to Ford. I collected it and it was filthy, front wheels were black and no silver was to be seen on them!! where had they been driving it? how did it become to have grass inside the wheel arch liners?
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Rear tyre (a goodyear with mint tread as brand new - as matching on other side) was flat they pumped it up, gave us keys and told that's it! not washing or cleaning even after 'they' had made car filthy, not something they do unless a car is in for a service according to them!
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Incomprehensible, fed up of it, took car and got around corner tyre flat! took it back told them this is their doing, as looking at the tyre it had what looked like a surgically clean cut on the side wall! had to leave car yet again for another day.

Following morning they called to say car ready. Looked at replacement tyre, it is an unknown budge tyre, I shouldn't but putting up with having this crappy tyre fitted by them, its as if they think we don't have eyes and can't see that the tyre fitted is sh*tty. Car washed in the cheapest way possible then returned.

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">I personally believe they took the car on a racing run, possibly off road to make it that dirty!
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Found scratches that weren't there before, what to do?
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Very shoddy service, very unpleasant attitude, no paperwork given whatsoever, just told head office will send paperwork as they are paying for the work.
<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Left to feel like Ford and their dealers just don't want to know their customers, great return customer confidence instilled by them isn't it?
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<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Car itself seems to be behaving at the moment but it's early days.

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">


<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Owner now has zero confidence in the car and I don't blame her!

<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">


<div style="line-height: 16.8px;">Personally I reckon its a shame as the car design has grown on me.




Edited by: Sarge

 

[jackkook]

Sorry to hear that Sgt, name them so everyone else will know not to go there.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

and write to Ford Customer services and complain - I would !

 

[Sarge]

Sorry to hear that Sgt, name them so everyone else will know not to go there







Usually I would love to do this, however I'm concerned that whilst we have this car and if this car needs further work with this gearbox under the extended warranty then this will affect the outcome.

Edited by: Sarge

 

[number6]

I've had a clutch pack fitted a couple of weeks ago haven't had a chance to give it a long run yet but all ok at the moment. Will be really interested number6 how your gearbox gets on going to Scotland? Personally I have lost faith in the car which is a shame it does seem as though the bmax and fiesta powershift does have problems and what I don't understand is why other models with powershift don't??

Back from Scotland to east Anglia. Car ran like a dream. Clutch/Gearbox was as smooth as a baby's whatsit!

Seems like Ford have cracked it, AT LAST!

 

[Sarge]

SO the saga continues, the car ran for a few months only to have same issue again a few months ago. This was resolved by me reading and erasing the the transmission fault code which appeared after a bodyshop garage disconnected the battery.

A week ago same issue as original appeared, fed up with it called 'Trust' Ford dealers and given a waiting time of over a month!!! for car to be even booked in just to be seen!


The 'Trust' Ford is, in my opinion 'very' misleading and it is a shambles. Ford know about all this and still keep quiet and the extended warranty runs out in March! then what will happen with the car as at this rate its guaranteed to go wrong again and this time be out of warranty?!


The original dealership that messed us around was Trust Ford, Billet road Walthamstow London E17

Edited by: Sarge

 

[desthemoaner]

As long as its under warranty you're within your rights to take it to a different Ford dealer.

All they have to do is check what work has been done so far and then move to the next stage. Mine's been to one dealer who did the software updates, and which seem to have made the problem slightly worse if anything, and its going to a different dealer next week, presumably for the clutch pack.

Hopefully the next dealer will keep it on the road.

 

[Sarge]

This is a different dealer, another 'Trust Ford' dealer (which I have learn't is just another name for Dagenham Motors) they are all at it, simply sit it out and wait till it suits them and not the customer.

Ford have 'REALLY' cocked up with this car/gearbox this time as well as the dealers that are their face to us all, and they must be losing customers by the coach load!
Its how they help/resolve the issues with their products and treat their customers, and so far they have made us feel that we are not worth anything at all.



Edited by: Sarge

 

[desthemoaner]

Just been browsing old posts on the Ford ST owners club forum. Someone posted back in 2010 as Andy Barratt, who was a Ford director at the time but is now the MD of Ford UK. The guy left his email address, which is [email protected], and it appears to have been verified at the time as genuine.


Chances are that he may be using the same email address despite his promotion, so try dropping Mr Barratt an email outlining the history of your problem and the bad experience that you've had with the Ford dealership--it might just bear fruit.

 

[Sarge]

I've lost all hope and right now have nothing to lose, I will fire off an email, thank you

 

[desthemoaner]

Hopefully someone is at least monitoring that inbox on his behalf, even if he doesn't read and respond to the emails himself. It took me about 15 minutes to find it in the ST forum, but there may be newer posts with more recent details elsewhere if it doesn't work.

Might even be worth joining the Ford Owners Club and asking on there.

 

[Skelly]

As an ex- Ford employee I can confirm that email addresses do not change when a person moves to a different position in the company. Chances are this email address is correct if it worked in the past.