Ford

I have 3-2019 Ford F-450 trucks (used to pull hotshot trailers) in my business. On September 14th 2020, the transmission went out on one of the trucks in Jackson MS. I have the Ford Premium Maintenance plan and bumper to bumper warranty for all my trucks up to 150, 000 miles. This truck has 143, 000 miles.

We were able to limp it over to Grey Daniels Ford in Brandon MS. I was told 3-5 days to look at it. It took almost 1 month to get it into the shop. All the while being told that they were constantly moving jobs out of the way to get my truck into the shop due to it being a fleet truck (clearly that did not happen)! It then took over a week to get it onto the lift and remove the transmission, diagnose the issue and determine it was, in fact, the transmission. I was told they needed to do a cost cap analysis and that Ford would come look at it to determine the repair route. A week later Ford decided to repair the transmission instead of replacing it. They said it was a $3000 savings by doing this. Cool. It has the same warranty (1 year unlimited miles for either, I was told). After all was decided I was then told they had almost all the parts to get it done... Almost... They were missing a nut or bolt and the internal seal kit for the transmission...

Today is December 4th 2020 and my truck is still sitting in mississippi! There is no eta on parts and no estimate for repairs to be completed. We filed a complaint with ford and were told nothing could be done until the repair was completed.

This truck was 35% of my revenue. That driver was out of a truck and I had to pay him partial salary to sit home. Once back from my trips, I gave that driver my truck and I sat home idle. We are coming up on 90 days at the shop... Between monthly payments, loss of revenue, insurance costs, payroll, etc. I have lost almost $100, 000. I was unable to pay my insurance and it cancelled. I let my drivers go and parked the 2 other trucks and trailers. I worked a deal with the insurance to pay $5K and only have my truck and trailer insured and was back on the road after 10 days of nothing. I then had a $5600 insurance bill due in 9 days or it would cancel again. I borrowed $5K from a friend and paid it. Then I ran one trip for 9 days and parked the truck. My old driver bought my trailer and is trying to take over that truck for himself and I had to go get a job as a lease driver in trucking, delivering onions! My wife was forced to get a job after 12 years of working for my company in the office. This week my wife and I retained a lawyer and are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Had Ford agreed to replace the transmission, the truck would have been out of the shop 4 days after deciding that. Now, instead... I am ruined, bankrupt and, after over 14 years, working for someone else! This is a sad story with no positive outlook. When that truck is finally done I will have that finance company go to Mississippi and get it. My trailer is still in their lot with no way to get it back to Texas, and trying to sell that or give it back also.

I am looking into a lawsuit against Ford for allowing this truck, a fleet truck, to sit and try to save some money. There are no parts, there is no way to resolve this (according to Ford) until the truck is fixed and yet I am out the actual cash to make payments, lose everything and now be bankrupt.

I would like 3 months of payments ($1100 a month) returned to me. I would like the cost of that trucks insurance ($2300 a month) returned to me. I would like the lost payroll ($25000 combined) returned to me, and I would like to have Ford take that truck back and cure the debt associated with it.