Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/29/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 4-11-25 I brought my ******************* for an issue with it accelerating properly above 60 mph. I was told after the mechanic did a thorough assessment everything looked fine with the transmission. They found that a rodent had chewed through the wiring harness. The repair was completed through my car insurance at walnut creek ford the following week. I started communication with ******** on 4-17-25 to get the vehicle back upon insurance payment. ***************** issued payment on 4-16-25. **** proceeded to tell me they had not received payment for the next week. Finally on 4-25-25 mercury was able to contact **** to give them information to find the payment so they would release my vehicle. **** called me and told me they had road tested the vehicle and it was ready to go. **** was delivering the vehicle to me on 4-25-25. The person driving my vehicle from **** reported now the vehicle would not go above 40 mph. Upon bringing it back into the shop, I got a call on Monday 4-28-25 letting me know that they have found metal debris in the transmission fluid and now the car needs a new transmission. I find this suspicious since their initial assessment found the transmission to be fine and the vehicle never left their shop between that assessment and this new problem.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2025

  Left customer a voicemail and provided personal cell phone number on April 29th, at 2:25 pm.  I have responded on two other occasions and am not sure what other information that I am able to provide at this time.  

  Please have consumer reach out to me personally at ************ to discuss further!

  Sincerely,

  ***** Campora 

  Group Manager 

  Walnut Creek Ford 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 23216227
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Walnut Creek Ford states, "He did not mention to us at this point that he had an aftermarket extended warranty."
  This is false. I informed Mr. ******* during intake that I had an extended warranty. Mr. ******* even replied that it "must be through a third party then," and discussed *********** of Concords reluctance to cooperate with Walnut Creek Ford due to customer poaching. Their denial of this conversation is concerning.
  
  Communication Delays
  Walnut Creek Ford notes they "asked me to call" regarding the diagnosis. However, instead of simply sending a text or leaving a voicemail with the diagnosis, they asked me to initiate the conversation. I replied that calling would be acceptable. At that point, given Mr. ******** communication style, I had reason to believe he might attempt to pressure me verbally rather than being transparent in writing.
  
  Warranty Confirmation
  Walnut Creek Ford states, "At this point ***** advised us that he had an extended warranty through *********** and asked us to reach out to them directly."
  Again, I had already disclosed my warranty at intake. When diagnosis began suggesting major issues, I reiterated the warranty's existence and asked Mr. ******* to confirm coverage. Rather than collaborating with *********** to expedite the warranty release, Mr. ******* adopted an adversarial posture that further delayed the repair process. Despite the warranty tie-back being released around 9:00 AM, I received no update from Walnut Creek Ford. I had to initiate follow-up myself later that afternoon to learn what had already been resolved hours earlier.
  
  Technical Miscommunication
  I specifically advised Mr. ******* of a prior factory cooling system repair and suggested a possible connection to the current failure. Mr. ******* incorrectly claimed the *** cooler was "separate" from the radiator system. I challenged this, pointing out that the same coolant flows through both. Mr. ******* admitted he was "not on the technical side" and arranged for technician ******* ****** to call me. Mr. ****** stated that if the cooling system had been compromised for a period of time, a cracked cylinder head was a more likely result than *** cooler failure, which is exactly what was later confirmed by *********** of Concord. Mr. ****** said he would put his professional opinion in writing however this was not included in the documentation provided. The detailed email I sent outlining the prior factory cooling system repair and its likely connection to the current failure was completely ignored, with no substantive response from Walnut Creek Ford.
  
  Inaccurate Cost Breakdown
  The dealership claims they sent me the following breakdown:
  
  Extended warranty coverage:
  Labor: $839.86
  Parts: $283.27
  Tax on parts only: $26.21
  Deductible: $100
  Total Payout: $1049.34
  *** only
  Labor: $839.86
  Parts: $542.41
  Tax: $50.17
  Total: $1432.44
  
  Spark Plugs only:
  Labor: $299.95
  Parts: $65.04
  Tax: $6.02
  Total: $371.01

  However, the breakdown I actually received from Mr. ******* while waiting in person was:
  Repair Cost: 
  Labor: $1139.81 (includes the diagnostic charge and spark plug replacement)
  Parts: $607.37
  Total: $1747.18 before tax

  Extended warranty coverage:
  Labor: $839.86
  Parts: $283.27
  Tax on parts only: $26.21
  Deductible: $100
  Total Payout: $1049.34
  Difference in cost out of pocket: $697.84 before tax

  This discrepancy is material. The spark plug labor ($299.95) and parts ($65.04) figures they cite were never provided to me. Furthermore, when I expressed concern about the $700 spark plug charge, I was not advised of a goodwill reduction offer at that time. This was offered only after I had made plans to transfer the vehicle due to mistrust.
  
  Walnut Creek Ford's handling of my case involved miscommunication, incorrect technical representations, material discrepancies in cost explanations, and an overall failure to deliver clear and timely service. Mr. ******** conduct was uncooperative and dismissive, failing to meet a reasonable standard of customer service expected during warranty-related repairs. I stand by my original request that Walnut Creek Ford's pricing practices, technical service handling, and customer communication be reviewed for fairness and professionalism.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

  lt breakdown situation. I am requesting that Walnut Creek Fords pricing practices, technical service handling, and customer communication be reviewed for fairness and professionalism.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2025

  see attached response

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2025

  We have provided a complete account of ******************** visit, and would be more than happy to discuss further.  We did not charge Mr. ******* for the diagnostic work performed for him, and was willing to provide a substantial discount to address his estimate concerns.  However, due to 3rd party billing concerns, Mr. ******* decided to take the vehicle back to where he purchased the vehicle.  I am available at ************ or ********************** to discuss further.  

  Sincerely,

  ***** *******

  Group Manager 

  Walnut Creek Ford 

  Stead Automotive Group