Ok. so we got a brand new xB and we took delivery of it without any of the options we ordered because the dealer gave us this song-and-dance about how they've had too many cases where the financing falls through and they don't want to get stuck with customized cars that are harder to sell. Whatever.

So we make an appointment about a week after we bought it to have all the stuff we ordered put on. Bring it in about 8:30 in the morning, they've got the darn thing all day long and at about 3 in the afternoon they call and ask if they can keep it overnight. WTF, but what can I do?

So the next morning still no call from them, we call them to ask when it will be done and they say it is done. Ok, so we go in to pick it up, and "oops, its not quite ready yet but it will only be about another half-hour". So we wait in the dealership and they bring it around.

We start looking over all that they have done to it, and not only did they put on the wrong color sport pedals but the key is stuck in the ignition and won't come out. The service advisor has of course abandoned us by this point so we go back inside and say we can't get the key out to a different service advisor. He comes out to the car and can't get it out either. He goes and gets the service manager, who can't get it out either. The service manager arranges a loaner car for us and says it may be a couple hours. A couple hours later still no call from the them, so we call them and they say they need parts and will order them for us in a day or two.

Ok, so anyone else have this kind of thing happen with their ignition switch? And has anyone else gotten such shabby treatment from the service department? I can't help but think one of their techs broke the key or the switch somehow, and that was the cause of them taking so long in the first place.

With the key stuck in the ignition, of course there's no way to lock the doors. Free xB out there for anyone who knows where to look.

Argh.

What a disappointment this ownership experience has been so far.

 

Well dont feel bad. I replaced the ignition swtich in my Foucs 3 times in 55k!

It would be working fine, then out of the blue, would not turn! the locksmiths in my hometome run specials for focus owners!

yours is probably a fluke!

 

Yeah but I'm one time in 55 miles, not 55k. All I need is two more and I'm down to Focus quality!

 

yeah, your right. keep in mind that the average for any product made is a 2% product failure rate.

I guess your in the 2%!!

 

Wow, that is just horrible.

 

If I were you, I'd call the Scion Customer Experience number. They'll make it right for you........hopefully. (I forgot the number, Sorry.)

 

I have it. I haven't *quite* gotten to that point... and really, what are they going to do? Scold the dealership? What will that accomplish?

 

That stinks... you should say something if you feel unsatisfied.

I had to replace my focus ignition too, that car tried to kill me in a million ways, it did everything except shoot flaming darts out of the dash...

 

and where did you say the dealer was at? just playing man

 

I'll tell you whenever get the darn thing back. Apparently they are not even going to order a new ignition switch until monday morning. Probably be days after that before I can drive it again.

A mechanic friend of mine theorized that they grabbed the wrong key and jammed it in the ignition and that it is actually someone else's key stuck in my ignition.

The more I think about it the more I wonder what kind of idiots they've got working there.

 

Some of that stuff is just ridiculous. It takes literally 30 seconds to install those sport pedal covers, the least they could do is get the right ones on there.

 

I didn't read the original post, but I know ignition problems happen mainly due to all the extra weight people tend to put on there key chains with their car key's. It seems dumb, but it's the truth. I have a release for my car key and alarm that I use when I turn my car on. The weight and swinging around from the ignition cause malfunctions, failure, and even stuck key's. I could be wrong but then again

 

It was just a key with nothing attached to it at all. I took it off my key ring when I gave them the car to be serviced. And my key ring has only 4 keys on it anyway.

 

its happened before, the dealership i bought mine at the sales guy had just bought the demo model and a while later his key got stuck in ignition.

i think someone else one here has had the problem too

 

No, I think you are right. I have heard reports on both the Focus and Vette forums of ignition lockups like this... and yet I've never experienced one, but my key comes off my D-clip on my waist so there is no weight on it, and I don't usually lock the steering column so there is just no opportunity for it to really mess up. I'm sure it happens even w/o that, and I did have to jerk on the demos steering wheel a bit to get the key out once, but probably much much less common then.

 

Me and about 20 other focus owner that I know used NOTHING BUT HE KEY in the ignition- and look at all the problems!


NEVER BUY AMERICAN CARS! NEVER BUY FORD!

got to MyFordFocus.com

read about all of the ignition problems!! they are as common as Honda Elelments with craking winshields!

 

Same thing happened to me 4 times in my 97 Chevy Malibu, Had to have it towed to the dealer twice. Damn american cars suck.

Here are some true horror stories about the Malibu - I had most of them myself.

http://www.cartrackers.com/Forums/li...Lemon/214.html

Funny thing is I just recieved my first recall notice for the damn thing last week, a week after I traded it for my TC.

 

Update for anyone who cares... after still no call from the dealer for an estimated time that they would at least be done with it, we call the dealer and they say that they still havent even looked at it yet today. Ok, that was the last straw and I call Scion Customer Experience. They at least act like they care, which is more than I can say for the service department at the dealer.

A couple hours later the dealer calls (big surprise) and the car is "done". Never did get a call with an estimated time that it would be done. Got no explanation as to what the problem with the ignition switch was. Got no apology for any of the foul-ups.

There are still unresolved issues that I don't want to go into but at least we have the car back.

This whole thing has really killed my warm fuzzy towards this brand. I've had two serious screwups from two Scion purchases. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I see no reason to give Scion or even Toyota or Lexus for that matter a third chance.

 

Buy what you want, but your beef is with the dealer and the corporate people whipped the dealership into line. You said it yourself.

I think that the corporate types at scion understand that people are tired of being treated like dirt by their car dealers and as such are attempting to create a better buying experience.

Max2k//corporate *****.

 

exactly just go to a different dealer....that's what I did when I had an appointment for an oil change (told me it'll take 1 and half hrs over the phone) and got bumped to 5pm instead of 3pm and got out at 8pm...think they bumped me cause my oil change was free.