6400 N. 51 Ave. | Glendale, AZ 85301
Sales: 1-800-729-3501 | Service: 1-800-595-4838 | Parts: 1-800-595-4839 | Map/Directions
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Originally I had a fantastic experience with Sanderson Ford, Mike Hess was the gentleman that took great care of me last november. This past time I took my truck there and the first initial day no work was done when I took a shuttle home. The next time I brought it up there they diagnosed the problem. Granted I wouldn’t have minded them fixing my car but based on the cost I wasn’t able to make a payment of that price. After the diagnosis they claimed that their were leaks coming from three different place. Well I only authorized them to fix the leak that was covered by warranty. Well after that was fixed I took my car to my personal mechanic I’ve been going to for years who showed me vividly that the leaks that were diagnosed did not exist. Maybe it was a precaution thing but I just was a little bit off put. Nevertheless the customer service is very good and everyone seems friendly. I must admit I had a better experience the first initial time. I’m just a little dissapointed.
Nov. 5-2011. It was 9:00 am I called with a problem getting all the trailer lights to work properly. They told me shop closes at 12:00 on Saturday bring it in. I was there by ten Mike talked with me for a couple min. and took the truck. In about an hour it was repaired I was on my way. I use their oil and lube with same truck it takes around one hr no problems. I’ll go back.
We own a 2002 Mercury Villager van that has been consistently serviced at Sanderson Lincoln Mercury (SLM) since purchased and, up until recently, have been satisfied with the work that has transpired over the years to maintain the vehicle. We have recently been in for service on a problem manifesting itself as a hard 1-2 transmission shift. This is not the first time that we have experienced this problem with the vehicle. In 2004 the van was brought to SLM for the same issue at which time the corrective action was to replace the main control solenoid package in the transmission under warranty. The vehicle was brought into SLM in 2008 a second time for the same hard shift problem while it was under the Ford Premium Extended Service Plan, but SLM failed to identify the problem during the evaluation drive and made NO recommendation for transmission fluid changes or further work.
The most recent hard shift re-occurrence (3rd time) was exacerbated by the fact that 2 of the motor mounts required replacement. Our first service call at SLM this past summer consisted of the replacement of 2 motor mounts and transmission service for new fluid and filter(s).
It is important to note that our service writer recommended only a partial transmission fluid replacement consisting of the fluid in the pan. We were told that this would be consistent with not wanting to disturb the fluid in the internal areas such as the torque converter in order to prevent any particles from further damage to the valves/solenoids. The repair ran $602 and the problem still existed after these repairs, minus some reduce harshness due to the renewed motor mounts.
The vehicle did present a CEL light which we had read at a chain auto parts supply store that provides the service. This same error code was read at SLM when we elected to have SLM look at it a second time (Code reading $126). The response from the code reading was that a replacement of the main control solenoid kit was again necessary (same as 2004) and that the parts ($1450) and labor ($591) estimate totaled $2,041. We were informed at this time that the solenoid kit was no longer available because it had exceeded 8 years and the part became obsolete.
During the ensuing days that the vehicle was being evaluated, we began an internet search for information on this issue with others who may have been more familiar with the problem. We eventually found a group on Yahoo’s”Group” pages that consisted of Mercury Villager/Nissan Quest owners who collectively had an immense amount of knowledge about the vehicle. Everyone on the pages agreed that it was quite unusual for the main solenoids to fail 2 times in the course of 8 years and stated that the transmission would have to have been neglected with regard to fluid changes and flushing. One particular group member was able to access our original warranty work done by SLM in 2004 by using our VIN number and found the information complete with your technician’s notes stating that debris particles were found in the system. This same group member offered up the fact that the part was more ubiquitous than what we had been led to believe
by SLM and that it could be found on the web in places such as e-bay. An additional group member recommended taking the vehicle to a Nissan dealership because of their higher level of experience with the drivetrain system being from Nissan and used in other vehicles manufactured by that automaker.
Our next visit to a service center was to ABC Nissan where the service manager immediately recognized the condition of the 1-2 hard shift and, when presented with the print out of the internet page from e-bay showing the part, stated that he could verify the part by cross-referencing the information on the page with his part number for replacement inventory. The service manager was amiable to a customer supplied part in order to maintain costs. The new part was expedited and dropped shipped to ABC
Nissan the next day and the vehicle was repaired for $552, including a total flush of the 10+ qts of transmission fluid + conditioner. The service also included a 100 point inspection and replacement of brake light bulbs.
The following comments/observations were made by the service manager at
ABC Nissan:
The repair technician at SLM had left off bolts/nuts internal to the transmission when the original repair was done in 2004.
It appeared that the fluid in the main assembly and the torque converter of the transmission had never been changed and was burnt despite the fact that it was repaired in 2004 and was supposed to be evaluated in 2008.
Several points of contention have arisen from our recent experience at SLM:
Poor quality workmanship in 2004 in the original repair by the fact that parts (bolts/nuts) were missing.
Lack of transmission fluid change in 2004 despite the fact that the technician documented the condition of the fluid and noted that particulates were present. Lack of transmission fluid change recommendation in 2008 when the problem presented itself the second time.
Failure by SLM to identify replacement part availability, coupled with the quote of 10X the final cost if SLM could have located the part.
The vehicle has be maintained by SLM for the last 8 years and at NO time was there a recommendation to service the fluid in the transmission made by either SLM “Express Lube” establishment or SLM service center. This is especially egregious considering that the transmission has required that the same part be changed 2 times and is a function of poor maintenance leading to debris/particulate ingress and ultimately failure.
During our original visit to SLM where the engine mounts were replaced and the transmission was only “partially” serviced, we were “unsold” additional services such as rear brake adjustment ($114). During the 100 point inspection by ABC Nissan, there was no indication that the rear brakes were out of adjustment. We drew special attention to SLM documented additional services to ABC Nissan for their comments on the
validity of the recommendations and found this one to be erroneous.
In summation, it is very likely that the failure by SLM to properly service the vehicle in the 2004 part replacement, combined with the continuing failure to not recommend transmission fluid change services for the next ensuing 6 years, led to a repeat of the problem and unnecessary additional expense. The vehicle was brought into SLM in 2008 a second time for the hard shift problem while it was under the Ford Premium Extended Service Plan but SLM failed to identify a problem and again made no recommendation for fluid changes. Unfortunately this issue was further confounded in 2010 by additional service costs by SLM that yielded little if any remediation of the problem but totaled a sum of approximately $378.
Partial Transmission Service $252
Code Error Reading $126
Total $378
Our problems were further aggravated in our dealing with SLM management in trying to rectify the problem. When data was presented that SLM failed to recommended service to the transmission, Ms Lombardo stated in a response letter to us that we were told on 2 occasions that transmissions service was required and provided 2 service dates (4/08, 9/08) in which we were allegedly told of the need for service. Unfortunately for SLM and Ms. Lombardo, our documentation shows no indication of a written recommendation for transmission service. When this fact was brought to Ms. Lombardo’s attention, she was able to generate a document outlining the service recommendation (4/08). This document turned out to be technician’s notes only and not part of the paperwork provided to us. We have asked for and received a copy of this document and can assure you that this was the first time we saw this information. On the other service date (std oil change, 9/08) provided by Ms. Lombardo, there is no indication of any written statement recommending transmission service on any of the received documentation. When these anomalies were brought to Ms. Lombardo after receiving her letter, her response was that we were told “verbally” at both of these times of the need for the transmission service.
We believe you will agree with us that a business such as SLM that does a meticulous job of documenting all service records, would not fail to capture a recommendation for service if the recommendation was actually made. We also believe that if the recommendation/work was performed, we could have avoided the second replacement of the main solenoid assembly and the subsequent costs of draining and replacing the transmission fluid twice. This could have all occurred while the vehicle was under the Ford Premium Extended Service Plan with little or no cost other than the standard deductable. The lack of service in 2008 resulted in over $1,680 in repair costs when completed in 2010.
In summation, there is a certain level of expectation by customers that are paying high labor costs to have their vehicles serviced. Customers that use the manufactures service