CONTACTS 
0201 - Lithia Ford                                                                                                                                                        O-00000826 0314
020101 - Mr. George Gregory Gan                                                                                                                                           O-00000826 0314
020102 - Service Lane Advisor
020104 - Service Department

SUBJECTS
Lube Oil Filter Change
Windshield Wiper Blades Replace
Multi Point Inspection
Alignment Check for Inner Tire Wear

0706 -
0706 -    ..
0707 - Summary/Objective
0708 -
070801 - Follow up ref SDS 2 0000, ref SDS 1 0000.
070802 -
070803 - Took the car in for service.  Initial estimate is $170, ref SDS 0
070804 - QA6T, including $90 for alignment to avoid additional excessive tire
070805 - wear. ref SDS 0 QH66  Called in the afternoon to verify that Lithia
070806 - will rotate the tires. ref SDS 0 QA54  Tom said this was not included
070807 - and would be an additional $20, ref SDS 0 QA79, which increases the
070808 - original estimate of $170 up to $190.  Was transferred to the service
070809 - manager, and left a message. ref SDS 0 5M5I  The service manager
070810 - called back, and upon discussion agreed to eliminate the $20 charge
070811 - for the Quality Care report (multi-point inspection), and to include
070812 - the cost of rotating the tires in the original $90 estimate for
070813 - "alignment." This should make the total estimate $150, rather than
070814 - $190. ref SDS 0 QB3S
070815 -
070816 -
070817 -
070818 -
070819 -
070821 -  ..
0709 -
0710 -
0711 - Progress
0712 -
071201 - Talked to George Gregory Gan, who goes by "Greg" Gan.
071202 -
071203 - Greg prepared work order....
071204 -
071205 -                     394465
071207 -  ..
071208 - The initial scope was for....
071209 -
071210 -    #A LOF  0.30  CFX  Lube, Oil & Filter Change
071211 -
071212 -        Cost......................................$30
071214 -  ..
071215 - We reviewed the invoice for the prior work on 031212.  Greg did not
071216 - have the invoice handy, so we worked from the customer copy, which was
071217 - received on 031212. ref SDS 2 3E76
071219 -  ..
071220 - Greg noticed that the attached multi-point inspection form that has
071221 - the title....
071222 -
071223 -                     Quality Care
071224 -
071225 - ...shows in comments....
071226 -
071227 -        a.  Suggest wiper blades
071228 -
071229 - ...as a result, Greg checked the wiper blades.  He showed where the
071230 - wiper blade on the passenger side in particular appears worn, and so
071231 - recommended that the prior suggestion be followed during this visit
071232 - to replace the wiper blades.  This was agreed and the scope was
071233 - increased....
071234 -
071235 -    #B S10  0.00  CFX  Replace Wiper Blades
071236 -
071237 -        Cost......................................$10
071238 -
071240 -  ..
071241 - Greg said it is a good thing that the mechanic applied the Quality
071242 - Care report correctly and provided comments to ensure the quality of
071243 - the work performed by Lithia.  He noted, however, that Lithia has
071244 - suffered lower revenues since our last visit, and as a result, they
071245 - have cut the staff and also increased costs to the customer.  One part
071246 - of charging the customer more money is that now the Quality Care
071247 - report costs additional $20.   Greg asked if we want Lithia to
071248 - perform the quality care inspection and perform Ford's requirements
071249 - for quality maintenance.  He said this now an extra $20.  This was
071250 - agreed, and the scope was increased...
071251 -
071252 -
071253 -    #C S10  0.00  CFX  Multi-point Inspection
071254 -                       Fill out Quality Care report
071256 -         ..
071257 -        Cost......................................$20
071258 -
071260 -  ..
071261 - Greg noticed additional comments in the Quality Care Report for the
071262 - work performed by Lithia on 031212...
071263 -
071264 -        b.  Both front tires (rotated to rear) wear showing, some
071265 -            inside edge wear, more so for the right front.
071267 -  ..
071268 - Greg feels this report should be followed up on the work today.  He
071269 - recommended doing alignment, in addition to rotating the tire, which
071270 - is a normal part of service.  Greg said that the alignment will
071271 - remove the tires to adequatley inspect the brake lining.  He explained
071272 - that trying to measure break lining by using an instrument and a small
071273 - port into the inner brake lining area, is often incorrect.  As a
071274 - result, Lithia will remove the tires to make an effective brake
071275 - inspection, and the cost is $90.  This was agreed, because alignment
071276 - avoids excessive tire wear, and can correct recent customer problems
071277 - running over a few curbs.
071278 -
071279 -    #D S10  0.00  CFX  Alignment Check for Inner Tire Wear
071280 -
071281 -        Cost......................................$90
071283 -  ..
071284 - Greg explained that he is an expert alignment mechanic.  He is
071285 - currently working as a customer advisor because of an injury incurred
071286 - on the job that currently prevents performing mechanic work.  Greg
071287 - advised that "alignment" entails a number of tasks that justify the
071288 - $90 charge.
071290 -         ..
071291 -        Total estimated cost..................................$170
071292 -
071294 -  ..
071295 - Greg took our name and local number to call in case additional
071296 - issues arise from performing the work.
071297 -
071298 -
071299 -
071301 -  ..
0714 -
0715 -
0716 - 1305
0717 -
071701 - Called Lithia Ford.
071702 -
071703 - Talked to Tom.
071705 -  ..
071706 - Asked for Greg.
071708 -  ..
071709 - Tom said that Tom is not available, and asked if he can help.
071711 -  ..
071712 - Tom looked up the work order for 394465.
071714 -  ..
071715 - We discussed Greg's explanation for the "alignment" work that says
071716 - to check for inner tier wear.
071718 -  ..
071719 - Tom advised that the current scope of the work order does not include
071720 - rotating the tires, which was included previously with the multi-point
071721 - inspection in filling out the Quality Care form, for the work
071722 - performed by Lithia on 031212. ref SDS 0 QH66
071724 -  ..
071725 - He feels that failure to rotate the tires will compound the problem
071726 - disclosed by the mechanic in the report for the work on 031212, per
071727 - above. ref SDS 0 QH66
071729 -  ..
071730 - Tom advised that rotate the tires will cost an additional $20.
071731 -
071732 -    #D S10  0.00  CFX  Rotate tires
071733 -
071734 -        Cost......................................$20
071736 -  ..
071737 - Tom was unsure why Lithia would tell the customer about irregular wear
071738 - that requires attention on alignment, and yet would not mention that
071739 - rotating the tires, which has been included with the cost of the
071740 - Multi-point inspection on prior visits, is something that should be
071741 - performed?
071743 -  ..
071744 - Tom suggested talking to the service manager for policy issues.  He
071745 - advised that Bill Merryman, who was previously the Assistant Manager,
071746 - and was helpful identifying additional service needed on prior visits,
071747 - is no longer with Lithia.
071749 -  ..
071750 - Tom transferred the call to Joe Morrello.
071752 -  ..
071753 - Left message for Joe to call on improving communication with the
071754 - customer, so that the scope of the work is clearly understoond in
071755 - relation to the requirements for quality care.
071756 -
071758 -  ..
0718 -
0719 -
0720 - 1351
0721 -
072101 - Joe Morello called back.
072102 -
072103 - Joe explained Lithia's policy to charge the customer $20 for the
072104 - Quality Care report only if Lithia recommends additional service, and
072105 - customers take the car to another vendor for the additional service.
072106 -
072107 -        Joe explained that Lithia has had bad luck with the Quality
072108 -        Care system, because they were recommending additional service
072109 -        needed, and customers were taking the car to other vendors.  As
072110 -        a result, Lithia needed payment for performing the service of
072111 -        identifying preventive maintenance work from doing the
072112 -        inspection.
072114 -  ..
072115 - Joe feels that since the customer is calling on Lithia to perform
072116 - extra work to fix the windowshield wipers and the do the alignment to
072117 - correct excessive tire wear, reported by Lithia for the prior service
072118 - on 031212, then the $20 should be waived on this service, under
072119 - Lithia's policy.
072121 -  ..
072122 - We discussed briefly, the need for customers to be notified promptly
072123 - when Lithia discovers additional work is needed, in order to avoid
072124 - compounding problems due to untimely maintenance where conditions
072125 - deviate from product specs, per Aristotle's rule, cited in NWO.
072126 - ref OF 10 JV3G
072128 -  ..
072129 - Joe, also, suggested that, under the record in this case, Lithia can
072130 - get the alignment done and rotate the tires for the initial $90
072131 - estimate, rather charge another $20 for rotating the tires.
072133 -  ..
072134 - We agreed that these adjustments reduce the original estimate from
072135 - $170 down to $150, rather that up to $190 for including tire rotation.
072137 -  ..
072138 - Joe will visit with the Lithia customer service staff and review
072139 - training requirements to improve communication with customers on scope
072140 - of service.
072142 -  ..
072143 - Commended Lithia and Greg Gan on good work today.
072144 -
072146 -  ..
0722 -
0723 -
0724 - 1522
0725 -
072501 - Greg called back.
072502 -
072503 - He advised that the mechanic reports finding the transmission fluid
072504 - shows discoloration that indicates contamination that requires the
072505 - transmission to be serviced by flushing out the existing fluid and
072506 - replacing with fresh transmission fluid.  Greg seemed to indicate the
072507 - cost for this additional work would be about $180.
072508 -
072509 -    Greg's telephone report was later cooborated by the Lithia invoice
072510 -    that lists task C which says in part...
072511 -
072512 -        Noticed transmission fluid darker than normal, recommend
072513 -        flush... customer declined transmission fluid.
072515 -     ..
072516 -    The Quality Care report also says...
072517 -
072518 -        Transmission fluid level - fluid darker than normal.
072520 -  ..
072521 - Greg said that a transmission service should last about 15K miles; he
072522 - feels that work to remedy the condition reported today, should not be
072523 - deferred until the 30K mile service.
072525 -  ..
072526 - We reviewed the record of prior service on 030801.  At that time, Dan
072527 - Merryman, the Assistant Service Manager, inspected the car and found
072528 - transmission fluid darker than normal, ref SDS 1 KN92, which is the
072529 - same language reported by Lithia today, per above. ref SDS 0 K96O  Dan
072530 - concluded on 030801 that the car had not received the standard 15K
072531 - mile service, ref SDS 1 6176, which includes a transmission service
072532 - that replaces the fluid, being proposed by Greg today.
072534 -  ..
072535 - The record on 030801 shows that Lithia performed the 15K mile service
072536 - in accordance with Dan's recommendations. ref SDS 1 KN50
072538 -  ..
072539 - Since the transmission was serviced at 21K miles, and since the
072540 - current mileage is about 27K miles, and further since transmission
072541 - service should last 15K miles, then since there has been only about 6K
072542 - miles since the last service and Lithia has noticed darker than normal
072543 - transmission fluid, only two conclusions are possible...
072544 -
072545 -        1.  Lithia did not perform the transmission service work, or
072546 -            alternatively, Lithia performed the work incorrectly, which
072547 -            was charged to the customer on 030801, or;
072549 -             ..
072550 -        2.  Ford transmission system is defective and should be
072551 -            replaced under warranty.
072553 -  ..
072554 - Greg disagreed.  He feels that customer bad driving habits could have
072555 - caused a 300% acceleration in the normal period for transmission
072556 - service to function correctly.  Greg cited driving up hills in San
072557 - Francisco as an example of a driving habit that could accelerate
072558 - discoloration in transmission fluid.
072559 -
072560 -    We need some documentation showing driving habits support Lithia's
072561 -    report today.
072563 -  ..
072564 - We decided to report the problem to Lithia management for further
072565 - review on why Lithia's work performed at 21K miles that should last
072566 - for 15K miles is suddenly, today, after only 6K miles turning out to
072567 - be defective.
072568 -
072569 -       [On 041027 Future Ford service department checking records to
072570 -       verify condition of transmission fluid; was this changed on the
072571 -       prior 30K mile service? ref SDS 3 513W
072573 -  ..
072574 - Greg reported another problem...
072576 -  ..
072577 - He said that casters have been found to be excessively worn, and this
072578 - could cause driveability problems.
072580 -  ..
072581 - Asked about "casters."
072583 -  ..
072584 - Greg explained casters seem to be related to wheels and impact
072585 - stability of the car primarily related to the crown of a banked road.
072587 -  ..
072588 - Greg said the casters are still within Ford specifications, but the
072589 - mechanic noticed a slight drag when rode testing the car.  He, also,
072590 - reported the mechanic found evidence of slight damage to the
072591 - undercarriage of the car, indicating someone drove over an obstacle,
072592 - like a curb or something.
072593 -
072594 -     [On 041027 Lisa at Future Ford investigating casters. ref SDS 3
072595 -     BX4I
072597 -  ..
072598 - These findings align with recent history, when Bob drove us through
072599 - the wine country South of San Louis Obispo in Santa Barbara county.
072600 - Bob got distracted at some point and drove over a curb.  As well,
072601 - Millie recently drove over a curb leaving the complex here at St.
072602 - Mathew Place, although in that case it was a rear tire, and so may not
072603 - impacted the front of the car.  There have been a couple of occassios
072604 - when Millie has drove over a parking stall barriar, and we have heard
072605 - some slight scraping consistent with Greg's report today.
072607 -  ..
072608 - Greg explained that if the casters cannot be repaired in place, it may
072609 - be necessary to drill a hole through a plate in order to access
072610 - something.
072612 -  ..
072613 - Greg will report these findings in the record of the work today, and
072614 - we will monitor the situation for an impact on driveablity, which Greg
072615 - says is the issue.  If the problem gets worse enough so that we notice
072616 - an impact on driving, then corrective work can be performed with the
072617 - 3K mile service.
072618 -
072619 -
072620 -
072621 -
072622 -
072623 -
0727 -