[CliffMac]

I picked my Kuga up on 24th June and headed to Scotland on the Friday. While away I noticed a rattle from the rear when going over bumps but assumed it was a trim problem. On my return I called with my dealer. The service manager also thought it was a loose trim panel and booked it for the morning. When I went to collect it at lunchtime it was still in bits and they had discovered the rattle was coming from a double skinned structure in the rear quarter. They kept it overnight but weren't able to get to the site of the noise. I got the car back for the weekend and it was booked into the bodyshop a week later for 'up to a week' for their experts to investigate.

Three weeks later, my Kuga is still in the body shop and despite all their efforts (and some input from Ford Technical and Ford Customer Relationship Centre), it still has a rattle and I still have a courtesy Focus.

I have 2 questions from fellow forum members:

1. Has anyone else encountered a similar rattle and, if so, how has it been rectified?
2. Does anyone know how to get Ford to replace a vehicle that they can't fix?

Apart from this problem I love my Kuga and I just want it back!!

My personal opinion is that Ford have made a major mistake building it in Germany - all the surveys are showing that German build quality sicks now. If you want a relaible VW/Audi you have to buy Skoda or SEAT (at least according to Which's customer surveys) and Merc seem to be having a lot of problems with random cutting out.

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[cornish]

I have had two noises from the back, a squeak which was from the rear seats where they attach to the body - silicon spray sorted that one. The second is also as I go over bumps but I think this is my load liner rattling against the rear trim, added some velcro earlier and I think it has cured it. It would be interesting to see what they come up with on your car.


Mine has sqeaks from all the door trims as well as the little black panels next to the mirrors. I showed the dealer earlier this week and they want it in for a day to investigate, I have tried silicon spray, white vinegar as well as wasing the door shuts when I wash it - the squeaks go for a day.

 

[CliffMac]

Thanks for that. I'll keep you posted

 

[kenefc]

REJECTION.


Usually You need to do this within a 1000 miles or 30 Days.



You need to write to your dealer principle stating the car is unmurchandiasble as per the sales of goods act.



There are a few examples of these dotted around all over the internet.



This should encourage them to start the dialogue of "would you like a replacement" as i bet they wont be happy refunding cash.



Hope all goes well for you,

 

[CliffMac]

OK. Got the car back after 30 days (and less than a week after getting my dealer to fax Ford Executive to start rejecting it)!! They ended up removing the passenger side rear quarter window and dropping the rear of the head lining and adding an additional 2 spot welds. All trim replaced and the noise is gone. I am now negotiating with Ford to get some sort of recognition of the hassle I've had.

I have to say my dealer have been amazing in the efforts they have gone to on my behalf. on the other hand I have to say Ford Customer Relationship Centre have been of virtually no help. Lots of phone calls from tham - asking what the dealer have told me. They never once were able to tell me anything that the dealer hadn't already.

I think Ford need to sort their Customer Relations department so it does something to help the customer, I've owned only Fords for over 30 years and dealt with one dealer since they got the franchise in the mid 1980s. Never had a problem with my dealer but dealt with CRC twice and never got any real help from them.

Anyhow the main thing is I now have a quiet Kuga and am really enjoying it!!

 

[steve]

hi cliffmac im steve a new member, not quite sure if im doing this right but i will give it a go,
i have just picked up my new kuga and have done about 200 miles in it and have already had to return with it because of a rattle coming from the rear quarter panel on the nearside the technician wants the car for an unlimited time period as he says it could be very difficult to find he suggests to put up with it for awhile to see if it settles down on it own i am not a happy man, anyone that can advise as to how i can reject this car for a replacement would be greatly appreciated
look forward to any comments

 

[amser]

Dont think you can reject a car for a rattle? Might be wrong... wont be the 1st time!!!


Welcome to the forum and good luck anyway!

 

[CliffMac]

Hi Steve. My dealer reckoned that the problem was caused by 'spare' metal round spot welds on the main body of the car just outboard of the hatch hinge mounting. They dropped the headlining and removed the rear quarter window and added 2 additional spot welds. The service manager told me there were something like 5 layers of metal coming together at this opoint


I've had the car back for about 6 weeks now and all seems to be sorted.



If it's any help, you could suggest your dealer talk to Danny, the Lindsay Ford trouble shooter for N Ireland. It was fixed in their body shop in Lisburn. The number is 028 92 606240




Hope you get sorted reasonable quickly

 

[steve]

hi cliffmac thanks for the useful info i will be taking the details to polarford in barnsley and keeping my fingers crossed that they will use it to resolve the rattle,
its a shame about the noise, i think the car is great to drive and looks good, my last car was an x5 3.0 deisel so it has a lot of living up to do, but the kuga is equally as good so with your useful info i look forward to rattle free driving, i will keep you posted.
cheers steve.

 

[steve]

took the kuga to polarford and spoke to the service manager,
i was told that to reject a car was virtually impossible as basically i had to let them repair the car even if it needed major works, if they could not effect a satisfactory repair after three attempts then they would reconsider the outcome.
it would appear that once they have got your hard earned cash they are happy even if your not.
the car is booked into the body shop tomorrow for investigation,
i will post again the outcome.

 

[Essex_boy]

I wouldn't take there word for it, could be worth asking else where for advice.
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Also depends on how extensive the repairs turn out to be, we all would accept a few minor things if the car had to go back in. But for a car that has only done 200 miles to have to go in for major repairs, well if that's the case then it's a Lemon and I'm sure you do have some rights under this term with regards to replacement/refund.
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But I would find out what your rights are in case of the worse but also let them have look, as it could turn out to be something so trivial and all the worrying could be for nothing. Either way good luck.

Edited by: Essex_boy

 

[steve]

took the car to polarford in barnsley, got a call at 3pm to say they had just taken the car for a road test, they seemed to ignore the info i had given them courtesy of cliffmac, they have now had the car for two days and completly stripped the whole of the rear of trim, roof lining etc. etc. removed glass to rear nearside quarter panel and sprayed all the weld joints with some :magic spray: they now say it is improved the next step is to put it all back together and see if it is cured,surely this seems like major repairs on a brand new car,i think ford in all decency should at least offer a replacement car just for good customer satisfaction. has anyone got any comments on this subject or advice on what you would do. has ford not heard of blagger.com

 

[steve]

i took the car to polar in barnsley on the 9th oct, got the car back late last night, unfortunatly the rattle is still there although it is slightly better, polar had to remove the rear quarter glass to get to what they thought was the source of the rattle, now the rubber seal around the glass on the inside of the door shut has been cut with a knife and is hanging out,as you can imagine the new car i was looking forward to has had all my interest taken away, the salesman i dealt with just says we will get it right eventually. i dont feel this is good enough.
anybody got any input on what i should do and any legal advice would be greatly appreciated, looking forward to any suggestions

 

[Essex_boy]

I think best way forward is to get them to acknowledge that the problem is still there and let them have a second attempt at fixing it. See if you can push them too a third attempt and then you can quote them their own policy. But at the same time don't leave it to long
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I can understand how you feel as I would not be able to drive any car no matter how good or expensive it is with an annoying rattle as it would just send me mad listening to it every time you got in the car.

 

[CliffMac]

Hi Steve.It sounds really like the problem I had. They diagnosed to to around the rear quarter window and the area between there and the tail gate hinge mount. Before they took the windowout they tried some 'magic compounds' but none worked. The only thing that fixed it was adding 2 additional spot welds in these areas. Fortunately my dealer didn't mess up the seals - they brought a bonded window expert (like Autoglass) in to remove and reinstall the window and all the trim etc was put back perfectly.

It might be worth pointing them towards Lindsays again. If it is the same why should they waste your time re-inventing the wheel? Also I would insist they repoace the seal.

 

[bigtaz]

Hi all


I have had a rattle which sounds a bit like yours that has been very intermittent. However after sone serious diagnosis by my wife who sat in the back of the car while I raked around some bumpy roads it turned out to be the seatbelt 'clips' on the outside seats rattling against the plastic wheelarch trim, hmmmmmmmmmm. Now the kids (under pain of death) have to push the clip to the top of the seat before they get out, just bad design I think. Hope that you get yours sorted Steve, I use Lindsays as well in Ballymena and even though I bought the car in England they are excellent!!!

 

[CliffMac]

Hi Bigtaz. Different noise to what I had and I suspect what Steve ha. Mine was not intermittent and was 'heavier' than the seatbelt against the plastic rattle. I've had it too at times whten the bucke isn't on the seat

 

[steve]

i thought it about time i posted an update about kuga with the cracking noise similar to cliffmacs,polar in barnsley have now had the car for a second attempt & guess what they failed again, they managed to scratch the rear bumper this time, what with the damaged glass seal the time before, ford tecnicians are coming to have go next week i wonder what they will do to make a bad situation even worse, i have started the procedure of rejecting the car but my gut feeling is that they wont accept it, they will keep fobbing me off until i get fed up,i have also noticed grit under the paint near the filler cap, this car is a real lemon, ford are disgracful at keeping customers happy. i need some good advice as to my rights here because ford are taking the piss,i look forward to any comments as what to do next, iam not happy about the car having been apart more times than a meccano set and the worsening situation with the damage they are doing,anyone thinking of buying from polar in barnsley forget it

 

[Blaser]

There is a fix for the creaking/knocking noise from around the D-pillar. Just quote Etis technical service bulletin No. 79/2008.


This is the ford recommended action

 

[Palder]

I have had a very similar thing but the rattling noise was coming from the front pillar at the top of the windscreen just above the drivers head.


On the second time I tool it to the dealer,all of the roof lining was removed and the rattle located to the weld on the a pillar. Thankfully all now seems to be sorted.



However, having gotrid of that rattle, I have another in the central dash and squeeks from the rear seats.



Its not greatfor a new car is it? -I drove our4 year old Mazda 6 today and it does not make any noises whatsoever.