NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Buying a car can be stressful. What kind of car is the best? Which one is most comfortable? What brand has good reviews? Does it fit in your budget? Are you paying too much? Is it in good condition?
Sydney Moore was in the market for an SUV recently and asked many of those questions before buying. Let’s be real, there’s a lot to consider before plopping down thousands and thousands of dollars. The SUV that Moore bought was nearly $30,000.
“Oh, I liked the car. I really did,” Moore said.
The Ford Explorer had all the features and add-ons that Moore needed, and the price was within his budget. It seemed like everything was working out fine until Moore noticed an annoying noise every time he was driving.
“I did not know where it was coming from,” Moore said.
The noise was somewhere between a whistle and a squeal. The sound was constant - it could be heard every time Moore hopped behind the wheel and started driving.
Moore took the SUV back to the dealership and a mechanic tried to fix the vehicle. It took about four days until the dealership called and said the SUV was repaired.
Moore picked up the SUV and headed home, thinking everything would be fine. Well, the noise was still there.
“On my way home, I recognized a similar or the same noise under my car,” Moore said.
Back to the shop the SUV went, and this time, the dealership replaced the transmission transfer case. The repairs still didn't work. The noise was still there. The local General Manager contacted the corporate office for a solution.
“I just wanted it fixed. I asked WFMY to step in to see what (you) could do on the issue,” Moore said.
Once Moore reached out, we contacted the dealership to better understand the issue. The General Manager explained the problem and outlined all it had tried to do.
The dealership made several fixes in hopes it would eliminate the noise. Unfortunately, nothing worked.
“The general manager was great, but I wanted the car fixed,” Moore said.
After a couple of weeks of inspections and conversations with Ford, the dealership decided it would grant our request on behalf of Moore and swap out the SUV for another one. Moore's new SUV comes with a few more features.
“This could not and would not take have taken place without WFMY,” Moore said.
The family just recently returned from a 10-day road trip. Moore said the SUV drove perfectly.