Ford Australia is looking to get back in the good books with local customers following years of transmission-related complaints, today announcing a new five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for all new models.
You might remember a couple of weeks ago Ford Australia was fined $10 million over how it dealt with customers relating to its notorious PowerShift transmission problems. A dedicated complaints hub was set up to help customers.
And now it looks like Ford Australia wants to show consumers it’s serious about after-sales care. The new five-year warranty plan applies to all new vehicles (including commercial vehicles) delivered from May 1, 2018, and it’s not a limited offer. This is now the permanent warranty plan.
At five years, it comes in as one of the more comprehensive warranty plans in the industry, following Kia and its seven-year plan, but joining the likes of Hyundai and Mitsubishi who also offer five years. Graeme Whickman, president and CEO of Ford of Australia, said:
“This is another step in our transformation plan. We’re transforming our dealerships, our products, our customer service and ownership experience, and today we’re introducing a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty to offer even more value for our customers.”
This will be especially good news for ute buyers, with the Ranger now covered by the five-year and unlimited-kilometre plan. No other ute on the market can match this, as even the Mitsubishi Triton is covered for five years but only 100,000km, whichever comes first.
Ford says there are no buyer type restrictions, and all Ford Genuine and Ford Licensed accessories fitted prior to delivery are covered by the new plan.
