Reviewed : 12/14/2020
Comment : Update (as of 09/17):
Gina was able to reach out to me today, and I finally felt that my concerns were finally addressed. When she first called me and identified herself from RSM Ford, I have to admit that I was initially annoyed and defensive during our conversation.
However, during that call she allowed me to gain her trust and I was able to express my experiences (the 3 visits so far). I felt that she understood my concerns and she's an excellent active listener.
I mentioned that I have nothing personal against the Service Advisor who (tried to) assisted me, however the customer experience I went through can be greatly improved.
At first, I decided to go have my SUV serviced at RSM Ford due to the convenience factor; it's nice to know that if I wanted to make an appointment, it can literally be done same day (which is kind of unheard of when it comes to other dealerships)!
After talking with Gina to finally air things out, I now do not think discrimination took place; it was just a misunderstanding with the Service Advisor who unknowingly didn't know how to de-escalate situations.
Gina has restored my faith in this dealership, and I may give them another chance during my next service visit. If this momentum continues, I may seriously consider SM Ford for my next vehicle purchase (hopefully the new Bronco within the next 2 years).
Because of Gina, I'm updating their rating from 1 to 4 stars.
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Review is for the Service Department...
A few months ago, I recently leased a 2020 Explorer ST from another Ford dealership. I currently live in Lake Forest, and the dealership I leased it from is in Orange (closed to where I used to live).
Since Santa Margarita Ford is my nearest dealership, I decided to take my SUV over here since it seems they're not busy (just calling in for an appointment, I can drop it off whenever).
I visited this dealership 3 times:
1st - Had a hyperblinking issue on the left turn signal that bothered me ($60k for a brand new car having this issue, and wanted to get it corrected). Please note this issue was not resolved by SM Ford, and that I had to have my originating dealer resolve it for me (even though SM Ford knew of the problem, but didn't want to help me since they're stating that it may not be covered under warranty).
2nd - Reverse camera intermittently is non-functional (displays blue screen). Please note that this issue is not currently resolved, but SM Ford technically ignored the problem and told me to wait for recall notice. I got my originating dealership involved, and they are ordering me a new reverse camera.
3rd - Broken seat panel caused by my second visit to SM Ford. During that visit, I noticed upon picking up my car that the power driver seat panel was slightly hanging. I briefly dismissed the issue because I thought the mechanic had to go under the seat (for reasons unknown) and forgot to clip the cover back on. Flash forward a week later when I cleaned my card, and discovered that a plastic clip was actually broken. Mentioned it to my Service Advisor and he misled me regarding the timeline (initially said the part will come in later that week, but upon my follow-up call today he's now stating the end of this month).
My overall experience at Santa Margarita Ford has been very negative, including the broken seat panel issue. I'm writing this review because I just got off the phone with SM Ford's Service Advisor (please note that I had to call because he hasn't been following up with me), and he now states that the part in question is on backorder and they should expect an update by the end of the month. Very non-confident on his part. By that point, I expressed my frustration to him, and even called him out on excuses he's been stringing me along to.
I just gave up at this point, and called my advisor at the Orange dealership regarding the broken seat issue that SM Ford caused, and he told me to bring it in and will take care of it for me...