AutoNation

Mark Lee [protected] or [protected]@yahoo.com. retired US Army officer & disabled veteran. Left my 2007 Ford Mustang convertible off to AutoNation Ford In St. Petersburg, FL on 24 Jul to fixed convertible top - hydraulics not working to open of close convertible & USAA (insurance) informed me they were their list for possible insurance claim that did not span out, thus, I was on the hook for any money owed. Convertible was delivered to AutoNation Ford with top opened as could not closed the top. Emphasize to Ford representative, Howard Wilson, (727) 456-3937, that Mustang needs to be inside due to hot weather & daily rain showers the St. Petersburg area experiences 2-3 times daily this time of the year. Mr. Wilson said no problem makes common sense to keep it inside the shop until fixed. I went by the AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg shop everyday in the evening & noticed the Mustang outside during rainy weather with the top down, hood opened & trunk opened. In the preceding mornings, I called Mr. Wilson who referred me to the AutoNation Ford 'shop sub-lease', located in the same AutoNation Ford location, to inquire if the Mustang was inside. Mr. Wilson stated it was as far as he knew but referred me to the sub-lease mechanics. The Sub-lease mechanics never returned my calls nor were they responsive to Mr. Wilson inquires on the Mustang. Moreover, I went on 9 Aug at approx. 730 AM to pick up the Mustang. I paid $2226.60 for the repairs before I could receive the key or inspect the vehicle as AutoNation Ford would not drive the vehicle up until received payment. AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg refused to give me a 10% off the repair price for Veterans of $2226.60, partially understand this procedure. Again, I inquired about the Mustang being inside for the 2 weeks & was told it was, again. First off, I immediately noticed the Mustang was dripping wet as a rain shower just occurred before 730 AM. I noticed the interior of the Mustang wet & damp to include the carpet. Also, the vinyl door decorations were peeling off. Then, I tried to open & close the convertible top - it did not work properly. Next, I opened the trunk, it was completely wet, damp, and smelly of mold & mildew. In fact, everything I had in the trunk was wet & damaged or not working. Then, I opened the hood, the engine was in very cleaned when dropped off, but now looked like it has been rained on several times. I had Mr. Wilson standing right beside me the whole time. Once I started pointing out the discrepancies, he went to get one of the shop sub-lease mechanics who told me to pull the top shut to seat it properly - I never had to do that before. The shop sub-lease mechanic said if was not fixed properly & the Mustang was parked out outside, with he top down, the entire two weeks as spaced was needed to fixed other vehicles while waiting for the parts on the Mustang to come in. Mr. Wilson had the shop sub-lease supervisor look over the vehicle & told me he apologized for the condition I received it back in. I voiced my polite displeasure & frustration to Mr. Wilson who said several times he was sorry as he was left out of the loop. Nonetheless, I asked to speak to the person in charge - he was away from the office at this time, so Mr. Wilson had me speak to the second person in charge, Ethan Treadway, (727) 456-3784, Service Director, who admitted a grievous error was done & that was sorry on behalf of AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg. Mr. Treadway agreed to have the vinyl on the doors fixed by an outside company & have the vehicle cleaned & detailed inside. My concerns: in the St. Petersburg, FL area, once carpet is wet & damp over several days (2 weeks), mold & mildew will come about no matter the level of cleaning in maybe 2 weeks or 2 moths or 3 months, etc. time. After I have the vehicle off the lot & in my area, hence, I would be responsible. Not only but also, the entire carpet in the interior & trunk needs to be replaced & all the electronics need to be tested, though failures may come at anytime afterwards while the vehicle is in my possession & then I'm responsible. I want the entire carpet areas & electronics to be replaced. Mr. Treadway said this won't happen as cleaning is sufficient. I disagree based on the above. Then, I informed Mr. Treadway that Ford gives, to include AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg in my past visits, 10% Veterans discount - he said since it was sub-leased out to their sub-lease mechanics, I was not eligible for the discount after 32 years of service to our Nation. I believe I should receive 10% discount ($222.66), or, after all of this, have the entire bill written off AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg. Moreover, I believe the Mustang is beyond repair now & should be replaced. I am reaching out to the Ford Motor Company Headquarters for assistance. I have filed a complaint with USAA Insurance over the incident. I will be contacting the local sheriffs office for fraud as well. Also, as an attorney, I am waiting Ford HQs response before taking action.