I recently took my 2021 Explorer to a Ford dealership because the check engine light came on, saying the engine was running lean. It’s been over two weeks, and I’ve had limited communication with the dealership. Today, the technician suggested taking my car to his house overnight, which is 75 miles away (150 miles round trip). Is it normal for service departments to do this?
Any ideas??
I’m not an expert, but I’m naturally skeptical. I’d recommend picking up your car and getting a second opinion from an independent mechanic.
My main question is: Why would the car need to be driven to someone’s house to figure out a check engine light issue??? well i do understand that the car might need to be driven a bit to diagnose the problem, but it seems odd that it would need to be taken home as if the dealership doesn’t have the tools and resources to handle it.
They did mentioned something about the catalytic converter, but nothing has been replaced. After clearing the check engine light, they’ve run tests and driven the car for about 60 miles or so.
Personally, I’ve had technicians drive customers’ cars home before, but only if the customer agreed. This can be useful for a couple of reasons. First, it lets the car’s computer run through its checks during the drive, so if any new issues come up, they can be found before the car is returned to the customer. It also helps verify repairs or catch problems that are hard to reproduce; driving the car more might make it easier to figure out what’s wrong. Usually, only experienced technicians or the shop foreman do this.
Doesn’t sound normal at all. If you’re near a city with around 25k people, try another Ford dealer or find an independent mechanic. Any certified technician should have the tools and skills to diagnose the problem within an hour of work.
This sounds really really fishy.