Complaint Review: Good Value Cars Inc - Norristown PA

So every 3 weeks.  No matter what you do, every 3 weeks.  2 possible issues here:

1.  The battery you put in when you did the replacement is bad.  It happens, new batteries are bad all the time.  If you just keep recharging it then most likely this is the issue.  

2.  What in that car has a timer on it?  A clock that could be counting down?  Remove the radio and I bet you the battery will not die at the 3 week interval.  Where you go from there is up to you.  

 Can't find the problem??? That's ridiculous. This is basic simple electricity. You place an ammeter in series with the positive battery cable, read the current draw with the car OFF. If its high, then you start unplugging fuses and circuit breakers one-by-one to see WHAT REDUCES THE CURRENT DRAW. This isn't rocket science. What I have found is alleged "mechanics" at dealers are nothing more than parts changers and at the independent level, far too many mechanics do not know basic electricity. You may very well be CORRECT regarding fraud at the dealership level, after all, the Sleazy American Car Business earned its reputation! I would absolutely love to get at that car! "They can't find the problem" means they have not looked far enough or they do not know what they are doing,. Again, this is simple, basic electricity. Something is causing a higher than normal current draw (assuming the battery has been tested to hold a charge and the charging circuit is working.) One does not just disconnect this and disconnect that "and maybe we'll be lucky to find it." You use an ammeter as I stated above and you check it like I said, by pulling fuses and circuit breakers one-by-one and seeing what effect breaking that fused circuit has upon the current draw. That part is EASY but time consuming however, that is how you find where the draw is coming from. .

Thanks for the comments.

The vehicle has been tested up, down and sideways.  The probelm comes and goes without any indication.  Rest asssured, every electrical test mentioned has been conducted.

The electric power steering failed earlier this week.  This is a known problem for 2008-2012 Ford Escape and other Ford models.  And the AC failed too.  

Car has low mileage, a one owner car with a good CARFAX report.  Just don't understand why several mecahincs cannot find the solution.  Experiencing alll these issues indicates to me that someone hid this issue.  It's a used car.  You always have an issue or two - but this is a really embedded problem that just didn't happen the day we purchased it.

This is a really unusual probelm and I agree - someone needs to step up and fix it (a good mechanic).

We'll see of the electric power steering tourque sensor is the root cause.

 There is no such thing as a car that cannot be fixed. If a mechanic can't diagnose the issue, they either lack the appropriate tools, information, or knowledge/experience. There are many ways to diagnose parasitic drain issues, but many mechanics just have no idea what they are doing when it comes to any kind of troubleshooting that involves more than just swapping parts. Find another mechanic. And don't waste your time on legal action. You agreed to buy the car as is, with no warranty. You should always expect minor issues with a used car (and this is a minor issue), and people usually don't get rid of a low mileage car for no reason.

Thank you for your comments.

Charging system is fine.  We knew that from day one.

Car had a 50/50 warranty which was used when possible.

I agree everything can be fixed.  That said, the dealership mechanic was a 35 year verteran and we exchanged alot of good information.  I've discussed this issue with a Specicalist in electrical troubleshooting as well. Today, the steering system failed.  We could not get the ignition key to release the sterring wheel from it's locked position.

I disagree with your assessment that this is a minor issue.  The car is unsafe at this point and someone is gulity of fraud.

Your free to seek legal action, but it's a waste of money.  A better use would be to fix the vehicle.

80k mile care shouldn't have a parasitic drain unless someone has modified something on the car.  Stereo system is a great place to look.  The so cool lights the kids like to install is another potential issue.  Any dealer add ons like the flashing 3rd brake light, tracking and so on are also potential culprits.

Since the battery is draining with the car off, the ignition switch is NOT a likely culprit.

Get the car in to a real mechanic.  Chances are this car was never at the dealer's lot long enough for them to know it had an issue.  

 Used vehicles are sold AS IS. That means any faults with the vehicle are your problem, and the dealer owes you absolutely nothing. Especially since this is a problem they were unlikely to know about. So your threats of legal action are laughable. And taking a vehicle to the dealer for repairs is guaranteed to cost way more, and often they can't actually fix the problem. They are used to fixing stuff on new cars, not troubleshooting electrical issues on old ones. Take it to a GOOD independent mechanic that specializes in your make, and they will most likely fix your problem in a couple hours.

I've been a car mechanic since I was a teenager.  Scored 1st Place in Electrical Troublehsooting contests.  Although not my full time job, I know a lot about cars.  That said, I have taken the car to professional independent and dealership mechanics.  They CANNOT find the problem.

When I see fraud, I go after it.  II have extensive background in legal business matters.  This is clearly a fradulent used car dealer OR somebody is lying like the orignal owner or CARFAX.  This is a one car owner with extensive maintenance documentation.

Thanks for your input.

Thanks for the Warranty reminder.

We did use the 50/50 warranty program to recoup some money spent.  We did use a FORD dealership to verify our results regarding measuring voltage, parasitic drain, etc.

If you read our complaint, you would have noticed all of thoses steps were taken to no avail.

 Was the car under warranty? Did you READ the disclosure statements including the REQUIRED "Buyer's Guide" where it stated this car included a warranty or was purchased "AS IS"? Since this car was purchased for your daughter, do you think perhaps a car with a warranty would be in order? Find yourself a good INDEPENDENT SHOP with REAL mechanics and not dealer parts changers. This is not that difficult of a problem to troubleshoot and when you go to a dealer, you are setting yourself up to be price gouged. To discover the cause of a parasitic current drain, you set up a volt meter in series with the positive battery cable and read the current draw. The mechanic then pulls fuses one at a time to find the circuit causing the drain. Prior to that, the mechanic will also insure the charging system is working and the battery holds a charge. In fact, those two things should always be done first to rule out battery and charging system problems rather than jumping into a more time consuming procedure such as described above.