Well I was 'supposed' to pickup my new fiesta today....

[macdarren]

My new Fiesta was supposed to arrive today, but apparently it got caught in some hail storm in Mexico....it is now "awaiting assessment" apparently still in Mexico. I didn't even know it got cold enough in the summer to hail in Mexico but I guess it does. I am now wondering if it got damaged what they will try to do.....my guess would be repair it and pretend it never happened.....Not sure I like the idea as repair is never as good as factory when it comes to paint durability at least in my experience.

To me it would now be a refurb and I should either get a discount or a replacement, which would probably take who knows how long.

Maybe however there was no damage to my specific car and Ford is just delaying and inspecting everything. They are being very cagey about exactly what is happening....there has been no status updates since the end of August and as recently as Monday they were still saying it would be here today.

// end rant

[Nickgt40]

I would be on the phone with the dealership sales manager and tell him you want either confirmation from Ford that your car was not damaged, a new car, or a BIG reduction in price for yours.

Either way, I would refuse to pay any destination charges no matter the outcome.

[billnchristy]

You're getting a little ahead of yourself.

Be happy they have the integrity to inspect them, and lets hope it wasn't a bad storm or your baby was on bottom on the sloth train.

[macdarren]

I agree with billnchristy, I am not going to press the issue until I hear back from the regional rep that notified us of the delay. Hopefully he will be more forthcoming now that the delay and the cause is out in the open. I am very much hoping my car was undamaged. My concern is how do I know the truth if the policy is to just repair and say nothing. I may invest in an inexpensive paint thickness gauge just to be more sure. Obviously if the damage was minor I might not find it, especially if painless dent removal is used. But if it was that minor I guess it probably won't be a long term issue still would not be my first choice.

[billnchristy]

We had a hail storm not long after we got ours...it did dent the roof a little but you have to be tall and look just right to see it so it doesn't bother me.

Is the factory in the mountains or something, it seems odd to have hail at this time of year.

[Iceracer]

Thunderstorms can produce hail anytime.

Way back when, my Fiesta was delayed shipping from a hurricane, It finally got to the port, ready to be shipped to the dealer. Wrong ! It was sent back to the factory for a recall.
I ordered the car on June 4 2010. Finally got it on Sept 30 2010.
Rest assured, If the car is damaged, it won't be shipped. You may have to wait for a replacement. Keep after your dealer to follow up on it.
I stopped in once a week.

[RaefWolfe]

Cold is not a requirement for hail, we get hail in the summer here as a regular thing during back thunderstorms. Also, storms powerful enough to produce tornadoes in the midwest often cause giant chunks of hail ahead of time.

That being said, I hope your car is fine and that your representative is honest with you about it.

[Norm201]

Originally Posted by macdarren

I agree with BillandChristy, I am not going to press the issue until I hear back from the regional rep that notified us of the delay. Hopefully he will be more forthcoming now that the delay and the cause is out in the open. I am very much hoping my car was undamaged. My concern is how do I know the truth if the policy is to just repair and say nothing. I may invest in an inexpensive paint thickness gauge just to be more sure. Obviously if the damage was minor I might not find it, especially if painless dent removal is used. But if it was that minor I guess it probably won't be a long term issue still would not be my first choice.

What you might want to do is upon delivery and assuming there is no visible damage, you might want to get the dealer or Ford to provide an extended body coverage or a written affidavit that any future body damage that appears as a result of a repaired paint job will be covered in the future. If they're willing then they are confident and so should you be.
Enjoy when the new car arrives.

[Squirrel]

Hope that your car is ok.

We get hail storms here in the Midwest in the middle of summer. Luckily, my car wasn't damaged this summer. My parents had to replace the roof and siding on their house from a particularly bad storm and they're only a half hour from me.

[Audrey]

This reminds me of the hurricane damage and delays last year for Fiestas along the sloth train. I am of the same mind as many others here: I just hope your dealer is being honest and your particular car is in good shape.