Major car dealership ‘sorry’ as Mum ‘terrified’ to drive after catalogue of issues

A mum said she was ‘terrified’ to drive her car after facing ‘endless problems’ with the motor [1]. The major car dealership [2] apologised to Lyndsey Anderson, who bought her Ford Focus at Peoples Ford back in July 2022. While she thought she was getting a ‘big, safe, reliable car’, for GBP15,700, she has since had to call the AA eight times.

Mum-of-two Lyndsey said: “I’ve had nothing but problems with it. Non-stop electrical faults.”

As the Liverpool Echo [5] reports, Lyndsey said she has been back to Peoples Ford several times after a series of “terrifying” incidents – including a recent breakdown in the middle of a busy main road during rush hour.

After the Echo intervened, the dealership has offered its “sincere apologies” to Lyndsey and said it is conducting “a thorough investigation” to get to the bottom of the car’s repeated faults. Lyndsey said that every few months warning lights on the car’s dashboard would flash before it would turn completely black and then the vehicle would cut out. She said she has returned to the dealership three times in the past five months and despite fixes being carried out the car continues to cut out for reasons unexplained.

She claims she has been forced to call out the AA eight times since she bought the car and said each time it happens her “stomach is in knots”. The working mum said her car is a “necessity” for transporting her two boys – an eight-year-old and three-and-a-half-year-old with additional needs and also for helping her parents, who rely on her to drive them around. In February the mum said she “thought we were all going to be killed” after her Ford Focus cut out completely on the busy East Lancashire Road during the 5pm rush hour.

Lyndsey, who had her mum and toddler in the car at the time said: “The car completely lost power. The hazard lights didn’t work. We just stopped right there in the middle lane in heavy traffic.

Cars were overtaking us, beeping at us. I thought we were all going to be killed. “I called the AA and I was hysterical on the phone.

My mum was getting really scared too. They told me they could be there in an hour and that we’d have to get out of the car to safety. But there were cars and buses and HGVs going past so we couldn’t get out.”

Thankfully, Lyndsey remembered the advice given to her by an AA member of staff. She activated the car’s emergency release and managed to get the vehicle off the busy road where they could wait safely for the recovery van to arrive. When she took the car back to Peoples Ford following the incident, she claims she was told by the dealership there were no company cars available for her that day.

Now, just a few weeks after the ordeal, the motor is back in the garage. Lyndsey said she feels trapped by the situation. She said: “Now I’m stuck with a car I’m terrified to drive.

I don’t want the car back. I need to do motorway driving and I just don’t want to risk it.” In February, Peoples Ford dealership reportedly offered to give her GBP9,000 for the car.

If she accepted this offer, Lyndsey would only be able to afford to buy a significantly older car – which is what she was trying to avoid doing when she bought her Ford Focus. However, when the ECHO contacted Peoples Ford this week about Lyndsey’s case, the company recognised the mum’s predicament and swiftly apologised to her. They provided her with an upgrade to her courtesy car, which they said she can use “for as long as she needs”, and offered her a full tank of petrol.

The dealership says it is “conducting a thorough investigation to understand the root cause of the repeated faults”. Regarding the offer to buy back Lyndsey’s car, Peoples Ford says it is “open to further discussions to explore solutions that better meet her needs and expectations”. Join Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here [6] and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

A spokesperson for Peoples Ford said: “First and foremost, I wish to express our sincere apologies to Ms. Anderson for the distress and inconvenience she has experienced. At Peoples Ford, we understand the critical importance of reliability and safety in the vehicles we provide, especially for customers who rely on their car for essential family and caregiver responsibilities.

“We are taking Ms. Anderson’s situation very seriously and are committed to finding a resolution that restores her confidence in our products and services. “Regarding the technical issues Ms.

Anderson has faced with her Ford Focus, we are currently conducting a thorough investigation to understand the root cause of the repeated faults. Ensuring the safety and satisfaction of our customers is our top priority, and we are dedicated to resolving any technical issues with the highest level of care and urgency. “Having been a part of the Liverpool community for the best part of 30 years, we do not take the trust and custom of our community for granted.

We deeply value our relationship with the people of Liverpool and are committed to contributing positively to the community that has supported us for so long.” “Peoples Ford takes great pride in our commitment to customer satisfaction and safety, and we view this as an opportunity to learn and improve our service further. Whilst we strive to exceed expectations in customer satisfaction, we acknowledge that we do not always get things right.

“When we fall short, we are absolutely committed to making things right, learning from our experiences and implementing the necessary changes to prevent similar issues in the future.”

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References

^ motor (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ car dealership (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ Man dies in Edinburgh horror crash as passenger remains in ‘critical condition’ (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ East Lothian boy who was told ‘he’d never use legs again’ leaves Ant and Dec fans in tears (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ Liverpool Echo (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^ Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here (chat.whatsapp.com)
^ breaking news (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ coronavirus (www.edinburghlive.co.uk)
^ here (data.reachplc.com)