Santa Margarita Ford Service

My car broke down so I wasn’t thrilled but the service guys were so awesome and totally took care of me. My car is now fixed and running better than ever!

Could use some help the the service guys, kinda not the friendliest, will see how it going next Monday when I take in my CPO F-​150, breaks squeak, engine turned off twice but the made me feel like it was my fault.

Each time i’ve gone to Santa Margarita Ford, i’ve been greeted by the nicest employees. I’ve driven a MBZ and there is such a stark difference in the managers, sales staff and service department. Im so happy with the service I receive and it’s always nice to be around friendly people. I waited less than one hour and got the car back clean and shiny. Thanks for going out of your way to be friendly. Im glad you are here in our community.

Great services as usual. Every time we bring in our Flex it’s done quick and right. Pete’s great to work with.

Not only was my car serviced well, it was waiting for me before Duane let me know the service was done. He brought the paperwork to the waiting area and all I needed to do was drive away! Great service all the way around.

I wouldn’t trust my car with any other dealership! That includes the one I bought my 2010 Ford Edge from. I’ve been using Santa Margarita Ford for over 5 years and they’ve always exceeded my expectations. My service representative, Peter Kobal, is the BEST! We clicked instantly and have developed a long-​term relationship based on mutual trust and respect. He never pushes extra services — he may recommend a service if he sees something out of the ordinary or if I ask about any concerns, but he’s realistic about timing and cost. And he will certainly give me any feedback (he’s extremely knowledgeable about the in’s and out’s of Fords) if I ask about anything. But, he’s never pushy or hasty… he’s down to earth and honest. He’s always willing to go the extra mile to make sure I’m happy! He’s timely, efficient and friendly! Best customer service I’ve ever had with any car I’ve owned. Maintenance is always cheaper than repair, so I keep my eyes and ears open for any sights or sounds that may suggest something is wrong with my car. In regards to the service, I have no complaints. It always drives better off the lot and they even wash it too! I would recommend this dealership to anyone, but ask for Peter, he’ll make sure to maximize your service for the best price!

I just wanted to personally thank the RSM Ford team for the phenomenal service on my 2012 Ford Focus last week. The shuttle drivers, shuttle service manager and Duane were absolutely fabulous and friendly! They catered to all my questions and everything I was concerned about was taken care of. I just am so appreciative I was taken care of in such a respectfully and professional way. You have an excellent team and an excellent customer service team. I just can’t thank all of you enough! Please pass on my thank you’s and my deepest appreciation to the service team. If you have need any service done please take it to RSM Ford! It was one the best experiences I’ve ever had in regards to the service of my vehicle. Thank you RSM Ford!!! :)

I am very pleased with the service department. Duane is a huge asset to the team, always providing excellent and personable service. I trust his recommendations, and feel that they are always in consideration of the service that needs to be done (not recommending extra things that don’t need to be done at that time) and in consideration of my budget. He’s prompt to get me in and out quickly. I would highly recommend them.

My son drives my 1994 Mustang. I’ve took it to this shop for the first time in 1998. And most recently last week. This visit was because of an electrical fault that made the car stall. We were quoted «up to $ 500» and call after that. When we went to pick up the car the bill, sure enough, was $ 500. All labor. I asked for a breakdown of the labor and work done. Duane was immediately hostile and took a take it or leave it attitude. He couldn’t explain what work was done and why four hours of labor was required. Taking the dash panel out and stripping out the (Ford, Wayne NJ) dealer installed LoJack was all he could say for sure was done. It takes 20m to remove the dash and 20m to put it back. Seven screws under the hood and it pops off. I’ve done it to replace the instrument cluster. There was no other record of anything. No fuses, alternator, circuit work. Just four hours of labor for 1 hour of troubleshooting. I asked to speak to Gina who is supposedly the chief. Not available. The tech. who did the work? Day off. I said I would call to discuss and did so many, many times in the first week. No response and repeated «buzz off attitude». Gina was to call me back, I was told. She never did. I left messages. Again, no call back. No dialogue. No interest. I picked up the car yesterday and paid the $ 500. There’s no point and it’s not big enough to make more of this except through a minor protest like this. So 1-​star for failure to explain a $ 500 charge, hostility and indifference. I don’t know if I was overcharged — I just wanted to understand the bill (what EXACTLY did you do for four hours) and instead have been brushed off. I’ll be finding somewhere else to go from now on.

Another regular service on our Mustang… and, as always, just the greatest service that one could expect.
Thank you SMFord

This is the second time I have had my 2013 F-​150 Platinum serviced here. I have no complaints as my vehicle is delivered as promised following the routine maintenance.

I was having problems with my 2011 Ford Edge stalling on me while driving & Gina Allen in the service department truly took the utmost care of my vehicle! I truly appreciate her taking the extra time to making arangements for me & making sure my car was 100% fixed!!! My husband and I went from frustrated owners to happy customers & we will definately be back when the time comes! Thank you Gina from the bottom of my heart, you truly gave us a happy ending & i can’t thank you enough!!!

This review is specifically for the Services department and my experience with Peter. I know someone who works here and she told me to get my car quickly checked out since my car was making a weird clicking sound. I thought it was a timing chain issue, which is horrible to think, so we went to Peter to have my car checked out. Peter was very helpful, took a drive around with my car, said it definitely wasn’t the timing chain because the clicking would be much louder and faster. He just told it was a rotational problem, and that my tires looked fine otherwise. He did not try to cheat me out of any money by saying I needed to do this or that which is pretty much why I avoid going to the shop or having anyone check out my car until the very last minute. Thanks for the good experience!

The service department is completely professional and thorough. I have been bringing my C-​Max here for routine service for two years and every time have been impressed with my experience.

Roger E. and the service team have taken great care of my 2011 Ford diesel. They have gone above and beyond what is needed to make sure that I am taken care of. I have also had great experience with purchases of my last two trucks there with Peter. Keep up the great work.

So we used the garage to service our Escape. It was quick and easy to get an appointment. When we arrived, they were extremely proficient in booking us in. We got a call later in the afternoon to say that the car was ready, but we had to wait for 10 mins for the car to be washed. All in all they were friendly and did a great job.

Wow. Last time I will try to «save time» by coming here! Most recently, today, I came in for a quick before vacation oil change. With $ 29 coupon in hand, I was charged $ 43 because my truck takes 3 extra quarts. Although my coupon stated free car wash and tire rotation (more on that later), I opted out.
I picked up my vehicle about 1.5 hours later (even with an appointment) and was called 30 minutes later by the service manager stating «the technician may have doubled gasketed your oil filter». In other words the «technician» left the old gasket from the filter and slapped on a new filter with gasket. Now I’m waiting at the dealer AGAIN for my $ 43 oil change.
About a year ago, I drove in, appointment made and opted for the oil change. I was convinced by the service adviser to rotate the tires. I said, as long as you don’t chip my painted factory wheels. He inspected the wheels and said no problem.
I pick up my truck and the «technician» chipped 2 of my wheels. Really? The service adviser who verified the truck initially, called the «technician» over and he said «no, it was like that already». really???
Well, last time I ever visit this dealer/​service again. And I will tell everyone about it. Horrible service, staff and attitudes. It’s just terrible that I live and work in the area and can’t trust them with my vehicle.

We have been taking our Expedition’s to RSM Ford for about 14 years. Their customer service is usually outstanding. We have had a few instances whereby the car was not fixed appropriately, upon a call back to RSM Ford they did not bat an eye and fixed the item immediately.
In addition, Gina the Director of Service is very customer focused. She will always follow up to ensure the job was done correctly.
We live closer to another Ford dealer that I will not deal with, thus find the drive out to RSM worth the trip due to their outstanding customer service.
Thanks RSM Ford

I was quoted 920.00 to install the window switches on the driver front and passenger rear for an F-​150. When I asked why so much, they stated that they had to remove the door panels to access the switches. I said I would think about it. In the meantime, I did some research on my own. I found a video online showing that you only needed to pop up the armrest cover to access the switches and wiring harnesses. I also was able to find all of the switches, not just the two needing replacement, for 145.00 online as well.
I called back who I was told was a service supervisor named Duane and gave him another chance to be honest with me. He was certain that the door panels had to be removed and that was justification for the cost. Needless to say, I ordered the switches and installed myself. All doors in under 15 minutes.
I wrote a lengthy letter to the service manager, Gina, on March 19, 2013 detailing my experience along with images and the video link to the repair. My biggest concern was being lied to. No response was received. About two months go by and I decide to send the feedback through the «contact us» link on the Santa Margarita Ford website. I received a response from Robin. I forwarded her the email that I had sent Gina back in March and she assured me I would be contacted. To date, no one has contacted me.
The funny part is I didn’t expect anything and I still don’t want anything. All I was looking for was a response that would possibly help me understand why the information I received was false. Maybe re-​training, additional training, or teach the best customer service credo «If you don’t know, find someone that does.» No response means you don’t care about my business. If you don’t care about my business, I take it to another Ford dealership. Not a good approach for a dealership that is off the beaten path.
Why am I posting to Unilocal a year later? I have shared this story several times over the year with friends and relatives. It came up again this past weekend when we had guests over. A friend had suggested I rate my experience on Unilocal

A horror story. Needed a diagnosis for smog check failure so went to the dealer-​the good guys right? They quoted me $ 850 for the repair. When I said that was really expensive, they dropped a little off the price, but a local garage where I had been before quoted $ 240 so I said I wanted to pick up the car. It wasn’t ready and I saw a mechanic go over and fumble under the hood for about 3 minutes to put it back together. Guess what — he just shoved the synchronizer back in without aligning it and left the screws loose. This really complicated the repair for the other shop but they stuck by their price. So, a price that was more than 3 times as much and Ford was so careless in putting it back together, it could have caused some real damage to the car.
Now I read the other reviews and the message is clear. Do not go here for repairs!