The check-engine light in my '99 V6 had been coming on and off
intermittently, and I took it to the dealer who diagnosed
a faulty catalyic converter, apparently purely on the basis of
the code; just before that I had changed the air-cleaner element which was somewhat dirty.
The dealer ordered the part, which I paid for up-front, and
reset the check-engine light.
A couple of weeks later (and 400 miles) later the part has
arrived, but the check-engine light has remained resolutely
off. I then went into the dealer, and said that I thought I would leave the repair and asked for a refund of the cost of the part, but was refused with the statement that Ford did not accept returns. So I have two questions
a) How long should I wait before assuming that the catalytic
converter is serviceable, at least for the time being, and that I do not need to fork out the ~$700 that the local dealer
wants for the repair (actually, is that the going rate for this repair)? The practical limit is the 60 days in which you can dispute a credit card payment.
b) Do any other dealers or manufacturers have such a ridiculous (and illegal?) return policy.
Many thanks,
David Richards
