Questions and Answers
What is the point of going into all the detail about your oil-pan gasket repair and the bill, when that wasn't what was wrong with your car anyway?
Two points. #1 - You said it yourself, "...that wasn't what was wrong with your car anyway..." Very simply, if the oil pan gasket was the cause of the oil leak, then replacing that gasket would have solved the problem and stopped that leak. #2 - The bill was altered without consent. Also, repairs were on the bill that were not approved, and the parts that were 'replaced' could not be produced for inspection. Under North Carolina law, that is illegal.
Winebarger Ford claims that since I supplied the oil pan gasket, and they wrote on the work order that there was no warranty, I have no recourse for the continuing oil leak. I maintain that since the oil leak continued the same after the oil pan gasket repair, the oil pan gasket was not the problem. Also, the work order was altered without either my or my wife's authorization, so Winebarger Ford was indeed responsible for the proper repair of the oil leak in our Ford Taurus Station Wagon.
Keep in mind while surfing through this web site, that we had the car at Winebarger Ford no less than three times to repair the same oil leak, that Winebarger Ford failed to repair that leak, and that when contacted by phone numerous times, they rudely insisted that the car WAS fixed and that there was NOTHING WRONG with the car, yet the oil leak continued.
...And by the way, I don't know why you would go to all the trouble of making up a web site. You must not have lived in the Elkin area very long. There aren't enough people in this town with the intelligence to plug in a computer, let alone know how to use one.
We sell cars here and if you're stupid enough to believe a used car salesman, then you got what you deserve.
Guilty.
How could Winebarger Ford stay in business for almost 50 years if they were stupid enough to treat their customers like that?
They are not stupid. They would not be in business if they were stupid. They are smart - very smart. I'm sure that over the last 50 years or so the folks at Winebarger Ford have learned a lot. They have learned exactly what the law covers as it pertains to car sales and service, what penalties for violation that the law provides, if any, and how to legally cover themselves in case they are caught doing something dishonest.
For example: My wife and I were told by Winebarger Ford that the car we purchased from them was a 'one-owner, local car'. This was obviously not true. Winebarger Ford legally avoids any responsibility for this lie by pointing out that my wife signed the paper at the time of purchase that states that the car was being sold 'As Is' with 'No Warranty'. (This legal document provides immunity for the difference between 'As Is' and 'As Described'). Legal? Absolutely. Honest? Definitely not.
If you deal with Winebarger Ford, you will be dealing with people that are very smart when it comes to taking your money for a car or service on your car. Just because a business has been around for a long time does not necessarily mean that they are honest.
As for poor customer service and being rude and arguing with their customers, I have no explanation.
Why didn't you just buy a Chevy and avoid all this trouble?
I've owned both Fords and Chevys. I prefer Fords.
Why didn't you take the $2000 you wasted and buy a (better, newer, and/or different) car somewhere else?
Regardless of how much money I had to spend on a vehicle, I would want to buy a Ford. To me, the Ford name represents reliable, quality vehicles. So, the local Ford dealer seemed like a good place to buy a quality car.
Where I grew up, people would trust someone until they were given a reason not to. I trusted this dealership because they carried the Ford name. I learned a valuable lesson: Don't trust a car dealer unless they give you a good reason to trust them.
Actually, the car we purchased is a good car and always has been. The problem I have with this dealership is with their dishonesty from 'Day 1', the unwillingness to admit to their service department's mistakes, and their unwillingness to correct those mistakes.
Thanks for the information. I checked with the BBB and they do have an 'unsatisfactory' rating.
You're welcome.
(Someone) works at Winebarger Ford. Why would you make a web page that would hurt their reputation? They are a good person and don't deserve to have their reputation ruined.
My apologies. This web site is for Winebarger Ford in general, not any particular individual. I'm sure that there are good, honest individuals working at Winebarger Ford.
All car dealers are dishonest.
This is the first dishonest car dealer that I have dealt with in over 35 years. Take a look at the 'recommended' list on this web site if you want to find a good dealer or service professional in the Elkin, NC area.
You bought a car with high mileage. Did you expect it to last forever?
No. Any car, even a new car, regardless of the mileage, will need regular maintenance, service and/or repair. However, I do expect a Ford dealer to be honest and conduct their business in a professional manner. Unfortunately, that was not my experience with this particular dealer.
Are you trying to complain until you get free car repairs or 'something for nothing'?
No. I am not trying to get 'something for nothing'. I have already received too much of nothing for something. I have paid my repair bills and moved on. I am simply trying to help everyone learn from my experience by bringing attention to the business practices of Winebarger Ford.
There are plenty of decent, honest car dealers and service professionals in the Elkin, NC area. Why take the risk of possibly wasting thousands of dollars when you don't have to. Sure, go to Winebarger Ford and talk to them, (but don't believe them if they try to sell you a 'one owner, local car') then check the other area dealers, too. The other Ford dealers will be more than happy to match (or beat) prices on purchasing cars, and the other service professionals in the area will take better care of their customers. (You'll have to trust me on that one). Please see the 'recommended' list.
I bought a truck from the Winebargers a few years ago. It was a trade in that was only a year old at the time. They told me it was well taken care of, never had been wrecked, and they did all the maintenance on it since they sold it as new.
I was in a wreck, and where the lady hit the truck on the drivers side had more Bondo* in it than metal. *Bondo is a plastic used by auto-body shops to fill in damaged areas on cars after they have been wrecked to make them look 'new'.
The insurance company looked at the damage then they investigated. They refused to pay for the whole cost of the repairs, because the truck turned out to be a vehicle that was a total loss that was from out of state. I lost a lot of money on that deal.
Boy, that first part sure sounds familiar... I don't know what else to say to this one. I thought I had bad luck. Sorry...
What other dealers around Elkin should people avoid?
I don't know of any others. This is the only dealer that I have found in the Elkin, NC area to be dishonest.
You **** Yankee, why the **** don't you go back where you came from and leave us alone?
Sorry, I don't plan on going anywhere. I was born in Charlotte - farther south than Elkin, so don't call me a Yankee. I grew up in Southern Ohio, though, where the word 'trust' meant something - even at car dealers.
We've been in business since 1953, and we'll still be selling cars long after you're gone.
I'm sure that you are right. I'm just telling people that it would be in their best interest to 'shop around' first. If they ignore the warnings on this web site, then congratulations, you've found another victim.
I once owned my own business, and was forced to deal with "gripers" like you to the point of absurdity!!! ...I am no longer in business for myself.
Hmmm... I wonder how your business would have done if all those absurd "gripers" were satisfied customers???
...I also believe that you will reap what you sew. So... just exactly what is it you have sewn in your life...?
Sorry, I'm not very good at sewing. Maybe you should call someone at Phillips - Van Heusen if you need information on sewing.
Or, perhaps you are attempting to refer to one of the 94 times (95 if you count using the word sow in reference to a mother pig) that a variation of the word sow appears in the Bible, such as these:
Job:4:8: Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.
Galatians:6:7: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
In that case, maybe you need to sit down and read your Bible a little more closely. Either that, or go back to 3rd Grade Spelling Class.
While you study for the quiz, I'll try to help Winebarger Ford with their reaping.
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