Ford Fiesta faulty heater - can I claim?

My car is a 17 reg Ford Fiesta petrol EcoBoost with a 1-litre engine. In the last month the heater fan has ceased to work on two occasions in any position except four, the highest. Each time the repair was done by fitting a new resistor. The latest repair has failed again.

My local main Ford dealer now thinks that to effect a proper repair a new heater motor will have to be fitted. They say that five and a half hours labour will be required as access has to be carried out through the dashboard. The new motor will cost approximately £400 and the total bill will come to just over £1,000.

Obviously I am disappointed as in 60 years of motoring I have never experienced a similar problem.

Although out of warranty I have asked the dealer to enquire if Ford would be prepared to make a contribution to the cost. I bought the car from new from the same Ford dealer and it has been regularly serviced since.

Do you think that it’s acceptable for a heater fan to require to be replaced so early?

Asked on 15 December 2021 by Dave 68

Answered by Dan Powell
Was the previous work done under warranty? If so, why didn't the workshop investigate the cause of the resister failure? I would expect a competent mechanic to do this when the resistor failed for the second time, as it was pretty obvious there was a deeper problem with the heating system.

If the dealer doesn't help with the cost, make a formal complaint to the service manager as the faulty heater motor should have been picked up sooner.
Tags: faults
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