FORD South Africa said last week it was committed to new automotive after-market guidelines, also known as ‘Right to Repair’, which came into effect on July 1, 2021.
From November 1, Ford Protect Service Plans were unbundled from the purchase price of the vehicle, and would be available as an added-cost option, along with comprehensive maintenance plans and extended warranties.
Neale Hill, the president of Ford Motor Company Africa, said: “Ford is acutely aware of consumers’ growing desire and right to choose where they wish to service, maintain or repair their vehicles.
“As a result, we have been working to implement the systems and processes necessary to unbundle the Ford Protect service plans,” Hill says.
“It has taken some time to deal with the complexities of unbundling the service plans from the price of the vehicle, but we have now implemented the changes and customers can choose to purchase these separately when buying a new Ford.
“Customers have the option of selecting where to service their vehicle, but it’s important that they familiarise themselves with the guidelines,” Hill said.
“For example, if you choose to service your vehicle outside of the Ford dealer network while you have a Ford Protect Service Plan in place, Ford is not obliged to pay the Independent Service Providers (ISP) for any services rendered. The ISP cost will be for your own account - and although the Ford warranty remains in place, should there be a failure as a result of the parts used or the workmanship of the ISP, that portion of the repair may not be covered by the Ford warranty,” he said.
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