Gem City Ford — Local services in Quincy

I went in to get my F-150’s Bluetooth Media function serviced because no music would play when connected to my phone. The phone calls would function perfectly, 911 Assist, everything except the music itself. Not a vehicle-breaking issue, but an inconvenience nonetheless.

After some time, the service guys there themselves couldn’t figure out what the issue was, so they told me to come back the following week after they’d contacted Ford’s hotline to see what solution they would present.

After a phone call, I returned my truck early in the morning before work. Several hours later, I received a phone call but was unable to pick it up due to being at work. I return after leaving my job to be told that “they tried updating the “APIM”, but it just wouldn’t receive the update. We tried over and over and over again on all the different computers, but eventually the APIM within the truck “crashed”.

The gentleman at the desk explained that the only step forward was a $500 repair to completely replace this piece that had “crashed”. I politely declined, paid the labor charge, and drove away. At least, I would have drove away, before I discovered that I was now unable to make phone calls or connect my phone AT ALL. After returning pretty frustrated, the gentlemen went to ask the service guys why this was the case. “Oh something I forgot to mention - because there was a crash within, now the piece is completely inactive”. My puzzled look must have come across founded, because even the person next to the gentlemen helping me remarked “well, what are we going to do about that?” echoing my own concern.

The gentleman turned around to talk to his manager, to which I was told that “nothing at the service level could be done because it was not broken by anything they had done.” Before I could get too angry, the lady mirroring my concern tried her best to help me by giving my Ford’s Customer Service Line, even helping me as far as to show what I should bring up to the hotline by highlighting pieces of my invoice.

30 minutes later, the customer service lady explained that she had called the dealership and the manager had simply reiterated that they hadn’t done anything to impact the performance, so they will not be helping to rectify. I disputed that, and after visiting the dealership again, I find myself now in a cycle of being kicked back and forth between Ford’s official hotline and the dealership itself. To the manager’s credit, he offered to cover the labor of installation on the new piece, but at this point, it’s about the principle, and not putting $500 more into that building.

I’m a young man with only enough knowledge on vehicles for conversation, and nothing deeper. Perhaps my naïveté is showing, but I’m incredibly frustrated that now my phone is completely useless after this supposed crash of the system, on top of the service I have received. Whether Ford’s problem at the corporate level, or the dealership, nobody will take accountability for what sounds like a simple error.

Be warned. Unless you like being a part of a run-around, go somewhere else. Or if you’re in my case, because of the programming of the part itself, just get a new stereo at Wal-Mart. It’ll be cheaper, and the service will be...

I recently listed my car for sale locally. I was reached out to via Facebook by what I assume was a member of the sales team. He said to me that Gem City Ford would be very interested in purchasing my vehicle. He asked if I was married to my asking price to which I replied I can be persuaded to come down (I understand the dealership needs to make money too). On Thursday 6/24/21 I was able to leave work early providing me enough time to stop by and work with them to see what offer they could come up with. I showed up around 5:45 pm and checked in with a gentleman sitting at a desk who never took the time to get up and come greet me. I walk over to him after he finally acknowledges the fact that I am standing in their massive front room. I tell him my name and state the reason I am there to which he nods as if he has already been filled in on why I am even there. He calls a gentleman who states he currently has business to finish up and would like me to wait. The original gentleman kindly offers a water and asks me to wait at any table in the room, It should be a short wait... 25-30 minutes goes by before I am even talked to again. A portly, middle aged fellow with a goatee walks up to me and says "Hey man, I'm sorry, I got distracted and I forgot you were even here." I said here, you must be looking for the key. Gave him the key and he drives off, arrives back at the dealership shortly after. Comes in to greet me with a ridiculous offer of less than half of what the vehicle is worth. After stating that I was the one requested to come in and go through this process so the dealership could buy a vehicle to sell on their lot which is HALF EMPTY, he decided to blame the whole visit and his actions on the initial sales team member that reached out to me rather than take responsibility for his own poor behavior and representation of the dealership he works for. After feeling like I was never welcome in the first place and stating to the PORTLY gentleman that I know what the vehicle is worth on the lot and we have to come sort of an agreement (I'm really not unreasonable on my price) he started to make excuses for his LOW LOW offer about needing to run it through the shop and get it washed and blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is, I'm not an unreasonable person and I know how a business works. The business need to make money Gem City Ford, but the person you are buying from needs to make money too. I sincerely hope you do better in the future because I originally bought this vehicle from you 3 years ago and after you not making good on your 10 day warranty to fix my CD player, I came back to try and do business again. If I could give you the middle finger via text, I would. 0/10 would not shop here again if my life...

This place is garbage! I want to preface this rant with the fact that I’m a Ford guy, in fact I have persuaded numerous friends and family members to buy the blue oval.... never again!

At my recommendation, my sister and brother in law purchased ford products from this dealership. The Lincoln my sister bought has had several issues (transmission, brakes, etc.). Like any normal person would do when their brakes were squealing and the transmission would not shift, they had the car towed to the dealer. before this continues, my sister and brother in law have videos of the transmission issues would not shift and the squealing brakes, they did this because the dealership refused to fix he problems... even denying that they exist

You can probably guess by my statement that the dealer denied problems existed, refused to watch the video, and sent her on her way... she eventually was able to get them to look into the brake noise issue and was given a rental car.

The reason I am writing this rant... every time there is a problem with the car or the dealership I get a call asking why I recommended they switch from Chevy to Ford... I would describe these experiences as NOT FUN! EMBARRASSING! IRRITATING!

While my sister was in possession of the loaner car, the one she had because they finally agreed to look at her brakes, it was damaged. Being the responsible people they are, when the car was returned my brother in law explained the issue and offered to turn it in on his insurance... the right way to handle it. A few hours after leaving the service manager, LARRY, called my sister and accused her of intentionally damaging the vehicle... after she reminded him that she could call her insurance and get the car repaired LARRY told her he was calling the police. He said she intentionally damaged HIS 60k car. I guess LARRY forgot that my sister’s 70k car was in his shop getting repaired.

The bottom line: besides the lack of service, LARRY’S incredibly disrespectful and disappointing behavior has stained the reputation of Gem City Ford. I have already been told that they will be trading their 2016 Lincoln in on a Chevrolet early next week... just so they do not have to return to...