Starling Ford — Local services in Titusville

I went to Ron Norris Ford taken over by Sterling the next week to look at a car for my gf. I’ve personally bought 7 vehicles from this location over the past 30 years. Gf has bought 5 mustangs from this location. While we were there the salesman told me they just got a nice truck on a trade in. So I looked at it and test drove it. My gf had the car she picked out online, another brand new Mustang. When I went back to the truck and started it. The truck had a very noticeable rattling sound coming from the front passenger side. I was told it was due to the fob batteries. I know nothing about this thing so I trusted what I was told. We thankfully decided to pay for an extended warranty because I had a bad feeling about this truck which I should’ve listened to and not bought it. So we replaced the batteries in both fobs and the truck still had the rattle when starting. I read up on the noise and it’s an ongoing problem with the Ford 150 and the Raptors. I read it was the cam phaser that has been replaced in a large number of trucks over the past few years. It can cause engine problems down the road if not fixed soon enough. I drove it for over a year thinking something was wrong with the key fobs. I finally took it in and the lead mechanic called me the next morning and said it was indeed the cam phaser. They replaced it under my paid for extended warranty which I had to pay a deductible for. I don’t think any of this was fair or right but not anything I can do except do a review and not buy a vehicle from this place again. When I picked the truck up I was informed that this truck belonged to a mechanics dad or uncle. So that mechanic had to know about the cam phaser. Next The hood decals started coming off while we were going down the road one day. I had to pay a detail person to remove the rest of the decals and buff the hood out. The tires are a story within itself. I’ve texted the salesman twice and called the dealer to speak to management to no avail. I will never buy another vehicle here again no matter how many times it changes names. Thank...

Worst place to deal with. Took car in about 2 months ago to have it looked at because it felt like the transmission was shifting hard. Said they had to order a part, take the car home and they will let us know when the part is in. Fast forward a month, no calls and no call backs from us calling them until last Monday. Said the part is in and we are scheduled for Wednesday eventho we were never told the part was in and we didn't schedule for Wednesday.

Anyway, take car in and they have it until the following Wednesday because of all the other crap thats been wrong with it since we bought it (Sidenote: don't purchase a vehicle from Tropical Ford in Orlando) and they replace the part they were waiting on.

Finally pick it up Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) and drive off and the entire front end starts vibrating. Turn right back around and they say it "might of been a leaf or some debris." Yeah, ok. Get it home and of course after they're closed, there's a big puddle of transmission fluid all over my driveway. Can't do anything until today because of Thanksgiving. Bring it in first thing this morning and am told the mechanic likely didn't torque the bolts. So they do that. Great. Send me home. Oh look, another transmission fluid puddle on my driveway.

Just got back from taking it back to Starling and this time was told it's likely a pinched gasket and it needed a new one. To which they were asked if they put a new one on when they did the repair work last week and was told yes. So here we are again, being told they'll have the car that they broke until "next Tuesday or wednesday" and we have another loaner.

I don't know if starling hired new people when they bought Ron Norris but if they didn't, they really need to. They are completely incompetent and Mike Young responds whenever he feels like it.

Just seeing how their service department is ran and managed, I would NEVER purchase a vehicle from ANY Starling dealership. I DO however recommend Peacock Ford in Orlando of you're...

Update #2 - strike 3, don’t ask why….. but sadly I will NOT be returning to this location for service. YES I know times have changed but….. for the money being spent the service provided SHOULD be error free on ALL fronts. :-(

Update #1 - Happy to report the Service Manage DID return my call from a voicemail left for him. I have a pledge for my concerns to be addressed and will re-update this post if things are not properly addressed.

Original post: Sorry to say time has NOT been kind to Customer Service at this dealership. Purchased new truck from here and was returning regularly for service and routine maintenance happily. Sadly over the last few years all of the focus on customer service appears to have disappeared. Good luck EVER getting a person in the Service Department to answer a telephone call. If you do have a live person answer, they will simply transfer you "to the proper person" and that call will never be answered. Last two oil changes have been sloppy with no care at all to "clean up" a poor service effort.

There is well documented information available with simple Google and You Tube searches that show how to keep an Oil Filter from spitting oil out after it is replaced... (if the tech doesn't wait long enough on the drain and spins the new filter on, oil pools in the space between the rubber o-ring/gasket and the outside ridge of the filter).... When I get home and crawl under vehicle there is oil dripping all down the filter, splattered all down the frame and drive train area simple because the job was rushed and no effort to "clean" the pooled oil was taken....for the price point this is shoddy and simply sad service :-(

Advisor(s) are friendly and professional in person (only reason for 2 stars) but clearly the technicians aren't backing them up by being professional. Add to the headache the fact that you can't ever get a call answered or returned and my days of bringing my hard earned $$ here to spend on service and parts is...