Ford should be commended for its recently announced free loan car program for service customers. We're hoping other brands follow suit. But several readers have contacted us to point out in some cases the cars are handed over with barely a quarter of a tank of petrol.
Customers are only expected to return them with the same amount of fuel but in many cases it means added inconvenience because the first stop after picking up your free loan car is to a petrol station.
Why, as many readers have pointed out, don't Ford dealers simply do what rental car companies do: send the cars out full of fuel and ask customers to return them full? At least then customers can refuel at a more convenient time rather than having a panic attack that they might not make it to work. Some dealers tell us they don't expect the car to be topped up if driven only a short distance.
Next time you pick up a loan car...be sure to read the fine print.
And there is another sting in the tail, which applies to many service centre loan cars, not just Ford: insurance excess.
Prang your free Ford loan car and you're up for a $2000 insurance excess (the going rate for private cars is typically between $500 and $800).
Next time you pick up a loan car — regardless of which brand's service centre you're using — be sure to read the fine print.
