DETROIT - There is a new product being serviced at Ford Division dealerships: a bicycle.
The bike that arrives with a special edition of the Ford Focus is being repaired on dealer lots to replace a possible defective crank bolt. Manufacturer Kona Mountain Bikes Inc. is handling the repairs.
In June, Ford began selling the Kona Mountain Bike Edition Focus. The new limited-edition model includes a specially designed Kona Blast 2001 bike. About 4,800 Kona Focus units are being built.
An estimated 800 customers who have taken delivery of the vehicle and the bicycle are receiving postcards, said Alex Fedynsky, Ford Division spokesman. Owners who already have received their bikes are directed to take them to a Kona bike shop. 'This is purely a Kona initiative,' Fedynsky said.
Any customer displeasure with the bicycle will not harm dealership customer satisfaction scores because such a repair is not relevant to the surveys, Ford said. The issue is sensitive because dealers are seeking Blue Oval certification, a rating process that measures customer handling.
Ford is offering a series of small-volume Focus editions, trying to capture the interest of young buyers.
In March, dealers offered the Sony Limited Edition Focus equipped with a high-performance Sony Xplod car audio system.
