dsa

So I purchased a brand new lariat in 2005 and have had great luck with this truck. Owned it now for 10 years and only been in the shop 2 times. Came time to get a new vehicle so we decided to get another f150 thinking we would have the same luck.....


In February I took delivery of an brand new 2014 Lariat with only 17 miles on it. Fell in love with the truck immediately, until a week later I started noticing a very mild vibration around 60mph. So, I take the truck in for service and I'm told the problem is a flat spot in the tires and they dealership proceeds to road force balance the tires.


For some odd reason, when I get the truck back, the steering wheel is slightly clocked to the right. Of course, I take the truck back.....They apologize and have me leave it. I pick it up the next day and low and behold, the steering wheel is not clocked to the left. I immediately turn around and return to the dealership with the truck.


By now I'm getting frustrated. They tell me that the tow is off and will need to be adjusted to get the steering wheel straight. Again I leave the truck. I go to get the truck for the 3rd time and its right back where it started.....clocked to the right.


Before I blow my lid from frustration, any ideas why this could possibly be happening ? Its really frustrating to be driving a brand new truck with barely any miles on it and a clocked steering wheel.


Keep in mind, when I say the steering wheel is clocked, the truck is moving straight, but the wheel is turned slightly like your making a right hand turn.

NASSTY

Because whoever is working on the truck doesn't know how to adjust the steering wheel after doing a front end alignment.

heatho

I feel your pain. I've had my truck for less than a month and with less than 250 miles on it I've been in twice for warranty work. Not to push the panic button yet, but in my state if it goes into the shop for the same thing 3 times within a year (or if they can't fix it) it can be considered a lemon.


That doesn't sound like Toe to me, unless its only on one side that it affects. I wonder if a real tire/alignment shop could do it right??


Sorry I'm not much help here, but I'm sure someone will be..

Parson777

Fortunately, your issues are not big issues (ie, my tranny shudders in 3rd gear at X miles per hour)... but they are certainly annoying issues!


If I were you, I'd make an appointment with the service manager and calmly explain each time it's been in and the fact that the person doing the alignment is not doing their job. Ask him to drive the vehicle before you pick it up next time and call you with his thoughts.


When he has to waste his time on you at this meeting and then has to drive your vehicle, you can be sure he will be talking to the service advisor and the tech who has not done the job right.


This is not rocket science.


... and, if you have problems after all this, ask for an appointment with the general manager of the dealership. When you meet with a guy with squishy carpet in his office, heads really roll then.


I was in the car business a while and know that going up the ladder after 3x into the service dept. gets things fixed and creates a good case for lemon laws, lawyers, etc. although I don't think this problem will get that far. But they know it might and that's what counts!

tomt5078

Look into lemon laws..........What state u live in?

tanked_darren

Yep the dealership I bought my truck couldn't right anything either. The manager admitted this eventually and they had to send me elsewhere! Probably why they went undera few months back.

Take it somewhere else you got morons working on it.

Old Smoky

be thankful they got rid of the vibration, for now

Scenaria

Is it simply the steering wheel that is off but the alignment is straight?

If this is the case, have the adjust the clear vision. Basically the steering wheel position in reference to alignment.

carbinereloaded

The only way to fix flat-spotted tires is to replace the tires. There was no need to do an alignment to resolve the issue, I'm wondering if they screwed with something to minimize the vibration rather than resolve the issue.

My truck sat on the lot for nearly a year, they put 4 new tires on it a week after I bought it to resolve the flat spotting issue. Tires can flat spot within as little as 30 days of being parked without use.

My dealer verified the flat spotting with a road-force machine before replacing, but made it clear if they were flat spotted, they would replace them at their expense.


Edit to add: Have had the truck for 3 weeks now. It went to the dealer for the flat spotted tires, new rear emblem (discolored for some reason) the first week. Second week it went in for a new battery.

**** happens, like I said, my truck was parked for a year, I expect there to be a few issues as a result; but I still got a hell of a deal on it.

Heel70

Feel your pain on the return to the dealership after new truck purchase...it happens sometimes. Sounds to me the service dept. has some newly hired mechanics running around. If the front alignment is truly good and the steering wheel is still skewed that is a pretty easy fix..