Notahappyfordowner

I posted in General Forum yesterday and had no responses. 2016 with what the dealership believes is needle bearing growling in the front, both sides. Goes away in 4WD.... They attempted 2 fixes with no success, and now are doing nothing because they claim there is no fix available. Read between the lines they think I should live with it. Its bad enough that its noisy and the vibration is felt in the peddles. At times it does it most at low speeds and when braking, other times it will go constant at speeds up to and in excess of 40MPH. I suspect its happening higher speeds, but road noise begins to drown it out at higher speeds. Has anyone dealt with this and was it fixed??

maxufan80

I would recommend you stop driving and have your hubs checked. I had this same issue and the root cause was that my hubs were not fully engaging when out of 4WD. That is why you don’t hear it when in 4WD. And because I continued to drive with this issue for several months, to fix it required full replacement of the hubs. Not cheap.

Notahappyfordowner

Max, are you talking about the actuator that locks them in/out which is driven by vacuum? The first time I had it in, this is what they told me, the actuators were losing vacuum and partially engaging. They replaced vacuum components, which were just check valves, and possibly a solenoid valve. There was no change. The second time I took it in, they told me they were replacing my front wheel bearings both sides, but the actuators have never been replaced. After new wheel bearings, there was no change in the issue. I have asked them if its the hub actuator, and they claim its not. They said its the needle bearing that supports the axle shaft as it goes through the hub. When locked in 4wd, that bearing rotates with the axle so their is no sound. I honestly believe the sound I'm hearings IS the hub actuator rubbing against the mating part because its faulty, or vacuum is weak. I have read about lots of issues with those actuators. The dealership is doing nothing more. They said until Ford gives them direction, there is nothing more they can do. As a side note they claim they have around 40 trucks through their shop that are doing this, and Ford recently send 2 engineers to pulls parts off and bring back to Dearborn to study. The dealership is hanging their hat on that Ford is supposedly working to understand the issue and hopefully provide a fix, but in the service manager's own words. "Don't hold your breath, we've been dealing with this issue since 2013" I'm unbelievably disappointed in the dealership and Ford. 50K for a truck that sound and feels like I have bearings out in the front end. But they tell me just keep driving it, its safe!

maxufan80

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Firstly, that bearing is going to turn as long as your front wheels do. For some reason, the dealer doesn't want to go further, Can't understand that. Since the checkvalve and solenoid have been replaced, someone needs to start looking for a vacuum leak, in either a hose, or the IWE seal. Once leak is found, repair it. If the seal is bad, it requires IWE replacement.
To check, use a cheap little vacuum pump, hook it to the hose connection on the IWE, pump it up, and see if it holds vacuum.
Hard to believe some of these dealers.

Notahappyfordowner

John, I 100% agree. The dealership has honestly thrown the towel in on it, which seems odd to me because have they have not replaced IWE's to this point on my truck. I asked yesterday if this could be an IWE issue, and the answer was no, this is a needle bearing issue. They said they have literally replaced every possible culprit on on other trucks with new parts to no avail, so they are not going to do anymore on mine. I said, if Ford is covering this under warranty, whats the difference...you get paid and I get a chance of having the issue resolved. He said Ford won't authorize it, and will charge them back for the parts and they eat the labor.

I just got a call from Ford customer service a few minutes ago, and I was told the same story that they did send field engineers out to study the problem and have no solution or timeline currently for a solution. Apparently now Ford is checking whether my truck will meet guidelines for replacement or buy-back, and I will hear back from them within 5 business days. All I want is it fixed, and if it can't get fixed, I do want out. Its pretty crazy.

I would love to check the vacuum system with a pump to see if its leaks, but I am not touching anything, its under warranty and I wouldn't expect the "experts" to listen to me if I was dictating what needs to be fixed. I do actually agree though, from my research that is exactly what is happening, the IWE is not being held back and the mating surfaces are engaging when they shouldn't

When I was towing a trailer this winter, 80 miles, it was noticebly grinding. When I got to the destination, I noticed a burning smell I have never smelled before. This was before I understood what I suspect is happening. Makes me wonder if the smell was from the prolong friction and rubbing. I would love to know what the inside of the IWE looks like right now.

Per the dealership: We don't know what is causing the problem, we don't know how to fix it, but don't worry sir, driving your truck is not going to do further damage and this is certainly not a safety issue. To me, anything connected to the wheel that isn't work as designed is inherently a safety issue.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Wow, that just plain sux. I understand you not wanting to do anything, most would do the same.
Sounds stupid though that Ford would possibly do a buy back, what do they do with the truck then? Ford isn't in the business to lose $$, so I'm thinking they'd just sell it as used, and hope the next owner doesn't know the difference between day and night. I know for sure I've heard the grinding in a couple trucks going thru parking lots.
When I had my problem, the service manager and I agreed to just run it until it broke for good. My truck only had around 500 miles on it, and I just couldn't do it. At that time, I never thought about buy backs or anything, just said screw it, and luckily fixed for $14.
Please keep us updated, the outcome interests me, and likely others.

Notahappyfordowner

I will keep you updated, I had it in today for several other less concerning issues, but they are not taking what they believe to be needle bearing noise any farther until Ford gives them guidance. The service rep said this is becoming a really big problem for them right now and nobody there thinks it should be swept under the rug, they just don't have the answers because they claim to have tried everything. Apparently the next step they had planned to take was replacing the axle shafts, but seeing it didn't help on other trucks they saw no point in trying with mine. I don't know what a buyback entails but I imaging the issue still ends up costing me regardless. They said they are checking guidelines to see whether it qualifies for a buyback, or replacement. I will know in 5 days. Since there is a case started with Ford customer service, they've already been in contact with the dealership to get info, my service consultant told me he spoke to the same gal that called me today. Stay tuned.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like they aren't treating you like an idiot, and you've got some patience yourself.
Ya, I don't know how a buy back works, but I do know there are a couple members on here that are going thru that process with engine problems. Maybe you could start a new thread on that topic.
I have to ask, are you in the thumb area of Michigan? There's another member here from there,and he's got close to the same problem as yourself. Just curious if it's the same dealer/s.