rocketman357

Shortly after taking delivery of my new F150 Lariat in 2012 I noticed a small amount of oil dripping from the front of my 3.5 EB engine. Since that time it has been back to the dealer 5 times. Assorted turbo lines have been replaced but still the wet engine.The last dealer visit lasted all of July 2017 and they finally think the found the problem – a leaking head/intake gasket. BUT – Ford does not have any gaskets to fix it. That is right – NO GASKETS in the USA! And in fact,released a whole 14 backordered sets [for all 57 Obama states] in July and the scheduled next availability was end of August, no change that end of September, no change that again- It is October and still no gaskets. FYI I checked and Fel-Pro does not even make that gasket. Are you starting to see aproblem here yet? I wrote a very nice letter to the top customer service guy at Ford mailed 9-2-17 and sent a copy to WilliamClay Ford Jr. I included the detail and my history of Ford loyalty dating back to 1956. I would have traded this leaker for a 2017 if they did not have absurd incentives - $4000 on XLTs and bupkus on Lariats- which makes no sense at all. They make a ton of money on Lariats but XLTs are their top seller and lower profit I believe. And they are doing the same dumb crap again this year! I got a pathetic form letter reply from a CS representative that totally ignored the problem. And of course, no reply at all from the top guy. His greatgrandfather would not be happy! It is obvious Ford sees no value in loyalty and that comes from the highest level at Ford on down.

Do you think there is something rotten in Denmark- or a lot closer?
I may try to post both of those letters.

BCMIF150

I'm not sure what to say, but if your letter to William Clay Ford Jr., was written like this post with references to, "57 Obama states", I wouldn't have answered it either.

Tothemax

Lol. I don't like the guy but the obama comment threw me for a loop. Not sure what that had to do with anything.

I find it hard to believe that there are no gaskets in the US. Seems to me they are still producing the engine so they are available from somewhere.

Chad Walker

I think a majority of your problem lies with the dealership you are using. 5 times to fix an issue is lemon status unless they are just completely incompetent. I don't think I would go back to the same dealer after the second time. Did you try another dealer?

Also, with the quality of all products produced nowadays, I lost any sort of brand loyalty years ago.

rocketman357

I don't think I could have stomached a more butt kissing letter than this:


PhilPerry, Manager 9/2/2017

FordMotor Company Customer Relationship Center

POBox 6248

Dearborn,MI 48126


RECase # 12825168


DearMr. Perry:





Asa long-term, loyal Ford buyer, I’d like to offer you (and Ford planners) a few comments regarding my current EcoBoost F-150, and my hesitancy about purchasinga newer 2018 F-150. My history with Ford goes back as far as 1957 when at age 8 when the neighbor who worked for Lee Heffner Ford drove home a 1957 Thunderbird. It was then that I knew I had to have one. At that time my parents drove GM cars.Before I was 16 every member of my family was driving Ford cars and trucks. I wrote three term papers in high school on Henry Ford. The man was a genius. My first Ford was free from my father – a 1958 Ranch Wagon that if I could get the old rust bucket past PA inspection I could have it. I did.Then I actually bought that 1957 Thunderbird–which I just sold in June but that is a long story. Next a 1961 Lincoln convertible for $400 another long story.Then my 1970 Mach I -still in my garage, a 1964 Econoline and then my 1978 E-250 Chateau also in my garage- a better truck now than when it left Canada for sure. A pair of 1976 Thunderbirds. I also owned a 1981 LTD 5.8 L briefly, was not pleased with it, and sold it quickly.


In 2012 I bought a new F-150 3.5L Lariat with extensive options. It has leaked oil since the day I brought it home. I had to bring it back to the dealer for that small but very annoying leak approximately four times. Last month the Ford Dealer had it for a month and think they finally found the leak; they believe it is caused by a defective intake and/or head gasket I am told. Unfortunately there appears to be a severe shortage of genuine Ford head gaskets to fix it.I was told that Ford released 14 sets in August, which, if true, is not an impressive response to what appears to be a general problem for many EcoBoost owners.The most recent estimate for gaskets availability from my Ford Dealer is the end of September. There surely appears to be a gasket problem, given the large delay in being able to obtain gaskets.


If Ford had released an attractive incentive program in 2017 I would have traded it in and be driving a 2017 Lariat but it appears the incentives were focused on the lower level F-150 series; $4000 in incentives on the cheaper less profitable XLT and nothing on the more lucrative Lariat and higher type models.


Itseems illogical to only offer incentives for the lower lines of F-150 series,especially since the profit margin on the more luxurious F-150s is higher. That made me so angry I decided not to buy.


I am watching closely to see what incentives Ford will offer for 2018, and unless Ford releases good incentives for Lariat/King Ranch, etc., I will not be trading in for a new F-150. It would be with the greatest reluctance to change brand loyalty, but on my way to the USCGAuxiliary meeting on Wednesday I am going to stop at the Chevy dealer for a brochure. And if I were truly desperate,I’d even visit a Ram dealer.


Give me a reasonable incentive please and I will buy a new F-150 (probably a Lariat). I would trade in my leaking F-150 and thus that small leak would no longer my 5 ½ year headache. I have lost a lot of confidence in my Ecoboost.


I look forward to a response and encouragement from Ford as regards to incentives and hope that you can convince me to stay with the best truck series ever built. Truck owners are smart buyers andthat’s why Ford remains on top for more than 40 years.



Sincerely,


Since I have been dealing with the biggest dealer in this county and he is holding a repair order with 15 hours of unpaid warranty labor that had to be approved by some Ford rep up the food line- I hardly think they are responsible for not having the parts. Ford CS has the case info in the letter and could have quickly remedied the problem if the parts are actually available. My prior phone calls to Ford CS got no reply that the parts were available and that my dealer's parts manager is an idiot
And BTW- the real Henry Ford would have certainly smiled at the Obama sarcasm had it been in the letter. Google why he put a 90 degree bend in his Tri-Motor factory during WWII.

montanaman

I'm thinking that the reason we haven't heard about this before, is that 99% of 3.5EB's are pretty trouble free.


Pease let us know if they get it fixed - I'm curious.


I forgot that The Great Leader, Barack Hussein Obama thought there were 57 States - thanks for the chuckle

adammjarvis

I could care less about the leak issue.

But I agree with the incentives. I wanted a lariat but had to settle for an XLT 302A

I came from an Explorer Limited and grew to love all the comforts of the vehicle. I felt like I took a step backwards. My $43k Explorer vs $54k F150 and I'm getting less comforts for my $$$?? After all.. I did pay an extra $2,500 for the 3.5 10 speed so it's not like THAT cost is included in that 10k price difference.

Tothemax

Have you tried a different dealership or does your loyalty keep you going back to them again and again?

TJPlatinumEB

Have they given you a part# to the gasket or part(s) that they need to replace? I only ask because there is an intake gasket that has to be replaced as part of the timing chain TSB. My dealer had all the parts in stock but I don't have the parts list in front of me just yet. I do however have the TSB and it shows:

AA5Z-9439-A - Gasket - Intake

In looking at that further, it appears to be the individual O-ring gasket that seals the intake manifold to the head on each side, so you would need 6. You mentioned that you need a head/intake gasket and this would appear to be it right? If so there are places on Ebay and Tasca and the like that have them available now.

rocketman357

Thanks for the replys.
Yes I guess most are trouble free- bad luck for me -again!
It would have been cheaper for them to GIVE me a new truck than pay for all the warranty work. Each visit cost them something like 8 or 9 hours labor except the last one- 15 hours on the tab and nothing has been fixed. It is not a big leak- just an annoying little one but who pays $50K for a truck and has a leak from day one and is happy? My 1978 E250 does not have an engine leak- OK Sure I have replaced the valve cover gaskets with much better ones. Of course it is past the 5-year point so they had to get permission from up the line to continue so at this point I cannot switch dealers. They are the biggest and the other next two close ones - I am not too thrilled with their reputation. I did buy the truck from them for $640 UNDER invoice so I do have that affection.
The tech thinks the left head gasket is leaking so they want to pull both heads at this point since it costs so much labor to get to one they figure they don't want to try going back to Ford to gat paid again if they don't get it right this time. FYI- there were some TSBs about the turbo lines leaking back in 2012 so that was a legitimate fix- just not the entire fix. Who would expect more than one source of leaking on a new engine?
And No, I do not know exactly what parts are needed but I am pretty sure it is the head gasket that Ford has none of nationwide. When I was on the phone with the service rep I heard the parts guy in the background say"Hey, look, they released 14 sets on backorder" That was back in July. "The next expected date is end of August". Then later the service guy called and said no- new date is now end of September. And they are supposed to be tagged as "emergency parts " or something term like that. Can you imagine how long it would be if they were just "dealer inventory"?
I have my concerns about actually having the engine torn down at this point- fear of making a small problem turn into a much bigger one - if you get my drift.

On the plus side the thing does tow like a beast.