I ordered a new SCREW and picked it up in April 2001. This is the Lariat with the 5.4 engine with at sticker price of nearly $36k. I don't get much chance to drive it so it only has 1,984 miles on the odometer. Last Saturday I took it to the Blue Oval dealership where I purchased it to repair two small cosmetic defects in the interior. I mentioned to the service manager that I've noticed a small "clicking" or "pinging" noise when the engine is at idle- you can't hear this inside the cab, only when you're outside of the truck.

Yesterday my wife took me the dealership to pick up my sweet truck (which I've loaded up with lots of cool toys since April). Oddly enough, there was a sign on the door stating that Parts and Service were closed on the 13th for inventory. Of course, nobody mentioned this when I dropped it off the prior weekend. Anyway, someone from Sales went into the service area, came our a few minutes later and handed me a piece of paper with a handwritten note which said, "Your truck needs a new engine. It won't be ready until Monday. No way to get in touch with you. Bruce".

CAN YOU FREAKING BELIEVE THIS ? !!!!!!!!! ?????

You can bet the ranch I'll be dailing the Service department at 8:00 sharp tomorrow.... !!!

WHO of you have had to replace a 5.4 engine ???? MAN, AM I #@$@%@#$%.... STAY TUNED for more info tomorrow!!
Rich

 

Hey Rich,

Sorry to hear the bad news, that really sucks. However, think of it like this. You did tell them you had a noise in the engine, and you probably would not have been surprised had they called you and told you what their intensions were.

Sounds like the only real problem may have been a lack of communication from your dealer to you. At this point, your only recourse is to let them fix it since you released the truck into their control. If they would have found something else wrong they may have fixed it too without prior consent from you.

I have another King Ranch pal that got a whole new truck when he complained about an engine noise he was having. You might could do a search and find his post. His call name is artw and his truck is a King Ranch Super Crew.

DaveMan

 

sorry to hear about your engine problem. I hope everything turn out well. Was that a triton engine ?.

 

what i find odd is that you left your truck at the dealership for a week just to fix a couple small cosmetic defects. i won't leave my truck at the dealership for more than a few hours...!

 

of course it was a "triton" engine. what else could it be??

 

Ok, here's the explanation from my dealership. I'd appreciate your opinion and comments on what action I should take, if any.

The service manager said there appeared to be a problem in the "lower end" of the engine. He said Ford shipped a brand new engine assembly from the factory and he "believes" the only component that was used from my original was the intake manifold. He was very casual about everything, making it sound like an ordinary warranty repair. He said they didn't spend a lot of time trying to determine the root cause of the problem since my truck was so new. I was very calm and asked a number of questions about the removal and installation process. Naturally, he said everything possible to minimize the problem and assure me that any "new" problems arising from the replacement would be obvious within the first few days.... hard for me to believe that since I've owned the truck for 6+ months and didn't realize it needed a new engine until now. I told him I needed to think about all of this and consider my options. He gave me Ford's 800 Customer Service number.

Now, I need your advice-- should I accept the truck and hope everything was done properly or should I be prepared to fight with Ford for weeks to get a new one? If I accept the repair, will I make myself CrAzY over the next few years listening to every little noise and wondering if it was caused by this? Will this impact the resale value (I sure as heck wouldn't buy a used truck with a replaced engine)?

Gosh, I went in to have the plastic bezel around the radio replaced and came away with a brand new engine...! It's like going to the doctor for a scratch on your finger and you get a heart transplant. Ok, I'm rambling.... !! Guys- your advice and recommendations would be sincerely appreciated.

Troy, I left the truck for an entire week for a couple of minor repairs since I was going on a business trip to Georgia.

 

RFR164,

In reading your engine problem and the dealership's proactive stance on repair, I would not hesitate to go with a new engine. However, I would want to know more about the replacement engine as I have heard some horror stories about some 'FQR' engines that quickly develop piston slap.

I'm sure some of the knowledgeable members here can fill you in on the replacement FQR engine and what to look/ask about.

Any volunteers?

 

I personally would feel better about having a engine replaced rather than having the dealership try to diagnose whatever they felt was wrong with the original. I would much rather have this problem at 1900 miles rather than at 36001 miles. It's kind of lousy that they left you in a lurch over the weekend as to what the story was, but it sounds like they took care of what could potentially be a major problem. Better that to have a surprise like that rather than to break down in the dingles some day. Just, my opinion, yours may vary!
Dave

 

I work in the construction industry and one of our golden rules should apply here. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Write down everything anyone told you (in person or on the phone) and before you leave the Dealer with your truck, give them a copy and send copies to Ford Customer Service (hard copies via USPS, do not email). You should try to find as many different Ford "departments" to send your stuff to, that way they can't "loose" it. If you're professional about it, that should scare the **** out of the Dealer if they are trying to screw you.

Good Luck

Aloha From Hawaii

 

So, whats the issue?
You got a NEW engine, not a tear down to attempt to fix
a noise.
Rather than questioning his methods.
If I were you I would thank the service manager for
going beyond the required protocol of diagnosis, teardown
and hopefully repaired.
The medical analogy doesnt apply in this instance.