Ask a Ford dealership tech anything

They go best together

Sounds like an alignment issue. Could also be tire pull.

A Ford dealer that can't lift an F350 Dually is absolutely pathetic. I work on more pickups than I do small cars.

I just bought a 2018 Ford fusion sport with platinum trim. It was 41k but with deals and haggling I got it knocked down to 32k.

1) Did I get a good deal?
2) How would you rate this car? Do you get a lot of them coming in?

How much for a 2003-2011 Crown Vic cupholder/ashtray assembly?

Not terrible, i see them going for more

I was excited for the fusion sport originally but after it came out you never here anything about them, like there was all this hype then nothing. Personally I wouldn't buy anything with a 2.7 for a few years until all the problems are worked out. They have these plastic oil pans that always leak, it's like they aren't installing them right at the factor. When you change them though the Ford workshop manual tells you to take old pan off, clean mating surface and reinstall, but if you look deeper into hotline cases with other cars you find the procedure requires you to take the pan off, leave it overnight, install the new pan and let it sit without oil in it for 12-24 hours then add oil. So people who are unaware of this are just changing the pan and it starts to leak again shotly after. The problem is with the plastic surface because metal oil pan usually don't require this much effort

thoughts on the ford falcon? do you think it would've sold in the USA?

Should I buy a 2007 focus? I've patrolled CL for ages looking for a car to buy and it's come down to this:
all the cool cars are rusted, busted and expensive.
BUT, I could get at st sx4 for cheap. I've driven a base model from the early 2000s before and they're plasticy shitboxes, but they could be fun.

Do you Fix Or Repair Daily at your job?

>most realiable
>least reliable
>hardest to work on
>easiest to work on
>what would you buy

How often should I change the oil on my 15 gt

I'm from Canadaland so i have no experience with falcons, but in my "expert" opinion, it's a really good looking car but looking at how the Chev SS is failing in sales I doubt it would be sold here. Also ford would never risk cannibalizing mustang sales
Older focuses are ok, when the rear control arm bushings go it can get expensive due to everything seizing and requiring multiple parts to be replaced, but that only really applies if you're in the rust belt
From my experience suzukis are always a pain to work on.
When i'm not breaking stuff

>most reliable
I like the 2.0 fusions, focuses are good when the trans issues get resolved
>least reliable
anything with a 1.6 or 2.7
>hardest to work on
Fiesta ST, everything is small and tight. The seats are really cramped to.
>Easiest to work on
2.3 Mustang
>what would you buy
I have a 2014 Focus, i bought it because it already had the updated clutches installed and drives fine
I wanted a 2.0 ecoboost fusion but they were all out of my price range
8000km or at least once a year if you don't drive it 8000km a year

What faults should be aware of in a '13 Focus SE with a 5-speed manual? I plan to keep the car at least to 300k miles.

Also I'm using Motorcraft semi-synth oil and changing it every 15k km. Car's turning 90k km this month and I'm changing the spark plugs and cleaning the maf sensor.

What's the oldest average car you work on?
What are your thoughts on the "new" Ford Ranger?

I drive a 1992 4 Cylinder Ranger and it's the most reliable thing I've ever owned, still going strong at 260k miles

Whoops, meant to type zx4 st. Not the suzuki.
Thanks.

The manual ones are actually pretty reliable, the front cover gaskets leak but besides that and front end components not too much stands out

2013-2018
A significant amount of people go to the dealer until their warrantie s run out then switch to cahin/indy shops

I'm interested to see the new ranger, esspecially with all the trouble the 2.3 is causing in the focus RS but with the new recall recently released i think Ford has it figures out

I had an 04 3.0 ranger and it was a pile of shit. I got excited once because i made it from one oilchange to another without doing any repairs, i opened the hood and found a coolant bottle full of trans fluid...When i rolled the truck it wasn't the worst thing in the world

Has ford worked out the kinks on the TSB for timing chain rattle on the 11-14 3.5L Ecoboost? My 13 is still under warranty but I have heard of guys getting the TSB done and the rattle returns a few thousand mi later
>t. A picture of my dirty ass engine bay

I have a 2012 Focus SEL with the shit dual clutch. I have the shitty studder and shaking and clanking, especially when going from a stop. What's the best way to get a new transmission and does it actually help? I've taken it in and they do a flash of the system but that never helps. I have 45k on the car and im afraid it's gonna go out any minute.

Do you guys jew people out of warranty for mods and tunes? I want to tune my ST but am worried about my warranty.

Why are Focus PCV hoses $25 or more?

why is GM so much better than Ford

From your experience tell us about the 1.0 ecoboost engines in the Fiestas, I really want one but hear they have issues with some rust on major components (turbo cooling pipes) and that the coolant system is likely to have faults.

If I take my car in under warranty will they replace my transmission for free?

Is Panther reliability a meme?

How many falcon rear diff bushes have you changed in your life?

Is Ford finally done trying to gas people who buy their SUVs? I'm an HVAC technician and for shits and chuckles I took my carbon monoxide meter with me when I visited my parents over the winter to see if it was just a meme or the real deal - cabin CO levels ranged from 5ppm all the way up to 25ppm in regular driving, and this was AFTER my parents took their Explorer back to the dealer twice to have various fixes applied.

Bump

What was the most memorable thing, that has happened to you at work?

Why did the power steering pump on my 08 GT shit the bed?........Why did the new OEM pump I replaced it with also shit the bed, six months later?

Do you have insight onto how a typical franchise dealership cuts up its profit on a sale? Does the salesguy get a flat commission? Does anyone else get a cut like the financing people or something?

If someone brought in a Ford GT, would you feel inclined to abuse it?

How is the pay these days? How long does it take to train to be a certified technician starting from scratch?

>Fiesta ST, everything is small and tight. The seats are really cramped to.
You haven't tried a Ka or something smaller, you're just used to American landbarges I suppose

Yes, replace primary and secondary chains and phasers, if the noise returns the engine likely has more technical problems. The most common F150s stretching chains are the ones that tow heavy loads
There is an extended warranty on the dual clutches for focuses/ fiestas and it's very common to replace them.
That's a common misconception about aftermarket parts and warranty. The mod would have to cause the failure for the warranty repair not to be covered for example an aftermarket tune causing the engine to blow up. Some people on Ford courses have told stories about needing to replace engines and transmission on mustangs and Ford warranty asking the tech to check the glovebox/ centerconsole for timeslips
Gm is my second favorite make, but I don't think they're better then Ford. The spark and sonic are aveos, the cruze is nice but they leak more oil then anything in fords lineup. Malibu/ impala look like shit. I do like camaro/ corvette. As for the trucks, GM is switching to aluminum bodies in the next few years but have been running a smear campaign against the ford aluminum bodies so it's ironic.
They haven't been out longer enough to see common major failures, but I find them so slow it's almost unsafe.
If they determine your trans has failed and the rebuild would cost more then a replacement
yes
none, never worked on a falcon
There's a recall out which involves sealing off parts of the body
People who bring in vehicles for the sole purpose of recalls (mostly first gen edges for fuel tank replacement) you can tell they only ever take their vehicle to jiffy lube for the basic LOF. When you put the car up in tthe air and do a quick lookover you find the vehicle is extremely unsafe. (Very loose suspension components, low tire tread, fluid leaks etc) When you ask your service advisor to try to sell the customer a full inspection the customer gets butthurt

and goes on a rant about stealerships etc etc, it scares me to think there are cars like this on the road.
Either just a shitty pump or contaminated fluid/ air in pump. If you bought it from the dealer you should be able to call and see about parts warranty.
Hell no I don't abuse any customer cars, too many things could go wrong
From clueless apprentice to licensed tech can take 4-5 years
No never tried a ka so i'll count myself lucky

Go back to fucking reddit.

Okay.

My sister owns a 2011 Fiesta, which she bought brand new, and the auto transmission has been absolute dogshit for years. The service department refused to take responsibility and fed her the same nonsense that that's just how the transmission was designed, and that there's nothing wrong with it. They're now telling her that the tranny is failing and needs to be replaced, but that she would have to pay for it, as she's just out of warranty.

Basically, they dragged their feet while she was in warranty, and then gave her the bad news after coverage expired.

What do?

>>hardest to work on
>Fiesta ST, everything is small and tight
Is this why I was charged $800 for a downpipe install?

Pretty much

I would LS swap the fuck out of it.

Why is ford doing so bad? According to Veeky Forums it's lineup is perfect

they're just shit at making decisions.

>I agreed to pay $800 for a downpipe install.

There's an extended warranty on the clutches depending on mileage, I would try a different dealership, some are better then others
Multiple huge recalls, quality has slipped alot, people are posting online about doing PDIs on new vehicles and finding clamps loose/missing. When the 2.7s first came out it was common to find the oil pressure sensor loose.
Some of the lineup really needs to be upgraded
Lincoln makes nice cars but isn't even close to competing with Cadillac as a brand.

4v overhead valves for 351w When?

areo doesnt count btw

Ford tier 1 supplier employee here.
I fucking hate you, guys.

What year is the last good year for Flex? My 2011 3.5 is at 185k and probably going to shit the bed eventually.

any late 17 mustangs come in for condensors? I know the 15-16 had issues. Do they have an upgraded water pump for V6 mustangs?

What do you think about the new Ranger? It's supposed to have the 2.3 from the mustang in it. Would a midsize truck be worth a shit with that? I was REALLY hoping for a i6 diesel, or even a diesel option. Might go for a new 150 with that 3.0 diesel if not.

I have a 2008 Fusion, 2.3 4 banger.

I changed the ATF at 100000km, and change my oil every 5000km.

What are any issues I should be looking out for with this vehicle?

How long do these cars usually last?

I'm really debating between a Civic si and a focus st.
Why would you recommend one over the other?

First gen Focuses are good cars, i dont care what any one else says. The 2.0 duratec is a great motor and they are bullet proof with the 5 speed.

>Yes, replace primary and secondary chains and phasers, if the noise returns the engine likely has more technical problems. The most common F150s stretching chains are the ones that tow heavy loads
What if the rattle comes back?

93 F-250 5.8L here
>constantly breaks clutch pedal bushings
how can i fix this bushing issue? every time I put a new one on, it breaks within a few days
Am I using the wrong one? Pic related, using the one on the right

Former Ford employee, some things I wondered about when I left were

Did Focus/Fiesta DCT issues every get a permanent fix? I work for a Honda dealer now and people are trading them in every week.

Were there any critical flaws with the 3.5 ecoboost? I wasn't around for the 5.0 or 2.7 so I don't know much about those.

Pay times are still shit and manufacturer programs are a joke I'm assuming? I wasn't a tech but I felt sorry for those guys being flat-rate and get held back by these clowns known as service advisors

Take it to somewhere that does. It's that easy.

any reliability issues on the 13-14 mustangs?

Whats the real issue with the 5r55w trans? Is it really just the servo sleeves? What about the 03 explorer rear end noise.

>how can i fix this bushing issue? every time I put a new one on, it breaks within a few days
>Am I using the wrong one? Pic related, using the one on the right
Use something metal?

>Did Focus/Fiesta DCT issues every get a permanent fix?
No they're getting sued right now because they havne't fixed it

So, after skimming through the thread, I get the impression that I shouldnt buy a Ford.

What do you think of the Ford 6.2l V8? I've literally never heard of any of them having issues ever.

This. I've abused my gf for about 4 years now and she's never given up.

Out of all the powerstrokes, which do you see most often in the shop?

Ever work on a contour? An ex ford tech told me those were, hands down, the worst piles to work on

I own a mondeo and I think it's one of the easiest things to work on.
how come the Contour was so different?

My sister just got rid of her Fiesta since those incompetent fuckstains couldn't sort out her transmission problems. But she's very happy with her new car now, so fuggit.