herothedog
Active member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2021
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 33
- Location
- Colorado Rocky Mountains
- Vehicles
- F-150 XLT PowerBoost 7.2kW
- Thread starter
- #1
First, this forum has been a valuable source of info and experiences! I wish everyone having trouble with their F-150 PB luck with getting them taken care of.
I got my PB at the end of last August. At first, it was great. By November the first weird thing happened. Overall, of all the 1st generation vehicles I have owned, this was by far the worst experience. Maybe if customer support was better I could have found some satisfaction but it wasn't.
1. November my personal settings would disappear to default. It was random. Sometimes it would happen two or three times in a row. I never took it in for service for this because it was a random annoyance.
2. Also around November, something started to rattle in the driver's side A-pillar. I called for an appointment and found more than a month wait to get service and I might have to leave the truck for a day or two... I did not take it in, snow was coming, and living rural this was going to be a total PITA.
3. Also around November, the driver-side window one-click close stopped working.
4. February arrives and the cold temps arrive too. I get the horrible grinding on startup. I take it in and the dealer service says they can't reproduce it (it was 40 degrees warmer in the city) and there is nothing they can do if they can't diagnose it.
5. Early April, transmission fluid starts leaking, shifting at highway speeds and uphill goes to complete crap. A couple of shifts were so harsh I wondered if ate a gear. Given the type of transmission, I figured at least one dogear clutch was not engaging in time. I took it into the dealer service, they said if I just showed up they would work it in. I dropped it off. I had to get my own rental! The best I can tell it sat five days before it was looked at. A leaking gasket for the "gear selector" was found. They had to order the part. The dealer acknowledged that the leak could be caused by an internal failure, in which case the transmission tech would need to look at it. Their one and only transmission tech had a one-month backlog. The likely outcomes were a transmission rebuild or replacement. Both would take at least an additional month (2 months total)... The leaking gasket arrived five days later and was replaced. On the drive home, shifting initially improved but was still chunky. Two days later shifting got worse and it was over-revving and missing shifts again at highway speeds in the mountains (seemed fine at lower speeds on the flats)...
I saw a RAM dealership with a new shipment of 1500s on their lot, so I stopped by. I've never owned a RAM or Chrysler product before, my only experience was with rental PT Cruisers. I walked out with a better than expected trade on the PB for a RAM 1500 Rebel EcoDesiel (actually got $1500 in accessories without charge). A few first week observations with the RAM;
1. RAM is heavier than the Ford PB, and has true offroad tires (GY Wranglers), due to the Rebel trim it is lifted several inches (2?) but has the same approximate towing capability.
- My MPG test driving from the gas station at the bottom of the mountain up to our house, 1500ft in elevation gain over 4 miles, up to 9500ft.
- F-150 PB averages 11 MPG on a good warm day
- 1500 EcoDiesel averaging 14 MPG so far
- over about 8 months the F-150 averaged about 19 MPG (winter most months)
- For over 4 days the EcoDiesel is averaging 25 MPG on mountain highways and roads (never saw 25 in the Ford).
2. The F-150 is way faster at acceleration, not surprising to me, I knew this. I've had diesel before.
3. The RAMs on the lot, shipped for dealers, have missing features. To get bells and whistles an order has to be placed. So some items I could not get without a special order (none of these are a huge deal to me, I've been driving for 35 years, and probably 25 years without these bells and whistles). The build I got off a dealer lot does not seem to be possible to configure on the RAM website.
- no adaptive cruise
- no blind spot detection
- no wrap around cameras
- 8.5 inch center display
- no built-in navigation
4. But, the Rebel trim is much nicer than the Ford XLT (at least the Rebel I got).
- leather seats, heated front and rear
- great instrument panel, very great actually compared to the XLT (certainly better suites my preferences)
- Andriod/Apple Carplay - for navigation, it is well integrated with the rest of the electronics too
- turning radius is WAY better!
- trailer brake controller
- hill descent assist
I've had diesel vehicles before so I'm familiar with cold weather and running diesel fuel (just gave away my extra fuel treatment when we moved, unfortunately).
So I've had it with the issues. Mine may have been less than others, but I cannot waste the time to get the Ford running right.
I got my PB at the end of last August. At first, it was great. By November the first weird thing happened. Overall, of all the 1st generation vehicles I have owned, this was by far the worst experience. Maybe if customer support was better I could have found some satisfaction but it wasn't.
1. November my personal settings would disappear to default. It was random. Sometimes it would happen two or three times in a row. I never took it in for service for this because it was a random annoyance.
2. Also around November, something started to rattle in the driver's side A-pillar. I called for an appointment and found more than a month wait to get service and I might have to leave the truck for a day or two... I did not take it in, snow was coming, and living rural this was going to be a total PITA.
3. Also around November, the driver-side window one-click close stopped working.
4. February arrives and the cold temps arrive too. I get the horrible grinding on startup. I take it in and the dealer service says they can't reproduce it (it was 40 degrees warmer in the city) and there is nothing they can do if they can't diagnose it.
5. Early April, transmission fluid starts leaking, shifting at highway speeds and uphill goes to complete crap. A couple of shifts were so harsh I wondered if ate a gear. Given the type of transmission, I figured at least one dogear clutch was not engaging in time. I took it into the dealer service, they said if I just showed up they would work it in. I dropped it off. I had to get my own rental! The best I can tell it sat five days before it was looked at. A leaking gasket for the "gear selector" was found. They had to order the part. The dealer acknowledged that the leak could be caused by an internal failure, in which case the transmission tech would need to look at it. Their one and only transmission tech had a one-month backlog. The likely outcomes were a transmission rebuild or replacement. Both would take at least an additional month (2 months total)... The leaking gasket arrived five days later and was replaced. On the drive home, shifting initially improved but was still chunky. Two days later shifting got worse and it was over-revving and missing shifts again at highway speeds in the mountains (seemed fine at lower speeds on the flats)...
I saw a RAM dealership with a new shipment of 1500s on their lot, so I stopped by. I've never owned a RAM or Chrysler product before, my only experience was with rental PT Cruisers. I walked out with a better than expected trade on the PB for a RAM 1500 Rebel EcoDesiel (actually got $1500 in accessories without charge). A few first week observations with the RAM;
1. RAM is heavier than the Ford PB, and has true offroad tires (GY Wranglers), due to the Rebel trim it is lifted several inches (2?) but has the same approximate towing capability.
- My MPG test driving from the gas station at the bottom of the mountain up to our house, 1500ft in elevation gain over 4 miles, up to 9500ft.
- F-150 PB averages 11 MPG on a good warm day
- 1500 EcoDiesel averaging 14 MPG so far
- over about 8 months the F-150 averaged about 19 MPG (winter most months)
- For over 4 days the EcoDiesel is averaging 25 MPG on mountain highways and roads (never saw 25 in the Ford).
2. The F-150 is way faster at acceleration, not surprising to me, I knew this. I've had diesel before.
3. The RAMs on the lot, shipped for dealers, have missing features. To get bells and whistles an order has to be placed. So some items I could not get without a special order (none of these are a huge deal to me, I've been driving for 35 years, and probably 25 years without these bells and whistles). The build I got off a dealer lot does not seem to be possible to configure on the RAM website.
- no adaptive cruise
- no blind spot detection
- no wrap around cameras
- 8.5 inch center display
- no built-in navigation
4. But, the Rebel trim is much nicer than the Ford XLT (at least the Rebel I got).
- leather seats, heated front and rear
- great instrument panel, very great actually compared to the XLT (certainly better suites my preferences)
- Andriod/Apple Carplay - for navigation, it is well integrated with the rest of the electronics too
- turning radius is WAY better!
- trailer brake controller
- hill descent assist
I've had diesel vehicles before so I'm familiar with cold weather and running diesel fuel (just gave away my extra fuel treatment when we moved, unfortunately).
So I've had it with the issues. Mine may have been less than others, but I cannot waste the time to get the Ford running right.
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