Nightmare Service/Repair Scenario (Probably Done with Ford)

[Jakes03]

After twenty years and six or seven personal Ford trucks (and many more company trucks), this 2021 F-150 is probably the last one I'll ever buy. I understand that things break and we are collectively dealing with a supply chain under tremendous strain but Ford has chosen to forego another 20 years of selling me new F-series pickups by their handling of this one.

I've had nothing but intermittent problems out of my Job 1 King Ranch F-150. Many of the same ones that are prevalent here. I'm on my third APIM and waiting for another. Truck was delivered with rust all over the undercarriage. Lots of intermittent electrical gremlins.

I paid extra for the Bluecruise enablement. After a yearlong delay I was told to get ready via a letter from Ford. After a month of waiting for the OTA update, nothing. So a full two weeks before I'm scheduled to drive from South Texas to Utah I take it in to get the update done manually. Truck is currently "undriveable" with no return to service date available. My guess is that I could probably get the update done myself using the instructions here but I digress...

While that's not great, rather than do anything to help, they have instead asked me to return my rental cae since the 10 day allowance at $35 per day is up...guess what $35/day gets you in Houston...and are very sorry I don't have my vehicle to use. The communication from both dealership and Ford have been nonexistent.

So to summarize, through no fault of my own I don't have my truck or any real alternative to take on a long road trip with my family tomorrow. Thanks Ford, I really appreciate you stepping up here to find a realistic solution that you have put me in.

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[Jesse-Infotainment]

You need to just bring it to me in Dallas and I’ll get you updated and it will fix a lot of the gremlins.

 

[Jakes03]

Done! Anyone have a flatbed wrecker I can borrow tonight?

 

[speedracercjr]

Done! Anyone have a flatbed wrecker I can borrow tonight?

Just curious why is it undriveable?

Also, I have a Mongoose you can borrow (in Katy) if you want to work with Jesse remotely.

 

[Jakes03]

Undriveable per the dealership. However, I've asked them to put it all back together and they just called and said it starts and the only "light that is on" is Hill Services. They are going to drive it around the block to see if anything else lights up.

Does the current-gen OBD record every instance of a Mongoose-like device connecting? I.e. am I going to run into potential warranty issues if go at this with Jesse?

Finally, that's incredibly generous on both of your parts. Ford should have a VP-level job just monitoring internet forums and engaging with power users like yourselves as brand ambassadors.

 

[speedracercjr]

Undriveable per the dealership. However, I've asked them to put it all back together and they just called and said it starts and the only "light that is on" is Hill Services. They are going to drive it around the block to see if anything else lights up.

Does the current-gen OBD record every instance of a Mongoose-like device connecting? I.e. am I going to run into potential warranty issues if go at this with Jesse?

Finally, that's incredibly generous on both of your parts. Ford should have a VP-level job just monitoring internet forums and engaging with power users like yourselves as brand ambassadors.

Sounds like a load of shit from the dealership, shocker.

The OBD port doesn't register connections as far as I know, but FDRS 100% registers actions taken while using it. Considering they sell FDRS licenses to literally anyone I think Ford would have a hard time denying a warranty claim unless they could prove gross negligence on the users part. Simply installing available module updates via FDRS, which is basically clicking "OK to start" is not negligent by any means. It's literally the same software the techs use, and they would also click the same buttons.

If Ford actually monitored this forum and made changes based on what was found here all of our trucks would be better but I fear that they don't. The official Ford account on here is a total joke and basically assigns you a case and that's about it.

 

[imnuts]

I'm pretty sure there's more evidence out there of dealership techs not reading prompts and potentially causing issues than regular users here.

 

[Snakebitten]

I'm pretty sure there's more evidence out there of dealership techs not reading prompts and potentially causing issues than regular users here.

How many dealerships order new APIMs?
The OP is on his 3rd and still isn't functioning as designed. Simply amazing.

Yet on the FDRS "self service" thread, all those faulty APIMs mysteriously turn out to be just fine.

Although it's gotta be true that someone somewhere has a bad APIM, I'm already convinced that it's actually very rare.

 

[Pedaldude]

It’s because of crappy dealerships and their poor culture of trying to maximize profits at the expense of consumers.

More than 90% of the guys working at dealers are parts changers and not actual technicians that can functionally diagnose a problem unless it’s an obvious mechanical failure and even then they often overlook the root cause.

New vehicles are incredibly technologically advanced and the dealers are unable or unwilling to find or retain the right people.

 

[GEN14OWNER]

After twenty years and six or seven personal Ford trucks (and many more company trucks), this 2021 F-150 is probably the last one I'll ever buy. I understand that things break and we are collectively dealing with a supply chain under tremendous strain but Ford has chosen to forego another 20 years of selling me new F-series pickups by their handling of this one.

I've had nothing but intermittent problems out of my Job 1 King Ranch F-150. Many of the same ones that are prevalent here. I'm on my third APIM and waiting for another. Truck was delivered with rust all over the undercarriage. Lots of intermittent electrical gremlins.

I paid extra for the Bluecruise enablement. After a yearlong delay I was told to get ready via a letter from Ford. After a month of waiting for the OTA update, nothing. So a full two weeks before I'm scheduled to drive from South Texas to Utah I take it in to get the update done manually. Truck is currently "undriveable" with no return to service date available. My guess is that I could probably get the update done myself using the instructions here but I digress...

While that's not great, rather than do anything to help, they have instead asked me to return my rental cae since the 10 day allowance at $35 per day is up...guess what $35/day gets you in Houston...and are very sorry I don't have my vehicle to use. The communication from both dealership and Ford have been nonexistent.

So to summarize, through no fault of my own I don't have my truck or any real alternative to take on a long road trip with my family tomorrow. Thanks Ford, I really appreciate you stepping up here to find a realistic solution that you have put me in.

I’ve always wondered about the “rust issue” in the sense that… if they had your truck parked, half built long enough for all the rust to form on the undercarriage, what is happening with electrical components (connectors, etc..) that were designed to be plugged in and water tight from day one?

We know how pristine the assembly line is, I can’t imagine someone bringing in rusted components for assembly so I have to assume they didn’t leave the line that way and were parked outside waiting parts.

Corrosion on your 3rd member, u-joints, exhaust brackets, etc… is probably going to be just fine. But when electronic components get even the slightest amount of corrosion, they can get very cranky.

 

[1973Maverick]

After twenty years and six or seven personal Ford trucks (and many more company trucks), this 2021 F-150 is probably the last one I'll ever buy. I understand that things break and we are collectively dealing with a supply chain under tremendous strain but Ford has chosen to forego another 20 years of selling me new F-series pickups by their handling of this one.

I've had nothing but intermittent problems out of my Job 1 King Ranch F-150. Many of the same ones that are prevalent here. I'm on my third APIM and waiting for another. Truck was delivered with rust all over the undercarriage. Lots of intermittent electrical gremlins.

I paid extra for the Bluecruise enablement. After a yearlong delay I was told to get ready via a letter from Ford. After a month of waiting for the OTA update, nothing. So a full two weeks before I'm scheduled to drive from South Texas to Utah I take it in to get the update done manually. Truck is currently "undriveable" with no return to service date available. My guess is that I could probably get the update done myself using the instructions here but I digress...

While that's not great, rather than do anything to help, they have instead asked me to return my rental cae since the 10 day allowance at $35 per day is up...guess what $35/day gets you in Houston...and are very sorry I don't have my vehicle to use. The communication from both dealership and Ford have been nonexistent.

So to summarize, through no fault of my own I don't have my truck or any real alternative to take on a long road trip with my family tomorrow. Thanks Ford, I really appreciate you stepping up here to find a realistic solution that you have put me in.

Good luck. They actually made mine worse and sent it home. Ford corporate, the dealerships, service managers… no one cares. I don’t get it. They’re hoping these 2021 f-150 owners quietly go away. I’m seeing less and less posted. It’s going to take a class action lawsuit for us to get anything out of Ford. Look at my story!

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/epic-saga-of-a-man-and-his-truck….11431/

 

[GEN14OWNER]

I’ve always wondered about the “rust issue” in the sense that… if they had your truck parked, half built long enough for all the rust to form on the undercarriage, what is happening with electrical components (connectors, etc..) that were designed to be plugged in and water tight from day one?

We know how pristine the assembly line is, I can’t imagine someone bringing in rusted components for assembly so I have to assume they didn’t leave the line that way and were parked outside waiting parts.

Corrosion on your 3rd member, u-joints, exhaust brackets, etc… is probably going to be just fine. But when electronic components get even the slightest amount of corrosion, they can get very cranky.

NOW I hear (take it or leave it) that they're parking these incomplete trucks in "Stadiums" (Indoors).

All throughout 2021 I argued with people about parking half built trucks in massive outdoor lots.

People would argue... "Dealerships park new vehicles outdoors for weeks & months with no problem."

But THOSE vehicles are washed, started, "loved" regularly.

These half built trucks are PARKED and not touched until the parts arrive to finish them.

I'm sure MOST are fine. But the ones that end up with rusted undercarriages and corroded connectors are fetching the SAME $60-80K as the ones that aren't and pardon my "French" but THAT'S just plainF UCKED UP!

"I" got LUCKY!

They strung me along for 9 LONG months through several "build dates" until one day... they built & shipped my truck.... BING, BANG, BOOM!

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