Hi guys, sorry for the long post but this whole thing has been going on for over 2 months now with no real end in sight. Was pointed here by others to get opinions on the situation from those with experience. Thanks in advance.
TLDR: bought my dream car and it turned into a nightmare. Was sold as perfect, discovered it seems to have a spun bearing, found out the dealer didn’t give me the Ford warranty that I asked for or I wouldn’t buy the car. Surprised to find out it’s third party after the fact. Car has been at the dealership since May 25th and I still don’t even have any approval for service.
FULL TIMELINE:
So, I finally got my dream car, a 2018 Shelby GT350. I knew I had to have one at some point in my life. Finally had the opportunity to make it a reality. Did all my research and watched and waited for the right one and it finally popped up. Seemed like it was meant to be. My color, mint condition, ~9,400 miles, local. Bought it in February from Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI. Knowing the stigma around these cars and engine issues, I knew I had to get one with a warranty to feel like I could enjoy it with peace of mind, so I wanted one with a good service history and to maintain that. I’ve never actually bought a car from a dealership with a warranty before. Everything I’ve owned has been at least 10 years old and from private sellers. Always serviced my vehicles myself or with my trusted local shop that I’ve gone to since my very first car. Wanted something new(ish), totally stock, and just do regular maintenance with a warranty.
February
After I bought it in early February, it sat until the weather got better. Finally started driving it on select days by end of March. Hadn’t really gotten on it until then. Car was always warmed up for at least 15 minutes before even driving it, followed all the rules and routines for oil temp, RPM, etc. Noticed a rattle around 4k rpm. Sounded like heat shield or loose exhaust hanger. Would also get a buzz in the dash when revving it out, which has been mentioned by others due to the Voodoo’s inherent vibrations. Also assumed the cool weather in the morning was contributing to the noise. Took it in for service to check it out. They had it for one afternoon and said “can’t replicate” and told me to come get it. The minute I pulled away it does the rattle. I shake my head and come back a week later. Tell them it’s done it hot or cold, any condition, it’s consistent. I ask them to have the tech ride along and I’ll demonstrate. They say maybe they hear something. I demonstrate what they couldn’t replicate and point it out. Mind you I’ve never had a car with a warranty or dealt with dealer service. So this whole dance is new to me.
May 25th (week 1)
They say they can’t take the car again until late May, so I bring it in again May 25th. After a week I contact them for an update and they say the tech went on vacation. This is after I asked when I should bring it in to get worked on and they told me they were ready for it. Another week goes by, they tell me the tech missed a few days and there were other things that got prioritized over me by management.
June 13th (week 3)
They contact me to say the noise is coming from the underside of the vehicle. They say the tech is gathering info to present to the warranty company. That wording seemed odd to me so I asked about the warranty and he said it’s third party, not Ford. So I call the finance manager who admits that it’s ”Ford Preferred” and that it’s not technically Ford but a trusted partner and that there must have been some misunderstanding during the sign-up process. I couldn’t have been any more clear, broken record like a said. They handed me the “Ford Protect PremiumCare” brochure, which I still have with notes written on it. I tell him the motor is likely bad and why is this taking so long. He says that this warranty company is actually faster than Ford to respond. Sure. Only saving grace is that I have a warranty. I insisted on a true Ford warranty. I said it has to be Ford, no third party or I’m not buying the car. I literally said this about 7 times during the discussion with the finance manager. I was a broken record. And I asked 3 different times if the engine is covered for failure as that was my #1 concern. He said it’s covered, no worries. So far nothing has been what it seems and I’m honestly suspicious of anything they tell me.
June 16th (week 3)
They call to tell me there is significant metal in the oil and that they need my approval to have the engine pulled and disassembled for the warranty inspector to assess. They also tell me that I need to be prepared to pay $4500 for this if the inspector doesn’t approve any service from their findings. Say what? I’ve had the car for 4 months, driven a total of maybe 1k miles commuting to work here and there. Why do I feel like they’re looking to get out of something or scare me off. When I was checking out the car to buy it they told me it went through a multi point inspection and everything was great on the car when I came to see and test drive it. Oil had been changed, everything was good to go. I thought buying from Ford, at the dealership the car came from when new and retuned to as used was safe as they’d have vetted the car if they accepted it for trade in. So I tell them go ahead and tear it down. I can’t drive a car that could leave me on the side of the road. I take trauma call so having a basically new car that could fail me when I need to be to work in 30 minutes or less was not an option.
June 22nd (week 4)
I check in, they say some of the accessories are off and that engine should be coming out the next day.
June 28th (week 5)
I contact dealer, engine is still in, just accessories off still. Tech pulled to other jobs again.
July 5th (week 6)
Stop by again in person to see the car. Engine was still in, looked the same as last time. Front wheels off, brakes hung, exhaust off. Looked inside and they had white gritty crap all over my seat for who knows how long (pic link below). They also had the belly pan leaning its leading plastic edge on the bare paint on the side of the car, no protection. I take pictures and show them to the service advisor and ask him to have the seat cleaned off and covered and told him i moved the under tray off my paint. Car was up in the air, otherwise I would have cleaned it myself.
July 13th (Week 7)
I contact them. They finally have the engine out and said they sent pics to the warranty company. They send me pics of the oil filter, bearings, and crankshaft (pic link below). Looks like a spun bearing. Warranty company will have to review the pics.
July 27th (Week 9)
I asked for an update, they tell me nothing is approved yet by warranty company. Supposedly the service manager is reaching out to the regional field inspector for the warranty company. Later that day they tell me that the field inspector will be out to look at the vehicle in person in 3-4 business days.
So here it stands, two months and no definitive direction. Is this par for the course or am I just stuck in limbo here? Heard stories of people getting their engine diagnosed and replaced, all in less than 2 weeks. Two months and no end in sight. Take a look at the pics linked below and let me know what you think. Also included a pic of my seat covered in white grit for however long. They only noticed because I mentioned it and the hard edge of the plastic under tray against the paint. I’ve tried to be patient but all this stuff is getting on my nerves. I’m assuming an oiling failure of some sort in order to chew up the bearing and scour the crank like that (spun bearing)? Do these cars just eat bearings out of the blue? Stories from others make it seem pretty random. Rolling the dice with every engine. Went from being so genuinely excited for this summer with the 350 to being just deflated. On the whole I feel duped by the dealer in many respects with regard to the car’s condition, the warranty, and the timeline for service. Thanks in advance for any input or advice.
See pictures of bearings, crankshaft, oil filter, seat, and warranty brochure linked below:
TLDR: bought my dream car and it turned into a nightmare. Was sold as perfect, discovered it seems to have a spun bearing, found out the dealer didn’t give me the Ford warranty that I asked for or I wouldn’t buy the car. Surprised to find out it’s third party after the fact. Car has been at the dealership since May 25th and I still don’t even have any approval for service.
FULL TIMELINE:
So, I finally got my dream car, a 2018 Shelby GT350. I knew I had to have one at some point in my life. Finally had the opportunity to make it a reality. Did all my research and watched and waited for the right one and it finally popped up. Seemed like it was meant to be. My color, mint condition, ~9,400 miles, local. Bought it in February from Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI. Knowing the stigma around these cars and engine issues, I knew I had to get one with a warranty to feel like I could enjoy it with peace of mind, so I wanted one with a good service history and to maintain that. I’ve never actually bought a car from a dealership with a warranty before. Everything I’ve owned has been at least 10 years old and from private sellers. Always serviced my vehicles myself or with my trusted local shop that I’ve gone to since my very first car. Wanted something new(ish), totally stock, and just do regular maintenance with a warranty.
February
After I bought it in early February, it sat until the weather got better. Finally started driving it on select days by end of March. Hadn’t really gotten on it until then. Car was always warmed up for at least 15 minutes before even driving it, followed all the rules and routines for oil temp, RPM, etc. Noticed a rattle around 4k rpm. Sounded like heat shield or loose exhaust hanger. Would also get a buzz in the dash when revving it out, which has been mentioned by others due to the Voodoo’s inherent vibrations. Also assumed the cool weather in the morning was contributing to the noise. Took it in for service to check it out. They had it for one afternoon and said “can’t replicate” and told me to come get it. The minute I pulled away it does the rattle. I shake my head and come back a week later. Tell them it’s done it hot or cold, any condition, it’s consistent. I ask them to have the tech ride along and I’ll demonstrate. They say maybe they hear something. I demonstrate what they couldn’t replicate and point it out. Mind you I’ve never had a car with a warranty or dealt with dealer service. So this whole dance is new to me.
May 25th (week 1)
They say they can’t take the car again until late May, so I bring it in again May 25th. After a week I contact them for an update and they say the tech went on vacation. This is after I asked when I should bring it in to get worked on and they told me they were ready for it. Another week goes by, they tell me the tech missed a few days and there were other things that got prioritized over me by management.
June 13th (week 3)
They contact me to say the noise is coming from the underside of the vehicle. They say the tech is gathering info to present to the warranty company. That wording seemed odd to me so I asked about the warranty and he said it’s third party, not Ford. So I call the finance manager who admits that it’s ”Ford Preferred” and that it’s not technically Ford but a trusted partner and that there must have been some misunderstanding during the sign-up process. I couldn’t have been any more clear, broken record like a said. They handed me the “Ford Protect PremiumCare” brochure, which I still have with notes written on it. I tell him the motor is likely bad and why is this taking so long. He says that this warranty company is actually faster than Ford to respond. Sure. Only saving grace is that I have a warranty. I insisted on a true Ford warranty. I said it has to be Ford, no third party or I’m not buying the car. I literally said this about 7 times during the discussion with the finance manager. I was a broken record. And I asked 3 different times if the engine is covered for failure as that was my #1 concern. He said it’s covered, no worries. So far nothing has been what it seems and I’m honestly suspicious of anything they tell me.
June 16th (week 3)
They call to tell me there is significant metal in the oil and that they need my approval to have the engine pulled and disassembled for the warranty inspector to assess. They also tell me that I need to be prepared to pay $4500 for this if the inspector doesn’t approve any service from their findings. Say what? I’ve had the car for 4 months, driven a total of maybe 1k miles commuting to work here and there. Why do I feel like they’re looking to get out of something or scare me off. When I was checking out the car to buy it they told me it went through a multi point inspection and everything was great on the car when I came to see and test drive it. Oil had been changed, everything was good to go. I thought buying from Ford, at the dealership the car came from when new and retuned to as used was safe as they’d have vetted the car if they accepted it for trade in. So I tell them go ahead and tear it down. I can’t drive a car that could leave me on the side of the road. I take trauma call so having a basically new car that could fail me when I need to be to work in 30 minutes or less was not an option.
June 22nd (week 4)
I check in, they say some of the accessories are off and that engine should be coming out the next day.
June 28th (week 5)
I contact dealer, engine is still in, just accessories off still. Tech pulled to other jobs again.
July 5th (week 6)
Stop by again in person to see the car. Engine was still in, looked the same as last time. Front wheels off, brakes hung, exhaust off. Looked inside and they had white gritty crap all over my seat for who knows how long (pic link below). They also had the belly pan leaning its leading plastic edge on the bare paint on the side of the car, no protection. I take pictures and show them to the service advisor and ask him to have the seat cleaned off and covered and told him i moved the under tray off my paint. Car was up in the air, otherwise I would have cleaned it myself.
July 13th (Week 7)
I contact them. They finally have the engine out and said they sent pics to the warranty company. They send me pics of the oil filter, bearings, and crankshaft (pic link below). Looks like a spun bearing. Warranty company will have to review the pics.
July 27th (Week 9)
I asked for an update, they tell me nothing is approved yet by warranty company. Supposedly the service manager is reaching out to the regional field inspector for the warranty company. Later that day they tell me that the field inspector will be out to look at the vehicle in person in 3-4 business days.
So here it stands, two months and no definitive direction. Is this par for the course or am I just stuck in limbo here? Heard stories of people getting their engine diagnosed and replaced, all in less than 2 weeks. Two months and no end in sight. Take a look at the pics linked below and let me know what you think. Also included a pic of my seat covered in white grit for however long. They only noticed because I mentioned it and the hard edge of the plastic under tray against the paint. I’ve tried to be patient but all this stuff is getting on my nerves. I’m assuming an oiling failure of some sort in order to chew up the bearing and scour the crank like that (spun bearing)? Do these cars just eat bearings out of the blue? Stories from others make it seem pretty random. Rolling the dice with every engine. Went from being so genuinely excited for this summer with the 350 to being just deflated. On the whole I feel duped by the dealer in many respects with regard to the car’s condition, the warranty, and the timeline for service. Thanks in advance for any input or advice.
See pictures of bearings, crankshaft, oil filter, seat, and warranty brochure linked below:
