Silver 03 Cobra
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2002
- Messages
- 2,054
Those with TOB/retainer problems, please post a brief history of your problems. Please inlcude your build number and the approximate mileage when yours gave up.
I'll start.
Build no. 21 of 8394 coupes. Delivered on June 8, 2002.
First week of delivery, 200 miles - Bearing started sqealing. Reported the problem the next week. Car was bone stock with the exception of a Bassani x/p and catback installed the first day I had the car. TOB noise was intermittent.
Mid-November 02, 8k miles - Finally got bothersome enough I took it back to the dealer. I was really jacked around on my mods even though I had reported the problem the second week of ownership. I asked the dealer to install a new OEM clutch at my expense. Dealer dropped the ball on the clutch and it got ugly after they started complaining about my car taking up space in their shop for a week even though it turned out that it was their fault they screwed up ordering the new clutch.
Late Dec. 02, 10k miles - while spinning after getting stuck in the snow I developed a knocking sound. Took it to another dealer and had a new T56 installed due to a broken TOB retainer.
Feb. 03, 12k miles - New TOB started sqealing again. Noise came and went. Dreaded dealer BS so I put it off. I was told I was being laid off in a few months in Dec. of 02. I had to work a lot of OT including mostly 12 hours/day, seven days per week since.
March 04, 33k miles - Pulled into work and heard the "knock". Damn it. Took it to the same dealer that replaced the T56 the last time with virtualy the same mods at the last repair. Was told over the phone my car had been modified and they would not repair it. I called SVT and spoke to Matt to complain about the TOB. The dealer's name never came up. I never complained about being turned down. I was complaining about the TOB. I called the dealer and told them I had called SVT and they didn't convince me modding my engine caused the TOB to fail. I told them to get my car ready. When I arrived, I asked to speak to SHeery, the service manager. I was told she was in a meeting but that she said they were going to replace the TOB but since I had called SVT, my own admission, they would have to think about it and for me to call her later in the day. I told them I called and complained about the TOB, not their dealership or their decision. I told them I would go elsewhere. I ordered the parts to do the repair myself when I got time before I got to the dealer.
My problem is this. Matt said first run Cobras had bad TOB's. Even though Ford knew there were bad TOB's out there, the dealership still jacked my ass even though I reported the problem the first week of ownership. Matt said that problem had been corrected. I told him my TOB had been replaced in 03 but that was in error. He said that I had the revised TOB if I had it replaced in 03. HE said that modding my engine caused the TOB to fail. I pretty much convinced him modding an engine can't hurt a TOB. His response after he saw my side, "Well, I'm assuming since you mod your car, you also race it and that's what caused the TOB to fail". After I hung up I remembered that my TOB was replaced in Dec. of 02. It seems to me that a lot of 03 Cobra owners have had problems and I know that a lot of these are not first run Cobras. I know modding an engine will not hurt a TOB. No power is translated to the TOB. Please post your numbers. I need this data.
I'll start.
Build no. 21 of 8394 coupes. Delivered on June 8, 2002.
First week of delivery, 200 miles - Bearing started sqealing. Reported the problem the next week. Car was bone stock with the exception of a Bassani x/p and catback installed the first day I had the car. TOB noise was intermittent.
Mid-November 02, 8k miles - Finally got bothersome enough I took it back to the dealer. I was really jacked around on my mods even though I had reported the problem the second week of ownership. I asked the dealer to install a new OEM clutch at my expense. Dealer dropped the ball on the clutch and it got ugly after they started complaining about my car taking up space in their shop for a week even though it turned out that it was their fault they screwed up ordering the new clutch.
Late Dec. 02, 10k miles - while spinning after getting stuck in the snow I developed a knocking sound. Took it to another dealer and had a new T56 installed due to a broken TOB retainer.
Feb. 03, 12k miles - New TOB started sqealing again. Noise came and went. Dreaded dealer BS so I put it off. I was told I was being laid off in a few months in Dec. of 02. I had to work a lot of OT including mostly 12 hours/day, seven days per week since.
March 04, 33k miles - Pulled into work and heard the "knock". Damn it. Took it to the same dealer that replaced the T56 the last time with virtualy the same mods at the last repair. Was told over the phone my car had been modified and they would not repair it. I called SVT and spoke to Matt to complain about the TOB. The dealer's name never came up. I never complained about being turned down. I was complaining about the TOB. I called the dealer and told them I had called SVT and they didn't convince me modding my engine caused the TOB to fail. I told them to get my car ready. When I arrived, I asked to speak to SHeery, the service manager. I was told she was in a meeting but that she said they were going to replace the TOB but since I had called SVT, my own admission, they would have to think about it and for me to call her later in the day. I told them I called and complained about the TOB, not their dealership or their decision. I told them I would go elsewhere. I ordered the parts to do the repair myself when I got time before I got to the dealer.
My problem is this. Matt said first run Cobras had bad TOB's. Even though Ford knew there were bad TOB's out there, the dealership still jacked my ass even though I reported the problem the first week of ownership. Matt said that problem had been corrected. I told him my TOB had been replaced in 03 but that was in error. He said that I had the revised TOB if I had it replaced in 03. HE said that modding my engine caused the TOB to fail. I pretty much convinced him modding an engine can't hurt a TOB. His response after he saw my side, "Well, I'm assuming since you mod your car, you also race it and that's what caused the TOB to fail". After I hung up I remembered that my TOB was replaced in Dec. of 02. It seems to me that a lot of 03 Cobra owners have had problems and I know that a lot of these are not first run Cobras. I know modding an engine will not hurt a TOB. No power is translated to the TOB. Please post your numbers. I need this data.
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