[SSBL]

I have tried to wade through several long threads about warranty suggestions however, my lack of in-depth mechanics and I admit patience has made it difficult to make serious process.

My truck was purchased with 18k miles and with a problematic repair (during previous owners possession) on a recall part that caused it to immediately overheat within a week of having it. Repairs were covered under warranty including replacing a turbo, twice.

Recently I was able to get a $3000 repair of a “cracked” DEF filter down to $700 by sheer persistence and research but I believe that they used some “customer loyalty” or “customer can’t pay” program. I’m not willing to depend on that.

I’m wanting to explore options to mitigate future repair costs as it looks likely there might be more issues. I’m a retired teacher now living on a fixed income and will depend on this truck for many years. I have no intention of selling it, especially in a market that will not allow me to replace it. I paid cash. It has 51k miles now and the last issue was not covered, clearly.

Can someone clearly state any options I might have, if any, for long term care of this vehicle? This forum is appreciated. TIA.

 

[jmperlik]

If you are not purchasing new during F&I process, there are several dealers selling Ford ESPs online:

Ford Extended Warranty - Geniune Ford ESP Sales (floodfordesp.com)
Save $$ on Genuine Ford Protect Extended Service Plans (ESP) (zeiglerfordesp.com)

These are your cheapest route if you want Ford ESP (vs. 3rd party aftermarket extended warranty plans)

 

[beaker]

I guess my initial response is that insurance is always out there to make money. They are not a charity. So be aware of that premiums reflect what they expect to pay out plus x%. When it comes to the F150 Powerstroke, they have to be guessing on repair costs; there just aren't that many of them out there. That uncertainty could work in both directions for you if you are set on a warranty.

In researching this a bit earlier, I found that there does not appear to be a warranty anywhere that will cover a future particulate filter failure. I think it's bogus, but I am not on the clause writing team.

To me, it seems that there is a lot of missing information that you may or may not have. The biggest flag I have is the overheating. These engines have iron blocks and aluminum heads. They have different rates of expansion, which is not an issue when operated normally; this design will run 1,000,000 miles in some applications (Duramax for example). They do not do well when overheated, especially if it was seriously overheated. It can be repaired, but it takes skill and money to properly mill down warped head(s).

My next concern would be the failed turbo(s). I honestly have no idea what has caused that . I currently own 5 turbo vehicles, and have owned turbos pretty much exclusively for almost 35 years. I've never had one fail. Someone else will have to chime in on why yours may have failed.

I guess what I keep coming back to, is that you really need to do is figure out what is (or was) going on with your specific truck. By that I mean beyond what the dealer botched up. What did they do wrong and how did that cause the next problem? How was the subsequent problem repaired? How likely is all of this to cause a future failure? Unfortunately, these engines are super-rare, so it's not like there are mechanics who know the ins and outs of the engine. Depending on where you live, maybe you can consult with a JLR technician. Even a VW/Audi or a Sprinter technician may have better insight than an average run-of-the mill Ford tech.

In short, an extended warranty could help you if you assume you will have continuing problems, but continuing problems will ultimately fail anoter DPF at your cost, extended warranty or no...

 

[SSBL]

If what I remember here isn’t enough to clarify I can dig into my records when I am home. There was a recall repair that was botched before I owned it. This caused coolant to drain out and the truck to over heat. I never drove it more that enough feet to bring it to a safe stop. This happened 3 times. At first we assumed they did not replenish the fluid. It wasn’t until I saw fluid dripping from under the truck that I realized the issue. The turbo as I recall was “corrupted” or maybe “had corrosion” and could not be used and needed to be replaced. In the time they had it, they replaced it again. They had it for a couple of months. I didn’t have any bill for all of that, it was covered. We had put 30k, ran great, on it before the check engine light came on. I was taking it in anyway for a 50k check up because as I said, I’m using it on my ranch. That’s when they found the “cracked” DPF. Does this make more sense mechanically? Thanks for your help.

 

[Dunrollin]

Thanks for sharing the story. Those egr recalls resulted in so many problems. I had a truck that never recovered from the 1st recall, @Dijit experienced the same leak in his egr valve you described, and the sad thing is Ford took in excellent, well running trucks and by sheer carelessness created many issues. Fortunately many trucks were professionally done but there are several of us with terrible stories like yours.

I know nothing about a cracked dpf but look at this quote: "I’m absolutely convinced that the many other problems we’ve had with those engines over the last two to three years and the many EGR valves we’ve had fail, that every time you have one of those events where you create really high heat build-up in the DPF is what’s causing this,” he said. “Every time one of those (EGR valves) fails, you are creating tremendous stress in the exhaust system and overloading the DPF and creating really high temperatures. The only thing that’ll crack the DPF is if it runs too hot.” From this article that is not about our 3.0 engines: A DPF Dilemma

Excessive heat may be the leading cause of dpf cracking, which happens to the internal components.

 

[SSBL]

Thanks for sharing the story. Those egr recalls resulted in so many problems. I had a truck that never recovered from the 1st recall, @Dijit experienced the same leak in his egr valve you described, and the sad thing is Ford took in excellent, well running trucks and by sheer carelessness created many issues. Fortunately many trucks were professionally done but there are several of us with terrible stories like yours.

I know nothing about a cracked dpf but look at this quote: "I’m absolutely convinced that the many other problems we’ve had with those engines over the last two to three years and the many EGR valves we’ve had fail, that every time you have one of those events where you create really high heat build-up in the DPF is what’s causing this,” he said. “Every time one of those (EGR valves) fails, you are creating tremendous stress in the exhaust system and overloading the DPF and creating really high temperatures. The only thing that’ll crack the DPF is if it runs too hot.” From this article that is not about our 3.0 engines: A DPF Dilemma

Excessive heat may be the leading cause of dpf cracking, which happens to the internal components.

Ok. I’m glad I’m not alone. I guess the biggest question is, was it cracked by those events or was it cracked recently? Does it mean my engine has peaking temps? Or is it possible that it was an old “injury” that is just now showing up?

(Edited by Dunrollin to delete duplicate quotes)

 

[beaker]

This info helps a lot. So the first thing I am inferring is that the overheating episodes, while a major inconvenience, probably did no long term harm. And as for the turbo failure, it very much sounds like the variable vanes seizing up.
A failed variable vane assembly on a turbo can absolutely cause excess soot. I guess it just bothers me that you went 30,000 miles without any apparent issues and then had a cracked DPF show up. Damage is cumulative, but it would still be really good to make sure you don't have something going on that is contributing to a future failure.

II have a few questions out there. First is how sure you are that the correct oil is being used? DPFs are very particular about the amount of ash in the oil. This brings up a second question, namely are you consuming oil? Even if you have a low ash oil, if you have a lot going into the exhaust in the form of oil consumption, it will kill the DPF quickly.

Next would be usage style. Unlike old diesels that farmers (ranchers) used to keep idling all day long, these emissions-equipped trucks do not tolerate idling or continuous low-load operation. I also have to ask, since you mention ranch truck. Can we assume that you are using on-road "ultra-low sulfur" fuel?

I personally would invest in ForScan and monitor how often you are regenerating. If it is in-line with what other users are seeing, then you should expect the DPF will last at least 150,000 miles. If you are okay there, then start looking into extended warranties. Just pulling a number out of the air, I'm going to guess $3500 for a 100k warranty. I'd assume that you have all of your *and the previous owner's" past maintenance records if you go down this route, as there is sure to be a clause to deny a claim for "lack of maintenance".

Final thought You've racked up 30,000 miles inside of 2 years (speculating). So you will be out of your exteneded warranty in maybe 4 more years, with $xxxx spent on a warranty regardless of whether you needed the repairs or not. And at this point the truck with be worth 30% of what it's worth now. Lots of questions that only you can answer

 

[Chrispy]

And this is exactly why I am leaning more and more to just deleting my truck all together to get rid off the issues.

Had my recall done and now am leaking coolant. 🙃

 

[SSBL]

And this is exactly why I am leaning more and more to just deleting my truck all together to get rid off the issues.

Had my recall done and now am leaking coolant. 🙃

Thumb Down. Check turbo!

 

[NylesN]

I am so tired of this unreliable vehicle. If the vehicle market wasn't so screwed up I would trade for something reliable.