What I don’t understand is why the cam phaser issue is still happening 2-3 years after it was first discovered. 2019’s are subject to the failure just like 2017 and 2018’s were. Vendor quality control issue?
My guess is Ford has hundreds of already built engines in a stockpile ready for installation. Probably enough for the next year or two. That could explain why some of the latest 2019s are still having these issues. And, if the engine isn't changing due to re-engineering, the stockpile will continue to be used for 2020s and so on.
To Ford, they just ask a question: is it cheaper to repair these issues as they come in or break down all the engines we already built, research and resdeign the parts and potentially hamper sales? I think we know that answer.
I had a 2017 Charger. In 2015, there was a radiator clamp defect that got into production and caused brand new cars to leak water. Nice! They fixed it by adding a second clamp when you brought the car in for the repair. You'd think they'd have redesigned and fixed the issue for future vehicles not even built yet. Nope! I had a 2017 I ordered and built and it had the same fix for the 2015... A secondary radiator clamp. So, clearly, they had thousands or more cars/parts, whatever, already built and weren't going to fix them... just repair.
Toyota solves a lot of these issues by using "Kanban": Build only what you need. So if a problem is found they can identify it right away, fix it, and going forward use the new design without much waste.
Unfortunately, people like me (and everyone else) order the truck knowing there is a small chance I'll get a lemon and just hope I don't.