Advice on How to Proceed QUE THE BUYBACK!

[BoostCreep]

You know, that creaking sound familiar. I got one of those. Mine started after they took almost three weeks finding a vibration at 48 mph. They rebuild the transfer case, the hubs then finally found ring and piñon. My vibration would go away in 4A. Anyway, come to find out the bone heads left the cross member loose. Try putting a wrench on those bolts. Once tightened the squeaking stopped

Is a piñon what they put in your diff when the trucks are built in Mexico? Haha.

Yea mine is 95% eliminated in 4A. I think that happens because while everything is spinning in 2H, it spins much faster in 4A, thus lessening the felt vibration.

I’ve used a mechanics stethoscope to isolate the passenger door creaking to the A pillar where the hinges mount. In fact, if I unbolt the door check and swing the door open and closed just on the hinges, it’s silent.

So the creaking is caused by the torque the door check puts on the A pillar as it cycles.

 

[smurfslayer]

I don’t think you will be happy with the truck. You don’t want them to tear it apart, but worrisome if it broke. I say sell it in CA, go east and get a different one.

FIFY. If every Raptor buyer in California does this, it screws the entire national market place for Raptors.
California Raptors for California buyers at California prices with California taxes.

Sadly this is kinda my gut feeling.

Yeah, i said this early on, at least now you’re coming clean.

Let it go and get the truck to someone who will enjoy it.

 

[BoostCreep]

FIFY. If every Raptor buyer in California does this, it screws the entire national market place for Raptors.
California Raptors for California buyers at California prices with California taxes.



Yeah, i said this early on, at least now you’re coming clean.

Let it go and get the truck to someone who will enjoy it.

Aw man don’t do us dirty like that haha. I understand your point of view. For my G3 I drove pretty far but did stay within CA to purchase.

That’s my conflict, I do love and enjoy the truck. I just don’t really have the time or stomach to go back and forth with Ford and a handful of dealers for months to resolve all these issues, which I’m pretty sure is what it’ll take. If my issues were some of the bs problems I see on this forum I’d live with it or let it slide, but a coupe of these things are beyond that.

 

[CVP33]

I lemon’d 4 vehicles in 40 years. It’s not about you……it’s a $100K asset. If it’s in the shop over 45 days like mine were…..I‘m done. NC is the absolute best state for car consumers. BBB handled all of mine…I just showed my dealer service center receipts.

 

[BoostCreep]

I lemon’d 4 vehicles in 40 years. It’s not about you……it’s a $100K asset. If it’s in the shop over 45 days like mine were…..I‘m done. NC is the absolute best state for car consumers. BBB handled all of mine…I just showed my dealer service center receipts.

How long was the process. I didn’t know there was a more consumer friendly state than CA haha.

 

[CVP33]

How long was the process. I didn’t know there was a more consumer friendly state than CA haha.

The process actually took four months. What makes North Carolina so good is they treat a car as 150,000 mile asset. They divide the miles driven by 150,000 and you are reimbursed for all costs including tax title and tag. Our last one was a 2020 Hyundai palisade. We had just over 10,000 miles when we lemon’d it. While we were waiting for Hyundai to arrange for the transfer we drove the **** out of it. Actually turned it over with 17,000 miles and 7 mos of ownership. We were paid nearly 95% of original purchase price.

 

[Nex]

I’ve used a mechanics stethoscope to isolate the passenger door creaking to the A pillar where the hinges mount. In fact, if I unbolt the door check and swing the door open and closed just on the hinges, it’s silent.

So the creaking is caused by the torque the door check puts on the A pillar as it cycles.

This sounds more like a bad door check strap than the hinges. It would make noise and still twist things without the check strap if the hinges were bad.

 

[BoostCreep]

This sounds more like a bad door check strap than the hinges. It would make noise and still twist things without the check strap if the hinges were bad.

That was what I thought too as I was diagnosing, but the A pillar visibly flexes a lot, and that’s where the sound comes from with the stethoscope.

When you disconnect the door check, the hinges are too smooth to impose any torque on the A pillar to cause the noise.

To isolate the door check I used the door check bolt to secure a piece of bar to the A pillar, and then was able to make the noise myself by pulling really hard on the bar/A pillar. It’s something in the pillar itself, I’m 100% on that.

 

[Fireman Dave]

I'm sure your a good guy and have some valid concerns but just being honest, your pretty much hitting every stereotype of a Californian that wants to hire a lawyer the minute things aren't going his way and only trying one solution, i.e. dealer. (Sorry, midwest perspective here.) LOL

The vibration thing certainly may be concerning but the dealer acknowledged it and it's documented so that is in your favor. The truck has a bunch more warranty on it, just drive the thing and see what happens. It will eventually either break something or you can put the effort of going to another dealer and letting them look at it.

The passenger door thing should be easily fixed by a reputable body shop. Talk to the body shop manager and tell him your concerns. Paint repair, if any will likely not even be in an area that will not be visible enough to offend your pursuit of perfection.

HVAC. This may be a weird one but honestly, how many times are you going to be in 20 degree temps in socal? It's documented and under warranty, just drive it for a while.

Brake pedal clicking is totally normal. Also does it on my 2023 Raptor 37, my 2022 Explorer ST and my wife's 22 Bronco. Turn up the radio.

Fob detection issues a few times. Change the $2 battery and it will likely fix it. Or keep the fob in your pocket where it belongs so when you approach the vehicle it wakes up and senses that your approaching the vehicle as per design.

The B pillar is fixed so now a non issue.

At the end of the day, a reasonable person would ascertain that you have two potential relevant concerns. The vibration and the passenger door. Looking at this in a completely analytical mindset, considering pursuing a buyback at this early stage of reasonable problem solution efforts is completely over reactive and should you pursue this you will likely find deficiencies in the next vehicle you purchase as well. Put some more effort into it and try another dealer unless you just don't want it and are looking for a way out.

You said you had thick skin so I hope you can take this in the spirit it was intended of providing honest feedback.

 

[SurfRaptor]

I’m in OC, we have lots of dealers but this one has great reviews and I had a good experience with them doing warranty work on my Gen 2, so I went back.

Which dealer? I'm in Newport.