Hey everyone, I’m having some serious issues with my 2016 F150 3.5L Ecoboost. The truck started running rough back in 2023, and the check engine light came on with code P0022. I took it to my local Ford dealer, and they told me the main chain was stretched, and the tensioner was weak. They replaced the VCT units, main chain, tensioner, and some other parts. It cost me about $4000 CAD.
I took it home, but the idle was still really rough the same day, jumping from 1100 to 400 RPM. I brought it back, and the tech said it was the spark plugs. I paid another $500 CAD, but it didn’t fix the issue. Then, they told me to drive 1000 km for the idle and fuel efficiency to return to normal.
Since then, I’ve driven over 6000 km. The check engine light has come back on twice. The first time, it went away after I turned off the truck, but the second time, I scanned it, and it was the P0022 code again. I took it back, and now they’re saying two of the four VCT solenoids have failed, and they want to charge me another $3300 to fix it. But here’s the thing… they already billed me for the VCTs and valve cover gaskets during the first fix.
I don’t have the money to pay for this, and honestly, I’m not sure I should have to if they already did the work. If they didn’t replace the VCTs when they did the timing chain, shouldn’t they have told me? Now I’m stuck paying for all this labor again. I’d appreciate any advice on what I should do.
I had the same problem with my 2018 F150 3.5 EB about a month ago. The first time it happened, the cam phasers were replaced under a Customer Satisfaction Bulletin in the US, and it fixed the rough idle right away.
But after about a year and 12,000 miles, the cam phasers failed again. This time, I didn’t have the rough idle, but there was a loud knocking sound for the first 5-10 seconds on a cold start. I decided to trade it in instead of paying for the repair again.
The dealership told me the 2016-2019 models have this issue, and Ford wouldn’t cover the repair the second time. I even reached out to Ford customer service, and they denied any responsibility. I just didn’t want to keep paying for something that might fail again in a few years.
Hope you can figure it out! It’s frustrating when you love the truck but don’t want to deal with constant repairs.
@Shannon
Thanks for your reply! I’m actually thinking about trading it in too, but I’m trying to figure out how to get the most value from it first. Interest rates are crazy right now, especially since I’m 19 and haven’t had much time to build my credit. If I finance another F150, I might wait for a promotion, but I could be looking at rates between 6.99% and 11%.
I started a general contracting and septic design/install business last year, so I need a reliable truck to keep things going. I’m just trying to decide if it’s worth putting more money into this one or finding a deal on something that’ll last me the next 5-7 years.
You should take the paperwork from the $4k repair and the estimate for this $3k one and ask to speak with the service manager. What’s their policy on repairs?
Van said:
You should take the paperwork from the $4k repair and the estimate for this $3k one and ask to speak with the service manager. What’s their policy on repairs?
Thanks for the advice! I’ve got a meeting with the service manager on Monday (weather permitting). I’ll be bringing all the paperwork with me so I can have everything in order when we talk.
Honestly, sounds like the tech didn’t diagnose it properly the first time. If they told you ‘X’ would fix the problem and it didn’t, then that means it wasn’t the issue to begin with, and they charged you for unnecessary repairs.
Now, they’re calling for the same repair again? That’s crazy and really makes the techs look bad. A shop that does random repairs without figuring out the actual problem should be responsible for the money spent on those fixes.
I think you should ask for your money back on the first repair since it clearly wasn’t the issue. The 3.5 engine is generally solid, but it’s had some problems with the cam phasers, which might be related to the oil pump not pushing enough volume. You might want to look into getting an aftermarket oil pump, especially if your truck has higher mileage. It could help with keeping the phasers running smoothly.
@Lex
Thanks a lot for your reply. I’ve got a meeting with the service manager this week to go over everything. The dealership mentioned that the original tech who worked on my truck isn’t there anymore, and now their transmission tech is the one looking at it. Last time, they were telling me ‘this is the guy you want working on your truck,’ and now they’re saying the same thing about this new guy.
I’m really losing confidence in this dealership. I hope this meeting clears things up. I’ll also look into that aftermarket oil pump. The truck has about 160,000 km, so it might help.
