Just signed the papers… Why is my new truck already in the shop?

I went to the dealership today to check out a 2024 flash. I was ready to sign up for the 72-month plan with no interest. After dealing with a sales guy who didn’t seem to know much, I managed to get through the finance guy and avoided any of those extra warranties they always try to push.

I signed the papers and went to leave, but there was no audio or radio. I tried everything, and every salesman came out to help, but no luck. They said they would check it in the morning.

I couldn’t even drive it off the lot!

I faced a similar problem. After signing all the paperwork, the salesman finally showed me how the truck works. He tried to demonstrate the CarPlay feature, but there was no audio. When he took it to the service guy, he mentioned it was a bad ASM module or something.

The salesman felt guilty about selling me a non-working truck and offered to switch me to a similar Lightning that was about $600 more expensive, which had a bed liner. Unfortunately, it wasn’t state inspected yet, and I had flown in to the dealership on a Saturday. So, I stuck with the original truck and he offered me all-weather floor mats for free, saying to take it to my local dealership for repairs.

The next day, I checked online for fixes. If you remove fuses #28 and #30, wait a bit, and reconnect, it should solve the problem.

EDIT: It’s actually fuses #28 and #32.

@Pax
This is why this forum is so helpful.

@Pax
Another way to fix it is by addressing connection issues with CarPlay that are common with Fords. Press and hold the volume down button and the next track button on the steering wheel for a restart of the center console, which will help reconnect your phone. This works without stopping the truck.

@Rex
That fix is for CarPlay only, not when the whole head unit isn’t producing any sound, including the radio and navigation. But yes, that method does work.

@Pax
It’s fuses #28 (30A) and #32 (20A).

@Pax
That’s high on my list for tomorrow when I check back.

That’s unfortunate. Good luck! Dealerships can be a real pain.

Dumb question, but did you try pressing the volume down and the >| button on the steering wheel for 8 seconds?

Drew said:
Dumb question, but did you try pressing the volume down and the >| button on the steering wheel for 8 seconds?

Yeah, that resets CarPlay or you can do what you suggested to reset the entire entertainment system. (Wouldn’t be surprised if the sales team didn’t think to suggest that.)

@Sparrow
I think that is a different problem than what he is having. The truck has no sound coming from the radio, CarPlay, or navigation at all.

That fix is only for those moments when CarPlay acts up.

No test drive? Do they have another truck to swap it with?

Nico said:
No test drive? Do they have another truck to swap it with?

I didn’t even think to check if the radio worked in a brand new vehicle. Crazy, right?

Nico said:
No test drive? Do they have another truck to swap it with?

Every Ford I’ve bought in the last decade has required me to take it for a test drive, at three different dealerships. The first time I said no because my brother has the same model, but the salesperson said I should still take it for a quick drive. Same thing with my Bronco and my newer truck. Salesman insisted on a quick test run before signing the paperwork.

It’s pretty easy to say no to those warranties. Just firmly say ‘no.’ I personally don’t mind the actual Ford extended warranties, but they tend to want to sell you some sketchy third-party warranty.

I did get the warranties. I spent $100,000 on a vehicle, so even if it’s just a peace of mind, it feels worth it. The wheel and tire package has saved me twice because of nails; living near construction is tough. My truck has never had a real issue, but I’d be upset if it did when I wasn’t covered.

Just wait for the problems that come when they can’t resolve the issue and your warranty runs out at 3 years/36k.

Blake said:
Just wait for the problems that come when they can’t resolve the issue and your warranty runs out at 3 years/36k.

The extended warranty was only about $20 more a month, which isn’t a big deal with my payment. I think it’s silly to skip it on any vehicle—breaking down often seems to happen just after the factory warranty.

@Sky
You can still purchase the extended warranty later from dealers like Granger or Flood Ford. It’s definitely not foolish to skip it at the dealer; their prices were often double for the same coverage.

@Hal
Oh wow, that’s good to know actually.