Transfer Case Failure

EricM said:

... I'll bet they can't get a new one for quite a while though.

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That sounds like it was the main issue. Because it's a new specialty truck, there's not an abundance of extra parts available.

As for the trade assist, it sounds like there might be a bit of a challenge. The original dealer I purchased from has already used their year's allocation for Raptors. At this point, they're trying to find a dealer to trade with (keep in mind that most of the trucks on lots are marked up well over MSRP) or explore the option of me doing a custom build order.

We'll see. Hope to have more info later today.

New trucks couldn't make it home from the dealer?

wasabigrinch said:

Hi Everyone, I didn't see any other threads on this, but please let me know if I've missed something.

Here's the gist of it. I picked up my Raptor out of state on Tuesday, drove it 1000 miles, and it lost power to the wheels. I had it towed to a local dealership (still 800 miles from home), and they suspected the transfer case. When they opened it up, they said it looked like a bomb went off. There was metal all over the place, and the shift rod was blown to bits.

I decided to fly home (Idaho), and the truck is still at the dealership in South Dakota. Dealer said it could take weeks to get parts and get things back together properly.

A few questions: Is the Raptor transfer case different from a standard F150 case? Is this likely a standalone issue that a dealer can easily fix, or do you think there are other potential issues that I should be concerned with? Would I have some luck with a buyback and swap with another Raptor?

I've contacted the warranty reps, regional customer service manager, the dealership I bought from, and I even left a message for the executive team. Anyone else I should talk with to expedite the process?

I love the truck, but this isn't living up to the quality I was hoping for thus far. Any additional insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

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That's a HUGE disappointment! The 2nd 2017 Raptor that couldn't make their intial drive home from the purchasing dealer.

If you have a problem getting results you may want to contact the other Raptor owner whom had a transmission failure. He may have Ford contact number and she can help. PS: I think he went by the alias (wingman). Good luck

wasabigrinch said:

That sounds like it was the main issue. Because it's a new specialty truck, there's not an abundance of extra parts available.

As for the trade assist, it sounds like there might be a bit of a challenge. The original dealer I purchased from has already used their year's allocation for Raptors. At this point, they're trying to find a dealer to trade with (keep in mind that most of the trucks on lots are marked up well over MSRP) or explore the option of me doing a custom build order.

We'll see. Hope to have more info later today.

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Ford can override the allocations for a trade assist...........no big deal.

AbitaPro said:

If you have a problem getting results you may want to contact the other Raptor owner whom had a transmission failure. He may have Ford contact number and she can help. Good luck

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Thanks for the tip! Admittedly, I'm a bit antsy to get things rolling, so I've been shopping several dealerships for similar trucks, trying to get logistics going for the trade assist side of things, and keeping in touch with customer service reps, the servicing dealership, and the original dealership where I purchased. I feel like things have been moving along at a decent pace, all things considered.

7GenTex said:

Ford can override the allocations for a trade assist...........no big deal.

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That's what I'm hoping as well. My only concern is that I'd prefer not to wait 3 months or so for a custom build order. If I can find the options I want on an existing lot, I'll try to work that out first.

There are 840 on Auto Trader! FYI

Ok, got an update. I talked with the operations manager at the servicing dealership today, and he has, by far, been the most helpful person in this process.

He gave me the rundown on what Ford will cover with the trade assist program, and I also asked for his 2 cents on what he'd do if he were in my situation. He's worked both for dealers and for Ford corporate for 20+ years, so he knows the system pretty well.

Basically, the trade assist program would allow me to trade my existing raptor into a dealer in exchange for a new raptor, and Ford would provide that dealer with an extra lump sum of cash as an incentive. Given that my raptor only has 1100 miles, it would still be a very appealing trade for many dealers, and they'd likely be able to sell it used at near original MSRP. With the lump sum of cash, that would be a few thousand extra bucks in the pockets of most dealers. That said, I'd still have to find a dealer that wants to work this out, figure out transportation of the truck(s), and go from there.

The servicing dealer's recommendation was to take the existing truck back and ask for an extended service plan from Ford. He also said that the 'trade assist' program is typically offered for a year or two after it's first documented on a customer's case, so if I really hated the truck after driving it for another couple months, I could still trade it in. Finally, in the worst-case scenario, I could pursue the lemon law route if the truck was repeatedly in and out of the shop in coming months.

According to the servicing dealer and every mechanic I've talked to, the transfer case is not a difficult fix, and it's unlikely there would be any additional issue after the repair. It's a pain in the ass that it happened this way, but it shouldn't be an indication of things to come. If I do continue to have issues with the truck, it's all covered under warranty, I still have the option to pursue a Ford-assisted trade, and I could go the lemon law route if I really needed to.

All things considered, I think I'll take my truck back and hope for the best. If I have more misadventures, I'll go from there. Thanks for the support and help everyone. Hope to have the truck back home in a couple weeks. I'm excited to rejoin the raptor crowd!

If I were in your shoes. In order for me to keep the truck I would need to know what caused the failure. Was it a failed part within the transfer case or was it something outside the case that caused the failure. If it was a failed part in the case a rebuild/replace should be good to go. If it's outside the case then a new case won't likely last either.

Sounds like a reasonable approach, keep the truck with a longer warranty. Maybe arrange to have them take a look at it again after 1000 miles. You can also drain the oil and send it off to a lab to have it analyzed. It's cheap and tells you if the gears are grinding and the amount of type of metal in the oil. This is standard procedure for aircraft engines, and since its cheap, you should consider doing that.

...The servicing dealer's recommendation was to take the existing truck back and ask for an extended service plan from Ford. He also said that the 'trade assist' program is typically offered for a year or two after it's first documented on a customer's case, so if I really hated the truck after driving it for another couple months, I could still trade it in. Finally, in the worst-case scenario, I could pursue the lemon law route if the truck was repeatedly in and out of the shop in coming months.

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Well, at least you have some help here, even if it doesn’t get the truck repaired faster. Notably absent, is an ETA, which gives me reason for concern. The dealer’s right, the t/f case and transmission mechanicals are not that tough. I watched a friend who was a drive train mechanic rebuild both a dodge and GM (th400 fwiw) in 30 minutes per unit. They were both subsequently installed in vehicles and ran like a top; like they were brand new, because... well, they were kind of. If they can’t get the parts, they can’t very well fix your truck.

I hope they were able to accurately assess the damage and no surprises pop up. Assuming they have a belief they’ll have parts soon, it sounds to me like you’re making a reasoned choice that works for you and that’s what counts. I think the dealer is probably right it’s probably not an omen or harbinger of doom that your transfer case went out.

Good luck and speedy repairs!

At this point, they are basically building a new transfer case at the dealer. They don't have a complete t/f case unit that they can just pull off the line and stick on the truck, but they do have access to all the new individual components, so they can assemble it and make sure it all works on the truck.

I'm comfortable with this since it's a fairly straightforward repair, but if it was something more extensive, I would have pushed harder for a full replacement.