Help - feeling a little Raptor regret

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cmcpolo

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Purchased a gold certified 2020 Raptor (802A - 49,000 miles) a couple of weeks ago. Was exceedingly happy I was finally in a super truck and was leaving Chevy behind as they can't seem to build a reliable engine anymore.

A few days in and I am experiencing the classic IWE grinding issues. Made an appt with the dealer I purchased from which is about an hours drive from my home. Tech says both IWE's are shot so they will replace. Tech comes back 30 minutes later to say that the both front wheel bearings are also shot. A day later I get the call that it's all set to pick up. I leave the dealer and when reaching about 50 mph, I am feeling a pronounced shaking in the driver's seat. My wife mentions she is feeling it too in the passenger's seat. Shaking continues at higher speeds as well. Truck drove smooth as butter when I dropped it off for service.

So back to the dealer and I test ride the truck with a tech, then a master tech and service manager. They say "rides like a raptor". Yeah, but it wasn't riding like this 2 days ago when I dropped it off. Master tech pulls it in the shop to check things over. Comes back an hour later to tell me he doesn't like the front left caliper and truck is unsafe to drive. Back home I go in a loaner now for the second time. They replace the front left caliper and I ask to also do an alignment as they didn't do one when they put new tires on before the sale. I get a call that the caliper and alignment are all done and it's ready for pick up.

I pick it up and I'm not even out of the parking lot and the steering wheel is turned about 1.5 inches to the left and the truck is tracking straight. I test drive it to confirm things are not as they should be. Back I go to the dealer.

They tell me the tech that aligned it yesterday had a hard time and had to align it 3 times before he was satisfied. Well it still is not right. Tech today aligned it, everything in the green, takes it for a ride and same thing. Not even out of the parking lot and the steering wheel turns to the left while the truck is tracking straight. He aligns it 4 more times with the same result. They tell me they need the master tech to address it on Monday. Back home I go in the loaner.

Oh, and the seat shaking is still present.

I'm at a loss here. It's been in the shop nearly the entire 2 weeks I've owned it.

Hoping someone out there might have experienced some of these issues and can drag me back from the edge of the cliff.

Thanks.
 

Oldfart

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This sounds like 100% a VERY poor dealer service department, with some terrible techs, and 0% a Raptor/Ford issue. Absolutely not even remotely typical of what to expect from your truck. Find a new dealer. To have a supposed master tech AND the service manager say "It rides like a Raptor", as if it's a 30 year old dump truck, tells me everyone involved at the dealer is a moron. A Raptor rides better than most cars do! Hopefully you can find someone that actually knows what they are doing.
 
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cmcpolo

cmcpolo

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Find a new dealer, that sucks there wasn’t more due diligence done before purchase. Now just find someone who can make it run properly again.
Agreed. I do have a good, reputable dealer about 10 minutes from my house. Just need a "roadworthy" truck I can drive the 70 miles back home at this point.

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Maybe, if possible, try another dealer(?)....

No other ideas or advice, but I wish you well.
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Yeah, thanks, that's my plan.

This sounds like 100% a VERY poor dealer service department, with some terrible techs, and 0% a Raptor/Ford issue. Absolutely not even remotely typical of what to expect from your truck. Find a new dealer. To have a supposed master tech AND the service manager say "It rides like a Raptor", as if it's a 30 year old dump truck, tells me everyone involved at the dealer is a moron. A Raptor rides better than most cars do! Hopefully you can find someone that actually knows what they are doing.
Thanks. That makes me feel a little better. I am looking forward to getting it to my local dealer after this sketchy dealer can at least get the truck aligned and I can feel at least a little more confident about driving the 70 miles back home.
 

Braaaaptor

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All good advice above, I will concur and say you have a few choices.

1. Find a new dealer - understand that you need a functional truck to do that but it may also be necessary to consider having it towed to your dealer of choice.

2. Open a complaint with Ford customer care. You essentially bought a non-functional truck that was clearly not appropriately inspected before the dealer gave it "gold certified" status. Search the forum, FordTechOne posted a few weeks ago about a very similar situation another member was struggling through.

3. Nuclear option - complain to the dealer GM and try to get your money back. Totally depends on how much effort you want to give and how much you like the truck. There's plenty of Raptor fish in the Raptor sea and if these issues are always going to be in the back of your mind, sometimes the best way out of an entanglement is to back out and remove yourself entirely.
 
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cmcpolo

cmcpolo

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All good advice above, I will concur and say you have a few choices.

1. Find a new dealer - understand that you need a functional truck to do that but it may also be necessary to consider having it towed to your dealer of choice.

2. Open a complaint with Ford customer care. You essentially bought a non-functional truck that was clearly not appropriately inspected before the dealer gave it "gold certified" status. Search the forum, FordTechOne posted a few weeks ago about a very similar situation another member was struggling through.

3. Nuclear option - complain to the dealer GM and try to get your money back. Totally depends on how much effort you want to give and how much you like the truck. There's plenty of Raptor fish in the Raptor sea and if these issues are always going to be in the back of your mind, sometimes the best way out of an entanglement is to back out and remove yourself entirely.
Thanks. I'll look for FordTechOne's other posts. I have been considering the nuclear option. It's messy and I assume the GM wouldn't even consider it. I am guessing I would need to pursue the lemon law path if I ultimately needed to go down this road. The issues I am experiencing seem relatively easy to address so maybe it does boil down to dealer/tech competency at the end of the day. Thanks for the advice.
 
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