Hey Scotty! I love your channel and watch it obsessively, and have learned a lot about cars by watching... mind you I'm a music major and only know about singing!
I bought a Ford Flex 2013, Turbo Boost as a minivan alternative... I'm a mom with a tween and a teen, and we can haul a lot of stuff with this, and it has all the gadgets and gizmos we could want, and it's comfortable. It has a tow hitch, and we have a bike rack, and that's awesome. It's in great condition, sweet paint, roof rack, very classy looking if you like boxy cars. Like I said, everything on the inside is perfect, and everything works...
Except for the engine. I've paid on the car two years, and am into the 3rd, Extended Warranty Expired, and suddenly, after an oil change at Firestone, the car started knocking, not too noisy, and an occasional metal scraping sound out of the engine. The RPM's surge a little, making it want to take off a little at stoplights. Mind you, it's still running, but rough. I've had 2 mechanics look at it and Autozone, and the diagnostic is showing that I have to replace the engine. (Oh crap!)
I'm a single mom and can't afford the $8600 (new) or $7400 (used) (with warranty) engines the dealer quoted me. (Still owe on the car!) Mind you, I was going into this purchase as a single mom with zero knowledge of Ford or Ford Flex, except it met my needs.
Is there ANY other alternative to just turning it into the bank, going into further debt, or wrecking the damn thing (JUST KIDDING!) Is there ANY other engine I could put in it, Like a compatible, cheaper engine? Should I have one pulled from a junkyard? (Pick a Part still want$ $5500 including core.
IF I could get it running okay, I could sell it. Otherwise, my options are limited and bleak.
Help??! If I have to turn it in, I will. My cousin has a 2015 GMC Terrain she doesn't need and I can have it for a while.
THANK YOU!
Regina in Westfield, IN
Ah, and here's the info about the codes and the quote for repair.
Tom Roush MOTORS
103/23/19 | 03/16/12 Year
Make Ford
Model Flex
Body
Color Tuxedo Black
License Number 2013 FORD
FLEX LIMITED 1 WGN
TUXEDO BLA TOMMY M18601B
AMOUNT
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE AND PARTS
#1
-
MR 8OLIZ: MISC C/S: ROUGH IDLE: LURCHES. RPMS REV UP
Caused by verified concern bank 1 & 2 cam phaser over-advances codes. Cam crank correlation codes. Random misfire codes. Has engine knock. Needs new engine. Tech: STEVE BACHMANN (01) Quote - New approximately $8606 + tax 36 mo/unlimited miles Used 95k miles approximately $7163 +tax 12 mo parts only warranty prices could increase
105.00
LABOR
105.00
PARTS
I have to wonder if Firestone did something stupid, like starting the engine before putting oil back into it. Stranger things have happened in those kind of shops. The problem is that it would be very difficult to prove.
A junkyard quoted you $5500 for a used engine from a junkyard ? That's insane. Do those cars have engine blocks made out of gold, with diamond-encrusted valves?
Problem with letting the bank take it, aside from ruining your credit, is if when they sell the car it doesn't cover the amount owed you would be responsible for paying the balance.
Dealers always charge the highest prices. Your best bet might be to get a quote from a good independent mechanic on a used (or rebuilt) engine rather than a dealership or approaching a junkyard yourself. Also, NEVER go back to a chain store like Firestone even for routine maintenance.
Thank you! I thought that Firestone did something, too! They denied it when I went back to talk to them. What to do??
I will NEVER go back to Firestone.
I'll try to find an independent mechanic, but I'm not sure where to look!
As I said, it's a very difficult thing to prove unless maybe they have video of the job that you could demand to see. This kind of thing happened to a friend of mine years ago when taking his car to a dealership for routine maintenance, the engine started knocking the day after the car was picked up. Of course the dealer would not own up to any wrongdoing. (My friend wound up having a rebuilt engine installed at a shop owned by another friend who did a post-mortem on the engine. It was found that the main bearings were destroyed by oil starvation so there's really no doubt it was the dealership's negligence.)
Probably the best way to find a good mechanic would be through the experiences of family and friends. You have to be careful because there are dishonest guys out there who make a practice of ripping off women. It's shameful but it happens all the time.