I have, well had, a 2018 Ford Expedition with a 3.5L Ecoboost motor, I bought it with ~25k miles and around ~35k miles I received a recall notice for issues with the cam phaser. I didn't know what that was so with minimal research I became worried about the longevity and reliability of the vehicle. The recall stated you may hear a loud rattle when you start the vehicle cold. My vehicle had already developed a very loud rattle when starting. I immediately took it into the dealer where they claimed they would fix it by software updates. I'm not a mechanic and only really know when and how to do basic maintenance. This seemed shady to me and when I picked up the vehicle the rattle was still there albeit not as loud. I traded that vehicle for a 2022 4Runner. My wife is not happy with me but I have a Tacoma that has been bulletproof since 2013. What are your thoughts on the dealership's software update fix? Unfortunately, I was so worried about getting rid of the Ford I didn't do the level of research I normally would before purchasing the 4Runner. Did I screw up and upset my wife for no reason?
Manufacturers will frequently try to mitigate design defects with software updates because that's cheaper than doing proper repairs. All they care about is that it gets through the warranty period then they can wash their hands of the problem. Ford Ecoboost engines are particularly awful. You did the right thing to get rid of it.
I am skeptical whenever a manufacturer issues a software update for a mechanical issue since it doesn’t always address the root cause.
You made a wise move trading into the 2022 4Runner unless of course you needed the room (for passengers and cargo) that a 3-row SUV (like the Expedition) provided. I don’t know all the requirements your family needed to comment if the 4Runner will meet them, but from a reliability/longevity standpoint and while no one can predict how long a 2022 model year 4Runner will last, it stands a much better chance than the Expedition and this generation has been out since 2010 and is still made in Japan.
Ford has had cam phasers issues with their V8's from at least 2005 that I know of. A lot of the Mustang GT guys come in to have them replaced before they go out.
Another fabulous Ford product I'm afraid.
And good trade on the 4Runner. Much better vehicle.
From what I've seen about Ford's Ecoboost line of engines, you did not make a mistake.
You actually corrected your mistake by getting rid of it and buying the 4runner.
As mentioned above, I agree that a software "correction" more often than not is performed to mask the real cause of the problem.
As you stated, the noise was still present after the so called fix was performed.
