I have a Ford Escape 4-door 3.0 V6 Automatic 4wd (not turbo) with 95k miles and an engine rattle at idle and when revving the engine. Car gets 17.9 mpg but used to get 20mpg.
I have seen videos saying the only problem with this engine is the Cam-hold-downs which have screws that loosen at over 100k miles. Fix is a 10 hour labor charge for retightening of cam hold-downs and possible screw replacements and other parts.
1) I live in Knoxville, Tennessee... do you do this kind of work?
2) Should I take it to the dealer and get the cam-hold-downs checked?
I love the car, 4wd makes it much safer no slips even seldom in rain. Can I keep it to 180k miles as I am told but this rattle problem may be major?
Love your channel and watch all the time.
I live in Knoxville, Tennessee... do you do this kind of work?
To my knowledge Scotty no longer does heavy or deeply involved repairs any more, but only he can definitively answer that one.
Should I take it to the dealer and get the cam-hold-downs checked?
Dealers are typically the worst place to bring a car for anything except recalls and warranty repairs. A good independent mechanic would be the best choice. You might also try using a mechanic's stethoscope to locate the source of the engine noise.
Can I keep it to 180k miles as I am told but this rattle problem may be major?
I wouldn't necessarily expect one of those to make it to 180K miles under the best of circumstances due to a number of possible problems, some other than the engine. However it certainly won't get that far if the camshafts work loose.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2012/
What Scotty would probably do is at least be able to diagnose where the noise is coming from. However it's a pretty long round-trip drive from Knoxville to Clarksville especially in a vehicle that may have a serious engine problem. See the FAQ for information on making an appointment.