2019 GT350 Engine Failure @ 2170 miles

[ice445]

Update:

Alright folks - finally heard back from the dealer:
They are saying it is a possible connecting rod failure. According to them, one side of the connecting rod gave way and sent the piston smashing into the top of the cylinder number 5.

I was absolutely flummoxed to hear this as I had never heard of this happening with a Voodoo before. A 2000 mile engine throwing a rod??!??!?!?!?

They then sent me a picture of the spark plug they removed:

Apparently the piston made contact with the spark plug, bending it.

They said that there is no way this engine can be repaired, and they have contacted Ford, asking them to send a new engine.

They also said that they do not think that this is in any way my fault and the whole thing will be taken care of under warranty.

Ford doesn't allow dealers to tear down Voodoo motors, so not sure how they came to that conclusion. A failed rod would also have a very low chance of allowing the engine to keep running without horrific knocking noises (or at all) The smooshed spark plug end looks like the work of a valve head to me. But I'm not an expert, just slightly knowledgeable

Sponsored

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Wondering what the actual percentage rate of failures of the Voodoo vs Coyote engines are. Thinking Voodoo much higher? Is that why Ford discontinued the Gt350 and created their own(Mach 1) with the more reliable Coyote mill?

I don't think anybody knows why they decided to not use the engine for the Mach 1. Some people say that it's because the Voodoo from the beginning was meant to be unique (Ford could have just said that to gaslight the potential problems). The other belief which I think is the real reason, is that with the Coyote in the Mach 1, it can be sold in the EU and AUS, as its the first Mustang special edition that can be purchased overseas I believe. The Voodoo engine doesn't meet international emissions laws, unlike the Coyote. So it seems logical, but I don't think anyone will ever know the real reason. Only speculation

 

[sk47]

Hello; I suppose it is similar to a guess about how deep water is when it is over my head. Once I cannot touch bottom it does not make a lot of difference how deep it is. Something hit the plug and jammed the end. Lose parts that rattle around will do for the cylinder and the head.

 

[stanglife]

Ford doesn't allow dealers to tear down Voodoo motors, so not sure how they came to that conclusion. A failed rod would also have a very low chance of allowing the engine to keep running without horrific knocking noises (or at all) The smooshed spark plug end looks like the work of a valve head to me. But I'm not an expert, just slightly knowledgeable

Without that teardown or other investigative measures, you and I are both guessing. Could be a rod...could be valve, could be piston...at this point we're running out of potential junk in the chamber lol.

I don't think anybody knows why they decided to not use the engine for the Mach 1. Some people say that it's because the Voodoo from the beginning was meant to be unique (Ford could have just said that to gaslight the potential problems). The other belief which I think is the real reason, is that with the Coyote in the Mach 1, it can be sold in the EU and AUS, as its the first Mustang special edition that can be purchased overseas I believe. The Voodoo engine doesn't meet international emissions laws, unlike the Coyote. So it seems logical, but I don't think anyone will ever know the real reason. Only speculation

From the VERY beginning, Ford said the Voodoo was GT350 only. Car ran for 5 (6 if you count 2015s) years which is par for the course for almost all of Ford specialty cars, if not a little long without a major refresh. I think you're on point about wanting to sell the cars outside of the US, that makes a lot of sense.

 

[shogun32]

Man - are all of your posts to complain about the cars that other people bought?

says the guy whose profile says he doesn't even own a S550, let alone that I've owned 3. I don't know what your problem is with basic math or the many anecdotes over the years.

 

[stanglife]

says the guy whose profile says he doesn't even own a S550, let alone that I've owned 3. I don't know what your problem is with basic math.

Yes, says the guy who doesn't care to put what he's owned in his profile. Hey, if that's the metric you prefer in order to determine who is the moron between two people, you just lost.

PS - I'm OK with math but even better at grammar. It's "an" S550, not "a".

 

[sk47]

says the guy whose profile says he doesn't even own a S550, let alone that I've owned 3. I don't know what your problem is with basic math or the many anecdotes over the years.

Before I add a comment let me ask, are you the same person who in other threads has claimed to post things to be "devils advocate" and to "stir the pot"? I was thinking you are the same but wanted to ask first. I can go back to look but that will be a time consuming chore.

 

[dom418]

many here would select a car with the Gen 2 even if replaced in an earlier model. Until the car becomes a collector, Its meaningless IMHO

I know you have a gen 2 but there is no data proving it is any less susceptible to an engine failure vs a gen 1. Both have their issues albeit rare.

 

[Shadow277]

Before I add a comment let me ask, are you the same person who in other threads has claimed to post things to be "devils advocate" and to "stir the pot"? I was thinking you are the same but wanted to ask first. I can go back to look but that will be a time consuming chore.

No, that's me. I've calmed down though.

 

[stanglife]

Lol this just got fun.

 

[racingandfishing]

Ford didn't put it on their specs and made the motor a 5.2 with 8250 redline on the FP350S which would leave you to believe it is a voodoo, but it is a cross plane and not a flat plane crank.

https://www.mustang6g.com/shelby-fp350s-race-car-revealed/

https://performanceparts.ford.com/FP350S/

 

[Shadow277]

Lol this just got fun.

I don't troll for most car talk unless it's about opinions on other cars like the 370Z being faster than the S550. Politics? I'll argue blue all day even though I vote red.

 

[THX 138]

Ford didn't put it on their specs and made the motor a 5.2 with 8250 redline on the FP350S which would leave you to believe it is a voodoo, but it is a cross plane and not a flat plane crank.

https://www.mustang6g.com/shelby-fp350s-race-car-revealed/

https://performanceparts.ford.com/FP350S/

I thought everybody knew that the FP350S is a CPC engine. However, the original GT350R-C, which Multimatic raced to a championship finish in its only season, was a FPC.

https://media.ford.com/content/ford...helby-gt350r-c-as-multimatic-motorsports.html

 

[garagelogic]

I see. I will circle back when I hear more from the dealer.

Which dealer are you working with. Two River’s, hopefully.

 

[mroad]

Hello @mroad ! Thank you for your kind words

I completely understand the point about resale value. Even if the next buyer does not care about a swapped engine, they will use it as a negotiating point to bring the price down.

Another issue with buying a car with a replaced engine is the buyer may assume the worst about the cause of the engine failure. Most buyers probably don't read forums and are not aware of the uneventful failures (I wasn't when I bought my car). They'd assume the car was subjected to abuse and that's what caused the engine to fail. They'd wonder what other components were also subjected to abuse. My car was subjected to zero abuse before the engine failed, but how would buyers know except for taking my words for it?

I will be pursuing a buyback with Ford for this car. I was planning to sell the car anyways. However I had a few questions in the case of a buyback:

1. I understand Ford will not pay back ADM, but what if the car was sold under MSRP? I purchased my car for almost 10% below MSRP (~57k). Will they still consider MSRP as a buyback price, or pay me the purchase price minus mileage?

Ford will buy it back up to the MSRP. If you paid less than MSRP, they will pay you just that. Basically the out-the-door price you paid the dealer plus taxes and fees. I actually bought my car for a few hundreds below MSRP. Ford based their payment on that price, not the MSRP.

2. I purchased the car in Iowa, but registered the car myself in Tennessee, which means that I did not pay sales tax at the point of purchase. I went to the DMV later, registered it and payed the tax. Will Ford reimburse me for that too?

I'm pretty sure they will pay you the registration fees and taxes, even if you bought the car in one state and paid taxes and fees in another.

3. How does BBB work, and what exactly is their function? How is the monetary compensation calculated, and do you have any idea if it will be enough to cover for the depreciation or sales tax?

BBB has a dispute resolution service called the Auto Line (https://bbbprograms.org/programs/all-programs/bbb-autoline/how-bbb-auto-line-works). If you are not happy with what Ford offers you, Ford asks you to call the BBB Auto Line to mediate a resolution. This applies to all states except California, which has its own dispute resolution service (https://www.dca.ca.gov/acp/).

Having BBB mediate a resolution is a better alternative to hiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit, which could be very costly to the company (e.g. they have to also pay lawyer fees). The BBB Auto Line could negotiate a better deal for you.

4. What is the Ford good faith program?

I don't have details about it how it works, but I assume it's a discretionary program for cases where circumstances warrant a buyback even if Lemon Law terms aren't met.

5. In the case of lemon law, which state's lemon law applies here? State of purchase or state of registration?

After calling Ford customer service 800 number, they should open a case and assign you a regional CSR (Customer Service Representative) that covers TN and knows its dealers. You should make it clear to the CSR that you want to request a buyback. The CSR will tell you which state Lemon Law applies to you, IA where you bought it or TN where you registered it.

6. I paid $6k for full body PPF and ceramic. bummer.

Yes, bummer!

BTW, here are two GT350 engine failures on Youtube similar to yours where the engine is still running but had rod knock. I guess it can keep running until the broken rod jams with debris in the cylinder or busts out of the engine block.




And

Sponsored