2017 Mustang Gt 350 Bad Valve Spring now Damaged in shipment by Ford update with Pics

I bought a new 2017 Mustang GT 350 while on a business trip in Arizona. Call me crazy I know but it was a killer deal on one and it was exactly what I wanted. I figured I would just drive it home. Cross Country trip in a GT 350 sounded awesome and what could go wrong. Should not have said that...

I get on the road and after 210 miles total on the car I pull into a small store just outside of Tucson for a drink and some snacks. Gong to be a long trip.

Get back in the car fire it up and immediately the car is running really rough. The front end is shaking and it is barely running. I shut it off and started it again. Same thing.

Long story short I get it to a Ford dealer. They tell me they think its the computer and it will take 5 days to fix. So I decided to fly home.

Today I get a call and they tell me they got past the computer problem but the bad news is there is broken valve spring on Cyl #5. They are going to have to replace and make sure nothing else is wrong.

So this is a 210 mile 2017 GT-350 with a broken valve spring. Mind you its never been over 80 and has not been revved passed 5000 rpm's. I called Ford and they have been very helpful so far but I am wondering what I should do. Should I keep the car and get Ford to help me get it to Charleston and cover my travel and maybe ask for an extended warranty or should I try and return the car.

They are telling me a valve spring is a easy fix and not much of a concern. I called Ford Racing and they said the same. The only thing they added was have them change the oil and that it was shocking that it happened.

I don't know and thought I would ask for some advice. New member but long time reader. Here's what she looked like when I left her stranded in AZ.

Man that is rough; I feel for you. I'd keep the car, and request an extended warranty for the trouble.

Is that the ford dealership that it's at? Only reason i ask is because it looks incredibly small for a service bay. My only concern would be having such a small dealership doing the work on this car. I guess it will all come down to who they have working there but still would make me nervous

Here's another thought...... If they change the oil, make sure they torque the filter down to 16-18 ft lbs. if they don't, your filter could spin loose. It has happened and I bring it up because dealers (or anyone else for that matter), do not normally torque filters down like that. This is important, make sure you tell them that, remind them that the big sticker saying to do that is there for a reason, and confirm it has been done after the fact.

As for the rest of it, have them fix the car and see what they will do for you. It would suck if it got damaged (if not transported right). Get a quote from a reputable car transport company like exotic transport and see if ford will work with you.

Make sure you are comfortable with the dealer working on your car.... Gee boss, I always wanted to work on a GT350!
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This is in the bay of the dealer doing the repair. I went and talked to the tech for an hour and looked over the car with him. I was sure it was a loose connection. He could not get the computer to talk to it on Saturday but Ford was able to remote in and get that going Monday morning. He has worked there 25 years and the manager told me he has 3 guys that he would trust with one of these and I had one of those guys. He (the tech) told me that they have sold quote a few of them and they have not seen one back yet. He seems to know what he is doing. Its a pretty large dealership. Id say they had 30 bays total but I am with you. I asked Ford if we should fly in a tech and they said lets get through spring repair and go from there.

Tomster said:

Here's another thought...... If they change the oil, make sure they torque the filter down to 16-18 ft lbs. if they don't, your filter could spin loose. It has happened and I bring it up because dealers (or anyone else for that matter), do not normally torque filters down like that. This is important, make sure you tell them that, remind them that the big sticker saying to do that is there for a reason, and confirm it has been done after the fact.

As for the rest of it, have them fix the car and see what they will do for you. It would suck if it got damaged if not transported right. Get a quote from a reputable car transport company like exotic transport and see if ford will work with you.

Make sure you are comfortable with the dealer working on your car.... Gee boss, I always wanted to work on a GT350!

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You are spot on. They guy at ford racing said the same thing you did. I agree with you on the transport. May still be better to just drive it. I dunno.

Damnit man, my GT350 roadtrip begins in three days, thanks for the confidence boost!

Hope everything works out for you, keep us updated.

Unfortunate manufacturing defect, but that's why there's a warranty in the first place. If they help you out one way or another to get you to the car or the car back to you, that's great. If they let you bail, that's great too, but I think after this hiccup, you'll find it to be in good working order.

That's the best outcome I think for me. I really love the car and to date everyone has been very helpful and overly sympathetic about the situation. I just wanted to get a feel for how bad that kind of a failure was. Cars break and I totally get it.

For as much as some of you guys pay for the Shelbys - if it were me and my car that I just laid down some $$$$ on, I'd tell them I don't want the car and want another one with the same ext/int color combo and option packages.

Here's why:

A valve spring breaking at only 210 miles is BS - new car warranty or not. Here's another thought, if a valve spring has broke in 210 miles - an engine component at that, you HAVE to ask yourself -

What next?

Did the valve spring break due to:
1) possibly an inferior part out of a batch of many?
2) poor assembly by Engine Builder - if so, what's else wasn't torqued, assembled or put together correctly?
3) if truly a broken valve, what other damage could it have done?

If it were an out of balance rim, blemish on upholstery, scuff on door panel or malfunctioning option doohickey number 1 - sure, let them fix it...

Except, you're talking a MAJOR purchase and the problem is ENGINE related - warranty or not. I'd suspect with only 210 miles on it, you have a super easy "exchange" to another vehicle...

Call your selling Dealer and let them know what happened. I would also contact DEYSHA on here (Ford Service) and let her expedite your claim to your Regional Rep which will bump the priority on your vehicle to "urgent"...

Man that sucks! Was that from Autonation Scottsdale? If so how much ADM did you drop on that if you don't mind me asking?

I'd keep it. It's the car you want and you got a good deal on it. It has a warranty and I'd have them throw in an extended warranty. If they ship it back with a reputable company and give you the warrant I'd keep it, but with those demands it may be more cost effective to just get you another one that is local. Good luck.

My long term concern is what are the odds your car hasn't been rev'd over 5000rpm now? I would be nervous about joy rides, especially from across the country and at a no-name shop (which actually may or may not be a better place than a dealer).

What was the mileage when you picked up the car?

Another GT350 another issue :tsk: