2018 GT low rpm engine rattle, cylinder damage pics, Ford buyback process

[udcvsean]

Not trying to argue or say this could or couldn't be your issue, but the dealership pulled the heads off searching for the issue and then decided the engine needed to be replaced in my case.
The sound it was making before is the exact sound it's starting to make now. :(

I would open a case with the Ford Customer Service Relations and request a Buyback Replacement (or refund) under the lemon law of your state. My 2017 Mustang GT was in the shop for over 30 days before they replaced the short block so I got approved. Currently waiting for my 2019 Mustang GT replacement to arrive on 3/8/19.

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[_dEf_]

Yeah, and you definitely aren't the first one either. Ford did just put out a publication stating that the tick folks have been going in for is "normal". I haven't seen anything on this rattle yet, but I know a fair number of us have the issue. I have two other friends with 18's and both of theirs are quiet. Mine has made the sound since day 1 though.

It's just strange to me that you'd have two bad engines in a row, the odds for that don't seem great. I had an 18 F-150 5.0 as a rental car over the summer, and it rattled too...just like the mustang. And Ford sells gobs of F150's, so you'd think if there was some systematic issue with the Gen3 5.0's the F150 guys would be seeing it in droves.

I almost wonder if the tech trying to find your issue happened to actually locate a separate problem in the process. I'm super tempted to pop the plugs out of mine and look down the cylinders with a bore scope to see if the cylinder walls on my engine are marked up like some others in this thread. Still..it does seem odd that piston slap would manifest itself that way.

Did they say what they found wrong with your original engine?

Yeah, that's how I felt as soon as I heard this sound come back in the new engine.
It's really disappointing to me to even have to go through this. I have been wanting a new mustang for the last few years, and I finally decide to pull the trigger, and it's been a nightmare so far. :(

 

[_dEf_]

Did they say what they found wrong with your original engine?

All I was told was it was "piston slap" and it damaged the block.

 

[FISHTAIL]

All I was told was it was "piston slap" and it damaged the block.

Great.

Mine has to go in before long anyway because my oil pan is leaking again, so I'll have them look at it then. I'm just waiting until my oil change is due...might as well take advantage of the "free" oil change. Hopefully they fix the pan properly this time...kinda sucks having a brand new car dripping oil.

 

[_dEf_]

Great.

Mine has to go in before long anyway because my oil pan is leaking again, so I'll have them look at it then. I'm just waiting until my oil change is due...might as well take advantage of the "free" oil change. Hopefully they fix the pan properly this time...kinda sucks having a brand new car dripping oil.

What the hell? How does that even happen?
What has happened to build quality?

 

[FISHTAIL]

What the hell? How does that even happen?
What has happened to build quality?

Beats me man. I had my car a week and started seeing spots all over the driveway. At first, I thought it was my old Dodge Ram. Nope. Then I figured it *had* to be my wifes 2011 explorer which was just about to cross 200k at the time...nope. It was the 2018 Mustang. Damn composite pan gasket was leaking. I brought it in after about 1k miles (I wanted to get through break-in first), then dropped it off. They had the car about 2-3 weeks while they dropped the front K-member and waited for a back ordered gasket. Change the oil recently, and now it's leaking worse than ever.

 

[_dEf_]

Maybe I should have bought another Camaro. :(

 

[FISHTAIL]

Maybe I should have bought another Camaro. :(

I think those have their own problems. I actually was ready to pull the trigger on a Camaro until I tried to get the child seats in the back. That made that choice pretty easy...they fit in the mustang, but not the chevy.

I'm in the middle of putting my fox back together, but once that's done I'll try to set some time aside to help locate this rattle to see if mine is the same as the others here that got engines replaced.

 

[Retroman1969]

The oil pressure bit is normal. There is an oil bypass solenoid on these cars, the computer controls the oil pressure...that's why you see it jumping around.

As for the rattle...same here. Mine was very quiet initially, and at 8k miles it's louder now. The colder it is outside, the louder it is, and I can make it happen in just about any gear under light load/throttle between 1800 and 2200-2300 RPM. The noise stops as soon as I either give it more or less throttle. Since I've read these things switch between port and direct injection at various load/RPM points, I always kind of figured the rattle was related to that.

I would be interested to see if one of us took the time to attempt to dampen any noise from the HPFP if that would cut back on the volume of the rattle. It seems to me that it's louder inside the car than out too. I can hear it outside, but no where near as loud as it sounds inside the car. Has anyone else noticed this? Think it might have something to do with sound resonating through that sound tube from the intake?

Mine is much louder inside than out. If I roll the windows down, the sound inside goes away or is heavily masked. I just hear the exhaust note and occasionally a faint bit of the rattle if any at all.
That did make me wonder about the tube amplifying the sound inside.
I also don’t have the “tick” at all, just the odd light load rattle.
Unfortunately, the loads and rpms under which it is doing it is broadening and the miles creep up.
It currently does it between 1,800-3,300 rpms in the first 3 gears. Once you get in to 4th gear it doesn’t appear to rattle under any condition.....yet.
I am sure it didn’t do it when I first got the car. I started noticing it around the 300 or 400 mile mark.

 

[GT Pony]

Beats me man. I had my car a week and started seeing spots all over the driveway. At first, I thought it was my old Dodge Ram. Nope. Then I figured it *had* to be my wifes 2011 explorer which was just about to cross 200k at the time...nope. It was the 2018 Mustang. Damn composite pan gasket was leaking. I brought it in after about 1k miles (I wanted to get through break-in first), then dropped it off. They had the car about 2-3 weeks while they dropped the front K-member and waited for a back ordered gasket. Change the oil recently, and now it's leaking worse than ever.

If the dealer is going to remove the oil pan again, you should ask them to check the rod side clearance, which is easy and quick to do.

 

[bigriver]

All I was told was it was "piston slap" and it damaged the block.

Sorry to hear this brother. IMO it seems like Ford rushed to get the new engine into production. Some GT350 builds had this same issue but they also have forged pistons which seem to be better suited for the spray bore liner and not cause long term damage.

I was also looking at adding a blower which is why I decided not to keep the mustang with the new short block.

I would get in touch with Ford customer care and discuss potential buyback because it is unlikely the noise will resolve itself. But it's a a tough call because no one really knows the long term impact. All I know is that rattle I had was obnoxious.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need any assistance.

 

[ponyv6]

Yeah, and you definitely aren't the first one either. Ford did just put out a publication stating that the tick folks have been going in for is "normal". I haven't seen anything on this rattle yet, but I know a fair number of us have the issue. I have two other friends with 18's and both of theirs are quiet. Mine has made the sound since day 1 though.

It's just strange to me that you'd have two bad engines in a row, the odds for that don't seem great. I had an 18 F-150 5.0 as a rental car over the summer, and it rattled too...just like the mustang. And Ford sells gobs of F150's, so you'd think if there was some systematic issue with the Gen3 5.0's the F150 guys would be seeing it in droves.

I almost wonder if the tech trying to find your issue happened to actually locate a separate problem in the process. I'm super tempted to pop the plugs out of mine and look down the cylinders with a bore scope to see if the cylinder walls on my engine are marked up like some others in this thread. Still..it does seem odd that piston slap would manifest itself that way.

Did they say what they found wrong with your original engine?

I had two F150 loaners and I owned 18 (lemoned) and now I own 19. All rattled.
I thought the people report that they dont have it didnt know what they are looking for.
now, I got disappointed by you saying you have seen 2 18s without the rattle. it is strange.
Did you listen them when oil was cold? I mean if you met with them somewhere that they had to drive, oil would be warm...

 

[GT Pony]

I had two F150 loaners and I owned 18 (lemoned) and now I own 19. All rattled.
I thought the people report that they dont have it didnt know what they are looking for.
now, I got disappointed by you saying you have seen 2 18s without the rattle. it is strange.
Did you listen them when oil was cold? I mean if you met with them somewhere that they had to drive, oil would be warm...

This guy says his 2018 doesn't have any ticking or rattling.

 

[choate]

I can’t stand all those YouTube videos. They’re all the same. “What’s going on guys. Mustang rattle guy here”. Then they proceed to talk about it while driving around for 15 min.

The title is always something dramatic too. Hence “engine DOOMED for failure”.

 

[EVL-S550]

Mine is much louder inside than out. If I roll the windows down, the sound inside goes away or is heavily masked. I just hear the exhaust note and occasionally a faint bit of the rattle if any at all.
That did make me wonder about the tube amplifying the sound inside.
I also don’t have the “tick” at all, just the odd light load rattle.
Unfortunately, the loads and rpms under which it is doing it is broadening and the miles creep up.
It currently does it between 1,800-3,300 rpms in the first 3 gears. Once you get in to 4th gear it doesn’t appear to rattle under any condition.....yet.
I am sure it didn’t do it when I first got the car. I started noticing it around the 300 or 400 mile mark.

Mine is happening now up to 3300 or more . Taking it in this week if the weather holds out.

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