2019 GT350 Engine Failure @ 2170 miles

[PRTK350]

Apologies for the delayed response folks - but thanks a lot for the valuable info! Especially @Cobra Jet and @mroad !

I really appreciate it.

Update: the dealership reached out to me first thing this week and told me that Ford authorized a warranty repair and will be sending out a new engine. When I asked them if they opened up the engine to take a look at what exactly went wrong, they said that Ford did not authorize them to tear the engine down for diagnosis. According to the service advisor, Ford doesn’t let them tear down the Shelby motors. Apparently it was the same case when other GT350s were in for engine failures too.

A few hours later, I got a call from the Ford CSR telling me the same thing, and that they will do everything they can to expedite the repair. When I expressed my trepidation about the car’s reliability she said that she would get me an extended warranty, but she could only do that once the car is fixed. I’m pretty impressed by Ford’s customer service, TBH. Both the dealership and the CSR are being very professional - and I do not take that for granted.

I still haven’t heard anything back from them yet. I’ll probably call the CSR tomorrow and start the conversation about a buyback.

I’ll keep you guys posted.

again - thanks a lot for the valuable advice and support.

Cheers!

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[shogun32]

I’m pretty impressed by Ford’s customer service, TBH. Both the dealership and the CSR are being very professional

they've had LOTS of practice...

 

[PRTK350]

they've had LOTS of practice...

Lol...

 

[The Rooster]

Hey there I wasn’t trying to under value the car in any way, I was sharing my experience with sellers with engine swapped issue and I as a first time buyer of this beauty was skeptical about buying those particular situation cars.
if there’s a car that’s stock VS a car with a swapped engine for the same price, which one wound you buy (preferably)
That should answer the price drop.
again that’s my opinion, you could have yours but it’s tough to believe that they would have the same value as stock, no offense I’m just sharing my thoughts

Well all other things being equal I would take the nicer car with lower mileage. I could care less about a "matching numbers" gt350.
Now if someone swapped a 5.0 coyote into a gt350 the value will most certainly diminish. As the years go by and some of these Shelbys get worn down with abuse and high milage I suspect we will start to see a few of them with this swap, as the owners won't want to pay voodoo money. Add to that how much cheaper it is to modify a 5.0 and the concept will be even more appealing.

 

[sk47]

Hello; As I am in the market for a Mustang and the GT350 is a car on my wish list, perhaps my opinion will count a little. A bit over a year ago I was about to buy a 2019 Bullitt with low miles. The car was nice and seemed to be in good shape. The dealer even surprised me when we started talking price as they were willing to accept a price lower than I had expected.
I was shopping for a third vehicle which I do not need so intended to get a decent deal. I had started to walk away when they first began to talk price. The dealer then began to be more reasonable. I had done some checking and stuck to what the web sites declared was a good price.
I did not buy the Bullitt even tho I did like it. When I read the carfax report there was a report of a minor collision. Apparently when the car was at a dealership and before it was first titled to a private owner. No particular information as to what sort of collision. I walked away. That report turned my thinking for some reason. Partly because that collision would follow the car. Partly because the collision changed my view of the car.

A swapped out engine is not in the same category as a collision. If the work is done properly there should be no downside. However I have seen jobs where the work was not so good. I sometimes went into a repair behind someone else and have found things I did not like. To the OP, if you are a decent shadetree mechanic and they do put in a new engine. Give the car a good look over top an bottom. Pay attention to how things such a connections, hoses and such look, especially those things which have to be undone to remove an engine. Odds are the job will be done well.

As a potential buyer the things which would ease my mind about an engine swap would include the sort of extended warranty mentioned by some but only if it transferred with the sale.

Another thing would be if somehow the problems of the original engine could be known to have been addressed in the replacement engine. True or not. Deserved or not. There are enough stories going around about the latest Ford engines used in the Mustang to make people wary. If it could be known the issues have been addressed in the replacement engines then you might be in a better position than someone with a stock engine.

 

[PRTK350]

Hey Folks - apologies for the lack of updates over the last couple of weeks.

Just edited the original post with 4 updates.

 

[lenFeb]

Hey Folks - apologies for the lack of updates over the last couple of weeks.

Just edited the original post with 4 updates.

Did you have a chance to find out what was the issue with the original motor?

 

[PRTK350]

Did you have a chance to find out what was the issue with the original motor?

Nope - nothing more than what the dealer originally said. They think it’s a rod bearing failure, but they’re not sure as Ford won’t let them touch the engine.

 

[Montoya]

@PRTK350 just read your update. I would say your repair is on the fast side of things. Mine was roughly 40 days and many more were way past that. Not that it makes it any easier, but just to give you some perspective. Good luck with the buyback if that’s the way you go...

 

[Goz To 11]

Sorry to hear about this. I hope they can make things right with you, particularily in respects to an extended warranty, if you still want it.....

Good luck

 

[Trackaholic]

Beautiful car. Hopefully the new engine will be free of any gremlins and run wonderfully for years to come.

Good luck!

-T

 

[Tank]

Nope - nothing more than what the dealer originally said. They think it’s a rod bearing failure, but they’re not sure as Ford won’t let them touch the engine.

Huh, a rod bearing failure and not a dropped valve like has been reported by others? You mentioned it made a metallic noise when it started, not a knock...

Have you looked into Lemoning it?

 

[pilotgore]

Huh, a rod bearing failure and not a dropped valve like has been reported by others? You mentioned it made a metallic noise when it started, not a knock...

Have you looked into Lemoning it?

Reading back through the posts, on post #84 he says his Ford dealer suspects a piston rod broke, causing the piston to collide with the spark plug (their only evidence was a smooshed spark plug to draw that conclusion.) It seems MUCH more likely to me a valves head snapped off the stem and was getting banged around inside the combustion chamber. I guess we’ll never know for sure.

Regarding lemon process, OP updated the original post stating he is pursuing a buyback..... and I’m assuming would pursue lemon action if Ford doesn’t approve the buyback.

 

[Tank]

Reading back through the posts, on post #84 he says his Ford dealer suspects a piston rod broke, causing the piston to collide with the spark plug (their only evidence was a smooshed spark plug to draw that conclusion.) It seems MUCH more likely to me a valves head snapped off the stem and was getting banged around inside the combustion chamber. I guess we’ll never know for sure.

Regarding lemon process, OP updated the original post stating he is pursuing a buyback..... and I’m assuming would pursue lemon action if Ford doesn’t approve the buyback.

Yeah, some where in this thread he mentioned he met his state’s lemon law hence my question about it.

Why wait on “looking into it” while Ford’s considering the buyback? (Rhetorical question)

 

[pilotgore]

Yeah, some where in this thread he mentioned he met his state’s lemon law hence my question about it.

Why wait on “looking into it” while Ford’s considering the buyback? (Rhetorical question)

Ahhh, gotcha.

Seems to me that the path of least resistance is the Ford buyback.

I’d be curious if anyone here has ever had to bring a lemon law case after a manufacturer failed to act when the predicates had been met.

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