Ford recalls 440k vehicles due to fire risk

[totusPorcus]

well i got the letter too. i dont drive very much as a work out of my house. i check the coolant from time to time and after it cools down the line is always just above the max line. no mods or anything

i will say this. i wouldnt know until it happened. but if my head did crack, i almost think i would simply spring for a new motor. at my cost if that was the decision. i might even drop it in myself. i really am uneasy about having having complicated repair work done (ie head replaced on overheated motor) at your average ford dealership. just get a new motor and drop it in and go.

 

[chi]

shit shit shit, just got the letter and my coolant is low.

 

[antarctica24]

Got two notices from ford, one for the cylinder head and the other for the door latch. The notices say they will be replacing the cylinder head once they have them build around 3rd quarter. The latch said anytime. Mine is classified as a 2014 but was purchased in Nov of 2013. Currently I'm at 175,353 miles so I'm pretty stoked about a new head. I'm contemplating rebuilding the motor at the same time, I just haven't decided yet. I still have not had any issues, but with upgrading to the x-47, and the mileage I am certain the piston rings would be screaming but I am not putting out any weird smoke and the CO2 levels are still good. I wouldn't mind buying the motor from DHM but he is talking like 4 months to get it built. The last motor I had build took a week, so I am not sure what that is all about. I could just get the motor from Puma but then you have to deal with shipping and VAT.

As for the coolant. I didn't have any leaks in the first 100,000 miles and never added any coolant. Temps never budged on gauges. At 100,000, drained all coolant and replaced with ford coolant. So another 75K and no leaks, same factory hoses which I have not replaced, but will replace when they replace the head.

If your low enough on coolant for the head to overheat and catch fire, your not paying attention. You have a temp gauge right in front of you. If it moves to 5 blocks, You know you have problem well before it was an issue and you would know it about 15 minutes sitting idle. I've never had my coolant hoses off the car. As I have said many many times, I still think this car was some kind of prototype from Ford. I have never had a car go this far, without something going sideways. A clutch, coolant hoses, serpentine belt, plug wires, something, but not this car. as I have said also, the only gripe I had with the car from the factory was the brakes and I resolved that with the wildwood.

I have started to notice a leak coming from the oil pan, now check this out, I went to Ford the other day to ask about changing out the coolant hoses and belt when they do the head, and asked, can I order the oil pan gasket. They said, they couldn't find the part. Then said, they weren't even sure my car had an oil pan gasket. You would think that was something they would know. But according to them, they have never replaced a oil pan gasket on a fiesta st.

Update, it doesn't use a gasket, it uses RTV.

 

[worker88]

Got two notices from ford, one for the cylinder head and the other for the door latch. The notices say they will be replacing the cylinder head once they have them build around 3rd quarter. The latch said anytime. Mine is classified as a 2014 but was purchased in Nov of 2013. Currently I'm at 175,353 miles so I'm pretty stoked about a new head. I'm contemplating rebuilding the motor at the same time, I just haven't decided yet. I still have not had any issues, but with upgrading to the x-47, and the mileage I am certain the piston rings would be screaming but I am not putting out any weird smoke and the CO2 levels are still good. I wouldn't mind buying the motor from DHM but he is talking like 4 months to get it built. The last motor I had build took a week, so I am not sure what that is all about. I could just get the motor from Puma but then you have to deal with shipping and VAT.

As for the coolant. I didn't have any leaks in the first 100,000 miles and never added any coolant. Temps never budged on gauges. At 100,000, drained all coolant and replaced with ford coolant. So another 75K and no leaks, same factory hoses which I have not replaced, but will replace when they replace the head.

If your low enough on coolant for the head to overheat and catch fire, your not paying attention. You have a temp gauge right in front of you. If it moves to 5 blocks, You know you have problem well before it was an issue and you would know it about 15 minutes sitting idle. I've never had my coolant hoses off the car. As I have said many many times, I still think this car was some kind of prototype from Ford. I have never had a car go this far, without something going sideways. A clutch, coolant hoses, serpentine belt, plug wires, something, but not this car. as I have said also, the only gripe I had with the car from the factory was the brakes and I resolved that with the wildwood.

I have started to notice a leak coming from the oil pan, now check this out, I went to Ford the other day to ask about changing out the coolant hoses and belt when they do the head, and asked, can I order the oil pan gasket. They said, they couldn't find the part. Then said, they weren't even sure my car had an oil pan gasket. You would think that was something they would know. But according to them, they have never replaced a oil pan gasket on a fiesta st.

Update, it doesn't use a gasket, it uses RTV.

Where do you see they are going replacing heads in the recall notice?

Just an FYI my car overheated and the temp gauge didn't move.

Keep an eye on your coolant level everyone.

 

[CSM]

Where do you see they are going replacing heads in the recall notice?

Just an FYI my car overheated and the temp gauge didn't move.

Keep an eye on your coolant level everyone.

I'm wondering the same thing too. I'm at the dealer as we speak (For an unrelated issue) and when I asked about cylinder head replacement, they pretty much just laughed. They said it would be a coolant level monitoring sensor installed in Q4 this year.

 

[Slurp812]

Currently I'm at 175,353 miles so I'm pretty stoked about a new head.

Wow! Glad to hear examples of high mileage!

 

[zanethan]

Currently I'm at 175,353 miles so I'm pretty stoked about a new head.

Yeah they're not replacing the head as part of the recall. You're going to get a dummy light and a re-plumbed coolant return line from the turbo.

 

[XuperXero]

Well... FML. Found this today while I was trying to diagnose problems with my passenger HID

Definitely looks like it's coming from the connection joint on the tank side of the coolant return line for the turbo.

76,000 kms, start checking your coolant and return lines guys.

 

[Izzy]

My build is 1/14 so I fall under the recall. Got my a notice in the mail a few weeks ago stating another notice would be coming to actually schedule the fix. Should I spend the effort of putting my car back to stock even though I'm already out of warranty?...seems pointless.

 

[Tonysarchy]

Wondering the same thing? I have an appointment next week so it would be helpful to know. ^^^

 

[Im_Zee11]

Same^^

 

[zanethan]

If your vehicle is out of warranty than I wouldn't be concerned with returning it to stock. Modifications should have no effect on a recall as Ford has acknowledged that there is an issue with the integrity of the part itself.

In other words you can never be denied a recall claim as its purpose is to keep Ford (or any other company) out of litigation. If they denied you access to a recall they would be opening themselves up to a lawsuit.

 

[Turbo1]

My car is affected by this issue. Haven't gotten a letter to schedule. I have a 100k mile power train warranty. I have a cobb exhaust and mountune intercooler with a stratified e30 tune.. Just don't know if I should return car to stock. I love the way it drives at my current set up.

 

[XuperXero]

Anyone get the recall work done yet? I've been topping up coolant every other day, the parts are backlogged in Ford China so I'm not getting it anytime soon.

 

[Sekred]

Sounds like your going to need more than a couple of updated coolant pipes and a sensor.
I got the letter from Ford about 2 months ago plus a phone call latter telling me everything was going to be fine and dandy. No updated work yet.
My vehicle is not using any coolant at the moment. My car is also running a BT and tune so there will be no re flash happening in any case.

 

[XuperXero]

Leak is coming from the same connector on coolant return hose for turbo (pics on page 15). There's a puddle of coolant under right axle every time I park. It's leaking pretty bad especially when hot and under pressure. But no signs of overheating via Torque App, never goes past 100C even in current 40C to 45C weather.

I've already informed my dealer that I'm Revo flashed and that I only want the parts, not the PCM flash and they OK'ed me and told me to wait for parts.

 

[zanethan]

Leak is coming from the same connector on coolant return hose for turbo (pics on page 15). There's a puddle of coolant under right axle every time I park. It's leaking pretty bad especially when hot and under pressure. But no signs of overheating via Torque App, never goes past 100C even in current 40C to 45C weather.

I've already informed my dealer that I'm Revo flashed and that I only want the parts, not the PCM flash and they OK'ed me and told me to wait for parts.

That leak is completely unrelated to the one associated with this recall.

The loss of coolant in this recall is due to localized overheating causing coolant to evaporate. If prolonged it can cause the head to crack creating an oil leak. It's not an actual coolant leak.

 

[XuperXero]

That leak is completely unrelated to the one associated with this recall.

The loss of coolant in this recall is due to localized overheating causing coolant to evaporate. If prolonged it can cause the head to crack creating an oil leak. It's not an actual coolant leak.

Then why are they still replacing this hose under the recall.

 

[Sekred]

Your leaking hose looks different to type of material fitted to my OZ spec ST,

 

[zanethan]

Then why are they still replacing this hose under the recall.

They are re-plumbing the coolant return line from the turbo to bypass the head as part of the recall. So one of those lines might ultimately be replaced under the recall but your leak itself is not what the recall has been issued for.

In other words the recall might resolve your leak but only due to coincidence. The dealer might have just seen a recall for coolant loss and assumed it was a coolant leak. I've had to argue with Service Reps many times about what a recall is actually issued for (mostly with GM products though).