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My Boss problems.. (brand new 13 Laguna Seca)

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Don't mean to be a debbie downer on this forum, but ever since getting my 13 Laguna Seca last Friday it's been headaches only.

Bought it friday.. Sunday morning after 200 miles "Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on

Monday morning take it into dealership other than where I bought it, they give me an oil change and mention that there was "debris in the oil" that caused the sensor to go off..

(drove a Chevy Cruze rental car that day)

Tuesday morning CEL comes on again and engine starts losing power.. so I take it to the dealership where I bought it from.

They can't start working on it till next day, so I drive back home in a rental Nissan Sentra

I'm still driving the Sentra, and the latest news is that they reset the computers.. didn't help.

Then they discovered the engine is misfiring, they checked the solenoids.. didn't help either.

NOW I just got the news that they're going to remove the valve covers and look at the cam phasers.

So my engine is going to come apart, and they won't really get to the bottom of it till next week.

I really wish I was telling you stories about how badass this car is (and I know it is).. but I lost confidence in this whole thing.

I already looked into the California Lemon Law, and it needs to be repaired 4 times before the law applies (or it needs to be in the shop for 30 days straight)

What do you guys think? What would YOU do?

A.. Walk into the dealership and raise hell? (not my style, and this is not the dealers fault after all)?

B.. Try getting a new car (not sure how, if you have any ideas let me know)?

C.. be patient and enjoy my Nissan Sentra for the time being?
 
Was it the Random Misfire Code (P0300) or was it a specific Cylinder (P0304 = Cyl #4).

Have you had the TracKey Software installed? If so, did they do the Crank Relearn Procedure outlined in the instructions correctly (6,000 PRM vs 4,350 RPM)...

I just went thru a complete Engine Replacement on my 2012 BOSS... Threw the #3 Rod Bearing at an Open Track Event in mid-July...

I then went thru a series of Misfire CEL's that I hopefully have traced and fixed by re-setting all the connectors to all the engine sensors located around the new block and heads...

Does this particular problem just happen to occur around 4,000 RPM??? Seems to be a recurring "theme" with those having similar issues...

https://trackmustangsonline.com/boss-302-technical-forum/cel-'random-misfire'-(recurring)/
 
If it is not somethig simple enough tell them that they are not qualified to work on that particular engine and from what you paid tell them straight out to contact Ford themself and either send it to Ford racing to have it completely fixed and tested to a satisfaction you will never forget or tell them you want a new car. If it were me this is exactly what would happen for damn sure. You sure as hell dont have to worrie of the lemon law this is a performance car and I am sure ford will make you happy if you push it right.
 
I was inches from lemon lawing mine over a bad brake caliper that Ford fought me on fixing, plus tranny issues, but Ford ended up fixing it on the 5th time I brought it in. It is not really 4 tries but that is sort of an assumption that it qualifies. I received a recommendation from a friend whose dealership has been sued by a particular lemon law lawyer a few times, I can see if I can find the name. It can also be lemon lawed if it is in the shop for an unreasonable amount of time, and other things. Most lemon law lawyers will do a free evaluation and let you know if they want to pursue it. Ford finally man'ed up and fixed it, and I am loving the car again.

FWIW a friend bought a GT500 that had a bad undercoat on the paint, you could see through the paint if you really looked at it close and in good lighting (he bought it at night, didn't notice until a few weeks later washing it) that it was all messed up under, and he raised hell at the dealership and they swapped it out for another one. I don't know how often that works, but considering it is brand new and has these issues it would not hurt to ask them about swapping it for another one.
 
I think I would go back and get a better car to drive for sure. I just got my wife a new Escape and the first day the airbag light wouldn't go off. So back to dealer they gave me a old 99 Taurus, I handed it over to her. She went back up there and they gave her a 2012 Edge Limited to drive for 2 days with free gas.
 
07SGT0547 said:
Was it the Random Misfire Code (P0300) or was it a specific Cylinder (P0304 = Cyl #4).

Have you had the TracKey Software installed? If so, did they do the Crank Relearn Procedure outlined in the instructions correctly (6,000 PRM vs 4,350 RPM)...

I just went thru a complete Engine Replacement on my 2012 BOSS... Threw the #3 Rod Bearing at an Open Track Event in mid-July...

I then went thru a series of Misfire CEL's that I hopefully have traced and fixed by re-setting all the connectors to all the engine sensors located around the new block and heads...

Does this particular problem just happen to occur around 4,000 RPM??? Seems to be a recurring "theme" with those having similar issues...

https://trackmustangsonline.com/boss-302-technical-forum/cel-'random-misfire'-(recurring)/

Thanks for the reply, I actually don't know if it happens around 4k RPM.. the car is so new to me that I'm not sure when the CEL came on.

I don't have trackkey installed, but I heard that many Boss owners are having problems with their crank shaft sensor.. it being very vulnerable to vibrations or something. So I'll contact the service department tomorrow and tell them to look THERE (before they open my engine up)
 
From reading posts here, it looks like the crank sensor is often loose connectors. Bad grounds will cause all sorts of problems too, I chased one for a while on my track car.
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
Suggestion: Insure that your dealer is in constant contact with Ford on making decisions on what to do next to alleviate your issues. The guys who work in the dealerships, for the most part, don't have a clue about this engine since they have seen either none or very few. There is also no history on the engine. Also, start a dialog with Ford directly yourself, and make sure they know exactly what you are going through to get the issue resolved.

Unfortunately you got one that has some issues initially. That doesn't mean that it's not fixable and surely doesn't mean that you'll lose out on all the big smiles once it gets sorted out. I hate to say this (and I'll probably get tons of posts on this...) but we did not buy a Porsche, we bought a Ford. Unfortunately the level of quality and tolerances of parts on a $50,000 car is not the same as a $150,000 one (Not to say Porsche's can't have issues as they roll out of the dealerships). That doesn't mean we don't or should not expect a perfect car when we buy it, but it does mean that more $%$# happens with these cars than with 'exotics'. The history with Ford so far with all of our issues is that they stand behind their work and will make it right. That's not to say the dealers all have the same mentality or even have the resources on their own to address issues with a Boss. Your answer lies with Ford's Boss technical support team.
 

fbbob96

2013 SBY #0750
PeteInCT said:
Suggestion: Insure that your dealer is in constant contact with Ford on making decisions on what to do next to alleviate your issues. The guys who work in the dealerships, for the most part, don't have a clue about this engine since they have seen either none or very few. There is also no history on the engine. Also, start a dialog with Ford directly yourself, and make sure they know exactly what you are going through to get the issue resolved.

Unfortunately you got one that has some issues initially. That doesn't mean that it's not fixable and surely doesn't mean that you'll lose out on all the big smiles once it gets sorted out. I hate to say this (and I'll probably get tons of posts on this...) but we did not buy a Porsche, we bought a Ford. Unfortunately the level of quality and tolerances of parts on a $50,000 car is not the same as a $150,000 one (Not to say Porsche's can't have issues as they roll out of the dealerships). That doesn't mean we don't or should not expect a perfect car when we buy it, but it does mean that more $%$# happens with these cars than with 'exotics'. The history with Ford so far with all of our issues is that they stand behind their work and will make it right. That's not to say the dealers all have the same mentality or even have the resources on their own to address issues with a Boss. Your answer lies with Ford's Boss technical support team.
Well said. I totally agree with you.
 
PeteInCT said:
Unfortunately you got one that has some issues initially. That doesn't mean that it's not fixable and surely doesn't mean that you'll lose out on all the big smiles once it gets sorted out. I hate to say this (and I'll probably get tons of posts on this...) but we did not buy a Porsche, we bought a Ford. Unfortunately the level of quality and tolerances of parts on a $50,000 car is not the same as a $150,000 one (Not to say Porsche's can't have issues as they roll out of the dealerships). That doesn't mean we don't or should not expect a perfect car when we buy it, but it does mean that more $%$# happens with these cars than with 'exotics'. The history with Ford so far with all of our issues is that they stand behind their work and will make it right. That's not to say the dealers all have the same mentality or even have the resources on their own to address issues with a Boss. Your answer lies with Ford's Boss technical support team.
The reality is our cars our basically $22,000 rental cars with high performance parts added. That's fine with me because on track it performs like a $100,000 exotic. ;) The exotics have their share of issues and I know of a Ferrari 458 that had to have an engine replaced. How much did that replacement engine cost? $75,000!

Sorry you're having issues but they will get resolved. Good luck.
 

Sesshomurai

I had similar story back in '05 with a pontiac GTO and had to lemon law it, but out of the total number of cars there are always some bad seeds with manufacturing errors and my only point is that it happens to all manufacturers. Sad to hear and I'm sure it will work out in the end. Raise hell, you deserve it.
 
5 DOT 0 said:
PeteInCT said:
Unfortunately you got one that has some issues initially. That doesn't mean that it's not fixable and surely doesn't mean that you'll lose out on all the big smiles once it gets sorted out. I hate to say this (and I'll probably get tons of posts on this...) but we did not buy a Porsche, we bought a Ford. Unfortunately the level of quality and tolerances of parts on a $50,000 car is not the same as a $150,000 one (Not to say Porsche's can't have issues as they roll out of the dealerships). That doesn't mean we don't or should not expect a perfect car when we buy it, but it does mean that more $%$# happens with these cars than with 'exotics'. The history with Ford so far with all of our issues is that they stand behind their work and will make it right. That's not to say the dealers all have the same mentality or even have the resources on their own to address issues with a Boss. Your answer lies with Ford's Boss technical support team.
The reality is our cars our basically $22,000 rental cars with high performance parts added. That's fine with me because on track it performs like a $100,000 exotic. ;) The exotics have their share of issues and I know of a Ferrari 458 that had to have an engine replaced. How much did that replacement engine cost? $75,000!

Sorry you're having issues but they will get resolved. Good luck.

How about the rotors on a Carrera GT? Porsche has said they are street rotors, and will cover at most one set burned at the track. And they are not cheap, my friend went through a few.
 

VWGTI123

2012 PW #2558
124
0
I had a similar situation with my 08 GTI - 2 years old with 14k miles, Clutch pedal got stuck to the floor when starting the car a few times.. brought it in a few times.. operating as designed, could not re-create.

Kept randomly happening, brought it in again... finally they replaced the clutch. Still kept hearing funny noises when clutch depressed,, brought it in again... turns out they had to replace the engine due to a worn throw out bearing or something with the actual block..

Long story short.. looked into lemon law.. spoke with lemon law lawyer.. called VW of America.. flipped out on them telling them I did not want the car anymore.. How can i ever sell a car with a replaced engine.. i wouldnt buy one ??? I was so stressed

In the end, VW of America field rep worked with me and gave me a 2010 car/same color with equivilant options +more - but I had to pay 1500 depretiation. Thats $125 a month to drive the 08 for 2yrs and got a new car.

I guess my point is that if they have to replace the engine.. I would not keep the car! Go directly to Ford and open up a case#. Sorry to hear of your situation.. Blows and should not happen.. 50k 100k or 25k.. They must make it right. Dont worry about hurting anyones feelings.. they are not worried about yours. Your just a number to them. JMO Good Luck!
 
It does seem as if you either get a good Boss or nothing but problems. I have to wonder if ford really does care of whats going on with the one car everyone is calling their best car ever?
 
I got the impression dealing with them that they don't care at all, they denied my warranty coverage but eventually (5 months of arguing) my local dealer told them to cover it and got the ok to replace parts. I have never had an issue with Ford warranties before, they backed my 95 Bronco on some issues well past the warranty because they were either found to be manufacturing flaws or continuations of old issues (exploded diff that shot shrapnel down the street was covered after warranty, as they found a flaw in what was left of the ring gear, for example) and that was a big reason why I bought the Boss. I figured their warranty was still iron clad, so first year of a new motor (heads, etc) would not be something to worry about. In fact, I have bought for myself, work, or family 8 Fords in the last 3 years but after my experience with the Boss I am switching my business back to Toyota and I'm not going to push family into Fords anymore. A shame, because they have such great product and they used to be the absolute best company to deal with. I know part of it is just that the world doesn't work like it used to, I'm sure the other brands have cut back too, but it was the best thing about Ford. I may have to do what I swore I would never do and go back to German cars next round, unless one of the Japanese companies comes up with something that doesn't put me to sleep.
 
I just got the word that there is something wrong with my Variable Cam Timers.. they ordered the parts and are saying the car will be done Tuesday (we'll see)

I also mentioned btw that I did lots of research on the forums and that many Bosses are having problems with the Crank Sensor - but they weren't having it.

His reply was "I prefer listening to the Ford Technical Hotline than following an online forum"
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
Your statement about "many Boss owners having problems with their crank sensors" is not true. I don't recall any Boss owners actually having a problem with the sensor itself. The issue related to the crank sensor is actually not with the sensor but with the ECU software being a little to sensitive in reporting errors that show up as a P0300. There is a crankshaft relearn process that reprograms the ECU for an updated level of sensitivity for reporting such errors.

As far as your car having issues with the variable valve timing, it sounds like there is a missing piece of the puzzle here. If the valve timing was going astray you would be having some serious issues with the engine, including it going into limp mode. You could be having problems with the cam sensors themselves or the oil valve pressure solenoid, but I have been told by Ford directly that if that was the case the engine would lose at least 100 hp and would run very poorly.

I'd be curious to know exactly what parts Ford is planning on replacing and if they have detected any engine codes other than a P0300 ?
 
SUFitness said:
His reply was "I prefer listening to the Ford Technical Hotline than following an online forum"
So would I. The hotline gets actual data from real cars and parts that actually failed. Online forums are rife with opinions, speculations and fabrications that muddy up the real data.
 
cloud9 said:
SUFitness said:
His reply was "I prefer listening to the Ford Technical Hotline than following an online forum"
So would I. The hotline gets actual data from real cars and parts that actually failed. Online forums are rife with opinions, speculations and fabrications that muddy up the real data.

I agree to disagree ;D My guy told me it's great when a customer let's them know of an issue theve herd of that way they could check the ford site to see if it has actually happened saving him alot of figuring. I know that forums have saved me alot of time with stupid issues but thay also cost me a crapload when they tell me of aftermarket parts ;D
 

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