TSB on Alignment

[xplorgee]

So, I am new to FWD cars for the last 6 years. Been driving Exploders and F150s. I noticed my Edge kinda likes to go to the right and I have to slighly hold my wheel to the left. A little annoying for a new car. I didnt know if it was the shape of the roads or what. I took it in to get my rear moonroof plastic fixed also since it kept falling off also. They said that there is a TSB for the alignment issue and they had to order a bunch of parts that were unfortunately on backorder. They are going to call me when they come in. Has anybody experienced this or know what the hek they are going to replace? There was a list of 5-10 parts. Hope it fixes it.

[kmac]

So, I am new to FWD cars for the last 6 years. Been driving Exploders and F150s. I noticed my Edge kinda likes to go to the right and I have to slighly hold my wheel to the left. A little annoying for a new car. I didnt know if it was the shape of the roads or what. I took it in to get my rear moonroof plastic fixed also since it kept falling off also. They said that there is a TSB for the alignment issue and they had to order a bunch of parts that were unfortunately on backorder. They are going to call me when they come in. Has anybody experienced this or know what the hek they are going to replace? There was a list of 5-10 parts. Hope it fixes it.

 

I had the problem with mine. The dealer first did an alignment only and that did not correct the problem. They reset the strut plates and that corrected the problem, it drives straight and true.

 

My understanding from the dealer is they try the alignment first and resetting the strut plates is the true fix.

 

I'm satisfied with the fix

Edited June 17, 2007 by kmac

[xplorgee]

The first dropped the front suspension to relax it. They then aligned it and tightened it while aligning. Maybee its the other way around. I cant find the TSB anywhere and dont know what parts. The guy was out to lunch and I didnt want to wait until the tech got back to find out. It does drive a little better now but still drifts a bit to the right. Shouldnt on a new car.

[ontheedge]

I have mine in the shop now and have talked to a ford rep. and there are no parts to fix this problem even called ford direct, they also tried to adjust mine twice with no change to the pull, then started telling me it may be a problem with the Edge and the 18" wheels and tires and I may be able to go with a set of known good 17" wheels and tires to correct the problem, What kind of BS*@$%^& is this from Ford? (I have transcripts from Ford to the mechanic to document this.)

I am still in the process of trying to make them replace my Edge or giving my money back.

The tech told me there is no caster adjustment on this vehicle so the hot-line told him to do the adjustment by loosening the lower strut brackets and messing around with that and if that didn't work to try to swap the tires front to back and side to side, What BS...

Ford has a big issue with this and does not want to admit it, they don't want any recalls on the car that is supposed to put them back on the map in the car manufacturing business.

They are flying a Ford engineer down tomorrow to take a look at it but what can he do? There is no adjustments or any parts right know that can permanently fix the problem.

Talked to a local mechanic and he said the only way they will be able to fix them correctly is to produce a new lower control arm with an offset to correct this.

Also I have a theory about which units are affected, I think it is the units that were made before Jan-07

I read somewhere not to buy an Edge built before Jan-07 period..

Don't listen to the lies about a fix, it is total bull and it is a temporary solution.(At least till you go get your next set of tires and the problem will reappear).

 

I will keep you all posted, I will be talking to the Rep. and the engineer tomorrow, if I find out anything from these guys I will Post their names and contact info on here later..

Edited June 28, 2007 by ontheedge

[ontheedge]

6-22-07 Just got back from the Ford dealership and once again more lies, the engineer that was supposed to be there today was not there but will be sometime next week they say.

All the service men at the dealership said they agreed with me that Ford had a problem with no solution and they will back me when I talk to Ford's reps next week, to make them see that they should replace my Edge.

 

I will keep you all informed

[ontheedge]

6-26-07 Ok, a lot has happened since my last post but nothing really that is going to solve my issue.

Ford sent their field engineer to the dealership to take a look at the Edge and he agreed that the pull to the right was not acceptable but he had no cure so he is going back to Ford to talk with more engineers to see if they can come up with a fix, again what BS...

The engineer is suppose to be back sometime this week to again try to fix the problem. (All Bull)

 

I have contacted Ford Motor Co. and talked with a lady that they have assigned as my personal customer satisfaction officer and she said that they had one more chance to fix the car before they would consider replacing the Ford Edge, I told her I have rights and do not want a car that has been modified different than original but she kept saying that Ford has a right to repair the car according to their limited warranty

before they even consider giving me another Edge. What a joke they don't even know what is wrong with the car in the first place, again pure bull.. (Where is customer satisfaction? Where is customer rights?)

Oh, I know,!

it is called the Lemon law and I have talked to a lawyer and he said to let them set their own trap, so we shall see.

 

I have always been a loyal Ford fan but since this has happen it has opened my eyes and I have been reading a lot about the horror stories about this company and how they treat their customers, from the Ford Pinto to their sparkplug spitting and turbo blowing F-250 truck line, seems they don't want to fess up to none of their mishaps... Just let the customer suffer with it, customers forget, I believe is Fords philosophy. (Or do customers forget? Maybe that is why you are struggling Ford!!!)

I will write again when I get more info..

Edited June 27, 2007 by ontheedge

[Bryce]

I'm just trying to get a feel for the issue you are having... is it drifint/pulling to one side all the time ir just under acceleration?

 

Around here, the roads are so damn crowned that I've never had a vehicle that didn't drift to the right eventually (unless I was in the left lane on a multilane divided road, then it drifeted left). I'm taking a trip through fly over country in a few weeks, so I'll try to pay more attention to it then.

 

I've also noticed that our Edge has a little bit of Troque Steer when you really get on it... it's been a while since I had a FWD vehicle and forgot about this until I floored a few of the cars I had been testing. The torque steer is noting compared to my old '81 Honda Prelude (my last FWD car).

 

Bryce

[ontheedge]

Bryce, The pull is very bad at times when you have a crown but bad enough to be dangerous at all times.

Again even the engineer said it is bad.

I don't want anyone to think I am one of these people who is nit picky and like to complain and I normaly don't but this is just more than I can bare.

I also have other issues I have not even listed here, Like the compass sensor fell off as soon as I left the lot the day I purchased the car , the right rear seat would not let down with the automatic feature, the Vista Roof drive belt is rattling in the roof.

I only had the car for about 4 days,been in the shop since.

I hope no one else has these problems...

[ontheedge]

Bryce if you think you may have this pull to the right go drive another Edge and you will be able to see that if you are in a good one no pull is noticeable at all and they should not be.

I have driven about six with no pull at all.

Maybe someone if they will, that works at the factory that is on the forum may know something that we don't.

Edited June 28, 2007 by ontheedge

[Bryce]

Bryce, The pull is very bad at times when you have a crown but bad enough to be dangerous at all times.

Again even the engineer said it is bad.

I don't want anyone to think I am one of these people who is nit picky and like to complain and I normaly don't but this is just more than I can bare.

I also have other issues I have not even listed here, Like the compass sensor fell off as soon as I left the lot the day I purchased the car , the right rear seat would not let down with the automatic feature, the Vista Roof drive belt is rattling in the roof.

I only had the car for about 4 days,been in the shop since.

I hope no one else has these problems...

 

ya.. nothing like that kind of pull/drift on ours... ours seems to drive comparable to all ouf our other past and current cars/trucks.

Our only real issue that couldn't be explained away (or minor "just get used to it") was an adjustment to teh BAMR that has seemed to make it work great.

 

Good luck with it... keep on them about it.

 

Bryce

[ontheedge]

Thanks, Bryce

[xplorgee]

The dealership stated that they have not received their parts yet. Id imagine the would want to try to fix it since they wont get paid for it and the invoice is still open. On my road trip, it doesnt seem like it has a tendency to drift to the right, but it will change depending on the crown of the road. Its like its super sensitive or loose and its not tight enough.

[audiomidiman]

My Edge drifts to the right... They fixed it for about 24 hour... Then I took it back w/ a TSB and within a day it came back... I'm calling again Thursday to bitch a little bit.

 

Bill

[ontheedge]

audiomidiman, I will be picking mine back up 7-5-07 or 7-6-07, they say they have fixed mine as well but we shall see.

This time with more lies they said that a Rep. drove it after they adjusted the other side to make the right side stop drifting and he said it drove as good as his Lincoln MKX. (Again an adjustment from the engineers)

What a joke, who are these engineers? And engineers at what?

They refuse to admit they have a problem.

Whats up with this crap?

They are determined to fix the car any way they can even if it means rigging it and not telling the truth.

 

We need to all ban together (Us with the drifting Problem) and demand answers or give us our money back.

I am tired of all this Ford cover up crap.

By the way my Edge has been in the shop since June 18-07 :angry2:

Edited July 4, 2007 by ontheedge

[DrEvil]

I do not have this problem with mine, but in case you need it the TSB # is 07-7-6, and these are the parts listed for it.

PART NUMBER PART NAME

W712555-S439 Flag Bolts (2 Req)

W520216-S440 Strut to Knuckle Nut (2 Req)

W520212-S440 Upper Strut Mount Nut (4 Req)

W520214-S440 Stabilizer Bar Link Nut (1 Req)

[kmac]

Just as an update. I've put about 2,000 mi. on since the repair and it is driving fine. No more drift to the right

[xplorgee]

I get mine sent back on monday. They are actually going to give me a rental also. i hope its not in too long. I hate being w/o my car. I dont know how nuts and bolts will fix this issue but well see. It still not that bad on a long road trip.

[ontheedge]

DrEvil, I have talked to the Ford service techs, now for over 3 weeks and they have been working with the Ford engineers and they have not mentioned any kind of parts replacement options to repair this problem.

And I am no mechanical engineer but I am a Electronics Engineer and I believe a nut

 

PART NUMBER PART NAME

W712555-S439 Flag Bolts (2 Req)

W520216-S440 Strut to Knuckle Nut (2 Req)

W520212-S440 Upper Strut Mount Nut (4 Req)

W520214-S440 Stabilizer Bar Link Nut (1 Req)

 

 

is considered a fastener and that would have no bearing on a suspension alignment, What would changing some nuts do? (In all probability this TSB # is 07-7-6 and it's components are all stock parts if the truth be known).

 

I also believe that you guys who have had the problem and believe it is fixed will find out different on your next tire rotation or tire purchase because I have been given some pretty stupid repair suggestions from the Techs, and engineers, just temporary fixes to get you off the real issue.

 

Look at it this way, Why are so many people having this same problem if it isn't something that happened in production? (Like maybe a chassis that may not be Straight,strut towers misaligned or mounting holes for the struts drilled offset, who knows?)

 

I hope you all don't go off blindly trusting in Ford to have your backs, if so just do some Ford research on the other stuff they have ignored and pushed off for the customer to take care of.

 

Let's all face it, they have a problem and it is up to us to uncover it. (Not to sound mellow dramatic or anything).

 

Don't accept these alignments, at least till we are given a explanation on why they needed them in the first place and explain to us how it fixed the problem, and if everything is going to be ok the next time your Edge needs an alignment at your local tire shop. ( Does the alignment leave room for future alignments? And if so, will the local alignment shop be able to handle it or will they have to call a Ford engineer).

See what I mean? (WAKE UP PEOPLE)!!!

This is serious, please protect yourselves and your investment.

 

By the way the dealership called me today and said mine will be ready tomorrow most likely, so again we will see, I will not take or accept any half B.S. fixes or excuses myself.

 

I will keep writing updates..

Edited July 6, 2007 by ontheedge

[ontheedge]

xplorgee, I just wrote and was wondering the same thing.

The parts listed would not change a thing as far as I'm concerned.

If it did by chance, does this mean we will be driving cars that have been altered from the original?

Don't settle for any pull, that's what they are hoping you will do.

These cars should have no pull at all on a flat surface and very little on the hwy.

It will eat a set of radial tires in no time.

Sounds like a patch to me...

If it is a fix and nothing was wrong with ours doesn't that mean they should have a recall and change all of them with new nuts from these fine people?

Edited July 6, 2007 by ontheedge

[DrEvil]

Those parts go along with a 2 page procedure on checking and setting the front end to proper specs.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

 

Verify that drift/pull is not being caused by concerns listed in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 204-00 drift/pull diagnostics. If normal drift/pull WSM diagnostics/procedures do not resolve the concern then refer to the following service steps.

 

NOTE: THIS SERVICE PROCEDURE MAY CAUSE THE FRONT CROSS CAMBER (TOTAL/SPLIT) ALIGNMENT VALUE TO EXCEED THE SERVICE MANUAL SPECIFICATION OF 0.00 ± 0.75 DEGREES. DO NOT EXCEED ± 1.2 DEGREES OF CROSS CAMBER.

 

 

 

For a Right Drift/Pull

 

Inspect the left strut upper plate to verify which direction the arrow is pointing. (Figure 1)

NOTE: IF THE NOTCH IS VISIBLE IN THE ACCESS HOLE IN THE STRUT TOWER, THE PLATE HAS ALREADY BEEN ROTATED A POSITIVE 0.5 DEGREE.

 

 

 

If the arrow is pointing inboard as seen through the access hole in Figure 1, no rotation is necessary (positive 0.5 degree camber already there). Continue with Step 4.

If the arrow is pointing outboard, increase positive camber approximately 0.5 degrees on the left front wheel by rotating the upper strut plate 180 degrees. Refer to WSM, Section 204-00, Camber Adjustment - Front.

NOTE: DISCONNECT THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINK AT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SO THAT ENOUGH CLEARANCE CAN BE OBTAINED TO ROTATE THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT. REPLACE THE STABILIZER BAR LINK NUT ON REASSEMBLY.

 

 

 

NOTE: REPLACE THE FOUR (4) UPPER STRUT MOUNT NUTS.

 

 

 

Place vehicle on alignment rack. Remove and replace the two (2) right front shock absorber (strut) to wheel knuckle lower flag bolts and nuts but do not tighten. Refer to WSM, Section 204-01.

With full vehicle weight on the wheels allow the right wheel to increase negative camber and tighten both lower flag bolts and nuts to 166 lb-ft (225 N-m). The camber shift may vary between vehicles, but will typically be between a negative 0.2 and negative 0.6 degrees of camber change. Refer to WSM, Section 204-01.

Reset front toe adjustment to proper specifications. Refer to WSM, Section 204-00, Toe Adjustment - Front.

For a Left Drift/Pull

 

Inspect the right strut upper plate to verify which direction the arrow is pointing. (Figure 1)

NOTE: IF THE NOTCH IS VISIBLE IN THE ACCESS HOLE IN THE STRUT TOWER, THE PLATE HAS ALREADY BEEN ROTATED A POSITIVE 0.5 DEGREE.

 

 

 

If the arrow is pointing inboard, as seen through the access hole in Figure 1, no rotation is necessary (positive 0.5 degree camber already there). Continue with Step 4.

If the arrow is pointing outboard, increase positive camber approximately 0.5 degrees on the right front wheel by rotating the upper strut plate 180 degrees. Refer to WSM, Section 204-00, Camber Adjustment - Front.

NOTE: DISCONNECT THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINK AT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SO THAT ENOUGH CLEARANCE CAN BE OBTAINED TO ROTATE THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT. REPLACE THE STABILIZER BAR LINK NUT ON REASSEMBLY.

 

 

 

NOTE: REPLACE THE FOUR (4) UPPER STRUT MOUNT NUTS.

 

 

 

Place vehicle on alignment rack. Remove and replace the two (2) left front shock absorber (strut) to wheel knuckle lower flag bolts and nuts but do not tighten. Refer to WSM, Section 204-01.

With full vehicle weight on the wheels allow the left wheel to increase negative camber and tighten both lower flag bolts and nuts to 166 lb-ft (225 N-m). The camber shift may vary between vehicles, but will typically be between a negative 0.2 and a negative 0.6 degrees of camber change. Refer to WSM, Section 204-01.

Reset front toe adjustment to proper specifications. Refer to WSM, Section 204-00, Toe Adjustment - Front.

 

PART NUMBER PART NAME

W712555-S439 Flag Bolts (2 Req)

W520216-S440 Strut to Knuckle Nut (2 Req)

W520212-S440 Upper Strut Mount Nut (4 Req)

W520214-S440 Stabilizer Bar Link Nut (1 Req)

Edited July 6, 2007 by DrEvil

[ontheedge]

DrEvil, I am not arguing that they don't try to adjust them only that they have tried this twice already with mine and say that it is in 0% tolerance and every check they have says it is in perfect alignment but it still pulls to the right.

And again not just my opinion but the service techs and the Ford rep who has driven it along with several others.

Edited July 6, 2007 by ontheedge

[ontheedge]

I just got back from picking my Edge up from the dealership.

All right where should I start?

I do have to admit the right drift is a little better but not fixed, it still pulls to the right, worse at higher speeds. ( So I am taking it back again, third time)

 

They scratched my drivers side front quarter panel pretty bad and I showed it to the general manager and he told me that when I bring it back in next week to let the service manager look at it.

 

They did fix the rear passenger back seat "EasyFold" Electro-mechanical release auto fold feature.

 

They did not get the bad rattle fixed in the BAMR, and they left about eight inches of the headliner hanging out untucked, and left scrap peaces of rubber in the back cargo area. (Got pictures) :unsure:

 

They ordered the rear corner glass that was scratched and it was supposed to be there before I picked the car up but they said it would be a day or so because it had to come in from the vendor. So another trip back.

 

They told me they would have the car cleaned and detailed when I picked it up but it had bug guts all over it. (And a scratch)

 

They also sprayed something in the interior that I suppose was to make it smell good but it ruin t the new car smell and smelled like that crap they spray in a car at a car wash.

 

I am suppose to drive it for a week and the lady from Ford ( My customer service rep), is going to call me and do a follow up on the repairs,Oh what a story I have for her.

 

I am speechless, I do not know what to say, this seems like a nightmare.

 

I don't know where to turn, the dealership is telling me to not listen to the Ford rep. and the Ford rep tells me it is up to the dealership and the zone manager to get this mess straight or replace my car.

 

Oh yes they did not give me a repair order today because they said it was still open for the rear window repair so I don't know if any parts were used on the supposed front alignment repair yet, I will let everyone know when I get the repair order.

 

Any help would be appreciated. :unsure:

Edited July 7, 2007 by ontheedge

[xplorgee]

I think you need to find a new shop. The ford dealerships I have dealt with have been pretty good. Lets hope I didnt jinx it by typin this. Lets see what they do to my car with these crazy bolts they ordered. They did the noise from the rear moonroof. It was a stupid piece of plastic that wasnt glued on or something. Id push it up and id come back down a few days later or when it got hot. Its up there good now. Good luck. Ill tell you how my dealings go Monday. They better give me a rental.

[ontheedge]

Yes, good luck to you xplorgee and thanks for your concern. :beerchug:

[ontheedge]

xplorgee, by the way what month and year was yours built in?