2015 Explorer Sport Recurring Timing Chain Failures?

[daveinconyers]

I have a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport SUV with the 3.5 liter Ecoboost twin turbo 6 cylinder engine that I purchased as it came off lease from Ford with 22,700 miles on it. At 38,000 miles it needed a new timing chain which my local Ford dealer, Courtesy Ford in Conyers, Georgia installed. Two years later at 61,000 miles my Explorer needed another new timing chain, which Courtesy Ford installed. Now one year later at 74,000 miles, my Explorer is again at Courtesy Ford and they are telling me it again needs a new timing chain. Does anyone know of any issues with the 2015 Ford Explorer Sport with this Ecoboost engine that would cause recurring timing chain failures? Thank you!!! Dave Cowan - cell: 678-938-5348

 

[peterk9]

Hi Dave. I believe yours is a unique situation. Using the handy 'Search' feature (upper right) I found several threads on Timing Chains. Several were preemptive replacements and others were just failures. Some were replaced when the water pump was replaced but I didn't notice any threads regarding continuous failures on the same vehicle. Have they been charging you for each replacement? Just curious as Ford replacement parts carry a 2 year warranty.

Peter

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I have a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport SUV with the 3.5 liter Ecoboost twin turbo 6 cylinder engine that I purchased as it came off lease from Ford with 22,700 miles on it. At 38,000 miles it needed a new timing chain which my local Ford dealer, Courtesy Ford in Conyers, Georgia installed. Two years later at 61,000 miles my Explorer needed another new timing chain, which Courtesy Ford installed. Now one year later at 74,000 miles, my Explorer is again at Courtesy Ford and they are telling me it again needs a new timing chain. Does anyone know of any issues with the 2015 Ford Explorer Sport with this Ecoboost engine that would cause recurring timing chain failures? Thank you!!! Dave Cowan - cell: 678-938-5348

what were the symptoms? that may help narrow down what could be causing it (ie guides, chain stretch, or just visual inspection.) what led to it being taken back in?

 

[daveinconyers]

Hi Dave. I believe yours is a unique situation. Using the handy 'Search' feature (upper right) I found several threads on Timing Chains. Several were preemptive replacements and others were just failures. Some were replaced when the water pump was replaced but I didn't notice any threads regarding continuous failures on the same vehicle. Have they been charging you for each replacement? Just curious as Ford replacement parts carry a 2 year warranty.

Peter

Peter, thank you for your fast reply!!! Ford paid for the first one under the Ford warranty. On the 2nd one they charged it to my 3rd party extended warranty, which expires in two months. This one they said will be covered under the two year warranty on the last timing chain they installed a year ago. The service advisor said he feels that since this would be the 4th timing chain in this engine, he feels the engine should be replaced (which I agree with), but the service technician is telling him no. I found a Weblink which discusses timing chain issues with this 2015 Ecoboost engine which I was hoping to find more information to be able to use to discuss this with Courtesy Ford. This is that Weblink: F150 Timing Chain Recall [Things to Know] | f150advisor.com

 

[daveinconyers]

what were the symptoms? that may help narrow down what could be causing it (ie guides, chain stretch, or just visual inspection.) what led to it being taken back in?

The symptoms are the same error code “P0022 - Intake camshaft Position Timing - Over-Retarded - (Bank 2) - DTC Severity 2 of 3”. When they take the engine out and apart and inspect the timing chain it is stretched.

 

[mguy13sport]

Probably has a bad cam phaser. Notoriously documented on the F150 ecoboost but also affects our transverse version as well. The phasers are pretty expensive and hard to get which is why they probably have yet to replace them on yours.

 

[daveinconyers]

Probably has a bad cam phaser. Notoriously documented on the F150 ecoboost but also affects our transverse version as well. The phasers are pretty expensive and hard to get which is why they probably have yet to replace them on yours.

Courtesy Ford told me today they are going to replace the timing chain again. This will the 4th timing chain (3rd replacement) in my car. I talked to the service manager this evening and told him it just doesn’t seem to make sense. He said this is what Ford procedures indicate for them to do.