I have an inquiry about my 2017 XLT Explorer (3.5L w/ Sport Appearance Package) "missing" an engine cover.
**I apologize in advance if there is a 2017 XLT Explorer engine cover thread for my inquiry or if the specifics that I am seeking clarification on have been fully previously addressed and/or established in this thread
I bought my 2017 used from a Ford dealer in 07/2019 in Arizona. I saw that it had no engine cover but was not aware that it might be "missing" until after I had purchased the vehicle and about a month later noticed that most pictures of 2017 Explorers 3.5L have an engine cover (the only 2017 pictures I could find that didn't display an engine cover was for PIU's, which have a 3.7L). I contacted the original sales person to see if the vehicle was missing the engine cover, maybe the AZ dealership had removed it when prepping it to sell and forgot to put it back on (or was this model/trim not suppose to have one, possibly since it is the XLT Sport Appearance Package, or it might really have the 3.7L engine....zoom, zoom...lol
Of course the dealership didn't know and was no help. It only had 1 prior owner (purchased new from a California dealer in 07/2017) when it was sold to the CA auto auction (in 06/2019) and then was picked up by the Arizona dealership (more possibility of it originally having an engine cover and then being lost along the way). NOTE: I was able to locate pics on the internet of the vehicle sitting on the CA auto auction lot (it was pre-sale auto auction bidding pics), but it didn't include any under the hood...boo.
I did notice that from the my 2017 XLT manufacturing specs that it didn't roll off the assembly line in Chicago until 05/2017 and then was shipped to the California dealer. So, if it is true that Ford stopped issuing 3.5L engine covers for 2018 XLT's, I wonder that since my 2017 XLT was manufactured so late maybe it came from the factory with no engine cover (due to the 2018 XLT protocol)?
Any insight or logic provided back to me for my "Was it lost along the way or it never had one" question will be greatly appreciated!