So here is the skinny on the state of our vehicle after the service dept called today:
1. The paint has fallen off the passenger side front bumper parking sensor (the driver side paint was fixed last time)
They got approval from Ford, but haven't fixed it yet
2. The A/C is smelly again
Treated it AGAIN, so we will see, maybe 3rd time is the charm
3. The exhaust smell still happens inside the car (original TSB performed, we assume, but not sure if done properly)
They could not replicate it
4. Front edge of lower cushion on front passenger seat keeps coming loose again
Fixed, they have some secondary clips put on to keep it on forever now, lol
5. Transmission whine is louder and occurs much more often – have had two instances where engine made a very loud noise while accelerating (loud enough I became concerned and took my foot off of the gas pedal at which point the noise stopped)
They could not replicate - I am still worried about this one as I am sure something is wrong with the drive line of this car
6. Experienced rough idle at stop light where A/C stopped blowing cold, RPM’s would drop until engine would stumble, RPM’s would come back up and then drop again (did this cycle about 10 times while waiting at the light)
They could not replicate it and found no codes in the system - this was something new, so maybe a one time affair
7. Recall Notice #: 13S04 - FUEL DELIVERY MODULE REPLACEMENT
Completed - they were able to find a part toot-sweet and get it installed
So it looks like that will be what we are stuck with. I can't really blame them on not finding/experiencing some of the things, as they can only drive it a couple of times over a couple of days. We drive it day in and day out so when even sporadic things happen, we have the fun of experiencing them. Looks like we will be purchasing an extended warranty as I have little to no faith in the long term reliability of this vehicle. My wife said she wanted to drive this car until the wheels fell off for what we paid for it. I don't think she expected them to start falling off so soon!
Wish us luck and I will keep you all posted on the life and times of the Gray Ghost.