water pump issues

[Valdezh]

2016 ford explorer water pump timing chain issues .
Engineering sucks on most fords units there diesels are crap and now to change water pump you have to be a rocket scientist the transfer case for the all wheel drive is right next to the catalytic converter and it is baked quickly . their Ac systems are also crap. when is ford going to understand\get a clue . We like to work on our own vehicles because most crooked ford dealerships will rip us off on repairs a bunch of thieves this car is 3 only years old and completely rotten underneath due to road salt why can't the dealerships undercoat the cars at least on the east coast area ? everytime i buy a ford product I live to regret it.

 

[MrQ]

Are you asking for help or just complaining?

If it's the former there are a lot of competent people who can help; the latter is not helpful, insightful, or useful in any way, but thank you for sharing.

 

[94Eddie]

Last Fall I was looking at buying a 5th gen Explorer and after digging into issues with them I ran across the water pump problem. This was a deal breaker for me and I decided to go with a 2010 V8 model instead and save a chunk of money in the process. It is too bad because otherwise the 3.5L V6 is a very robust and reliable engine. I also found it telling that Ford used an external water pump design on them for engines used in rear wheel drive models like the F150 and Mustang. They should have found a way to do this with front wheel drive vehicles. To be fair, Ford is far from the only manufacturer with these type of problems. Other makers are far worse. My wife drives an Edge and other than the water pump issue it is a very reliable vehicle. It has 80k miles on it and we will need to make a decision soon as to whether to keep it and do a pre-emptive water pump replacement or sell it before it is out of warranty. You are probably in the same situation.

When it comes to road salt there isn't much to be done at the factory for this. Whatever you do don't apply a coating that isn't a liquid film as this will greatly accelerate corrosion. The best way to protect against this is a yearly application of Fluid Film. It works very well at preventing rust.

Unfortunately, these days cars are so complicated and high tech that they have become disposable items like toasters, micrcowaves etc. It doesn't take long before a major repair costs more than the vehicle is worth and this sends them to a premature death. Look for this to happen with the 5th gen Explorers and any vehicle with the 3.5L V6 with an internal water pump since a pump failure usually takes out the engine. Nearly all car makers are selling disposable vehicles these days and maybe this is by design to require people to purchase more new cars over time. Another trend I don't like is using small displacement, turbo charged engines as this adds a lot of complication and makes repairs much more expensive. Most turbos are toast at some point after 100k miles and the cost of repairing them will likely be expensive and maybe even prohibitive. IMO, it is better to go with a larger displacement naturally aspirated engine if longevity is important.

 

[peterk9]

2016 ford explorer water pump timing chain issues .
Engineering sucks on most fords units there diesels are crap and now to change water pump you have to be a rocket scientist the transfer case for the all wheel drive is right next to the catalytic converter and it is baked quickly . their Ac systems are also crap. when is ford going to understand\get a clue . We like to work on our own vehicles because most crooked ford dealerships will rip us off on repairs a bunch of thieves this car is 3 only years old and completely rotten underneath due to road salt why can't the dealerships undercoat the cars at least on the east coast area ? everytime i buy a ford product I live to regret it.

Welcome to the Forum.
What is the issue with the water pump and timing chain? Is the pump leaking? I haven't had any issues with the A/C systems at all in the vehicles I've had. The Explorer has a PTU, not a transfer case, and it has been a source of some issues but I can't tell you if the vehicle' design could have allowed it or the converter to be placed elsewhere. Also, I doubt that any place gets more salt applied to the roads than where I live and it has not created any issues with the underbody or anywhere else on my vehicles. I am sure that dealers would be happy to provide undercoating for you when you buy a vehicle. If not, there are plenty of reputable places where you can have it done yourself.
It seems that although you are not a fan of Ford, you still keep buying them. Perhaps it's time to look elsewhere.

Peter

 

[peterk9]

I asked before, What is the issue with the water pump and timing chain? Is the pump leaking?

 

[peterk9]

If you are looking for info/help, please respond to exactly what it is that you need.

Peter

 

[J_C]

Am I correct that you just bought it, with 150K miles, probably at a substantial discount due to the mileage and issues, and are now complaining about either existing problems, or things that "might' happen in the future? It seems like you are putting the cart before the horse, that all this could have been considered before purchase. We don't require that anyone own an Explorer to read this forum, for example.

All vehicles have some kinds of design issues. If it's that troubling you can sell it, can't be too attached after only a couple weeks, but keep in mind that, suppose you saved $2K over another brand or something with fewer miles. That will pay for a water pump replacement.

Tranny, what can I say? You do a test drive before purchase and if it isn't right, you have a mechanic look at it before purchase but NOT the dealership shop which will be biased, aka "that's normal".

Even if you don't have a mechanic look at it, surely if you are knowledgeable about what an excessively rusted undercarriage looks like, you would have been able to see that before purchase and yet you decided to purchase it anyway.

If you buy a used vehicle as-is, it is all on you to find issues and negotiate down the price or pass on it for something else, unless you are paying extra to get a warranty for it and then you need to report to the warranty agent, not us.

If you want a vehicle that looks and works like new, try to get something with less than 150K mi. That goes for any make or model, has nothing to do with Ford.

 

[RonParise]

I asked before, What is the issue with the water pump and timing chain? Is the pump leaking?

The water pump is internal and driven by the timing chain, If the bearings fail, water leaks into the oil sump. The engine can fail before you know you have a problem

 

[peterk9]

The water pump is internal and driven by the timing chain, If the bearings fail, water leaks into the oil sump. The engine can fail before you know you have a problem

Thanks Ron. I'm very well aware of that. I was just asking why the member was replacing them as no reason/indication was given in the post.

Peter

 

[RonParise]

Thanks Ron. I'm very well aware of that. I was just asking why the member was replacing them as no reason/indication was given in the post.

Peter

sorry bad assumption

I replaced my water-pump before any sign of failure too. But not for no reason. My reason was at 210000 miles I figured I was driving on borrowed time

 

[peterk9]

That's a lot of miles Ron. I think that qualifies you to post in this thread; High mileage?

Peter

 

[RonParise]

That's a lot of miles Ron. I think that qualifies you to post in this thread; High mileage?

Peter

Im already there, thanks