Hello All,

2019 1.5 Ecoboost

Last year my wife signed us up to a FORD service payment plan to reduce big hits. We’ve been paying for 12 months and we were supposed to have our first service today, we dropped it off for 08:00

However she got a call later in the morning at 10:30 (haven’t done any of it) saying that they couldn’t do the service because the oil sump needs replacing, at a cost of £542!

As I need the car this week we said we would reschedule, when I picked up the car I asked how they knew the sump needed replacing and the technician said the plug was tight when he was undoing it. Apparently this is a sign of sump failure and so he stopped as if it failed then it could take the engine with it.

I am very suspicious, as this seems excessive amount for a plug problem, that price is a full plug/sump/pump price?!

Also we had to have an oil change a couple of months ago at a separate garage, unless the other garage damaged the plug?

I’m getting the garage that did the oil change to look Monday but wanted your input.

Also, before I picked the car up, we had the FORD garage on the phone 1/2 hour after the initial call, already asking if we want to go ahead with the work

BP

Welcome!
Sumps are available on e-Bay and look like metal up to at least 2017?
If plastic or metal and a genuine problem that may have been caused by the previous garage you'll need evidence or need to try to get them to admit it was their work that caused it i.e. likely impossible?
Otherwise it is a bitter bullet to bite?
I know this is a stupid question but does the service plan only cover servicing and if so, why did another garage do any work on it?
Is it this, £70?:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176774940527
Get a price from a sensible garage to sort it?
I hope by keeping this at the top, someone with some real experience may be able to help

Most of the 1.5 EcoBoost Dragon engines use a cast aluminium oil sump. With an aluminium sump, it is especially important to tighten the sump plug to the correct torque specification. If the sump plug is overtightened, there is a significant risk of stripping the threads in the sump.

A new sump from Ford is quite expensive. In addition to the cost of the sump itself, there is also a considerable amount of labor involved. Since the sump is sealed to the engine block using RTV sealant, replacing the sump and thoroughly cleaning off all of the old sealant can easily take 2 to 3 hours.

Considering the price of a genuine Ford sump and typical dealer labor rates, I do not consider the quoted price to be a rip-off. It is simply part of the reality of having a car serviced at a dealership.

There is a high probability that the garage which performed the last oil change overtightened the sump plug and damaged the threads. However, this is virtually impossible to prove.

In many cases, a damaged thread can be repaired by installing a threaded insert or a Helicoil. However, to do this properly, it is strongly recommended to remove the sump. This not only eliminates the risk of metal shavings entering the sump, but also allows the sump to be properly degreased so the threaded insert or Helicoil can be securely bonded in place.

I see a nasty issue with this idea - if the garage mess it up they can just claim the last garage caused the issue and dodge their responsibility....

have they even tried to undo it or are just pretending its tight ?

@Botus you are busy making me laugh!!

2 hours ago, Botus said:

I see a nasty issue with this idea - if the garage mess it up they can just claim the last garage caused the issue and dodge their responsibility....

have they even tried to undo it or are just pretending its tight ?

TBH that’s my thought, I trust my usual garage over the FORD one. My wife was the one that signed us to the service plan.

They say they tried to undo it and it was tight.

It’s the fact they want to change the whole unit that’s got my hackles up.

Cheers for answering everyone

Edit: The FORD garage don’t know I recently got the oil changed

Do not forget that a Ford dealership must comply with Ford service procedures. In practice, this means replacing parts rather than repairing them. For example, repairing the thread of the sump is simply not in accordance with Ford service procedures, so they will not even consider it.

In all honesty, an independent garage or a Ford specialist is usually much better at offering alternative repairs and thinking outside the box.

In my opinion, the Ford service plan does not reduce the risk of large garage bills. It is primarily a way to spread the cost of scheduled services into monthly payments. It is usually not cheaper than paying for each service individually. Furthermore, it only covers the regular scheduled services; any additional maintenance or repairs not included in the regular schedule are generally excluded from the service plan.

It is usually considerably cheaper to have the car serviced at a trustworthy local independent garage or Ford specialist.

Quick update

Took it to my local garage and they were outraged.

Apparently my sump (and plug) are in excellent condition for its age and in no way needs replacing. The FORD garage are definitely trying it on.

The guy that owns my local garage it is a FORD trained mechanic, so knows his stuff.

Now going to have to try and get my money back…..wish me luck!

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/problems-with-a-car-repair/

2 minutes ago, Shearers said:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/problems-with-a-car-repair/

Thanks!