Updated: HYBRID catalytic converter glowing 😡😡

[FakeCowboy]

Ford's not coming for you, and your lawyer (If he exists) knows it. He's soaking you for cash.

First thing a GOOD lawyer would have said is to not say anything to anyone, especially on a public forum.

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[stangg17]

Maybe on an old John Deere tractor, or old diesel from the pre 80's years, but dont see them used much now a days. Warm up real common now with keyless remote start. Just drive by a factory around 2:30,,,quittin time at 3:30,,lots of empty cars running when it's cold, and why not? Plus, since when did anyone see, or have to work around, an obvious major issue such as this, an exhaust compontent literally nearing meltdown,,, no matter how you look at it, it's scary and dangerous. Anyone else ever seen a car or truck that does this,,Ford,,Chevy,, Mopar,,,anyone???

We use ours on the Edge every winter night

 

[SpruceDuck]

Whistleblower?

You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.

Sincerely,

Inigo Montoya

----------

Seriously, if you said you had a whistleblower who would come forward on this issue ... well, I missed it.

But that could be as you have clearly won the award for Most Column Inches in a Single Thread.

(You are also in the running for Best Use of Paragraphing and Whitespace but the judges are still out.)

I do.

Very much.

I’ve spoken to a dozen Ford employees, across two dealerships, three different corporate channels, and via social media.

Every, and I mean EVERY ONE of them has agreed there’s a serious problem with these Mavericks that’s not being properly addressed.

These employees have been telling me point blank: their higher ups are shutting them down.

SOMEONE at Ford knows something. And the more conversations I document with their employees who acknowledge there is a serious disconnect between what Ford corporate is saying, and what there employees are seeing, we’re going to be in a situation where an employee might have the necessary information to incriminate Ford if they are aware Corporate is sitting on combustible intel.

In other words— Ford might think it’s cute to take a sh*t on a loyal customer, but it seems like the more I speak to Ford directly, the more it sounds like somebody in Dearborn is making a conscious choice to not share the whole story with the service departments.

Sooooo, who’s gonna rat them out if that’s the issue?

One of my customer service reps also used the term “whistleblower.” If I can encourage someone to speak up, or push Ford to get their story straight on the record, I feel like that pressure might push a conscientious employee to blow a whistle, if they’re certain something’s not being handled in an ethical and legal fashion.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[SpruceDuck]

First thing a GOOD lawyer would have said is to not say anything to anyone, especially on a public forum.

He’s a lemon law lawyer who specializes in class action suits and manufacturer shenanigans. I’m not terribly moved by your speculations about what his opinions are about me speaking up.

The point of my effort is not to get a payout— it’s to publicize a serious problem.

I see a whole lotta armchair quarterback talking smack while a potentially deadly defect is getting dealt with in a half-assed way.

So, please— instead of making this thread about me, how bout focusing on the fact that Ford has a vehicle that dozens of people have openly acknowledged and documented is a hazard.

That’s the issue.

If you’d like to offer me some constructive advice, I’m all ears.

And again— I’ve already said my piece on this forum months ago before I sought legal advice. My videos and the videos of other people showing their Maverick’s doing some sketchy sh*t is out there.

Let’s focus on the Maverick—

As far as I’m concerned, and a number of other owners, and non-owners, and Ford employees, this is a real problem.

 

[SpruceDuck]

“Your truck was officially a lemon”?

So you are stating that you followed the NY AG’s Lemon Law process and submitted a claim/case as shown on Letitia James’ site?


.

What I’m stating is the car cleared the Lemon Law hurtle by a country mile. The dealership and the lawyer and I had a little countdown going.

The question was, would I go down the Lemon Law route with Ford or sell it and let another corporation deal with Ford’s bad egg.

I chose the latter.

A dead person is dead long before the coroner sees the body. So in that sense, yeah, my Mav was a lemon.

 

[SpruceDuck]

All I'm saying is that you could have safely driven the truck (without pre-heat) while you waged war against Ford. Choosing to park and sell your truck didn't help you, other customers, or even teach Ford a lesson. In fact, now that you are no longer an owner, Ford has no legal obligation to even listen to you.

I entertained that exact perspective— and really wanted to take that route. But it wasn’t ever just about me and my now-gone defective Maverick.

It’s a real problem— like, a serious mechanical defect that reasonably appears to be a potential fire hazard.

There are unknowing and unwitting owners out there who DON’T know to avoid doing those things with their cars.

I happen to think parking my car, making a stink, documenting my problems, taking notes of my conversations with Ford were all useful steps. Driving the car would have been an admission on my part that I felt the vehicle was safe enough to operate. But I didn’t really. I didn’t like being told it was both broken and not broken. I’m certain I wouldn’t have been consumed in flames, but I didn’t want to shoot myself in the foot possibly further damaging an already damaged car by driving it more. And no one could even tell me if it had been damaged. They couldn’t tell me it hadn’t been damaged. And it sounded like they had no interest in figuring out if it had been.

It’s nuts.

I had NO faith Ford would do right by me in the end, so I had no interest in driving their car until they were able to restore that faith. I would have much rather have received from Ford a sensible, humane perspective on how to properly deal with what seemed to be a serious effin problem. But that didn’t happen. Sitting tight wouldn’t have accomplished anything. I tried that for 3 weeks.

That pre-TSB statement contradicted the observations of my service department and the field service tech.

My own eyes and nose said: defective. I wasn’t prepared to play games every time the temperature dropped below freezing.

Let me state again— my car was running rough before the first time this happened, while it was driving. Something didn’t feel right before I parked it. And my mileage confirmed that.

I couldn’t be convinced the vehicle’s safe. And yeah, it PROBABLY would be safe if I avoided doing the normal things I was told not to do by the service department, but then the pre-TSB message to the service departments contradicted them. It said all-systems-go.

Short version:

I’m not into playing games. And Ford was playing games. They had already burned up almost every last ounce of my patience and good faith.

Bricking the car and looking for the closest exit was my last-resort. I wish I didn’t have to take that path, but I genuinely felt like I had no choice.

Ya gotta understand. The dealership I bought the car from basically said “too bad, so sad.” The service manager at my local dealership sounded embarrassed she couldn’t get straight answers from Corporate. One customer service rep sounded like she was re-considering her employment after she figured out no one above her was looking at this in a sensible manner.

Why would I support this product or Ford if that was my experience?

I couldn’t. I just couldn’t :/

 

[SpruceDuck]

I appreciate you share some of my (and some of our) concern about the way a big bad corp handles its business.

Could you not refer to me as “he”? Please.

My name is Daniel. I’m an awesome dude who bought a troubled vehicle from one of those multi-billion dollar corporations who saw fit to treat a loyal customer like a scam artist trying to return stolen goods at a backwater Walmart.

Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it sounded good, and that’s actually the level of violation and disrespect I felt.

If you’re not a fan of my comments and have something to add, please address me too, not just other members like I’m “some guy” out there. I’m here too. This should be a place for supporting one another in our enthusiasm for the truck— regardless of how piss-poor some of our experiences have been with said truck.

I appreciate you might been annoyed by my sanctimonious tone. Hell, I’M annoyed by my sanctimonious tone! And I openly admit I’ve gotten carried away at times on this board— but I’m not trying to tear anyone down here… and I’m sorry if I spread some snark. Let me restate— it’s my intention to shine as much light on this defect as possible. No one knows my full name and I’m not getting any awards or pats on the back for calling Ford out on their BS.

If you’ve got the temperament to be cool with what I went through with this truck and Ford, after owning 3 Fords, and buying your first brand new truck, in cash, then bless you sir… for real. I’m still ticked off.

 

[SpruceDuck]

I’m guessing you ordered it…waited your 7-8 months…bought it…then your wife didn’t like it…y’all argued a bit…she won and you sold it…now you real bitter.

if not, you wanting Ford to hand you $100,000 or another Maverick that your wife’s not gonna like?

Cute.

My ex might have gotten a chuckle.

I didn’t order mine. I finally had saved enough to justify buying a new car, and after months of research decided the Maverick was for me. I then searched for weeks, religiously calling dealership after dealership. Found a truck that a customer bailed on. Put my deposit down that second.

I rented a car for a one-way trip— enjoyed a 16-hour adventure picking up my Mav.

I was plenty stoked to get it.

No, I don’t want a payday from Ford.

I want Ford to acknowledge their G-Damn catalytic converters are getting hot enough to melt lead, and maybe demonstrate some concern that other owners unknowingly have vehicles with same defect.

They already proved to me the had no interest in a buyback, a swap, or making a gesture of confidence by either replacing my cat, offering an extended emissions warranty, or even providng an effing loaner car for one-single-day during the month my car was parked at their service center. Hell, they wouldn’t even try to figure out whether my cat was damaged.

Sheeeite, I’d have been happy with a couple of FordPass points, or just ANYTHING to show they were genuinely contrite and concerned about losing a customer for life.

It’s like being in a relationship that’s on the rocks and you finally say, “Well, this is it, I’m leaving for good… I’m not coming back… I mean it this time…”

And your partner says:

“Don’t forget to leave the key on the table and lock the door on your way out. Oh, and please mail me back my Best of the 90’s CD; I left it under the seat in your Elantra.”

Little does she realize you actually drive a Sonata, and you have no intention of giving her back that CD. Who the eff does she think she is?

 

[DryHeat]

I do [have a whistleblower].
* * *
we’re going to be in a situation where an employee might have the necessary information to incriminate Ford if they are aware Corporate is sitting on combustible intel.
* * *
If I can encourage someone to speak up, or push Ford to get their story straight on the record, I feel like that pressure might push a conscientious employee to blow a whistle, if they’re certain something’s not being handled in an ethical and legal fashion.

I understand what you are saying.

But all it amounts to is that you've talked to some Ford employees and you think that sometime in the future one of them (you don't know which one) "might have the necessary information" and "might ... blow a whistle."

At best, it means that you might have a whistleblower sometime in the future, and that person might have something worth blowing a whistle about. I doubt it, but I don't rule it out.

If you want to find out whether you actually have a whistleblower, here's a suggestion. Just call up your best prospect and ask them if they have the goods and are willing to go public -- say on a local news show. Let us know how that turns out.

 

[DryHeat]

My name is Daniel. I’m an awesome dude...

Maverick Truck Club -- it's a truck forum and a dating app.

Now that's awesome...

 

[SpruceDuck]

You sir, have told it like it is,, someone's gonna die sooner or later. This massive 2000 plus heat in the engine bay of an internal combustion engine is scary,, and no doubt, someone's garage and house is gonna catch fire, and people will die.I've made this statement before,, some one give me an example of this ever happening before in ANY model car, lepl yk

What really gets me is, folks DEFENDING FORD, or ANY manufacture, trying to make the guy that just got f#%ked, the bad guy, telling him where the bear shit in the woods, reading you the riot act, putting any liability on YOUR shoulders, telling you that you should be the bigger person and take a 27K screwing, and live with this pile of crap. Why doesnt one of these hero's step up and buy it from you, or trade there's for yours?? Trying to make SPRUCE DUCK this terrible bad guy,, what the hell is wrong here. I guess key boards work kinda like booze,, SPRUCE DUCK,, I'm with ya,, and yup, lets wait and see how the public, and those on here justifying this dangerous condition, react when an innocent family with kids die in a fire caused by this. That potential is defiantly there, Stay tuned,unfortunally, it may be coming. Flame on!!!

I can't THANK you enough for your sensible, supportive words. I was beginning to think I'm an asshole for being upset that my car looked and smelled like it wanted to go Chernobyl on me and having Ford agree, and then hear them say, "Ain't our problem, Jack."

Either (some) people here and everywhere have become so cynical that they're willing to bend over and take it from a corporation after spending $27K CASH of their hard-earned money on a dangerous, defective product, or they're so inured to the vile snark of the internet, they think it's cute to mock someone else's efforts to protect their life, their investment, and the lives and investments of other people.

I can GUARANTEE you that if any of these armchair quarterbacks were in my shoes, they'd be out for justice too, Steven Seagal-style. The fact that grown-ass adults can't put two and two together and see that this is a legitimately dangerous problem for unknowing folks, blows my G-DAMN mind. The stench, the heat, the sound, the trained Ford technicians agreeing... insane.

If you are one of those folks who feel personally offended by my words, I encourage you to do some homework about the DOZENS of should-have-been recalls that automotive manufacturers have ignored over the years until enough people died for them to not ignore them. And if you think chastising me for my approach is helping inform the public and put pressure on Ford to do the right thing, you're an actual, real life, honest to God, idiot. And please bother someone else.

If you're not interested in educating yourself and communicating with the MANY people on this forum alone who have been given the runaround by Ford, feel free to fly your Troll flag as high as you please--- but I hope the silent majority will put you in your place.

Yes, I sold my liability (aka: Meltdown Maverick) to another company who can absorb that kind of liability because Ford refused to play nice. And yes, I'm still convinced this is a dangerous issue for unsuspecting folks and that it's my MORAL OBLIGATION to look out for those people, even though I no longer own the car. To turn a blind eye would be wrong. I can't make this my life's work, but I can't let it go.

 

[SpruceDuck]

I understand what you are saying.

But all it amounts to is that you've talked to some Ford employees and you think that sometime in the future one of them (you don't know which one) "might have the necessary information" and "might ... blow a whistle."

At best, it means that you might have a whistleblower sometime in the future, and that person might have something worth blowing a whistle about. I doubt it, but I don't rule it out.

If you want to find out whether you actually have a whistleblower, here's a suggestion. Just call up your best prospect and ask them if they have the goods and are willing to go public -- say on a local news show. Let us know how that turns out.

That's a good idea... and I think both approaches are useful (me gathering intel, documenting conversations, encouraging employees to speak to and even challenge their higher ups and also seeking out my best prospect to push the issue). Here's the problem... I spoke to people WAY down on the totem pole, and they got nowhere with their higher-ups, and they were (unsurprisingly) unable to connect me to anyone of any influence or importance (not that they weren't important as human beings; it's just that they openly acknowledged they were dust mites in the Ford ecosystem. Doesn't speak well of the culture at Ford).

Or maybe those employees all had incredible poker faces and knew something they were told to not tell me. I think they're just as much in the dark as I am.

The crux of it is, there is an obvious disconnect between what the Ford employees and I have ascertained, and what Ford Corporate is saying. And it's that disconnect that needs to be prodded. I'm really not quite sure how to go about that other than continuing to contact Ford in every way I can. I mean that. I just don't know. I think the next step is typed letters sent in the mail, which is the first thing the first customer service supervisor told me to do when I expressed my alarm and distrust in light of the disturbing behavior of my car. Ford Corporate had the gall to tell me to write a f****** letter after spending $27K cash on a car that looked like it wanted to turn itself into charcoal. The dealership I bought the car from and the dealership where I was having it serviced stared at me like I was speaking Latin. They were frozen--- had nothing to offer other than a shrug.

I still shake my head.

I'm glad to not own the car anymore... and now feels like the right time to start writing letters to corporate and sending my story to news stations, newspaper syndicates, and automotive news outlets.

Do you have any other ideas about how to proceed? I'm really making things up as I go. I haven't a clue how to push the issue other than stirring the pot wherever I can. My whistleblower comment stands--- if an employee somewhere behind closed doors halfway up the ivory tower realizes something's afoot, maybe they can maybe be THE difference-maker, whether it's because they're able to convince the higher-ups to take this seriously, or they leak vital info (if such info exists that they're privy to) to the press. We'll likely never know... but the pressure starts on the ground floor, here, with us. Or at least that's what I think.

 

[DryHeat]

Do you have any other ideas about how to proceed? I'm really making things up as I go. I haven't a clue how to push the issue other than stirring the pot wherever I can. My whistleblower comment stands--- if an employee somewhere behind closed doors halfway up the ivory tower realizes something's afoot, maybe they can maybe be THE difference-maker...

I think you misunderstand my interest. I didn't suggest that you ask one of your "whistleblowers" to come forward because I thought it would work. I suggested it because I thought it might make you realize that you don't actually have a whistleblower.

I don't want to make any suggestions for how you should proceed because I think you are wasting your time and effort and I don't want to encourage that.

But... if you insist on going forward, perhaps your next step should be to take your truck or your pictures or whatever you have to a real expert (not you, not me). Show them what you think is a melted heat shield and ask them what they think. Show them the glowing cat and ask them if it is really a danger. Show them the advice from Ford posted earlier and ask them if it is reasonable.

In other words, quit relying on your own assessment of the situation and get some expert input.

 

[SpruceDuck]

I think you misunderstand my interest. I didn't suggest that you ask one of your "whistleblowers" to come forward because I thought it would work. I suggested it because I thought it might make you realize that you don't actually have a whistleblower.

I don't want to make any suggestions for how you should proceed because I think you are wasting your time and effort and I don't want to encourage that.

But... if you insist on going forward, perhaps your next step should be to take your truck or your pictures or whatever you have to a real expert (not you, not me). Show them what you think is a melted heat shield and ask them what they think. Show them the glowing cat and ask them if it is really a danger. Show them the advice from Ford posted earlier and ask them if it is reasonable.

In other words, quit relying on your own assessment of the situation and get some expert input.

I hear ya.

I enjoyed fancying the idea someone, anyone at Ford has their finger on the pulse and is trying to do something about this.

And I like where you're going with your thoughts... the questions is, who's the expert? I would have had to induce the problem intentionally while the vehicle was in my possession and get their expert opinion. Would it have been an independent mechanic? I guess that would have been helpful, but what could that really have accomplished? Maybe if I got one on video colorfully explaining what a hot mess the cat was it could have made for a far more interesting video than the ones I posted; I wish I could have cornered the Field Service Tech and pressed him hard to commit to a diagnosis.

The lawyer is on the sidelines-- his office will have all my notes.

Any ideas about what other channels to pursue?

I still think making noise is important while many current and future owners are waiting to be ambushed. I can't stand the thought of someone finding out their car is a problem after it's too late.

 

[DryHeat]

Any ideas about what other channels to pursue?

Sorry, you're on your own. Like I said, I think it's a waste of time and effort.

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