Truck broke down! Front axle and transmission issue after 60 miles

[bmwchicken]

Looking for some advice from the knowledgeable people here on MTC. After 8 months of waiting I finally was able to pick up my hybrid XLT so I was super excited!

I was driving on the highway, going about 70mph, back from the dealership when all of a sudden the truck started shaking pretty violently. I used to own a Wrangler and it felt just like the infamous "Death Wobble" that my Jeep used to get on the highway.

At first I thought it was a flat tire because of the way it was rumbling, but the tire pressure indicator didn't go off. I pulled over and looked over all 4 tires, and they all looked good. No warning lights on the dash either. I got underneath the truck and saw reddish fluid dripping from the engine compartment, I'm guessing that was power steering or transmission fluid. Not a good sign. It had about 60 miles on the odometer at this point.

The whole truck was shaking over 15mph and the shaking was so bad that it felt very unsafe over 30mph so I didn't want to drive it far. My home is about 90 miles from the dealership so I ended up limping at a slow speed to the closest Ford dealership and crashed in a hotel room until the next day when I learned that service was booked full for 3 weeks so I just got it towed back to the original dealership. It didn't feel safe to drive all the way there with all the shaking, plus I was worried about causing further damage so I got it towed. The truck was still leaking fluid the next day and the tow truck driver thought it was transmission fluid. It's also good that I requested a flatbed given that it turned out to be a rear axle issue. Luckily the original dealership was able to give me a loaner so I could get home.

Spoke to the service manager on Monday and they said it was an issue with the rear axle and that something wasn't "seated correctly" from the factory. They said they would need to order a new rear axle and it would take a week to come in. I asked for more details and also asked about the transmission and they said they would get back to me. I called back today (Tuesday) and asked to speak to the mechanic directly to get more details and the service manager said he'd try to get a video and send that over to me. Sounds like they might still be diagnosing it.

I'm sure they will eventually find and fix the issue so it's driveable but I am obviously worried about longer term damage that might have been caused to the transmission, axle, engine, rest of the truck that might not show up until years from now. I'm thinking of asking them to add on an extended warranty and hopefully Ford picks up that tab at a minimum. I definitely want the Maverick so what do people here think?

Anyone else that might have run into a similar issue?
Any ideas on what could cause leaking transmission fluid and require a whole new rear axle?
Any other suggestions on how to proceed or other options I may want to explore with the dealership?
What other things should I ask them to check?

Love this forum, thanks everyone for your advice!

TL;DR New truck broke with a rear axle problem while I was driving it home. It's at the dealer now and I want to know what options I have going forward.

Update: Spoke to the actual service manager and he said it was a problem in the FRONT axle, not the rear.

Pic of the leaking fluid while on the flatbed:

The shaking inside the truck doesn't show up on video, but you can certainly hear it.

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[FakeCowboy]

Rear axle? You have a hybrid, there is no "rear axle". I mean you have hubs and bearings but there's no axle like a Jeep would have. I don't understand why the service advisor would say it's a rear axle issue when there is clearly trans fluid leaking.

 

[Johnkn]

And losing transmission fluid could be something as simple as a lose fitting...


.

 

[jbandc122]

Exactly what FakeCowboy said. That's definitely ATF and it is definitely not related to a rear axle that doesn't exist. Since this is most likely related to the transmission, I would get confirmation that any problems with the eCVT are protected by the 8yr/100k mile hybrid powertrain warranty. If so, that should at least ease your conscious some more.

Here's a link to the warranty that states that it is.
https://help.ford.com/warranty/hybrid-electric-vehicle-unique-component-coverage/

 

[Oggy]

I'm not sure about the Maverick, but Ford has used cherry juice for power steering on previous vehicles, so I wouldn't guarantee transmission vs power steering solely on the fluid.

Definitely agree that there's more to it than the rear end though, you might have a bad bearing, bad wheel balance, etc. Given there's a cross beam in the rear, they may have just called it a rear axle for simplicity sake, not knowing your level of knowledge.

I would definitely ask for the extended warranty, and for them to foot the bill.

My Dad purchased a brand new Colorado last year, drove it home, and the next day the transmission grenaded. He ended up with a new truck, with a free redline package because of it... YMMV, but it never hurts to ask.

 

[FakeCowboy]

I'm not sure about the Maverick, but Ford has used cherry juice for power steering on previous vehicles, so I wouldn't guarantee transmission vs power steering solely on the fluid.

Definitely agree that there's more to it than the rear end though, you might have a bad bearing, bad wheel balance, etc. Given there's a cross beam in the rear, they may have just called it a rear axle for simplicity sake, not knowing your level of knowledge.

I would definitely ask for the extended warranty, and for them to foot the bill.

My Dad purchased a brand new Colorado last year, drove it home, and the next day the transmission grenaded. He ended up with a new truck, with a free redline package because of it... YMMV, but it never hurts to ask.

Pretty sure the Maverick has EPAS which does not use any power steering fluid, also, I'm going to assume that the trans fluid leak and the issue are directly related. My guess is that the intermediate shaft on the trans popped out of the trans housing because it wasn't properly seated or they didn't properly secure the mount where the intermediate shaft transfer to the CV axle. Just a guess though.

 

[jons]

They said they would need to order a new rear axle and it would take a week to come in. I asked for more details and also asked about the transmission and they said they would get back to me. I called back today (Tuesday) and asked to speak to the mechanic directly to get more details and the service manager said he'd try to get a video and send that over to me. Sounds like they might still be diagnosing it.

Exactly what FakeCowboy said. That's definitely ATF and it is definitely not related to a rear axle that doesn't exist. Since this is most likely related to the transmission, I would get confirmation that any problems with the eCVT are protected by the 8yr/100k mile hybrid powertrain warranty. If so, that should at least ease your conscious some more.

Here's a link to the warranty that states that it is.
https://help.ford.com/warranty/hybrid-electric-vehicle-unique-component-coverage/

Hope it is not the Blinker Fluid!

 

[DesertSweat]

Hybrids do not have an axle in the back as mentioned. There are two hubs with hub bearings that are packed with grease. At least that's what it looked like when under the car.

So you might want to talk to your service tech again.

 

[Area51BS]

Rear axle? You have a hybrid, there is no "rear axle". I mean you have hubs and bearings but there's no axle like a Jeep would have. I don't understand why the service advisor would say it's a rear axle issue when there is clearly trans fluid leaking.

Because dealers think we are all stupid

 

[FakeCowboy]

Because dealers think we are all stupid

I wouldn't know, I never ever take my vehicles to a dealer. I've been fortunate to never have any warranty issues other than minor little things that I've done myself, I know for a fact that there are too many hacks out there and I don't like schmucks working on my vehicles. Even vehicles I've leased I've done all the maintenance work myself in the event I decided to purchase the vehicle when the lease was up.

 

[athertonbt]

I wouldn't know, I never ever take my vehicles to a dealer. I've been fortunate to never have any warranty issues other than minor little things that I've done myself, I know for a fact that there are too many hacks out there and I don't like schmucks working on my vehicles. Even vehicles I've leased I've done all the maintenance work myself in the event I decided to purchase the vehicle when the lease was up.

Better watch the wear and tear on whichever shoulder you're moving most to pat yourself on the back...all that repetitive use could result in injury.

 

[bmwchicken]

Good point everyone about my hybrid not having "rear axle".
This was what the service rep told me, but he didn't sound sure what the problem was...

I'm waiting to speak to the mechanic directly and hopefully he will also send a video. Will update this thread when I hear back.

 

[FakeCowboy]

Better watch the wear and tear on whichever shoulder you're moving most to pat yourself on the back...all that repetitive use could result in injury.

Not patting myself on the back but I spent enough time working in a shop environment when I was much younger to say most people would cry if they saw what some of these techs were or weren't doing to their vehicles.

 

[Braderick]

Yeppers…may want to change the thread title.

 

[999]

They probably got that idea from reading this forum.

Because dealers think we are all stupid

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