2.0 supposed to tow up to 4K lbs. Not so!

[C from SF]

AWD with tow package. Not sure what else I have to say. I was towing a 3000lb camper dry and the Maverick started pulling to the right little as if I had a flat. I pulled over, got out and the driver front wheel well was smoking. It was the grease from the bearings being thrown out and the friction. When I turned to get off the highway heard a metal crunching sound. Had to be towed to Gene Messer Ford in Lubbock TX. They did a fantastic job but the trucks “legs” did not handle the towing, period!

What Drive Mode were you in when this happened? - Thanks for sharing.

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[notfast]

I have a AWD hybrid with 4k tow on order specifically to tow a 3000lb travel trailer....

I was going to order that configuration as well, but I am waiting for reviews on towing performance. It seems with 191 combined system HP on tap, I'd be going exactly nowhere in a hurry towing 4000lbs.

I'm sure it'd be fine where it's flat, but I frequent LA to Las Vegas, and there are no fewer than three mountain passes in between, including something like a 17-mile, 5% uphill northbound out of Baker.

I've driven a Prius V with 3 big guys on that route and the hybrid battery depleted about 1/3 of the way up. With my foot in the carpet, we climbed the hill at less than 30mph with basically only the 99HP gas engine.

Been towing 3,000 pounds of camper and gear up and down hills for a year with the 4K tow package. No problems and the Mav drives like it's not even back there.

Good to hear that the Maverick EB does great with hills. My Nissan Frontier has plenty of steam to tow 4000lbs from LA to Vegas. My issue is cooling capacity. Towing 4000lbs uphill when its 115F just causes the water temperature to shoot past 230F and the trans temperature to shoot past 240F at 60mph. I slowed to 35mph and was able to keep both at under 220F.

 

[Carlitos_92]

Well that’s when it failed, when I was towing. Maybe it wasn’t the cause but I’d think if it’s a problem already towing would exacerbate it.

I think that's a mighty acrobatic logical leap. But if it gives you closure, ok.

...It's just a shame to crap on the capabilities of the truck in general because you had an isolated issue. People around here regularly report towing more than 3,000 lbs a lot further than you did, and have had zero problems. Frankly a couple of locos around here tow twice that much and will admit to it.

The non-Tremor front axles are junk - for a lot of us; not just people who tow or put in lift kits...

 

[MavDave]

I towed a 3780# travel trailer 1100 miles (from southwestern NC to Houston, TX) with mine in stock form at 65 mph averaging 15mpgs. Then after a lift and 265/65/17s I towed a boat a little farther, I didn't weigh it, but I think it is a coincidence your axle failed at this point.

 

[SLingbarT]

I towed a 3780# travel trailer 1100 miles (from southwestern NC to Houston, TX) with mine in stock form at 65 mph averaging 15mpgs. Then after a lift and 265/65/17s I towed a boat a little farther, I didn't weigh it, but I think it is a coincidence your axle failed at this point.

Those raised Whites on Black do look guud!

 

[OneAlienBoi]

This is why I'd love to get some aftermarket axle CV boot things. Haven't had this issue yet, but it's concerning to see. There were rumors that some companies might offer aftermarket CV axles, but I doubt that will go anywhere.

I love this truck, but I have thought about righting the wrongs (putting in a better battery, stronger CVs, trying to quiet the dash rattle, etc). Not sure who else feels the same way. I don't want to get rid of it, everytime I've entertained the idea, I genuinely can't think of a more appealing new vehicle at this price point. But it has been quite stressful at times.

 

[Lodgic]

Probably the axles that fail anyway. Known problem.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

Glad you have had no problems. I’ve had the boots replaced once after they started leaking and then the axle replaced just last week on this trip I took from San Antonio area to Colorado.

Am I seeing a lift/leveling kit? The front end looks a bit high,,,,,,

HRG

 

[javivansp]

Been driving for more than a year with my pontoon boat more the 3000 lbs, no problems so far. I have 4K and Awd. Never felt a problem it literally feels like it’s not there pulling.

 

[Jackfer]

I have the awd w/ 4k tow and I also tow about 4k with a camper and all the gear that goes with it. I have to say, that the Maverick does handle it very well. Ive had my share of issues and now getting ready to tackle another, but as far as the axles.... I took delivery of my truck 11/21 and have had the axles replaced 3 times now and have 74k on it. Seems like just a coinkidink that you had an axle issue while towing.

 

[710-oil-614]

It was mileage and/or the boot was torn or ripped.

Plus as others have pointed it out looks like you have a lift.

It shouldn’t happen at 35k miles but it didn’t happen because you towed 3k one time.

 

[dusty1787]

Be careful out there when towing. I have a 2022 2.0L. I towed a 3000 lb camper about 300 miles then had to be towed. I think the engine can handle it just fine but its front legs cannot. Had to get a whole new front axle!

Yeah, Sorry to hear that this happened to you. I am hoping that you just had some bad luck unfortunately. Like a couple who have posted to your post on here already... (also if you do a quick search on this site) there are a handful of members who have towed well beyond the 4k threshold for some distance and have no issues at all. Not just like pulling a boat out of the water or anything, but like a car and trailer from city to city. I think there are a couple members who have towed upwards of like 7k with the Maverick already.

So I do not want to pull the trigger and say a vehicle that was engineered to tow 4k, cannot tow 4k, but I personally would rather say something like "towing any load could exacerbate any issues that the vehicle may already have"

Again sorry to hear this happen to you, I just hope it was bad luck, or the last service that was performed where they replaced the boots...maybe they did not do the repair correct or something.

 

[Snox801]

Ya not the towing that did it. I’ve towed over 8k back from south Texas to Michigan and over 6k from nyc back to Michigan in the mountains. And lots of heavy hauling in between. If that didn’t kill the cv than your 3k certainly did not.

 

[COY]

What Drive Mode were you in when this happened? - Thanks for sharing.

Tow/haul

 

[MavDave]

Those raised Whites on Black do look guud!

Raised white letters were a requirement after the lift. It is also good that I was I was able to find some that weighed 40#. The downside is I now have 45k and need the passenger axel. I am going to ask if a dealer will cover it under warranty, but I'm not too optimistic on that. I did find I can order the axle online from a dealer in Florida for about $115.00

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