Ford won, I lost

[Unklmyk]

Well my 3 month fight wth Ford and the BBB is over and I lost. The BBB said I had all my facts right and put up a good case but they sided with Ford anyway and now I'm looking at $10,000 for a new engine to get my truck back. My '03 6.0 broke a crankshaft at 16,000 miles and because I had some Banks stuff on it, the warranty was denied. Don't expect the aftermarket guys to stand behind you when it hits the fan because they won't. You're on your own and Ford doesn't even think that the Magnuson-Moss Act exists. The other aftermarket parts that the inspector noted on my truck wer a 5th wheel hitch, auxilliary fuel tank, Ride Rite air bags and an altimeter. An uphill battle is bad enough but when all the "stuff" is rolling downhill on you, it's just a lost cause.

[Rodslinger]

Sorry to hear that man - has Banks said anything on this at all?

[jason]

i just talked to the service manager at my local ford dealedship about aftermarket products, and he said that he didnt recommend adding aftermarket products to my truck until after the warranty ran out . because if anything happens to the vehicle , these products give the dealer every chance and option to keep from fixing the truck if something occurs. i guess it's a gamble either way! i figure that by adding computer modules is sorta like adding nitrous to a vehicle . you do get more power, but in return, you shorten the life of the engine , and increase the risk of problems. but i guess we'll just have to take that chance wont we !!!

[Brian]

to bad. dealerships will generally void warranties over any add ons if they feel the add on may have had a remote chance of causing the problem. and fighting them is useless most times. the little guy usually takes it up the arse. i know, i have been there before. alot of wasted time and even more money.

[Unklmyk]

I will be mailing a registerd letter off to Banks this week with copies of the reports. I'm anxious to see what they have to say because the reports say that it's all on them. The inspector said in his report that the truck had a "power module that would increase power up to 100%". The Banks unit is rated at 138 HP and the stock 6.0 is rated at 325 HP. DUH! I'll keep eveyone informed as to how much a new long block costs.

[Unklmyk]

Ok, here's the painful part. $12,900 for a long block, converter etc AND they want a cashiers check upfront before they order any parts. I can't wait to get the customer satisfaction survey.

[sharky]

If I am not mistaken, Banks claims that their products will not void factory warranty's. I would be curious to hear what they have to say about your situation. A crankshaft at that kinda mileage sounds more to me like a assembly failure rather than anything that would have been caused by a module and exhaust. keep us posted.

[Rodslinger]

Ok here's a question;
Can you claim this on your auto insurance? The reason I ask is because - now granted this was back in the 70's - my father once blew the transmission on his pickup - LITERALLY blew it as in shot it with a rifle when the weapon discharged on a hunting trip. He had full coverage and the insurance company fixed it. Just curious because the way I see it if I'm driving down the road, drinking a beer, talking on a cell phone, eating a Big Mac and I glance over at the hot chick walking down the side walk and rear end a Ferrari my full coverage insurance is going to fix my rig. Why not if I grenade the motor with the help of Mr. Banks?

[Unklmyk]

These are both good points. I expect to hear from Banks by the first of the week. The real added insult here is that when I took the cashiers check down to the dealer, they said that would be no warranty on this new engine UNLESS I removed EVERY aftermarket item on the truck (inculding the altimeter?) AND petition for a re-inspection by the factory and then MAYBE they would re-instate the warranty.

[purduefarmboy460]

Wow, that is horrible news, there surely has to be something that can be done.