Ford Ranger - rotted frame after 1 year. Ford won't cover under warranty

gutteruu

See pic. Sill rotted out this bad at 12 months old. Ford won't cover under warranty as they say its 'user ware'. Should you not be able to stand on a sill?

Fair enough if this was 10 or 15 years old, but a frame failure after 50 weeks and not covered on warranty?

CJhaughey

Getting legal on them is the only recourse you have I would think, a sill on a car should last longer than a year, even if polished by work footwear.

colm_mcm

Looks to be caused by extreme wear? You’d expect it to be better protected though given that it’s a work type vehicle.

Is this part structural?

D3V!L

Can we see the rest of the vehicle ?

V8 Interceptor

Should last more than a year. Its a bloody off roader.

Alun

gutteruu wrote: »

Should you not be able to stand on a cill?

I wouldn't do it personally. To me that looks like you've done it so much that you've worn the paint off, and it's rusted from the outside in. Any car would do that under those circumstances I'd say.

ElBastardo1

gutteruu wrote: »

See pic. Cill rotted out this bad at 12 months old. Ford won't cover under warranty as they say its 'user ware'. Should you not be able to stand on a cill?

Fair enough if this was 10 or 15 years old, but a frame failure after 50 weeks and not covered on warranty?

That actually looks like a 15 year old sill? I cannot believe that is on a new vehicle. Were you wearing diamond coated soles? That's a shocking amount of wear though. :mad:

D3V!L

Please its "sill"

colm_mcm

I don’t think you’re supposed to stand on door sills.

I assume this isn’t your first jeep though and I assume you’ve always done the same thing?

CJhaughey

It would be interesting to have a look with a scope in the other side sill.
I don't think even with polishing that it should rust that fast.
But Ford have never been known for their strong anti-rust treatments.

gutteruu

ElBastardo1 wrote: »

That actually looks like a 15 year old cill? I cannot believe that is on a new vehicle. Were you wearing diamond coated boots? That's a shocking amount of wear though. :mad:

Bunch of different staff using it. So no 1 person repeatedly on the one spot. Its not extreme use IMO, its just bad material/construction.

Its a high jeep and should have a sill you can stand on regardless I would have thought. Its a work 4x4.

D3V!L wrote: »

Can we see the rest of the vehicle ?

Can't take it right now, but the rest is mint. Not so much as a scratch anywhere.

Isambard

the sill looks to be rusted on it's vertical face too so I wouldn't be too sure it's all about wear. You're sure this is a one year old vehilce?

gutteruu

Isambard wrote: »

the sill looks to be rusted on it's vertical face too so I wouldn't be too sure it's all about wear. You're sure this is a one year old vehilce?

It almost 2 years old now, but sill hasn't changed. It was this bad at approx 12 months. I've just been arguing with Ford for so long about it (also being prioritising all the other issues with it first :mad:).

bazz26

Jesus, I thought that was a photo of the old Toyota Hi-Lux that Top Gear failed to kill a few years back. That's shocking for a 1 year old vehicle.

That didn’t rot overnight. Meaning ye did nothing to stop it rotting after drivers wore through the paint and left bare steel bodywork exposed. Sills aren’t steps. Get it repaired, fit sill protectors and if your drivers can’t get in without them, fit side steps. Ford aren’t at fault here.

And I think Ford make ugly overrated cars and vans, so I’ve no horse in this race.

Tacitus Kilgore

Ford must be using the steel out of 90s transits again. :eek:


Looks like it's had a hard enough time of it though, is the sill being used as a boot scraper?

Ryath

Are they standing on it to get to roof rack? It's surely a not good to stand on painted body work. If it was a regular thing that was needed for roof access it would have been a good idea to fit running boards and sill protectors. Can see Ford refusing it alright as they can very easily say it's user damage. I'd get it fixed before it spreads and gets worse.

gutteruu

JayZeus wrote: »

That didn’t rot overnight. Meaning ye did nothing to stop it rotting after drivers wore through the paint and left bare steel bodywork exposed.

The paint was actually still completely on when the crack/hole appeared! I contacted ford who refused to deal with it and its since rotted away. If I touch it they definitely won't cover under warranty.

gutteruu

gutteruu wrote: »

The paint was actually still completely on when the crack/hole appeared! I contacted ford who refused to deal with it and its since rotted away. If I touch it they definitely won't cover under warranty.

It’s not a warranty job/fault.

Rust didn’t wear away the door seal and drivers didn’t just start using it as a step after they saw a crack or some rust. Drivers damaged it and that’s what’s allowed the rust to get a hold of it. If it’s used around livestock farm (and waste), cement/concrete or coastal areas, there’s no wonder it’s so bad in so little time. I write from my own experience with new atuff going rotten once the paint is gone.

Any body repair place will repair that easily but you’re wasting your own time trying to get a warranty job done. It’s just not their or the manufacturers fault.

gutteruu

Nope. No roof racks or anything weird. Just normal use.

Widdensushi

Not being smart but what height are the usual drivers,either way that is disgraceful wear and imo should be covered under warranty

gutteruu

JayZeus wrote: »

It’s just not their or the manufacturers fault.

I couldn't imagine any circumstance where an owner needs to weld the frame back together after less than 50 weeks use. Regardless of abuse or not.

Toyotafanboi

JayZeus wrote: »

It’s not a warranty job/fault.

Rust didn’t wear away the door seal and drivers didn’t just start using it as a step after they saw a crack or some rust. Drivers damaged it and that’s what’s allowed the rust to get a hold of it. If it’s used around livestock farm (and waste), cement/concrete or coastal areas, there’s no wonder it’s so bad in so little time. I write from my own experience with new atuff going rotten once the paint is gone.

Any body repair place will repair that easily but you’re wasting your own time trying to get a warranty job done. It’s just not their or the manufacturers fault.

I completely agree. That's not a warrantable defect.

The paint and primer has been worn away from soiled footwear being dragged over the sill. Then when the protection was gone, the soiled footwear was dragged over bare metal, it was ever only going to rust. It's lack of care/ maintenance, user inflicted.

If you rubbed the rear quarter panel gently off of a pebble dashed pillar every morning for a year and it wore through, would that be warranty?

Driver needs to lift their foot. Or if they don't want to lift their foot, they should get a side step or a scuff plate.

Sure the jeep should be able for the rough and tumble of jeep work, but you cant scratch away the paint and expect it not to rust. It'd be totally different if the paintwork were intact, or the owner had taken any measures at all to attempt to mitigate the issue.

mickdw

It's clearly failed due to the usage it's got however that doesn't mean that it's the drivers issues.
To me it looks like poor design. There is quite a flat panel of steel bodywork there on that sill that only invites stepping on.
It should have been covered or reinforced to withstand such use being an off-road truck.

gutteruu

gutteruu wrote: »

I couldn't imagine any circumstance where an owner needs to weld the frame back together after less than 50 weeks use. Regardless of abuse or not.

You’re not welding the frame back together. Don’t exaggerate. You’ve to repair a sill because ye wore the paint off and ignored it. Then started chasing Ford, now and then, while it kept rotting for the guts of another year.

It’s a pain in the hole, but you can’t blame anyone except the fellas who drive it.

colm_mcm

mickdw wrote: »

It's clearly failed due to the usage it's got however that doesn't mean that it's the drivers issues.
To me it looks like poor design. There is quite a flat panel of steel bodywork there on that sill that only invites stepping on.
It should have been covered or reinforced to withstand such use being an off-road truck.

Hilux is exactly the same

Toyotafanboi

mickdw wrote: »

It's clearly failed due to the usage it's got however that doesn't mean that it's the drivers issues.
To me it looks like poor design. There is quite a flat panel of steel bodywork there on that sill that only invites stepping on.
It should have been covered or reinforced to withstand such use being an off-road truck.

Most manufacturers warranties have a clause that will exclude damage caused as a result of the owner ignoring/ neglecting an issue known to them, where the original issue may have been warrantable fault. The owner/ driver has a responsibility to mitigate any potential issues.

This can be difficult to prove with mechanical failures, but with a corrosion issue it's much more clear cut (excuse the pun), that sill didn't end up like that over night. Has the car been in for it's first service? If so, what does the body inspection in the service logbook say?

I don't think this claim would even fly as far as that discussion to be honest, anyway.

TeaBagMania

Alun wrote: »

I wouldn't do it personally. To me that looks like you've done it so much that you've worn the paint off, and it's rusted from the outside in. Any car would do that under those circumstances I'd say.

This makes the most logical sense

if you routinely stand on the sill... find a local skate shop and buy some "grip tape" its like a very heavy sand paper with an adhesive side.
It should help prevent this issue on your next vehicle

V8 Interceptor

JayZeus wrote: »

I think Ford make ugly overrated cars and vans.

Clearly not fit for purpose either.

patmahe

Probably worth a one-off visit to a solicitor with experience in the area.

On a one/two year old vehicle (unless its got massive mileage or spends its days in a swamp and even then) that is unacceptable in my eyes.

I'm guessing you are going to need copies of every bit of correspondence you have to show you have done the right thing since you became aware of the problem.

Good luck

V8 Interceptor

JayZeus wrote: »

If it’s used around livestock farm (and waste), cement/concrete or coastal areas, there’s no wonder it’s so bad in so little time.

That's what its supposed to be designed for!

Isambard

i don't really think there's much point fighting, It's a simple job to get that cut out and weld a patch in.

Toyotafanboi

patmahe wrote: »

Probably worth a one-off visit to a solicitor with experience in the area.

...

I'm guessing you are going to need copies of every bit of correspondence you have to show you have done the right thing since you became aware of the problem.

Well that wont be possible as an 18" long gaping hole of rust doesn't just appear out of the blue like that, it's clearly been ignored for quite some time. They cant even argue it's in an area that can't be seen by the user, it's the first thing you see when you open the door.

If the OP mentioned this to Ford when the rust blister was the size of a €2 coin or whatever, then maybe. If they cared about the jeep that's what they should have done and even if Ford refused to cover it back then, a repair at the users expense would have been a fraction of what it is now.

It's a case of neglect.

mickdw

But we don't know how bad it was when reported cause it has progressed for a full year since.
It is understandable that the owner has failed to touch this since reporting it for fear of nullifying any claim.

V8 Interceptor

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

That's what its supposed to be designed for!

It's designed to be coated with paint. That's why they paint them in the factory. And that's even more important in areas where bare steel will rot at an accelerated pace.

There's a good reason why farm machinery, outboard motors and cement trucks are generally kept clean, not 'rode hard and put away wet'.

And let's be honest, a Ford Ranger isn't exactly built for hard work in the first place.

mickdw

mickdw wrote: »

But we don't know how bad it was when reported cause it has progressed for a full year since.
It is understandable that the owner has failed to touch this since reporting it for fear of nullifying any claim.

In fairness Mick, it's not at all understandable.

Common sense seems to be greatly lacking here with a few fellas who seem to think that if you rub the paint off and let something made of steel rust, it's somehow the manufacturers fault.

Effects

What sort of milage was on it?

ShadowHearth

Just from that picture, I can see that this car is treated like ****. Two year old car, even a work horse, should not look like that.
Such damage did not appear over night. Clearly your driver's sow it and they could have prevented it very easily, but I guess it's not their car, so they did not gave a ****.

It's going to be unpopular opinion, but instead of giving **** to Ford, I would give **** to your workers to treat their tools better. And do some inspections of your property.

gutteruu

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

patmahe wrote: »

Probably worth a one-off visit to a solicitor with experience in the area.

...

I'm guessing you are going to need copies of every bit of correspondence you have to show you have done the right thing since you became aware of the problem.

Well that wont be possible as an 18" long gaping hole of rust doesn't just appear out of the blue like that, it's clearly been ignored for quite some time. They cant even argue it's in an area that can't be seen by the user, it's the first thing you see when you open the door.

If the OP mentioned this to Ford when the rust blister was the size of a €2 coin or whatever, then maybe. If they cared about the jeep that's what they should have done and even if Ford refused to cover it back then, a repair at the users expense would have been a fraction of what it is now.

It's a case of neglect.

Ford were contacted immediately when crack appeared. All the rust has happened since. It's neglect alright!!

chicorytip

It's surprising the vehicle does not have running boards or sidesteps. I thought they were standard on all models.

Esel

Talk about a heavy foot! Users are at fault here, imo.

mickdw

JayZeus wrote: »

mickdw wrote: »

But we don't know how bad it was when reported cause it has progressed for a full year since.
It is understandable that the owner has failed to touch this since reporting it for fear of nullifying any claim.

In fairness Mick, it's not at all understandable.

Common sense seems to be greatly lacking here with a few fellas who seem to think that if you rub the paint off and let something made of steel rust, it's somehow the manufacturers fault.

We don't know what it looked like when reported. It could have had no rust but cracked. In such a case, it's certainly not something I would be having repaired without approaching ford. That said, it would have then been parked at ford til sorted.

Toyotafanboi

mickdw wrote: »

We don't know what it looked like when reported. It could have had no rust but cracked.

The door rubber being worn clean through, right beside the rust in almost the exact same wear pattern must be pure coincidence?

We have a 2013 Ranger in the family since new, it's used primarily for business purposes in the construction industry, purely for driving tools onto sites that you couldn't with a Transit size van without getting bogged down and stuck or beached.

That sill area has one or two scuffs on it, no more than you would see on an average passenger car in all honestly. I've no love for the Ranger or the Ford brand so I say that with as little bias as possible.

I will say though, when I'm driving it, I have to take a running jump to get into it, I've personally ripped a pair of trousers getting into it over the years too and I'm not short. The seat base could be the guts of 4 foot off the ground. It'd be easy to traipse in and out of it, particularly if you are vertically challenged.

gutteruu

mickdw wrote: »

JayZeus wrote: »

mickdw wrote: »

But we don't know how bad it was when reported cause it has progressed for a full year since.
It is understandable that the owner has failed to touch this since reporting it for fear of nullifying any claim.

In fairness Mick, it's not at all understandable.

Common sense seems to be greatly lacking here with a few fellas who seem to think that if you rub the paint off and let something made of steel rust, it's somehow the manufacturers fault.

We don't know what it looked like when reported. It could have had no rust but cracked. In such a case, it's certainly not something I would be having repaired without approaching ford. That said, it would have then been parked at ford til sorted.

We assumed a bad weld at the start as the crack appeared along an edge before paint went. Jayzeus can't see the line BEFORE THE PAINT WENT so I'll make it big and loud for him.

I will upload more photos tomorrow. It's rusted to bits underneath as well and we don't walk under it.

Ford dragged their heals for so long it has since rusted. Despite what some people say here if a hole appears in a new car, I don't believe anyone would go patching or painting whilst you are in discussion with manufacturer about warranty. You would instantly void warranty on repair.

uncle_sam_ie

Esel wrote: »

Talk about a heavy foot! Users are at fault here, imo.

Heavy footed is right. Even the rubber seal and plastic is damaged. No way would the warranty cover this.

Rows Grower

My new favourite thread.

V8 Interceptor

JayZeus wrote: »

It's designed to be coated with paint. That's why they paint them in the factory. And that's even more important in areas where bare steel will rot at an accelerated pace. There's a good reason why farm machinery, outboard motors and cement trucks are generally kept clean, not 'rode hard and put away wet'. And let's be honest, a Ford Ranger isn't exactly built for hard work in the first place.

Ah c'mon its a 4wd that's rotted a sill in under 12 months. That's just bad no matter what way you dress it up lad.

Pkiernan

Lots of very stupid posts in this thread.

That rust should absolutely be covered by warranty.

Anyone that says different is just being a difficult keyboard warrior.

Toyotafanboi

Pkiernan wrote: »

Lots of very stupid posts in this thread.

That rust should absolutely be covered by warranty.

Anyone that says different is just being a difficult keyboard warrior.

Can you back that up with any kind of facts?

Eric Cartman

theres also some on the bottom tim where feet wouldnt have been, on the bottom corner of the door and the front of the sill where it meets the door.

what industry are you in ?
I think some chemical sprayed that jeep at some point and separated the paint from the metal.

Should definitely have been brought to fords attention earlier. But I think this is a user problem one of the lads isnt telling you . Any reason you'd use muriatic / hydrochloric acid.

Squatman

It has seen some mileage alright going by the accellerator pedal, but mileage doesnt cause rust. Time is the only thing thag should have made it rust that bad. What sorta work do ye do with it? Is the front corner of the door rusting too?