This is a known issue that normally cost less then $20 in parts and is easy to fix yourself - if only I would have seen a post on the grinding noise I checked for transmission grind and the fix did not come up so off to the dealer not under warranty. My charge was $247.33 to install a $4.96 that should take two mins and they had the truck for two days.
Ford sucks and they s** on customers. Every time I drive this $70,000 truck something breaks. Ford tough my ass - cheap parts make the #1 s** truck.
IWEs lack of vacuum causes 4x4 to try to engage while in 2 wheel all because of a cheap check valve.
The dealership was unable to replicate the problem. It may occur 10 times one day and then none for the next two. The grinding is pretty strong so there is a real problem.
this noise was incredible. I felt like the engine was rubbing on the road. The dealer changed the actuators three times before I told them to look for another leak in the iwe system. The problem was the check valve, as I told them at the start. They must follow a certain Ford protocol first
I started hearing an awful grinding noise coming from what sounded like the front left part of the vehicle which would last a few seconds. At first it seemed like it would only happen during acceleration and while gears were shifting up. It would occur intermittently maybe once every 10 or 15 minutes while driving. I did observe it start to happen while driving steady in 10th gear on the highway so I assumed it wasn't related to the transmission. The noise sounds like metal on metal grinding and the vibration can be felt while driving the vehicle. This has been happening now for about 2 1/2 weeks and it appears that the grinding noise, while it still occurs at about the same frequency, is less severe almost like the parts that have been grinding have worn down. I read some input on various websites suggesting to put the truck in 4WD to see if the problem remains or goes away. It turns out that when I operate the vehicle in 4WD I do not hear the grinding noise. As I understand it, this is consistent with what would happen if the IWE system was experiencing a problem. (check valve, solenoid, vaccum leak?)
I took the truck into the Ford dealer last Friday and described the problem and explained that I had done a little bit of research and even found a video on YouTube that showed a video of a 2018 F150 truck with a very similar noise as to what I am hearing with my vehicle. I suggested they test drive the vehicle and their technician will probably hear and feel the problem. I told them that it might be the IWE but they didn't seem interested and I guess were determined to figure it out themselves.
As it turns out after having the truck in the shop all day, the Ford service dept called and said they couldn't duplicate the problem. They told me to bring it back when the noise occurs more consistently.
It's sad to be experiencing 2 safety recalls and this pending mechanical failure already on a brand new 2018 Ford F150. What's even sadder is the inability of the Ford Service department to troubleshoot the problem or at least offer options for next steps in trying to get the problem resolved. This truck was expensive and I'm not satisfied.
The grinding noise comes from the 4x4 actuator which I guess is called the IWE. The dealership replaced the IWE on a Friday and by Sunday the grinding started again. I have to bring it back in a few weeks for them to try again. Judging by the amount of traffic on this issue online Ford needs to issue a recall to get this fixed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This is a known issue that normally cost less then $20 in parts and is easy to fix yourself - if only I would have seen a post on the grinding noise I checked for transmission grind and the fix did not come up so off to the dealer not under warranty. My charge was $247.33 to install a $4.96 that should take two mins and they had the truck for two days.
Ford sucks and they s** on customers. Every time I drive this $70,000 truck something breaks. Ford tough my ass - cheap parts make the #1 s** truck.
IWEs lack of vacuum causes 4x4 to try to engage while in 2 wheel all because of a cheap check valve.
- Matthew R., Fort Mill, US