I have a Taurus with the 3.5. Here's what I've read on forums. 1. Do not do the 10k mile oil change intervals, change every 5k miles, and use full synthetic oil. 2. Change coolant every 30-40k miles, coolant becomes acidic over time and use. When coolant becomes acidic, it impacts the water pump seal. There are plenty of people in the FB Taurus forum who followed this method and have made it to 200k miles or more without changing the pump. I'm at 50k miles right now, so we'll see how long or far I can go until I need this job done.
I changed my coolant every year. It don’t make no difference. The seal wears out with use. I got to 130k before it needed a new water pump. By the way, Ford only cares that their cars make it past warranty.
Oil should be changed every 3000 miles, not 5000. 200,000 miles is not that great. The 4.6L 2 valve rear wheel drive engine will go twice that far and more with no serious problems with proper maintenance. I change the coolant every 9000 miles on them. Since there is no block drain plugs, you are only replacing less that 1/3 of the coolant. There is no way to get the rest of it out of the block. I use Ford Motorcraft Gold. Best coolant on the market. I also use it in GM and Mopar vehicles. I also use 10w30 oil, instead of the recommended 5w20. The 4.6L does not have VVT, and the higher viscosity oil has a lot better load bearing ability.
Need to ship this Flex to the Philippines. I was on a mission trip there in the late 1990s, and the mission leader's air conditioner quit working. We were on our way through Olongapo on a Saturday at 5 pm. He saw a shop along the street and pulled over. They were about to close, but they came out and diagnosed a leak at a compression fitting. Three guys worked for an hour and a half. They sawed off the old fitting (there were enough threads left to do this) and filed a new compression fitting by hand. After some trial and error they got a good seal and recharged the system. When all was said and done they asked for about $45 for the labor (3 guys x 1.5 hours each!), and the mission leader, being the good Filipino that he was, negotiated it down to about half that much! That's just how they do things in the Philippines!
So ypu are saying get repairs done for cheap at the expense of the health and well being of the workers and their families. Ask me how I know you are a boomer.
@@thatman4752 I'm only saying, they do things differently in other countries. I'm not endorsing how they do things. I simply related the story as it happened. "Need to ship this Flex..." was meant _tongue in cheek._
Every Ford video Wizard posts make me happier and happier waiting around for my lazy old 4.6L F150 to accelerate. At 280,000km (~175,000 miles) I replaced the water pump, accessory pulleys, belt and tensioner. It took me longer to drain and refill the coolant. The only job that is a PITA was replacing the manifold studs on the passenger side. Anyone reading this, you DO NOT need to raise the engine as so many people say you need to do. Having a powered ratchet is key, but you can replace both manifolds while leaving the motor right where it is. If you have an angle drill, you can drill out the broken studs, as long as they are not the 2nd cylinder from the front. All 3 other cylinders are accessible.
@@rachelgreen1368 I've had one Infiniti and two Acura's all with higher mileage, all built in Japan - All 3 needed some type of repairs eventually. Every machine does.
My old man is planning to gift me his 2002 (10th gen) 4.6L 2-valve F150 with 240k miles. What year is yours? I normally DIY all work on my "family fleet" of Toyota and Honda but the older Fords are supposedly also DIY friendly.
I did this job on a Mazda CX9 with the same engine. I fixed it in a weekend. Water pump actually came apart and timing was off a couple teeth luckily it was savable. I fixed it only for parts because they were friends with hardly any money. She was back on the road and she has currently put over 20K miles since the job and is so happy. She had to do a couple 500 mile oil changes at first to get all the coolant out of the oil.
@ I’m aware of what an interference and non interference engines are. I’ve been around the automotive industry, since I was a baby. I also had a timing belt shred apart at 6,600rpm in my old Supra, While racing a Camaro. Had the car towed to my dad’s shop, where I replaced the belt. Car fired right back up and ran perfect. Couldn’t say the same for my old 22R, that chipped a tooth on the double row timing chain. At an idle it bent 6 of the valves, destroyed 2 guides and a seat.
It’s such a shame. We had a flex for a couple years till an accident totaled it. Literally everything else about that car was amazing. Absolutely zero complaints. It’s kind of the perfect vehicle for road trips/camping/families. Rides like a living room. Seats are supremely comfortable for long trips. Holds a ton of people/stuff, easy to get in/out of. Just honestly my favorite car we’ve owned. Shame it happened on the fixed water pump even.
I knew a guy who drove one as a taxi / personal vehicle... The company let him use it as his main vehicle as long as he kept it clean. It made it over 200k miles, but was wrecked.
Hello Wizard, I am a long suffering mechanic trying to retire here in New Zealand and I watch your videos with much interest. The world of automotive repair is vary similar down here. Got to wonder how much more you can take? I have scaled back to basic servicing and repairs to keep my sanity. This video reminds me of something the mechanic overseeing my apprenticeship told me back in the day. He said "It's better to be lucky than good". If you had been lucky on this job it only would have needed a clamp tightened, but as you were not, look what happened! Guess you must be good? Another thing he told me was "Take good care of other people's tools, but take especially good care of your own". Remember to take care of yourself, not just others.
Car wizard. I've got a 2014 ford taurus 3.5 naturally aspirated, with just over 290,000 miles, all original parts, except standard maintenance wearing parts, like brakes and a wheel bearing. The car runs and drives like brand new, never done a water pump. I'm going to run it until it dies, it quit owing me a penny long ago, so they can be very reliable and inexpensive vehicles. Thanks for all your videos. From Northern MN
@gregkocher5352 it does seem bizarre to have the water pump that inexcusable. But not all of them must be as prone to failer for some reason. My taurus is an AWD as well, I love it in these MN winters. Also for says the PTUs fluid is non serviceable, that is incorrect, i change the fluid between every 30-40,000 miles you just need a little cheapy vacuum hand pump, and the very first time I changed it it only took me 15-20 minutes.
It's important to note that not all 3.5L or 3.7L Cyclone V6s suffer from this issue. It's only the transverse mounted variant (i.e. FWD). The longitudinally mounted (RWD) 3.5s have an external water pump. So you needn't avoid it in the F150 or the Mustang for example. They're actually really good engines aside from that boneheaded design decision. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Cyclone_engine
Yes - my F150 has a very accessable water pump and thermostat. Wizard should insert some captions onscreen to correct his statement that "all Fords with the 3.5 V6 have this problem." Only the transverse-mounted 3.5's have the insane water pump design. Rear wheel drive - it's a good engine. Ford should have a different designation for the two types. Totally different engine.
almost ALL cyclone v6 engines were mounted transversely,. the exception being the 300 HP 3.7 and even then only the v6 equipped mustangs and f150. most of these engines did not get out of Ford-design-jail free.
As a mechanic I absolutely love that generation flex/explorer/taurus. I bought an explorer for $2500 last year with a water pump leak. $250 in parts and under 5 hours I am back in business. And I don’t replace everything, just a motorcraft pump, thermostat, valve cover set, plenum gasket, front crank seal, spark plugs and coolant/oil.
he gave that job away, or left the timing chains alone and went in just to change the water pump. the ones who charge more are replacing the parts they are taking off which is a good idea in many cases.
@ nope. We replaced all the chains, tensioners, and guides too. I ordered all the parts and supplied them before hand. He was happy to do it for that price also. We also did all the fluids of course, and added a friction modifier as the torque converter is starting to go. Has been awesome since. 260K miles. I’m pretty sure we can get it to 350 now. Separately, new coil packs, plugs, wires.. The front end has been completely repaired too, new control arms, tie rods, wheel bearings, struts front and rear, brakes, and even the steering wheel advance trac sensor thing was swapped out. All that was another $2200 in parts and labor. So yea we dumped $3,000-$3250 TOTAL (forgot what the brakes cost) into the car with 250K miles on it. THE ford dealership wanted that much just for the water pump and nothing else. Crooks.
Of course it's worth doing even if it's more than the car is worth. I'm not going to go spend 45,000 to 60000 on a new explorer. Especially when it's the same engine that's going to have the same problem. That Ford flex is clean. Fix it and drive it for another 5 years.
I agree. $4000 today wont get you anything even half that clean. Shitty situation but I’d pay it and cross my fingers for another 4-5 years of good use out of it.
My brother got one of those, a lease return by a fellow employee where he worked. It was up to 160K miles when he sold it after his kids left home for a smaller Civic. No issues with it beyond regular maintenance. Nice rig, having only a V6 made it a bit slow with family and gear in it but it never failed him. Regular maintenance is always the key to getting the max life out of any car.
Before I even watch this video it sounds like another internal water pump leak. This is why you use all OEM parts for this job.. This only applies to transverse mounted 3.5 engines. This same engine in an F150 has an external water pump. You want to replace all the timing components when you do this job
Replaced many of these water pumps at the Ford dealer. It is not that much. Parts and labor was around $1,800. Iit is real easy to do when dropping the subframe and have the engine right there to pull everything of and remove the silicone and clean the surface. Then just doing all the timing and reapplying silicone gasket is much easier. Its not that bad.
My nephew had a 2010 Ford Flex 178k miles with a bad water pump and was quoted $2400 from the dealer(Southern California), definitely not a 4k repair. Good thing we drove it around then junked the pile of crap.😅
@@williamwhite9767 That's independent shops in general, they all believe they're undercutting the dealer by at least half. Not saying dealers are cheap, but in my experience the premium over independent shops isn't all that different these days, maybe 25% on most jobs.
A couple of comments: These are actually extremely reliable vehicles and can be a good buy if you get one that has good service records. As for the water pumps in these, if you follow the manufacturer recommended maintenance intervals and change the coolant as directed, the pump will last at least 150K, often 200K miles. If you simply budget and plan to replace them with only OEM parts at around 150K miles, you will likely see 300-400,000 miles out of the car without any other major issues. I know two people with them; one had his done before he bought it with 200K and he's over 300K now without any issues. The other had his fail at 170K and it cost him $2500 to get it done and he's well over 200K now without any issues. Neither uses or leaks oil nor has needed any other major repairs other than maintenance. I think it was dumb to put the pump inside, but if you take care of it right and expect to replace it between 150K-200K miles then you'll have a fresh timing set and be set for a long service life and relatively low cost of ownership. The only other thing is if it's an AWD model you also need to change the PTO fluid periodically to keep that in good shape. Otherwise these things are as bulletproof as you can get on any modern car. If that owner had paid you to fix it right this time using OEM parts, they'd have a reliable car for $4K. They will not find a better car for $4K out of pocket so I think the advice to dump is was bad.
Yes... BUT, isn't just a shame that a water pump replacement will likely result in a vehicle being "totalled out"? And many times, a shop will just dump stop-leak into it, charge the big bucks, and send it down the road.
I was thinking along those same lines. Even with the replacement cost, $1000 per year of service isn't bad compared to buying a new(er) vehicle. You could have a MONTHLY car payment not far from that amount and it could have $$ problems too. I drove a Flex once and really liked it.
I totally agree with you! I have a 2010 flex that has been good to me. I'm a mature car owner so I understand once in a while problems. I had to replace my ptu once because the dealer put mixed match tires on it and that ruined the ptu. I changed the unit and replace the fluid every 30k now. If I ever need a timing chain or water pump change I'll have to do it myself or travel to Kansas to let the wizard change it. No way will I give up my flex that easily! I'll buy that flex from them and do the job. I would love another flex.
I had to to this about two years ago on my 16 Ford Explorer 3.5L NA. Cost me $1678 OTD at a family owned shop. Owner said it was a chore and that his full time Mechanic spent 10 hours doing it. This was done at 86,000 Miles. Now I am at 107K and have been trouble free since. Once a month I check my coolant level and I do my own oil changes so that helps. This spring I plan on changing out my coolant for the newer yellow Ford coolant that has been noted on some of the forms to help prevent corrosion/ seal issues on the water pump. Note: this was for plugs, gaskets, timing chain set and water pump.
I have 240k on my 3.7 in an MKZ, same water pump design. Being constantly worried with every mile has came and gone. However, i keep a close eye on oil and coolant. Change them more than usual. I am mentally set to fix myself when it goes. Car is still perfect with a strong engine. My advice is to be aware of how your engine is running. The slightest loss of power, shut it off, don't drive another 50ft and you can spare cost of a new motor.
Our 2012 Ford Explorer that my step-daughter drives had this issue with its 3.5L V6. Luckily she said something to me about how the heat was lukewarm until she stepped on the gas. Of course, I knew that meant the coolant was low. I knew it was exactly this problem - you could see coolant leaking out of the weep-hole on the front of the engine. Had her immediately stop driving it, and scheduled an appointment at my local mechanic to have the timing-chain/water-pump replaced. And of course a coolant flush and an oil change just in case either of them had become contaminated. Wound up spending about $2,250 on it, because my mechanic charges his actual time, not book-time, and he's developed a "drop the engine out from the bottom" procedure that takes several hours less than the book time. Apparently you can just unbolt the 4 subframe bolts and the whole engine/transmission/suspension assembly will drop right out of the bottom, giving you very easy access to the front of the engine, making the timing-chain/water-pump a breeze. That shows how many of these he's done, that he can develop his own, quicker procedure for doing it. That was about 3 years and 40,000 miles ago, and it seems to be going strong. Zero issues with his repair.
Unfortunately, these internal timing chain or wet belt driven water pumps seem to be getting more popular among all the automakers. Weep hole to where? Into the oil system! If that doesn't get caught soon enough, it will take out all of the lubricated moving parts of that engine. And some manufacturers are using wet belts as I mentioned before. Whose brain fart was that? I have never seen anything rubber, liking being covered with oil. Ain't that swell? I'm actually starting to like not working on the shop floor anymore and trying to enjoy my retirement but when I see this...
Now you know why I say that the last good car built in North America was the model "A" Ford ! Tongue in cheek I know, but My two vehicles are a 97 Dodge 3/4 ton 4X4 diesel & a 2003 Buick Park ave with the series two 3800 V6. They will both last me until I die. You have saved many people a lot of money Sir. Always enjoy your videos. Cheers! from the snowy hinterlands of of Alberta , Canada....where men are men & sheep are nervous.
Sold my 2011 Flex SEL this year with 220k on it because the water pump went and 3 shops quoted around $3400CAD to repair. Bought a 99 Buick Lesabre with 100k mi based on wizards advice, however its needed about $2500CAD in repairs, sway bar end links, brake master cylinder, rotors and pads, spark plugs and wires, valve cover gaskets, tires, and headlight bulbs. Previous owner seemed to only do oil changes, however parts and labour are cheap compared to the flex.
As a Ford technician, 3.5, 3.7 water pumps are gravy. 🤑 The only vehicles it is an engine out job is the Fusion Sport or Lincoln MKZ with the 3.5 or 3.7. The Edge, Explorer, Flex, Taurus are all serviceable in vehicle. Not very difficult. Can be done in as little as 6 hours depending on the vehicle. I would only recommend using OEM parts. The aftermarket ones never last very long.
we have a 2018 and LOVE it! the water pump is always the boogy man, but 3 grand is average for the repair. Just keep the oil, trans fluid and coolant fresh and no worries. stay away from turbo awd. throwing away cars just because of total value is just dumb, 4 grand will just be sales tax on a new car, then you'll loose another 20k in deprecation. It has no rust, fix it and drive it another 10 years. Every year I swap out two gallons of coolant fluid, takes 20 minutes.
If I understand correctly, it's the bearings in the water pump that often go bad, resulting in the leakage. Will changing the coolant help with that? This is an honest question - I have a 2013 Edge with the 3.5, and have changed the coolant every 20K miles
@@PaulOnuska You have to ask yourself WHY the bearings go bad... is it from the old never changed coolant corroding the seals and that then leaking and destroying the bearing itself... or is it that the actual bearing material used just can't take the heat/cold cycles and self destructs as the pump rotates? In either case the only thing you can do to try to help keep the water pump going is to keeping draining and then refreshing the coolant..... So far it has worked for you.... Read all the other comments re when the pump went out for those owners...and whether or not they changed to coolant...and at what intervals?
@@PaulOnuska it's the seals, there is an oil side seal and coolant side seal, you gotta keep the right pH fluid. old coolant even eats head gaskets in Toyotas. and you gotta use Oem , not some china part store junk
I have 2013 limited with 165,000 and it has the ecoboost. I had owned the car for almost 7 years and I still love it. In 2023 I had to replace the water pump and the kit does come with a new chain and tensioners with the waterpump. Total cost was $2300. Then in September my check engine light came on and as it turns out one of the tensioners failed. The good news was the parts were still under warranty so I have a new waterpump, chain, tensioners, and they replaced the cam phasers. Total cost for this round was $1200. In the 7 years we have driven the car 120,000 miles, drive across the country several times. With all that, I have spent around $6000 not including tires and oil changes. I will still pay to fix it as it’s hard to find a replacement that is easy to get into even the rear and haul and drives comfortably. The only thing I don’t like is I have to replace the tires every 2 years.
Thank you car wizard for sharing your knowledge. I have been able to diagnose and fix many problems on my old beetle and other older cars by watching your videos.. Most mechanics will not help unless you pay the 100+ diagnostic fees up front. Which I understand. A mechanic can't make money giving free advice, than having the owner fix it himself. So thanks for giving us backyard mechanics information we can use so we try not to tackle problems blindly.
Just had the water pump done on my 2015 Flex. I had them change everything that needs servicing while in there. Everything you mentioned AND MORE. The total was $7k. Every time I look at that car, I pray we get it to 200k. Currently at 125k.
@mmsautner, it should be CRIMINAL the way these lousy manufacturers build into vehicles the outrageous costs for repairs, the "defects" which SHOULD be recalled/redesigned, they just pass on to customers and expect us to fork over thousands to repair it all, try to repair it ourselves ON TOP of paying TENS OF THOUSANDS to buy these things. I can't believe that a water pump already needs replacing on your vehicle at less than 130K miles. The fact that these idiots put the water pump behind the timing cover, integrating it with the timing chain system etc., so not only when the water pump fails it will be a much bigger job than it should but it'll eventually dump coolant into your oil pan like it's a catch-can and can ruin the engine.... It's the pinnacle of idiocy and Ford/others should be SUED for that awful design. Water pumps have been external to the timing cover, belt-driven lie any other accessory since the freaking introduction of the combustion engine and suddenly they have the "bright idea" to do this.... It's just as awful as Dodge's "3.6 Pentastar engine tick" where the rollers in the rockers "drop" and the rocker frames begin to SHRED the camshaft lobes.... Then there's the "auto-stop/start" function where you MUST press the button to disable it every time you start a vehicle otherwise, every time you stop it'll shut off the engine, then restart it and claim "This saves gas!" I'd like to see the actual data on that because rudimentary physics tells me that it takes more energy to start a mass rotating than it does to maintain rotation at a given speed for "x" amount of time. Frankly, I believe they're just wearing out the starter/other components prematurely, including the transmission since it has to be in a state of constant stopping/starting/braking and reactivation whilst in gear once your foot is off the brake & on the accelerator again.... Even the "push-button start" was stupid where so long as the key FOB was within some distance, they vehicle could be started/driven away. So your FOB could be on a keychain hanging by your front door, if a thief gains access to the car, they can hop in, start it and drive down the street some distance. One woman drove a 1/4 mile down the highway before the vehicle shut down after "key FOB out of range".... It was still in the pocket of her boyfriend she just ran over and left lying on the side of the highway after an argument.... Push-button start should ONLY ALLOW the vehicle to start WITH the FOB INSIDE the vehicle. If using "remote start", then drivability should be DISABLED UNTIL the FOB is inside the vehicle. I don't understand how these people who are supposed to possess "higher levels of education" with Programming/Engineering degrees, end up being so stupid.
Hello Car Wizard. I have a 2010 ford flex SEL. I bought jan 2011 with 22,000 miles . When it reached 100,000 i got the timing belt changed, other than that, it is a champion. Now it has 255,000 miles, and I used and misused. I consider the best car. For me, of course. I really appreciate your effort to warn people before buying any kind of vehicles. God bless you, brother.
We own a 2009 Ford Flex. Bought it new. Change the oil every 5k, and have around 74k miles. In 16 years we’ve only had to change the ABS module besides routine maintenance. Given the mileage and the price of new vehicles today, I’m spending that $4k on this car when the pump goes. But, I’m insisting on all Ford parts when the job is done. I’m not sure it makes a difference, but the 2009 was the first year of the model and it was the last year with the Duratec 3.5 engine. I believe all models after that had the Ecotec engine.
Ecotec is GM I believe you mean Ecoboost. The 2014-2016 Flex had ecoboost options for the limited models. Fantastic vehicles! My grandma used to call it the Refrigerator XD
Another commenter on here said he had the job done by a mechanic that charged $2500 and who dropped the engine out the bottom of the car so it could be worked on easily saving time (and money)....
@daveh5490 17 minutes ago I have a Taurus with the 3.5. Here's what I've read on forums. 1. Do not do the 10k mile oil change intervals, change every 5k miles, and use full synthetic oil. 2. Change coolant every 30-40k miles, coolant becomes acidic over time and use. When coolant becomes acidic, it impacts the water pump seal. There are plenty of people in the FB Taurus forum who followed this method and have made it to 200k miles or more without changing the pump. I'm at 50k miles right now, so we'll see how long or far I can go until I need this job done.
Ecotech=GM Ecoboost=Ford I have a 2010 non-ecoboost non-turbo AWD flex with this engine. When this happens to me, I'll be doing the job myself since I'm the only one I can trust at my price point. FordTechmakuloko suggested changing using the melling water pump instead of the Fomoko or OEM. I'm going back to his video on this same vehicle to be sure.
thanks for being a good mechanic wizard. I did it for a while and it's really hard when you're seeing people that are just getting screwed over by a piece of crap car. so I went into doing handyman work and remodeling. at least there's a little more give and take. I think in this. because some vehicles are just not worth fixing. they're basically appliances
I replaced the water pump on our 2009 Ford Flex immediately after we bought it used. I didn’t want to chance it. Not a complicated repair for a DIYer, just takes time. Took me about 10 hours for the first one. Love the Flex enough where replacing the water pump is worth it to us.
Our 08 Expedition with the 3 valve 5.4 has over 350,000 miles on the original motor and has never left us on the side of the road. Which is surprising given the 3 valves rocky history
@patriotgarage Very true, it's been the best car we've ever had period. And I would not have a problem getting another one that has been properly maintained of course.
Why customers get so upset over a $4000 fix but are fine with buying a new $50,000 car which will be worth $10,000 in a few years no issue with losing $40,000 but paying $4000 is the end of the world?
Cause they don't have $4000 cash lying around and their credit cards are maxed out. But the dealer will definitely finance you a new car for 84 months@12.99% APR with the 62 cents you have in your pocket as a down payment.
I done this job on my wifes taurus and my cousins taurus. It is time consuming but worth it and not all that bad if you are mechanically inclined and have some experience. You do need the tools to hold the cams in place and DO NOT pry the timing cover off. It is on guide pins and must be worked off evenly otherwise you will break it in half. And no, the engine does not have to come out when doing this job in an Edge, Flex, Taurus or Explorer.
@@watchmanonthewall14 So did Wizard in this video but the person who made the comment I replied to said it's not an engine-out job on the Ford Edge - Just wanted to know which is true since I just bought a 2013 Edge for my oldest sons first car.
My uncle still has his Ford flex with 200,000 miles. Still runs like a champ hasn’t had the issue yet because he actually maintains the car, as well as it was under warranty for a while. Had the turbo charger one of them went bad when the car was new and the dealership replaced the whole engine, it’s been fine. It was brand new and under warranty at the time.
I had the water pump replaced on my 2009 Flex. It stopped pumping water, and the car would go into the red zone in about a mile. After checking the thermostat and the cooling fans, I figured out it was the water pump. $2000 at the local independent, including new chain guides, got the job done. The original water pump lasted 150k miles. The car is up to 180k now, and no issues. This did not stop me from buying a 2019 Flex Limited 4WD when there were deals to be had at the start of the Pandemic on leftover 2019's sitting on the dealer's lots.
We used to own a 2015 Flex With the same engine, and it was a really good vehicle, I really loved it. But in retrospect, I am now glad we got rid of it when we did😂
My 2010 has 240,000 miles and runs like new. Just regular fluid changes. I know of numerous Flex's with 200,000 + miles and some with 300, 000+ miles with zero issues. Just do regular fluid changes. The wizard is a joke on this one.
Ain't it funny to design an engine that purposely fails? We see it in all manufacturers. We know it's on purpose. Ford and other manufacturers do it to keep dealership mechanics busy. They already can be...
@@tnasburypl The reputational damage sustained by Ford tends to discredit your comment - ie. that the Ford deliberately chose to include a poor quality water pump. The failure is largely due to 'bean-counter' led decisions that overide 'data led' engineering decisions - 'bean counters' that favour very cheap and nasty short lived components in order to reduce the build cost of the car - which is very sad.
4k to fix a nice 2013 car that you haven't had to make payments on in years? Worth fixing. Cars aren't free once they're paid off. 4k is a little high based on what other commenters have stated.
It is high compared to the $1700 to $2400 I've heard quoted to do this job. I've been tracking this issue as I have a 2010 flex with 173k miles. I'll have to do it myself to be sure it was done and not put stop leak without actually changing the pump like what may have happened in the wizard's customer's case.
@@billfly2186that won’t work. Because of the design, if the inner seal fails, which it will, the coolant will leak into the oil pan and mix with the engine oil. You’ll get that chocolate milkshake.
I had an 2008 ford edge with the 3.5L. Ran it up to 240k miles before an accident. Never had an water pump leak. Always change the oil between 3k to 4k miles. Change my coolant twice. Change my trans fluid every 30k miles. Only did a suspension rebuild and a tune up. 2 battery replacement, vacuum booster and a shift cable I broke. Best vehicle I own. Just Change them fluids early and you will be fine.
OEM pumps are good for 150k miles. This is a case where someone saved $50 on a cheap aftermarket part and it cost them. The other half of the mental math an owner has to do is that most V6 front drive vehicles have the same issues. They have since the 80’s. The difference is we paid $60 an hour for labor or did it ourselves.
I have two of these engines. The key is to change red coolant for yellow and then change it once a year. I have seen these pumps go for about 200k with proper maintenance
Thanks for all the great input as well as comments, with newer cars $$$$$$$ , i will keep wrenching on my older ones. Plan to change coolant ALOT more often after seeing this on wife's 2014 edge. Videos like this have saved me thousands of $, and time.
There's a lot of cars where the water pump is in the "center" of the engine within the timing chain/belt area. Honda V-6 and Subaru 2.0/2.5 comes to mind. Yes a GM 3800 or 3500 the water pump sticks onto the side of the engine; but it's a different engine design. Another problem is people assume a big car means there's plenty of room to work on everything; not always true.
I replaced an internal water pump on a 2007 Edge @ 150k. It totally seized the engine and milkshake oil. Was able to replace the pump and timing chain and it lived. Hardest part is removing the power steering pump bolts to get the timing cover off. Very little room reinstall the timing cover but it can be done...
Ya, old guy i know had 1 of those 4k dollar water leaks. He's a retired firefighter. Well, it's so ironic the thing caught on fire a couple of days later, and his insurance paid him...
Just bought a flex last week. I knew about the water pump issues, but my gf has a edge with the same motor and its sitting at 217k miles now. The past 4 years of her owning it, all it asked for was general maintenance. One of the reasons why i jumped on my 2016 flex. Other than this waterpump issue, these motors are great. Hopefully the flex treats me just as good as my girlfriends edge has treated her. Even with her edge being high mileage, i wouldn't even sweat driving it across the country.
12:45 ONLY REPLACE PARTS THAT ARE WORN OUT OR AGED if its working good don't change it new parts can sometimes have defects, quality issues that will create a new wear pattern, increasing wear, its should all be marked and put back exactly the same way to retain its balance and wear pattern/lash its sort of like a line bored equipment you don't want to interchange pieces, the chains have seated/machined together in a sense
My second timing set on a wait for it wait for it my 2.7L I bought in 2004 going on car very very near future. Oil change every 5,000 miles or at least every six months. Use dealer fluids except full synthetic oil and good gas. OE power steering pump, starter and condenser. I am surprised older cars that are took care of holding up better and more budget friendly. Of course, I am doing this my second timing set on this car myself. I don't envy the customer.
Yeah, if you took great care of the car, have no rust, a good mechanic, then fix it with OEM parts. Yeah it's expensive, but why are expensive repairs only acceptable on newer cars? If you like the car and it's in great shape, it's cheaper to fix it than get a new car, or take a risk on another car which may have had bad maintenance.
Just got promoted to a full time mechanic at my mom and pop shop a few months ago, had a 2013 flex come in last week with this exact problem. Was super confused when coolant was gushing out behind the alternator until i realized the weep hole was there. our seasoned tech said as soon as he saw coolant coming out at that area he knew what i was in for 😂. surprisingly the customer approved it. Biggest job i’ve taken on so far. just got the last bolt put in last night. on thanksgiving today i’m just going to be praying i go in tomorrow, and it starts perfectly fine. I’ve had the seasoned tech come check my work to make sure it goes fine. So far extra parts have been new chain, guides, tensioner, Motor mount (one of the mounting holes corroded off), and new valve covers. ( the vct plugs were leaking, and the past few we’ve put new seals in with higher mileage, the plastic covers get micro cracking from tapping them in, and they end up coming back a few days later leaking oil worse than before so we’ve just started quoting new covers)
@@themusclebob23 Dang.. Well congrats on those great skills, with so many people trying to keep older cars going longer you should have work for a long time.
Ford Planned Obsolescence at work here, back in the 1980's it was Head Gaskets on their 3.8 V-6's that would Fail @80 K miles. The fix was a Fel - Pro Head Gasket that did not fail !
The Flex is not really a planned obsolescence car considering they often last 300K plus miles. This is a stupid design and anti-DIY, but if you have to drop a couple grand every 150-200K miles in an otherwise reliable car, you're doing better than almost anything you could buy today. Those HG issues in the 80s (and 90s) weren't planned obsolescence either, it was just an issue of them going to aluminum heads on an iron block to meet EPA requirements and they didn't design the gasket well enough to handle the uneven expansion/contraction of the two kinds of metals. I had a 1990 Thunderbird SC and it blew the HGs at 64K miles but they weren't too bad to fix and would last forever if you studded them. I have an 03 F150 Harley with the 5.4 SC engine and it's still on the original HG going on 22 years old and 250K+ miles with about 100HP in mods to it. They figured it out. Now today we're talking planned obsolescence, but that's the case with them all. The electronics will become obsolete and the plastic intakes/cooling parts will all get brittle and fail and it will cost more than the value to fix. The EPA is hyper focused on tailpipe emissions, but fails to consider the junk that will end up in the landfill and the carbon produced replacing things every 8-10 years that should last decades.
@@mikelemoine4267 I laugh every time I see one at the Pick n Pull yard with the Engine Taken Apart and the parts are in the back Cargo Area. I have seen this with every Flex that shows up !
@@lilibethdoherty295 I guess they get it apart and can't figure out how to put it back together LOL! My Nephew had the transmission go on his old Silverado and asked about getting one from the pick a part. I told him to find a wrecked one as it means it ran when it was last driven. The nice looking ones usually have major mechanical issues🙂
the real sad thing about the design of this engine is the engine as a whole is actually a good design you stay up on your maintenance and it’ll go a long time the water pump location was a poor choice as it is what ends up destroying these engines and it’s not cheap to fix. I personally really love the Ford flex. It would be a vehicle I own. It’s very well built lots of room for the size and it’s available in all wheel drive but that water pump does scare me I have a friend that has one hasn’t had a problem yet. It has been replaced once prior to his ownership. We put UV die in his cooling system to make it easier to see when it does start to leak out the weep hole and drip he has had no problems. Otherwise watch your oil and your coolant people on these vehicles set up a regular check at gas fill ups and you can catch it before it can damage the engine as coolant and water do not mix
Many of us have faced the question you raise. This pump replacement will cost what a used identical car will cost, so not worth fixing. Often I have chosen to do the expensive repair, because I like the car and a used one with an original pump that does not leak will likely leak soon. So my expensive repair for the same price does buy me reliability and familiarity with the condition of the car.
I've done 5 of them with 2 different variants of that engine. It's a timely job and they made a couple revisions to change the side loading of the pump gear to reduce bearing burnout.
This is a common issue anymore. Manufacturers are designing vehicles to look pretty, and service takes a back seat. This has been going on for years now. We are all paying the price for buying pretty cars.
My '09 Flex Ltd is in the shop right now due to overheating and coolant leak. Fortunately, it was just a hose but i would go the distance with a pump replacement because its been such a good car for almost 10 years now. It has been my favorite car.
I usually agree with the Wizard. I have had that 3.5L in over 10 explorers and flexes and have had zero issues. All of them well over 200k miles and I know some of them are still on the road. With everything being 4 cy turbos and junk now, sometimes it's best to acknowledge that old naturally asparted it's were glory, Wizard that 3.5L v6 is hardly not available anymore, due to turbos 2.3, 2.7 and 3.7 turbos, junk....
@@lesliewoinarowicz7018 IF the water pump fails, it's ridiculously expensive. Mine is eight years old. Low miles. Routine maintenance. Tire and battery replacement, due to age. Runs great. Fingers crossed.
I powered through this job in around 6-7hrs. Lot of fun, you have to pay very close attention with that front cover if I recall correctly. Gotta lift and lower the engine to get a few bolts out and I think have one in when you put the cover back on. The shop I did it in charged 2800 for the waterpump and timing. Nothing else had to be replaced along the way. I agree entirely that it's not worth the risk buying one. Kinda ridiculous to cost that much for a repair that costs 1/3 that price on most other vehicles.
My Flex is such an all-around great car. But you would think Ford would have solved the water pump problem years ago for this engine. Maybe Ford doesn't care to improve their engineering.
With lots of these dumb decisions it looks like a packaging problem... Engineers had to design an engine with a small footprint because of some other design.
The water pump issues mostly come with age its almost luck if any given w/p will fail early or go 300k miles. Just like any other waterpump. Usually, the bearings start getting loose and leak coolant. Ford was smart enough to engineer a double seal on the w/p so the coolant can leak outside before it leaks into the oil. Gives you a chance to see a problem before it gets much worse. Though it is sad they couldn't make it external.
@@Alfadragon17 that's how you know engineers were forced into it for other reasons. They put the time into protecting the engine, but were forced to make it internal from some other design.
Its tempting to get one or a MKT. In my situation i can use a large 3 row vehicle, but i need something that doesnt sit high off the ground. Those two seem like the best choices for me and my family.
@@volvo09 absolutely a packaging “solution”. This is how they get the 3.5 to fit in a transverse FWD orientation. Longitudinal engines get an external water pump.
Absolutely right about the commander... I have 3 boys 8 mos, 3 yr, 6yr.... Those little boys are my world. My wife is a superhero i keep her comfortable as i can... We have 2 99-06 gm trucks hers is a 2002 yukon Denali woth 240k and ol girl does her job everyday no complaints(the yukon of course hunnie)
I had a Ford Edge did replace chains and water pump all in car, it was a 2012. I will never buy any car with a water pump so are to get to. A few other thing I've learned. No cars with CVT, Bad water pump location and Turbos. I'll probably end up with a turbo in something unfortunately.. Keep up the good work!
I've had three Toyotas all with a CVT. Not a hiccup from any of them in hundreds of thousands of miles of driving. There are good CVT transmissions and bad ones. Choose wisely grasshopper.
Surprisingly, the CVT in my Dodge Caliber was rock steady. Of course, it was from the period when Daimler owned Chrysler and actually improved things. Now the CVT in the Saturn VUE was junk. Luckily I sold it before it died. You are 100% right to avoid any vehicle with turbo, cvt, or internal water pump. (Car Wizard showed some German engine that even had internal thermostat!) Good idea to also avoid direct injection, sunroof, and auto stop/start.
Don’t cost 4,000 it’s around 1,500 to 1,800 with oem parts ! Dealership get them done one day ! We just had it done with all new guides , chain tensioners and new gaskets for 1800 dollar.
I have a 2017 Flex and I love it! It has 184k and all the work was done by the 1st owner, I got it for 9,000$ cash 2 years ago and its been great... I hope it stays that way!
We are on our 3rd 3.5L Ecoboost Explorer. The 2015 had lots of cam phaser and timing chain issues under warranty. Our 2019 had none and now our 2023 has a 3.0L Ecoboost. Our 2021 F-150 has a 3.5L Ecoboost and at 44k miles it has had zero issues. It is a hybrid and I have been extremely happy with it. That being said my 1999 Dodge Ram has a 5.9L Diesel has a water pump that is super duper easy to fix. It seems like with these newer cars they keep packing more and more stuff under the hood without making the hoods longer. You need some room to work and as a bonus you get more crumple zone. I won't ever own a newer vehicle without a warranty.
Mechanic here: You can get it done for 950$ minus parts. This guy is full of it! Also, as long as you change the oil every 5k because the pump is driven by the chain, and flush the coolant every 2 years, it'll likely last beyond 200k miles. Those chains will stretch if you dont change the oil on time every 5k, and thats when the problems start!
No you're full of it. The rate for the pump is around 14 hours. No shop in Chicago is below 100 an hour. This job at minimum with parts and taxes is maybe 2 or 2.5k on the cheap end. I run a mechanic shop and I can say that honestly.
I had a 17 EXPLORER sport 3.5 turbo with 85k and it was on the original pump, no knocking. Ran like a champ. Traded in for a 22 EXPLORER ST with the new 3.0 turbo and it's even more aggressive surprisingly and these don't suffer from the phaser guide issues the 3.5 did or does. Change your oil every 4 to 5 K
I've got a 2011 Flex with 230K miles. Original engine, water pump, and transmission. My kids are driving it to school, and my fingers are crossed that the water pump holds out until they're in their next cars.
When you said the entire front of the engine needs to come off, that brings me back to the old Audi gas V6 and the VW 2.5 TDI V6, those engines needed the entire front taken down for timing belt replacements, they learned their lesson though on the new 3.0 tdi and went timing chain
My 2013 explorer with 3.5 ecoboost needs this done. Im doing this to mine this winter. I look forward to it. Been a while since ive dived into an engine. Shouldnt be too bad. Worst part is engine orientation. Ill rebuild the turbos while im at it.
Yup, my 2014 Taurus SHO has this engine. My water pump went out went out but fortunately I provided my own labor ... I think book time is over 10 hours. I recommend only using OEM parts, especially the waterpump. You don't want to use a cheap aftermarket pump just to have it fail prematurely. Better to replace the whole timing chain system including the cam gear which will probably be a updated version. As for the tight working room, as you jack up the front of the engine, it will tilt and away from the fender and frame giving lots of working room without dropping the engine cradle... It is time consuming though...luckily a friend let me use his shop rack...
when I first saw one of these ford flexes I marveled at the concept; big, spacious and seemingly well built : I was into mountain biking then and I just imagined how easy would be to carry one or too about in this ford flex... guys, dont despair; just shove in a toyota engine plus transmission and...voilá, you have a car for the next decade !
@THEEVERYTHINGTHINGCHANNEL Alot of the Ecoboost engines also have issued where the block cracks and coolant starts to leak into to cylinders. Absolutely horrible engines.
@jundialhaqiqa9907 That was a known issue on 2017-2019 four cylinder (1.5l, 1.6l, 2.0l) models only. As mentioned in this video, it’s the internal water pump that is an issue on the longitudinal v6’s. And, as the video also shows, it’s not just the ecoboost versions of those engines either.
My Coworker used to have a 2014 ford Taurus, he knew he had a coolant leak from the water pump, then kept driving it for a couple of months, adding coolant here and there. Then one day he was driving to work and the engine seized up on him. Now he drives a 2019 Toyota Highlander, go figure. As soon as I saw this video pop up, I knew what the leak would be. Thank you for letting people know the terror that is the Ford 3.5 V6!!
Not the only car with water pump in a tough place. They might regret getting rid of the car as the cost of a replacement will be more. Another Ford Flex, even if it is good NOW, it might not be later and you are in the same situation again plus you have a used car you don't know the history of. This car has no rust and is clean. If it still suits the needs of the family, fix it, BUT be sure it gets good parts and the person doing the job knows what they are doing. $4000 is a lot for a repair but it is getting to be the norm. A new vehicle is $50,000 now so $4000 doesn't look that bad even taking into account the book value of it. Years ago I did an engine in my car that cost MORE than I paid for the car. You fixed stuff because new was a WHOLE lot more.
@hotpuppy1, in this case I'd be looking at going after whoever performed the service work, either parts/labor are to blame because I've NEVER heard of a water pump going out after just ~4 yrs where the pump itself wasn't defective or the installer was at fault. If it was a choice of paying out of pocket again, it depends on whether the vehicle was worth that or would you be better off selling/trading it in, disclosing the water pump issue and then just buy something else new or used.
@@hotpuppy1 The cost of this job could exceed the value of the car and if they had spent it, it would be $8000 in repairs adjusted for inflation in 4 years. The owner should have sold the vehicle after it’s been repaired 4 years ago. I would just sell it and buy a Toyota Sienna or Highlander. There’s plenty of these older model Toyotas that sell for $20,000 or less and are around the same age as the Ford Flex.
@@atx-cvpi_99 Dude a flex is like 9000$... Who the fuck buys a 20 000$ car after they sell their injured car for 2000$ because it's broken. Debt is for fucking morons. The car wizard is RIDICULOUS on this perticular diagnosis video. It's like he's disconnected from reality.
Thanks for the info on this engine. I have a MKX Linc with that engine. I have 76000 + miles on it. It is a 2008 model. It has little trade in worth so I will drive it until it is ready for the junk yard. It looks like new and handles great, I wish Ford would have done a better design for mechanics on it. Ray
Told my X wife for several years she needed to dump her Taurus for that same reason. She ignored me and finally got the leak. To fix that and new plugs and wires was 6k.
I've done a ton of these (which means I know all of the tricks to get it changed). What also happens is the water pump bearing goes south and the weep hole gets plugged and the coolant goes right into the oil pan. That's a fun mess to fix. I actually keep a few gallons of old motor oil because once the job is done, you need to keep changing the oil and filter until it's not that brown muck (why ruin good oil when used is suffice). In the end, it's good for another 150K until it happens again.
@@The0utmode These things will last 300K easily if maintained and aside from an expensive water pump job in that timeframe, they will likely need little else.
@@mikelemoine4267 Ford figured out how to dumb down a timing chain so much that it lasts as long as a timing belt and costs more to service. planed obsolescence at it's finest!
@@The0utmode The timing chains don't fail on them but since you have to remove the cover to change the pump most shops just do chains to refresh the engine. There are quite a few engines designed this way from several manufacturers. One notable one is the Chrysler 2.7V6, but those usually blew up long before the timing chain or water pump failed....
Just had this water pump and timing job done on our 2013 Explorer. 4k was the number, 211k miles on the clock. I'm relieved that the ticking time bomb finally blew. No coolant intrusion into the crankcase. Hopefully good for another 200k, the Explorer is still in fairly good shape.
This issue also affects the 3.7. Same engine but a larger bore. Besides the water pump design these things can be reliable. I've seen several fleet vehicles with the 3.7 clock 250K-300K miles such as MKTs
We have a 2016 Flex and got a new water pump for $3800 2 years ago. It took 3 days. It was still cheaper than a new car! Esp with 3 kids in college! Love our Flex.
Mine's 2016. Bought new. Low miles. Routine maintenance. Tires and battery replaced, due to age. Runs great. Fingers crossed, because I enjoy driving it.
2007 Ford Edge great condition. We had the Motorcraft water pump, valve gaskets, spark plugs, timing chain, chain guide, tensioner, oil change, coolant change. Had it done because I needed the vehicle and the value was a bit more than the job. We got quotes from $2.5k-5k.
The Ford Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ is engine out. Unless it’s an F150, Mustang, or Transit van, you shouldn’t buy any Ford product a with a 3.5 or 3.7. The water pumps are external on RWD applications. You could reuse the timing chains but I would not recommend doing that especially on the 3.5 EcoBoost since all first generation 3.5 EcoBoost is well known for timing chain issues. Even the 4 cylinder EcoBoost options in the Edge, Explorer, and Taurus have major issues too. All the twin scroll EcoBoost 2.0 engines prior to 2020 had defective engine blocks with coolant intrusion and that also applies to the 1.5, 1.6, and some 2.3 EcoBoost engines as well.
Thats not true in regards to the Ecoboost 2.0. Thats 2017 and up engine blocks except for the Edge, which was the first Ford to get the new design. Ecoboost motors before that had a superior, closed deck Mazda based design.
I have a Taurus with the 3.5. Here's what I've read on forums. 1. Do not do the 10k mile oil change intervals, change every 5k miles, and use full synthetic oil. 2. Change coolant every 30-40k miles, coolant becomes acidic over time and use. When coolant becomes acidic, it impacts the water pump seal. There are plenty of people in the FB Taurus forum who followed this method and have made it to 200k miles or more without changing the pump. I'm at 50k miles right now, so we'll see how long or far I can go until I need this job done.
I read a post on another forum that said the same thing. Makes sense since the water pump is exposed to coolant and oil.
I changed my coolant every year. It don’t make no difference. The seal wears out with use. I got to 130k before it needed a new water pump. By the way, Ford only cares that their cars make it past warranty.
Who thought it was a good idea to do a 10k mile oil change interval on a car it’s not a semi truck
Oil should be changed every 3000 miles, not 5000. 200,000 miles is not that great. The 4.6L 2 valve rear wheel drive engine will go twice that far and more with no serious problems with proper maintenance. I change the coolant every 9000 miles on them. Since there is no block drain plugs, you are only replacing less that 1/3 of the coolant. There is no way to get the rest of it out of the block. I use Ford Motorcraft Gold. Best coolant on the market. I also use it in GM and Mopar vehicles. I also use 10w30 oil, instead of the recommended 5w20. The 4.6L does not have VVT, and the higher viscosity oil has a lot better load bearing ability.
I got 140k on my mkz and it was still fine bug but I traded it because of rust
Need to ship this Flex to the Philippines. I was on a mission trip there in the late 1990s, and the mission leader's air conditioner quit working. We were on our way through Olongapo on a Saturday at 5 pm. He saw a shop along the street and pulled over. They were about to close, but they came out and diagnosed a leak at a compression fitting. Three guys worked for an hour and a half. They sawed off the old fitting (there were enough threads left to do this) and filed a new compression fitting by hand. After some trial and error they got a good seal and recharged the system. When all was said and done they asked for about $45 for the labor (3 guys x 1.5 hours each!), and the mission leader, being the good Filipino that he was, negotiated it down to about half that much! That's just how they do things in the Philippines!
So ypu are saying get repairs done for cheap at the expense of the health and well being of the workers and their families.
Ask me how I know you are a boomer.
@@thatman4752 I'm only saying, they do things differently in other countries. I'm not endorsing how they do things. I simply related the story as it happened. "Need to ship this Flex..." was meant _tongue in cheek._
Because they have oversupply of labor @@rexlion4510
Every Ford video Wizard posts make me happier and happier waiting around for my lazy old 4.6L F150 to accelerate. At 280,000km (~175,000 miles) I replaced the water pump, accessory pulleys, belt and tensioner. It took me longer to drain and refill the coolant. The only job that is a PITA was replacing the manifold studs on the passenger side.
Anyone reading this, you DO NOT need to raise the engine as so many people say you need to do. Having a powered ratchet is key, but you can replace both manifolds while leaving the motor right where it is. If you have an angle drill, you can drill out the broken studs, as long as they are not the 2nd cylinder from the front. All 3 other cylinders are accessible.
My Infiniti has 180k miles on it, all original, no repairs. Built in Japan.
2004 Explorer 4.0 about to hit 187k.
@@rachelgreen1368 I've had one Infiniti and two Acura's all with higher mileage, all built in Japan - All 3 needed some type of repairs eventually. Every machine does.
My old man is planning to gift me his 2002 (10th gen) 4.6L 2-valve F150 with 240k miles. What year is yours? I normally DIY all work on my "family fleet" of Toyota and Honda but the older Fords are supposedly also DIY friendly.
Immoral that Ford engineers designed it this way!
I did this job on a Mazda CX9 with the same engine. I fixed it in a weekend. Water pump actually came apart and timing was off a couple teeth luckily it was savable. I fixed it only for parts because they were friends with hardly any money. She was back on the road and she has currently put over 20K miles since the job and is so happy. She had to do a couple 500 mile oil changes at first to get all the coolant out of the oil.
They are lucky to have a good friend like you!
It’s always great thing when manufacturers can design something, correctly. It’s nice when it’s a non-interference engine.
@@mikeadams42 This is an interference engine. If that timing chain comes off or breaks when engine is running your engine is toast.
@ I’m aware of what an interference and non interference engines are. I’ve been around the automotive industry, since I was a baby. I also had a timing belt shred apart at 6,600rpm in my old Supra, While racing a Camaro. Had the car towed to my dad’s shop, where I replaced the belt. Car fired right back up and ran perfect. Couldn’t say the same for my old 22R, that chipped a tooth on the double row timing chain. At an idle it bent 6 of the valves, destroyed 2 guides and a seat.
It’s such a shame. We had a flex for a couple years till an accident totaled it. Literally everything else about that car was amazing. Absolutely zero complaints. It’s kind of the perfect vehicle for road trips/camping/families. Rides like a living room. Seats are supremely comfortable for long trips. Holds a ton of people/stuff, easy to get in/out of. Just honestly my favorite car we’ve owned.
Shame it happened on the fixed water pump even.
BMW is much better.
@@rachelgreen1368lmao no
I knew a guy who drove one as a taxi / personal vehicle... The company let him use it as his main vehicle as long as he kept it clean.
It made it over 200k miles, but was wrecked.
@@BubblesTheCat1 Another humorist. We are commenting on cars not buckboards.
@@rachelgreen1368 Funny, very funny. Some people are such humorists.
Hello Wizard, I am a long suffering mechanic trying to retire here in New Zealand and I watch your videos with much interest. The world of automotive repair is vary similar down here. Got to wonder how much more you can take? I have scaled back to basic servicing and repairs to keep my sanity. This video reminds me of something the mechanic overseeing my apprenticeship told me back in the day. He said "It's better to be lucky than good". If you had been lucky on this job it only would have needed a clamp tightened, but as you were not, look what happened! Guess you must be good? Another thing he told me was "Take good care of other people's tools, but take especially good care of your own". Remember to take care of yourself, not just others.
Car wizard. I've got a 2014 ford taurus 3.5 naturally aspirated, with just over 290,000 miles, all original parts, except standard maintenance wearing parts, like brakes and a wheel bearing.
The car runs and drives like brand new, never done a water pump. I'm going to run it until it dies, it quit owing me a penny long ago, so they can be very reliable and inexpensive vehicles.
Thanks for all your videos. From Northern MN
I WAS considering buying an AWD Flex. Need the room for wheelchairs. Insane engineering choices.
@@gregkocher5352 my 2010 was AWD ecoboost Limited! It was awesome LOADED, reliable, powerful, fast.
@gregkocher5352 it does seem bizarre to have the water pump that inexcusable.
But not all of them must be as prone to failer for some reason.
My taurus is an AWD as well, I love it in these MN winters.
Also for says the PTUs fluid is non serviceable, that is incorrect, i change the fluid between every 30-40,000 miles you just need a little cheapy vacuum hand pump, and the very first time I changed it it only took me 15-20 minutes.
Same results with my 2010 Flex, 240, 000 miles. Runs like a tank with class.
Did you replace the coolant alot because that can help the issue honestly, bad coolant eats seals.
It's important to note that not all 3.5L or 3.7L Cyclone V6s suffer from this issue. It's only the transverse mounted variant (i.e. FWD). The longitudinally mounted (RWD) 3.5s have an external water pump. So you needn't avoid it in the F150 or the Mustang for example. They're actually really good engines aside from that boneheaded design decision. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Cyclone_engine
Yes - my F150 has a very accessable water pump and thermostat. Wizard should insert some captions onscreen to correct his statement that "all Fords with the 3.5 V6 have this problem." Only the transverse-mounted 3.5's have the insane water pump design. Rear wheel drive - it's a good engine. Ford should have a different designation for the two types. Totally different engine.
I had that exact question, thanks for answering it! I wonder if the Taurus has this problem
@@fyodor8008 It does. Check the Wikipedia page above for affected models.
Bonehead!
almost ALL cyclone v6 engines were mounted transversely,. the exception being the 300 HP 3.7 and even then only the v6 equipped mustangs and f150. most of these engines did not get out of Ford-design-jail free.
As a mechanic I absolutely love that generation flex/explorer/taurus. I bought an explorer for $2500 last year with a water pump leak. $250 in parts and under 5 hours I am back in business. And I don’t replace everything, just a motorcraft pump, thermostat, valve cover set, plenum gasket, front crank seal, spark plugs and coolant/oil.
Some of those have 3.7 but same flaw. I did mine with a friend and it's not a fun job even if you have the parts.
Isn't that Explorer rear wheel drive? Much easier job.
@@JohnnyLightningV10none of the Ford Flex had a 3.7. Every one of them. Some were naturally aspirated some were turbo charged.
@@sayrerowan734 no. 11-19 explorer powertrain layout is transverse
@mrmerc51 Dude I was replying above Taurus as he references had 3.7s. I know because I had one and the water pump went. Read more post less my friend.
Our mechanic did it for $850. The dealerships are bending you over to do this service. It’s an absurd design tho.
he gave that job away, or left the timing chains alone and went in just to change the water pump. the ones who charge more are replacing the parts they are taking off which is a good idea in many cases.
@ nope. We replaced all the chains, tensioners, and guides too. I ordered all the parts and supplied them before hand. He was happy to do it for that price also. We also did all the fluids of course, and added a friction modifier as the torque converter is starting to go. Has been awesome since. 260K miles. I’m pretty sure we can get it to 350 now.
Separately, new coil packs, plugs, wires.. The front end has been completely repaired too, new control arms, tie rods, wheel bearings, struts front and rear, brakes, and even the steering wheel advance trac sensor thing was swapped out. All that was another $2200 in parts and labor.
So yea we dumped $3,000-$3250 TOTAL (forgot what the brakes cost) into the car with 250K miles on it. THE ford dealership wanted that much just for the water pump and nothing else. Crooks.
Just dealerships doing dealership things!
Next week on Hoovie's Garage.....
"I brought the cheapest Ford Flex in the USA... and it's broken"
Of course it's worth doing even if it's more than the car is worth. I'm not going to go spend 45,000 to 60000 on a new explorer. Especially when it's the same engine that's going to have the same problem. That Ford flex is clean. Fix it and drive it for another 5 years.
I agree. $4000 today wont get you anything even half that clean. Shitty situation but I’d pay it and cross my fingers for another 4-5 years of good use out of it.
Plus, the job even with all the timing components usually doesn't cost that much.
It doesn't cost 4k for this job! Just this uppity crybaby whining pig says it is!
If it costs less per month to keep it running than buying a new one no reason for a new vehicle.
My brother got one of those, a lease return by a fellow employee where he worked. It was up to 160K miles when he sold it after his kids left home for a smaller Civic. No issues with it beyond regular maintenance. Nice rig, having only a V6 made it a bit slow with family and gear in it but it never failed him. Regular maintenance is always the key to getting the max life out of any car.
Slow!? I put my foot down on mine and it's like a rocket!
Youre a luar saying these are slow but you think a civic aint! 😂😂😂😂😂
Am I the only one that still REALLY likes the look of these?
Yes.
I've always loved how they looked!
I like them . I also always wished they had made a smaller version.
I love the look. That's why we own one.
I've always liked the look of these.....if they were on a Toyota Highlander platform lol
Before I even watch this video it sounds like another internal water pump leak. This is why you use all OEM parts for this job.. This only applies to transverse mounted 3.5 engines. This same engine in an F150 has an external water pump. You want to replace all the timing components when you do this job
Also the Ford 3.7 V6s in the pre 2016 Mazda CX-9s.
Replaced many of these water pumps at the Ford dealer. It is not that much. Parts and labor was around $1,800. Iit is real easy to do when dropping the subframe and have the engine right there to pull everything of and remove the silicone and clean the surface. Then just doing all the timing and reapplying silicone gasket is much easier. Its not that bad.
After calling around I got quotes for $3000-5000....... DIY for
Wizard loves to complain.
@@apocolypse11 And over estimate a job.
My nephew had a 2010 Ford Flex 178k miles with a bad water pump and was quoted $2400 from the dealer(Southern California), definitely not a 4k repair. Good thing we drove it around then junked the pile of crap.😅
@@williamwhite9767 That's independent shops in general, they all believe they're undercutting the dealer by at least half. Not saying dealers are cheap, but in my experience the premium over independent shops isn't all that different these days, maybe 25% on most jobs.
A couple of comments: These are actually extremely reliable vehicles and can be a good buy if you get one that has good service records. As for the water pumps in these, if you follow the manufacturer recommended maintenance intervals and change the coolant as directed, the pump will last at least 150K, often 200K miles. If you simply budget and plan to replace them with only OEM parts at around 150K miles, you will likely see 300-400,000 miles out of the car without any other major issues. I know two people with them; one had his done before he bought it with 200K and he's over 300K now without any issues. The other had his fail at 170K and it cost him $2500 to get it done and he's well over 200K now without any issues. Neither uses or leaks oil nor has needed any other major repairs other than maintenance.
I think it was dumb to put the pump inside, but if you take care of it right and expect to replace it between 150K-200K miles then you'll have a fresh timing set and be set for a long service life and relatively low cost of ownership. The only other thing is if it's an AWD model you also need to change the PTO fluid periodically to keep that in good shape. Otherwise these things are as bulletproof as you can get on any modern car. If that owner had paid you to fix it right this time using OEM parts, they'd have a reliable car for $4K. They will not find a better car for $4K out of pocket so I think the advice to dump is was bad.
@mikelemoine4267 Thanks for the insight.
Yes... BUT, isn't just a shame that a water pump replacement will likely result in a vehicle being "totalled out"?
And many times, a shop will just dump stop-leak into it, charge the big bucks, and send it down the road.
I was thinking along those same lines. Even with the replacement cost, $1000 per year of service isn't bad compared to buying a new(er) vehicle. You could have a MONTHLY car payment not far from that amount and it could have $$ problems too. I drove a Flex once and really liked it.
I totally agree with you!
I have a 2010 flex that has been good to me. I'm a mature car owner so I understand once in a while problems.
I had to replace my ptu once because the dealer put mixed match tires on it and that ruined the ptu. I changed the unit and replace the fluid every 30k now.
If I ever need a timing chain or water pump change I'll have to do it myself or travel to Kansas to let the wizard change it. No way will I give up my flex that easily!
I'll buy that flex from them and do the job. I would love another flex.
@@Mr_Joseph979The Wizzard is in Newton Kansas, not Kentucky.
Have 5 in the family. Just purchased my second one, ecoboost 55k miles. 2 weeks after buying water pump. I'm a mechanic and took me 2 days.
I had to to this about two years ago on my 16 Ford Explorer 3.5L NA. Cost me $1678 OTD at a family owned shop. Owner said it was a chore and that his full time Mechanic spent 10 hours doing it. This was done at 86,000 Miles. Now I am at 107K and have been trouble free since. Once a month I check my coolant level and I do my own oil changes so that helps. This spring I plan on changing out my coolant for the newer yellow Ford coolant that has been noted on some of the forms to help prevent corrosion/ seal issues on the water pump. Note: this was for plugs, gaskets, timing chain set and water pump.
I have 240k on my 3.7 in an MKZ, same water pump design. Being constantly worried with every mile has came and gone. However, i keep a close eye on oil and coolant. Change them more than usual. I am mentally set to fix myself when it goes. Car is still perfect with a strong engine. My advice is to be aware of how your engine is running. The slightest loss of power, shut it off, don't drive another 50ft and you can spare cost of a new motor.
Our 2012 Ford Explorer that my step-daughter drives had this issue with its 3.5L V6. Luckily she said something to me about how the heat was lukewarm until she stepped on the gas. Of course, I knew that meant the coolant was low.
I knew it was exactly this problem - you could see coolant leaking out of the weep-hole on the front of the engine. Had her immediately stop driving it, and scheduled an appointment at my local mechanic to have the timing-chain/water-pump replaced. And of course a coolant flush and an oil change just in case either of them had become contaminated. Wound up spending about $2,250 on it, because my mechanic charges his actual time, not book-time, and he's developed a "drop the engine out from the bottom" procedure that takes several hours less than the book time. Apparently you can just unbolt the 4 subframe bolts and the whole engine/transmission/suspension assembly will drop right out of the bottom, giving you very easy access to the front of the engine, making the timing-chain/water-pump a breeze. That shows how many of these he's done, that he can develop his own, quicker procedure for doing it.
That was about 3 years and 40,000 miles ago, and it seems to be going strong. Zero issues with his repair.
How many miles were on it when it started to leak?
@ 140,600 miles, approximately.
@@LMacNeillchange your transmission fluid also and this thing will last forever !
That's nice. Does your mechanic live near Berkeley, California by chance?
Unfortunately, these internal timing chain or wet belt driven water pumps seem to be getting more popular among all the automakers. Weep hole to where? Into the oil system! If that doesn't get caught soon enough, it will take out all of the lubricated moving parts of that engine.
And some manufacturers are using wet belts as I mentioned before. Whose brain fart was that? I have never seen anything rubber, liking being covered with oil. Ain't that swell?
I'm actually starting to like not working on the shop floor anymore and trying to enjoy my retirement but when I see this...
Now you know why I say that the last good car built in North America was the model "A" Ford ! Tongue in cheek I know, but My two vehicles are a 97 Dodge 3/4 ton 4X4 diesel & a 2003 Buick Park ave with the series two 3800 V6. They will both last me until I die. You have saved many people a lot of money Sir. Always enjoy your videos. Cheers! from the snowy hinterlands of of Alberta , Canada....where men are men & sheep are nervous.
My daily drivers a 1991 Buick Riviera with the series 1 3800.
I'm sorry, but with the prices of vehicles today I would instant fix this and replace the timing chains and all the parts.
The customer probably figured that when they did the job the first time figuring it wouldn't fail for a while, let a lone 4 years later.
And there are so many reliable vehicles that are at the same price point as the fix or less. Older yes but reliability is key
If this was the first time… sure. But they don’t want to do this AGAIN on an 11 year old car
Why you pay for quality OEM parts every time
agree i do it in a heartbeat worth it
I replaced mine on my 2013 non-turbos by myself for about $800. It took a weekend. About 12 hours in all. Several good RUclips videos.
Sold my 2011 Flex SEL this year with 220k on it because the water pump went and 3 shops quoted around $3400CAD to repair. Bought a 99 Buick Lesabre with 100k mi based on wizards advice, however its needed about $2500CAD in repairs, sway bar end links, brake master cylinder, rotors and pads, spark plugs and wires, valve cover gaskets, tires, and headlight bulbs. Previous owner seemed to only do oil changes, however parts and labour are cheap compared to the flex.
As a Ford technician, 3.5, 3.7 water pumps are gravy. 🤑 The only vehicles it is an engine out job is the Fusion Sport or Lincoln MKZ with the 3.5 or 3.7. The Edge, Explorer, Flex, Taurus are all serviceable in vehicle. Not very difficult. Can be done in as little as 6 hours depending on the vehicle. I would only recommend using OEM parts. The aftermarket ones never last very long.
we have a 2018 and LOVE it! the water pump is always the boogy man, but 3 grand is average for the repair. Just keep the oil, trans fluid and coolant fresh and no worries. stay away from turbo awd. throwing away cars just because of total value is just dumb, 4 grand will just be sales tax on a new car, then you'll loose another 20k in deprecation. It has no rust, fix it and drive it another 10 years. Every year I swap out two gallons of coolant fluid, takes 20 minutes.
If I understand correctly, it's the bearings in the water pump that often go bad, resulting in the leakage. Will changing the coolant help with that? This is an honest question - I have a 2013 Edge with the 3.5, and have changed the coolant every 20K miles
@@PaulOnuska
You have to ask yourself WHY the bearings go bad...
is it from the old never changed coolant corroding the seals and that then leaking and destroying the bearing itself...
or is it that the actual bearing material used just can't take the heat/cold cycles and self destructs as the pump rotates?
In either case the only thing you can do to try to help keep the water pump going is to keeping draining and then refreshing the coolant.....
So far it has worked for you....
Read all the other comments re when the pump went out for those owners...and whether or not they changed to coolant...and at what intervals?
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Thanks - I know diddly about cars haha, appreciate the response
@@PaulOnuska
Another commenter says the seal just flattens (wears?) out therefore it leaks...he was speaking from experience/doing a few...
@@PaulOnuska it's the seals, there is an oil side seal and coolant side seal, you gotta keep the right pH fluid. old coolant even eats head gaskets in Toyotas. and you gotta use Oem , not some china part store junk
I have 2013 limited with 165,000 and it has the ecoboost. I had owned the car for almost 7 years and I still love it. In 2023 I had to replace the water pump and the kit does come with a new chain and tensioners with the waterpump. Total cost was $2300. Then in September my check engine light came on and as it turns out one of the tensioners failed. The good news was the parts were still under warranty so I have a new waterpump, chain, tensioners, and they replaced the cam phasers. Total cost for this round was $1200. In the 7 years we have driven the car 120,000 miles, drive across the country several times. With all that, I have spent around $6000 not including tires and oil changes. I will still pay to fix it as it’s hard to find a replacement that is easy to get into even the rear and haul and drives comfortably. The only thing I don’t like is I have to replace the tires every 2 years.
That's a nice well kept looking vehicle. Surely if the pump is replaced with one that has double sealing, it's worth fixing.
Thank you car wizard for sharing your knowledge. I have been able to diagnose and fix many problems on my old beetle and other older cars by watching your videos.. Most mechanics will not help unless you pay the 100+ diagnostic fees up front. Which I understand. A mechanic can't make money giving free advice, than having the owner fix it himself. So thanks for giving us backyard mechanics information we can use so we try not to tackle problems blindly.
Just had the water pump done on my 2015 Flex. I had them change everything that needs servicing while in there. Everything you mentioned AND MORE. The total was $7k. Every time I look at that car, I pray we get it to 200k. Currently at 125k.
My flex is at 300k. Never changed the water pump and had it since 2014. Is an 09...I have the Lincoln mkt same engine. 200 k no issues.
You just gotta know a mechanic… I did one for a friend for 500$ plus parts
@@bryceridens8452 hey if you were near me I'd pay. I'm going to need to change my turbos on my MKT
@mmsautner, it should be CRIMINAL the way these lousy manufacturers build into vehicles the outrageous costs for repairs, the "defects" which SHOULD be recalled/redesigned, they just pass on to customers and expect us to fork over thousands to repair it all, try to repair it ourselves ON TOP of paying TENS OF THOUSANDS to buy these things. I can't believe that a water pump already needs replacing on your vehicle at less than 130K miles. The fact that these idiots put the water pump behind the timing cover, integrating it with the timing chain system etc., so not only when the water pump fails it will be a much bigger job than it should but it'll eventually dump coolant into your oil pan like it's a catch-can and can ruin the engine.... It's the pinnacle of idiocy and Ford/others should be SUED for that awful design. Water pumps have been external to the timing cover, belt-driven lie any other accessory since the freaking introduction of the combustion engine and suddenly they have the "bright idea" to do this.... It's just as awful as Dodge's "3.6 Pentastar engine tick" where the rollers in the rockers "drop" and the rocker frames begin to SHRED the camshaft lobes....
Then there's the "auto-stop/start" function where you MUST press the button to disable it every time you start a vehicle otherwise, every time you stop it'll shut off the engine, then restart it and claim "This saves gas!" I'd like to see the actual data on that because rudimentary physics tells me that it takes more energy to start a mass rotating than it does to maintain rotation at a given speed for "x" amount of time. Frankly, I believe they're just wearing out the starter/other components prematurely, including the transmission since it has to be in a state of constant stopping/starting/braking and reactivation whilst in gear once your foot is off the brake & on the accelerator again.... Even the "push-button start" was stupid where so long as the key FOB was within some distance, they vehicle could be started/driven away. So your FOB could be on a keychain hanging by your front door, if a thief gains access to the car, they can hop in, start it and drive down the street some distance. One woman drove a 1/4 mile down the highway before the vehicle shut down after "key FOB out of range".... It was still in the pocket of her boyfriend she just ran over and left lying on the side of the highway after an argument.... Push-button start should ONLY ALLOW the vehicle to start WITH the FOB INSIDE the vehicle. If using "remote start", then drivability should be DISABLED UNTIL the FOB is inside the vehicle. I don't understand how these people who are supposed to possess "higher levels of education" with Programming/Engineering degrees, end up being so stupid.
@@bryceridens8452 you in Florida? I need my turbos replaced lol
Hello Car Wizard. I have a 2010 ford flex SEL. I bought jan 2011 with 22,000 miles . When it reached 100,000 i got the timing belt changed, other than that, it is a champion. Now it has 255,000 miles, and I used and misused. I consider the best car. For me, of course.
I really appreciate your effort to warn people before buying any kind of vehicles. God bless you, brother.
We own a 2009 Ford Flex. Bought it new. Change the oil every 5k, and have around 74k miles. In 16 years we’ve only had to change the ABS module besides routine maintenance. Given the mileage and the price of new vehicles today, I’m spending that $4k on this car when the pump goes. But, I’m insisting on all Ford parts when the job is done. I’m not sure it makes a difference, but the 2009 was the first year of the model and it was the last year with the Duratec 3.5 engine. I believe all models after that had the Ecotec engine.
Ecotec is GM I believe you mean Ecoboost. The 2014-2016 Flex had ecoboost options for the limited models. Fantastic vehicles! My grandma used to call it the Refrigerator XD
Another commenter on here said he had the job done by a mechanic that charged $2500 and who dropped the engine out the bottom of the car so it could be worked on easily saving time (and money)....
@daveh5490
17 minutes ago
I have a Taurus with the 3.5. Here's what I've read on forums. 1. Do not do the 10k mile oil change intervals, change every 5k miles, and use full synthetic oil. 2. Change coolant every 30-40k miles, coolant becomes acidic over time and use. When coolant becomes acidic, it impacts the water pump seal. There are plenty of people in the FB Taurus forum who followed this method and have made it to 200k miles or more without changing the pump. I'm at 50k miles right now, so we'll see how long or far I can go until I need this job done.
Ecotech=GM
Ecoboost=Ford
I have a 2010 non-ecoboost non-turbo AWD flex with this engine. When this happens to me, I'll be doing the job myself since I'm the only one I can trust at my price point.
FordTechmakuloko suggested changing using the melling water pump instead of the Fomoko or OEM. I'm going back to his video on this same vehicle to be sure.
thanks for being a good mechanic wizard. I did it for a while and it's really hard when you're seeing people that are just getting screwed over by a piece of crap car. so I went into doing handyman work and remodeling. at least there's a little more give and take. I think in this. because some vehicles are just not worth fixing. they're basically appliances
I love the looks of the Ford Flex ,the body lines are sharp looking
Indeed, they still look great after all these years
I replaced the water pump on our 2009 Ford Flex immediately after we bought it used. I didn’t want to chance it. Not a complicated repair for a DIYer, just takes time. Took me about 10 hours for the first one. Love the Flex enough where replacing the water pump is worth it to us.
This 100% i did both mine same way,
Our 08 Expedition with the 3 valve 5.4 has over 350,000 miles on the original motor and has never left us on the side of the road. Which is surprising given the 3 valves rocky history
They will actually love you a long time with proper care.
@patriotgarage Very true, it's been the best car we've ever had period. And I would not have a problem getting another one that has been properly maintained of course.
If you hear the cam phasers start slapping on start up, it's time for a timing job.
Why customers get so upset over a $4000 fix but are fine with buying a new $50,000 car which will be worth $10,000 in a few years no issue with losing $40,000 but paying $4000 is the end of the world?
I don't get it either!
The water pump alone is not a 4000 job
Cause they don't have $4000 cash lying around and their credit cards are maxed out. But the dealer will definitely finance you a new car for 84 months@12.99% APR with the 62 cents you have in your pocket as a down payment.
It’s doing it twice that makes them upset. Also it’s designed to cost a fortune to fix.
They may not be the first owner. 4k is not a huge percentage of 50k, but it is a pretty big hit if you paid 10k for the car.
I done this job on my wifes taurus and my cousins taurus. It is time consuming but worth it and not all that bad if you are mechanically inclined and have some experience. You do need the tools to hold the cams in place and DO NOT pry the timing cover off. It is on guide pins and must be worked off evenly otherwise you will break it in half. And no, the engine does not have to come out when doing this job in an Edge, Flex, Taurus or Explorer.
So which Ford's need the engine pulled to do this job then? Or is he just mistaken?
@@Stressless2023 The wizard is not as good as he appears.
@@Stressless2023 Another commenter said the Edge engine needs to be pulled due to zero room to work in the engine bay.
@@watchmanonthewall14 So did Wizard in this video but the person who made the comment I replied to said it's not an engine-out job on the Ford Edge - Just wanted to know which is true since I just bought a 2013 Edge for my oldest sons first car.
@@watchmanonthewall14you don’t need to pull the engine, you go through the passenger side wheel well
My uncle still has his Ford flex with 200,000 miles. Still runs like a champ hasn’t had the issue yet because he actually maintains the car, as well as it was under warranty for a while. Had the turbo charger one of them went bad when the car was new and the dealership replaced the whole engine, it’s been fine.
It was brand new and under warranty at the time.
Traded my 2013 Flex in when this happened. Bought an Expedition & it's water pump replacement cost $500 4 years later.
😮 I hope fuel is cheap where you live otherwise you've spent more in the extra fuel for the expedition
you essentially trade for the same vehicle. They both had that same ecoboost engine
water pump for my '72 Dodge 440 4bbl truck was 50 bux new
My 4.0 Cherokee is 25 years old and I've never had to replace the water pump... lol
Youre a 😂😂😂😂
I had the water pump replaced on my 2009 Flex. It stopped pumping water, and the car would go into the red zone in about a mile. After checking the thermostat and the cooling fans, I figured out it was the water pump. $2000 at the local independent, including new chain guides, got the job done. The original water pump lasted 150k miles. The car is up to 180k now, and no issues. This did not stop me from buying a 2019 Flex Limited 4WD when there were deals to be had at the start of the Pandemic on leftover 2019's sitting on the dealer's lots.
We used to own a 2015 Flex With the same engine, and it was a really good vehicle, I really loved it. But in retrospect, I am now glad we got rid of it when we did😂
My 2010 has 240,000 miles and runs like new. Just regular fluid changes. I know of numerous Flex's with 200,000 + miles and some with 300, 000+ miles with zero issues. Just do regular fluid changes. The wizard is a joke on this one.
I'll do it. I'm in the middle of this job on a 2011 Flex thought now. Sign me up.
Ain't it funny to design an engine that purposely fails? We see it in all manufacturers. We know it's on purpose. Ford and other manufacturers do it to keep dealership mechanics busy. They already can be...
@@tnasburypl The reputational damage sustained by Ford tends to discredit your comment - ie. that the Ford deliberately chose to include a poor quality water pump. The failure is largely due to 'bean-counter' led decisions that overide 'data led' engineering decisions - 'bean counters' that favour very cheap and nasty short lived components in order to reduce the build cost of the car - which is very sad.
4k to fix a nice 2013 car that you haven't had to make payments on in years? Worth fixing. Cars aren't free once they're paid off. 4k is a little high based on what other commenters have stated.
They already did it once. Would you put 8 grand into a car that’s worth the same amount?
It is high compared to the $1700 to $2400 I've heard quoted to do this job. I've been tracking this issue as I have a 2010 flex with 173k miles.
I'll have to do it myself to be sure it was done and not put stop leak without actually changing the pump like what may have happened in the wizard's customer's case.
@@jacobyo99 They're being ripped off on the repair price. I would put some JB Weld on the weep hole and drive it til it died.
@@billfly2186that won’t work. Because of the design, if the inner seal fails, which it will, the coolant will leak into the oil pan and mix with the engine oil. You’ll get that chocolate milkshake.
@@zoomanx9661His plan was to drive it until it died. He didn't mention how soon that would be.
I had an 2008 ford edge with the 3.5L. Ran it up to 240k miles before an accident. Never had an water pump leak. Always change the oil between 3k to 4k miles. Change my coolant twice. Change my trans fluid every 30k miles. Only did a suspension rebuild and a tune up. 2 battery replacement, vacuum booster and a shift cable I broke. Best vehicle I own. Just Change them fluids early and you will be fine.
My 3.5 eco boost has 244k miles still going strong. No noises or oil burning
OEM pumps are good for 150k miles. This is a case where someone saved $50 on a cheap aftermarket part and it cost them.
The other half of the mental math an owner has to do is that most V6 front drive vehicles have the same issues. They have since the 80’s. The difference is we paid $60 an hour for labor or did it ourselves.
I have two of these engines. The key is to change red coolant for yellow and then change it once a year. I have seen these pumps go for about 200k with proper maintenance
Who changes coolant once a year? Nobody. Ever.
@barrygoldwasser5449 Yeah, these new coolants have at 7 year lifespan
@@barrygoldwasser5449 the people that really take care of their cars maybe
@@barrygoldwasser5449 to save $4k every 4 years, $80 for annual coolant change sounds like its nothing
Two engines ! Wow, that must have been challenging to install.
Thanks for all the great input as well as comments, with newer cars $$$$$$$ , i will keep wrenching on my older ones. Plan to change coolant ALOT more often after seeing this on wife's 2014 edge. Videos like this have saved me thousands of $, and time.
There's a lot of cars where the water pump is in the "center" of the engine within the timing chain/belt area. Honda V-6 and Subaru 2.0/2.5 comes to mind. Yes a GM 3800 or 3500 the water pump sticks onto the side of the engine; but it's a different engine design. Another problem is people assume a big car means there's plenty of room to work on everything; not always true.
the subarus have the space at least to work , remove rad and lots of space ,,,, flex looks like a lot of swearing will happen
I replaced an internal water pump on a 2007 Edge @ 150k. It totally seized the engine and milkshake oil. Was able to replace the pump and timing chain and it lived. Hardest part is removing the power steering pump bolts to get the timing cover off. Very little room reinstall the timing cover but it can be done...
I had it on my MKX fail on me on the freeway. I really liked that vehicle too.
The more video`s like this I watch, the more I love my `07 Stang. Did the water pump at 180 000kms, $100 for a pump and a couple of hours of work.
Ya, old guy i know had 1 of those 4k dollar water leaks. He's a retired firefighter. Well, it's so ironic the thing caught on fire a couple of days later, and his insurance paid him...
Just bought a flex last week. I knew about the water pump issues, but my gf has a edge with the same motor and its sitting at 217k miles now. The past 4 years of her owning it, all it asked for was general maintenance. One of the reasons why i jumped on my 2016 flex. Other than this waterpump issue, these motors are great. Hopefully the flex treats me just as good as my girlfriends edge has treated her. Even with her edge being high mileage, i wouldn't even sweat driving it across the country.
12:45 ONLY REPLACE PARTS THAT ARE WORN OUT OR AGED if its working good don't change it new parts can sometimes have defects, quality issues that will create a new wear pattern, increasing wear, its should all be marked and put back exactly the same way to retain its balance and wear pattern/lash its sort of like a line bored equipment you don't want to interchange pieces, the chains have seated/machined together in a sense
My second timing set on a wait for it wait for it my 2.7L I bought in 2004 going on car very very near future. Oil change every 5,000 miles or at least every six months. Use dealer fluids except full synthetic oil and good gas. OE power steering pump, starter and condenser. I am surprised older cars that are took care of holding up better and more budget friendly. Of course, I am doing this my second timing set on this car myself. I don't envy the customer.
Problem is buying another car for $4000, you may be taking another gamble on it. If the rest of the car is good I would fix it!
No, problem use 4 k on a used Toyota or a V8 Ford
Yeah, if you took great care of the car, have no rust, a good mechanic, then fix it with OEM parts. Yeah it's expensive, but why are expensive repairs only acceptable on newer cars? If you like the car and it's in great shape, it's cheaper to fix it than get a new car, or take a risk on another car which may have had bad maintenance.
Yeah, I never understand why he keep saying that..
@@safffff1000 That would be like changing a sofa for a wooden chair.
Better the devil you know
Just got promoted to a full time mechanic at my mom and pop shop a few months ago, had a 2013 flex come in last week with this exact problem. Was super confused when coolant was gushing out behind the alternator until i realized the weep hole was there. our seasoned tech said as soon as he saw coolant coming out at that area he knew what i was in for 😂. surprisingly the customer approved it. Biggest job i’ve taken on so far. just got the last bolt put in last night. on thanksgiving today i’m just going to be praying i go in tomorrow, and it starts perfectly fine. I’ve had the seasoned tech come check my work to make sure it goes fine. So far extra parts have been new chain, guides, tensioner, Motor mount (one of the mounting holes corroded off), and new valve covers. ( the vct plugs were leaking, and the past few we’ve put new seals in with higher mileage, the plastic covers get micro cracking from tapping them in, and they end up coming back a few days later leaking oil worse than before so we’ve just started quoting new covers)
How much $$$ was the total repair? I know car repair quotes vary state to state and region to region. How many labor hours?
@@themusclebob23 Dang.. Well congrats on those great skills, with so many people trying to keep older cars going longer you should have work for a long time.
Ford Planned Obsolescence at work here, back in the 1980's it was Head Gaskets on their 3.8 V-6's that would Fail @80 K miles. The fix was a Fel - Pro Head Gasket that did not fail !
The Flex is not really a planned obsolescence car considering they often last 300K plus miles. This is a stupid design and anti-DIY, but if you have to drop a couple grand every 150-200K miles in an otherwise reliable car, you're doing better than almost anything you could buy today.
Those HG issues in the 80s (and 90s) weren't planned obsolescence either, it was just an issue of them going to aluminum heads on an iron block to meet EPA requirements and they didn't design the gasket well enough to handle the uneven expansion/contraction of the two kinds of metals. I had a 1990 Thunderbird SC and it blew the HGs at 64K miles but they weren't too bad to fix and would last forever if you studded them. I have an 03 F150 Harley with the 5.4 SC engine and it's still on the original HG going on 22 years old and 250K+ miles with about 100HP in mods to it. They figured it out.
Now today we're talking planned obsolescence, but that's the case with them all. The electronics will become obsolete and the plastic intakes/cooling parts will all get brittle and fail and it will cost more than the value to fix. The EPA is hyper focused on tailpipe emissions, but fails to consider the junk that will end up in the landfill and the carbon produced replacing things every 8-10 years that should last decades.
@@mikelemoine4267 I laugh every time I see one at the Pick n Pull yard with the Engine Taken Apart and the parts are in the back Cargo Area. I have seen this with every Flex that shows up !
@@lilibethdoherty295 I guess they get it apart and can't figure out how to put it back together LOL! My Nephew had the transmission go on his old Silverado and asked about getting one from the pick a part. I told him to find a wrecked one as it means it ran when it was last driven. The nice looking ones usually have major mechanical issues🙂
@@mikelemoine4267 I do like the seats in the Ford Flex they are like Captains Chairs.
@@lilibethdoherty295 Yeah remnants of the old luxo-barge seats. Soft and cushy, maybe a little too cushy, but fairly comfortable.
Had a 2015 F150 3.5 and that engine was a beast I mean a beast.
Never had any issues with the engine or the truck.
the real sad thing about the design of this engine is the engine as a whole is actually a good design you stay up on your maintenance and it’ll go a long time the water pump location was a poor choice as it is what ends up destroying these engines and it’s not cheap to fix. I personally really love the Ford flex. It would be a vehicle I own. It’s very well built lots of room for the size and it’s available in all wheel drive but that water pump does scare me I have a friend that has one hasn’t had a problem yet. It has been replaced once prior to his ownership. We put UV die in his cooling system to make it easier to see when it does start to leak out the weep hole and drip he has had no problems. Otherwise watch your oil and your coolant people on these vehicles set up a regular check at gas fill ups and you can catch it before it can damage the engine as coolant and water do not mix
My Infiniti has the same internal water pump. But it almost never needs a replacement. Built in Japan.
Many of us have faced the question you raise. This pump replacement will cost what a used identical car will cost, so not worth fixing. Often I have chosen to do the expensive repair, because I like the car and a used one with an original pump that does not leak will likely leak soon. So my expensive repair for the same price does buy me reliability and familiarity with the condition of the car.
10 hour job with $100 water pump. $380 per hour? My cost is 1200. Engine pull is 11.6 hours. Didn't be scared wizard. Send em to me if you are
No kidding. Not a mechanic but have done this job on my own explorer. $4k for this repair is absolutely predatory.
I've done 5 of them with 2 different variants of that engine.
It's a timely job and they made a couple revisions to change the side loading of the pump gear to reduce bearing burnout.
This is a common issue anymore. Manufacturers are designing vehicles to look pretty, and service takes a back seat. This has been going on for years now. We are all paying the price for buying pretty cars.
My '09 Flex Ltd is in the shop right now due to overheating and coolant leak. Fortunately, it was just a hose but i would go the distance with a pump replacement because its been such a good car for almost 10 years now. It has been my favorite car.
I usually agree with the Wizard. I have had that 3.5L in over 10 explorers and flexes and have had zero issues. All of them well over 200k miles and I know some of them are still on the road. With everything being 4 cy turbos and junk now, sometimes it's best to acknowledge that old naturally asparted it's were glory, Wizard that 3.5L v6 is hardly not available anymore, due to turbos 2.3, 2.7 and 3.7 turbos, junk....
Same experience here, the wizard is way off on this one.
@@lesliewoinarowicz7018 IF the water pump fails, it's ridiculously expensive. Mine is eight years old. Low miles. Routine maintenance. Tire and battery replacement, due to age. Runs great. Fingers crossed.
I powered through this job in around 6-7hrs. Lot of fun, you have to pay very close attention with that front cover if I recall correctly. Gotta lift and lower the engine to get a few bolts out and I think have one in when you put the cover back on. The shop I did it in charged 2800 for the waterpump and timing. Nothing else had to be replaced along the way. I agree entirely that it's not worth the risk buying one. Kinda ridiculous to cost that much for a repair that costs 1/3 that price on most other vehicles.
My Flex is such an all-around great car. But you would think Ford would have solved the water pump problem years ago for this engine. Maybe Ford doesn't care to improve their engineering.
With lots of these dumb decisions it looks like a packaging problem... Engineers had to design an engine with a small footprint because of some other design.
The water pump issues mostly come with age its almost luck if any given w/p will fail early or go 300k miles. Just like any other waterpump. Usually, the bearings start getting loose and leak coolant. Ford was smart enough to engineer a double seal on the w/p so the coolant can leak outside before it leaks into the oil. Gives you a chance to see a problem before it gets much worse. Though it is sad they couldn't make it external.
@@Alfadragon17 that's how you know engineers were forced into it for other reasons. They put the time into protecting the engine, but were forced to make it internal from some other design.
Its tempting to get one or a MKT. In my situation i can use a large 3 row vehicle, but i need something that doesnt sit high off the ground. Those two seem like the best choices for me and my family.
@@volvo09 absolutely a packaging “solution”. This is how they get the 3.5 to fit in a transverse FWD orientation. Longitudinal engines get an external water pump.
Absolutely right about the commander... I have 3 boys 8 mos, 3 yr, 6yr.... Those little boys are my world. My wife is a superhero i keep her comfortable as i can... We have 2 99-06 gm trucks hers is a 2002 yukon Denali woth 240k and ol girl does her job everyday no complaints(the yukon of course hunnie)
I had a Ford Edge did replace chains and water pump all in car, it was a 2012. I will never buy any car with a water pump so are to get to. A few other thing I've learned. No cars with CVT, Bad water pump location and Turbos. I'll probably end up with a turbo in something unfortunately.. Keep up the good work!
I've had three Toyotas all with a CVT. Not a hiccup from any of them in hundreds of thousands of miles of driving. There are good CVT transmissions and bad ones. Choose wisely grasshopper.
Surprisingly, the CVT in my Dodge Caliber was rock steady. Of course, it was from the period when Daimler owned Chrysler and actually improved things. Now the CVT in the Saturn VUE was junk. Luckily I sold it before it died.
You are 100% right to avoid any vehicle with turbo, cvt, or internal water pump. (Car Wizard showed some German engine that even had internal thermostat!) Good idea to also avoid direct injection, sunroof, and auto stop/start.
Incomprehensible rambling
@@john_nip_nop yep, it's a good list, and also avoid any vehicle with a wet timing belt.
This is why I am keeping my 04 Silverado.
Lots of them in this generation still on the road in my area along with Tahoe, Yukon.
Don’t cost 4,000 it’s around 1,500 to 1,800 with oem parts ! Dealership get them done one day ! We just had it done with all new guides , chain tensioners and new gaskets for 1800 dollar.
Car wizard is bad ass ...he charge $300 an hour and people pay cause he is like Trump ....a legend...........
Yep. Wizard was quoting several other things including brakes. Mine was $1100 in 2019
I have a 2017 Flex and I love it! It has 184k and all the work was done by the 1st owner, I got it for 9,000$ cash 2 years ago and its been great... I hope it stays that way!
I have a 2010 ford edge 3.5 and yes water pump was 19 hours labor it now has 220k still runs strong
We are on our 3rd 3.5L Ecoboost Explorer. The 2015 had lots of cam phaser and timing chain issues under warranty. Our 2019 had none and now our 2023 has a 3.0L Ecoboost. Our 2021 F-150 has a 3.5L Ecoboost and at 44k miles it has had zero issues. It is a hybrid and I have been extremely happy with it.
That being said my 1999 Dodge Ram has a 5.9L Diesel has a water pump that is super duper easy to fix. It seems like with these newer cars they keep packing more and more stuff under the hood without making the hoods longer. You need some room to work and as a bonus you get more crumple zone. I won't ever own a newer vehicle without a warranty.
Mechanic here: You can get it done for 950$ minus parts. This guy is full of it!
Also, as long as you change the oil every 5k because the pump is driven by the chain, and flush the coolant every 2 years, it'll likely last beyond 200k miles. Those chains will stretch if you dont change the oil on time every 5k, and thats when the problems start!
No you're full of it. The rate for the pump is around 14 hours. No shop in Chicago is below 100 an hour. This job at minimum with parts and taxes is maybe 2 or 2.5k on the cheap end. I run a mechanic shop and I can say that honestly.
I had a 17 EXPLORER sport 3.5 turbo with 85k and it was on the original pump, no knocking. Ran like a champ. Traded in for a 22 EXPLORER ST with the new 3.0 turbo and it's even more aggressive surprisingly and these don't suffer from the phaser guide issues the 3.5 did or does. Change your oil every 4 to 5 K
I've got a 2011 Flex with 230K miles. Original engine, water pump, and transmission. My kids are driving it to school, and my fingers are crossed that the water pump holds out until they're in their next cars.
I have 240000 on my 2010 Flex with absolutely zero engine and transmission problems. Just regular maintenance.It runs like a tank.
Same here. About 205,000. Hoping to get a couple years and 20,000 miles out of it. Going to the junkyard when it starts leaking!
When you said the entire front of the engine needs to come off, that brings me back to the old Audi gas V6 and the VW 2.5 TDI V6, those engines needed the entire front taken down for timing belt replacements, they learned their lesson though on the new 3.0 tdi and went timing chain
You could get that done in an afternoon in Tijuana, they would probably give you lunch and drinks while you wait .
There's a chance you might not see the car ever again if it's on a really sketchy area
@kclefthanded427 bit of a bigot , aren't ya !
@@kclefthanded427 That's the case anywhere nowadays!
That sounds like a great deal. Tacos and getting your car fixed!
65 fastback 2+2 289 and 67 non stock 302 mexican engines super easy to remove/replace the water pumps - modern cars sheesh !
My 2013 explorer with 3.5 ecoboost needs this done. Im doing this to mine this winter. I look forward to it. Been a while since ive dived into an engine. Shouldnt be too bad. Worst part is engine orientation. Ill rebuild the turbos while im at it.
Yup, my 2014 Taurus SHO has this engine. My water pump went out went out but fortunately I provided my own labor ... I think book time is over 10 hours.
I recommend only using OEM parts, especially the waterpump. You don't want to use a cheap aftermarket pump just to have it fail prematurely. Better to replace the whole timing chain system including the cam gear which will probably be a updated version.
As for the tight working room, as you jack up the front of the engine, it will tilt and away from the fender and frame giving lots of working room without dropping the engine cradle...
It is time consuming though...luckily a friend let me use his shop rack...
And how does wizard not know this ? I love him and his channel but he seems oblivious to certain things like this .
@@jeedwards1981yeah, he can't know everything I guess.
@@jeedwards1981he stated he never worked on this type of vehicle, but he should’ve looked at other RUclips videos on how others have done it.
@@zoomanx9661 these engines were in all the edge, flex , Taurus and explorers at one point . Just odd that he doesn’t know about it
@ facts. As much experience as he has, that is strange🤔
when I first saw one of these ford flexes I marveled at the concept; big, spacious and seemingly well built :
I was into mountain biking then and I just imagined how easy would be to carry one or too about in this ford flex...
guys, dont despair; just shove in a toyota engine plus transmission and...voilá, you have a car for the next decade !
I haven't watched the video yet but I bet it is the waterpump.
Yep, see a late 2010’s ford product and it likely has an eco boost or a N/A v6 and needs a water pump.
@THEEVERYTHINGTHINGCHANNEL Alot of the Ecoboost engines also have issued where the block cracks and coolant starts to leak into to cylinders. Absolutely horrible engines.
@jundialhaqiqa9907
That was a known issue on 2017-2019 four cylinder (1.5l, 1.6l, 2.0l) models only. As mentioned in this video, it’s the internal water pump that is an issue on the longitudinal v6’s. And, as the video also shows, it’s not just the ecoboost versions of those engines either.
My Coworker used to have a 2014 ford Taurus, he knew he had a coolant leak from the water pump, then kept driving it for a couple of months, adding coolant here and there. Then one day he was driving to work and the engine seized up on him. Now he drives a 2019 Toyota Highlander, go figure. As soon as I saw this video pop up, I knew what the leak would be. Thank you for letting people know the terror that is the Ford 3.5 V6!!
Not the only car with water pump in a tough place. They might regret getting rid of the car as the cost of a replacement will be more. Another Ford Flex, even if it is good NOW, it might not be later and you are in the same situation again plus you have a used car you don't know the history of. This car has no rust and is clean. If it still suits the needs of the family, fix it, BUT be sure it gets good parts and the person doing the job knows what they are doing. $4000 is a lot for a repair but it is getting to be the norm. A new vehicle is $50,000 now so $4000 doesn't look that bad even taking into account the book value of it. Years ago I did an engine in my car that cost MORE than I paid for the car. You fixed stuff because new was a WHOLE lot more.
@hotpuppy1, in this case I'd be looking at going after whoever performed the service work, either parts/labor are to blame because I've NEVER heard of a water pump going out after just ~4 yrs where the pump itself wasn't defective or the installer was at fault. If it was a choice of paying out of pocket again, it depends on whether the vehicle was worth that or would you be better off selling/trading it in, disclosing the water pump issue and then just buy something else new or used.
@@hotpuppy1 The cost of this job could exceed the value of the car and if they had spent it, it would be $8000 in repairs adjusted for inflation in 4 years. The owner should have sold the vehicle after it’s been repaired 4 years ago. I would just sell it and buy a Toyota Sienna or Highlander. There’s plenty of these older model Toyotas that sell for $20,000 or less and are around the same age as the Ford Flex.
@@atx-cvpi_99 Dude a flex is like 9000$... Who the fuck buys a 20 000$ car after they sell their injured car for 2000$ because it's broken. Debt is for fucking morons. The car wizard is RIDICULOUS on this perticular diagnosis video. It's like he's disconnected from reality.
I had an Edge but I got lucky with the price here in Mexico, it was 750 for that repair at the dealer.
To spend another 4k in this sh3t Is insane
Thanks for the info on this engine. I have a MKX Linc with that engine. I have 76000 + miles on it. It is a 2008 model. It has little trade in worth so I will drive it until it is ready for the junk yard. It looks like new and handles great, I wish Ford would have done a better design for mechanics on it.
Ray
Told my X wife for several years she needed to dump her Taurus for that same reason. She ignored me and finally got the leak. To fix that and new plugs and wires was 6k.
I've done a ton of these (which means I know all of the tricks to get it changed). What also happens is the water pump bearing goes south and the weep hole gets plugged and the coolant goes right into the oil pan. That's a fun mess to fix. I actually keep a few gallons of old motor oil because once the job is done, you need to keep changing the oil and filter until it's not that brown muck (why ruin good oil when used is suffice). In the end, it's good for another 150K until it happens again.
How does car wizard not know about this ? These are great engines with that one expensive repair as a caveat.
Nah its a bad engine in a bad vehicle
I paid 1500 for my water pump repair in my ford Taurus. It lasted 100,000 miles
@@The0utmode These things will last 300K easily if maintained and aside from an expensive water pump job in that timeframe, they will likely need little else.
@@mikelemoine4267 Ford figured out how to dumb down a timing chain so much that it lasts as long as a timing belt and costs more to service. planed obsolescence at it's finest!
@@The0utmode The timing chains don't fail on them but since you have to remove the cover to change the pump most shops just do chains to refresh the engine. There are quite a few engines designed this way from several manufacturers. One notable one is the Chrysler 2.7V6, but those usually blew up long before the timing chain or water pump failed....
Just had this water pump and timing job done on our 2013 Explorer. 4k was the number, 211k miles on the clock. I'm relieved that the ticking time bomb finally blew. No coolant intrusion into the crankcase. Hopefully good for another 200k, the Explorer is still in fairly good shape.
This issue also affects the 3.7. Same engine but a larger bore. Besides the water pump design these things can be reliable. I've seen several fleet vehicles with the 3.7 clock 250K-300K miles such as MKTs
We have a 2016 Flex and got a new water pump for $3800 2 years ago. It took 3 days. It was still cheaper than a new car! Esp with 3 kids in college! Love our Flex.
My sister had a 2013 flex and she put over 190k miles before she traded it in for a new car. She never had issues with the flex
Mine's 2016. Bought new. Low miles. Routine maintenance. Tires and battery replaced, due to age. Runs great. Fingers crossed, because I enjoy driving it.
2007 Ford Edge great condition. We had the Motorcraft water pump, valve gaskets, spark plugs, timing chain, chain guide, tensioner, oil change, coolant change. Had it done because I needed the vehicle and the value was a bit more than the job. We got quotes from $2.5k-5k.
The Ford Fusion and the Lincoln MKZ is engine out. Unless it’s an F150, Mustang, or Transit van, you shouldn’t buy any Ford product a with a 3.5 or 3.7. The water pumps are external on RWD applications. You could reuse the timing chains but I would not recommend doing that especially on the 3.5 EcoBoost since all first generation 3.5 EcoBoost is well known for timing chain issues. Even the 4 cylinder EcoBoost options in the Edge, Explorer, and Taurus have major issues too. All the twin scroll EcoBoost 2.0 engines prior to 2020 had defective engine blocks with coolant intrusion and that also applies to the 1.5, 1.6, and some 2.3 EcoBoost engines as well.
Good post. Our 2012 3.7L V6 water pump (Mustang) began leaking/weeping
Are they also wet belted? 😊
@@ChrisPatrick-q6k No they are not. The 3.5 V6 and Ecoboost variant use timing chains.
For laugh: owned Ford Orion 1.8 Zetec 1th Generation.. also coolant leak internaly, temp rises up under load very fast🙈
Thats not true in regards to the Ecoboost 2.0. Thats 2017 and up engine blocks except for the Edge, which was the first Ford to get the new design. Ecoboost motors before that had a superior, closed deck Mazda based design.