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Ford Mechanic Shares Ford Explorer Owner’s DIY Misadventure

A warning about who to go to for a repair and the simple tool you should be using when checking your truck’s front suspension. Plus, 3 short examples of dealership misdiagnosis scams.
DIY Repairs Require Diagnosis Before Wrenching

The Wrong Way to DIY

In a recent Ford Tech Makuloco YouTube channel episode we learn about one owner of a 2018 Ford Explorer with just over 100,000 miles on it who is experiencing a possible front suspension problem that is making some noise. The owner decides to take a DIY approach to the repair to save money with the plan on just changing out anything in the front end that appears worn and could be the source of the problem.

While commendable on taking care of the repairs himself…it’s a bad plan. Partly, because it means the owner will be loading up and firing the parts cannon at the problem which will result in spending more than he should on the repair. But primarily it’s a bad plan because he is doing it without a proper diagnosing of the potential problem that could turn out to be an incorrect assessment (read, hunch) of what is actually going on.

In short, it’s the wrong way to DIY.

After the Parts Cannon is Fired and the Smoke Clears

After the smoke cleared from the fired parts cannon, the Explorer owner it turns out, had replaced practically every conceivable component of the front end that moves only to discover that his truck’s front-end problems were now actually worse.

Even worse yet, most of those parts used to replace the OEM parts were aftermarket parts! This is really bad because often your older OEM parts that came with your vehicle---if not damaged---are most likely still in better shape than the new non-OEM parts used to replace the originals.

The Problem is About to Get Worse

Unsure why the repairs did not work, the owner took his truck to a mechanic and told him what repairs he had done and that he suspected the problem had to do with a steering rack gear, which he wanted the mechanic to fix. Fortunately for the owner, the mechanic did not do that kind of work and recommended the owner take his truck to an experienced Ford mechanic to get a second opinion on whether the problem really is steering gear rack-related (a roughly $3,000 repair).

Long story short, the truck was brought to the host of the Ford Tech Makulco YouTube channel, and it turned out the problem was all due to a loose worn nut!

The Value of This Video

The value to this story and the following video is that it is a good demonstration of:

  • Why firing the parts cannon does not always work
  • The importance of a proper diagnosis before starting any repair
  • Why you should always seek at least a 2nd opinion---especially when it comes to expensive repairs
  • Tossing what may be perfectly good used parts is counterproductive to maintaining a vehicle
  • That sometimes a basic tool and a little knowledge and common sense go a long way towards a successful repair

That said, here is the video well worth watching and be sure to listen to 3 examples from the host on how garages lean toward a misdiagnosis in order to charge you more.

This is Why You Should Aways Get a Second Opinion When It Comes to Large Automotive Repairs!

For additional articles about Ford truck repairs, here are a few for your consideration:

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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