Like most drivers, I like my engine where it is. Bolted in securely, aligned with the transmission, skilfully isolated on carefully designed rubber-insert mounts. Doesn’t matter if the engine’s up front, in the middle, or out back, so long as it’s staying put. However, sometimes engines might not stay perfectly in their homes. Ford has recalled 1,403 Transit Trail vans because their engine crossmembers might not be bolted in correctly.
See, on the Ford Transit, the engine is bolted to the front crossmember via a pair of engine mounts. That crossmember then bolts up to the van, an industry-standard design for several reasons. Not only does a bolt-in crossmember make it easier to install engines from underneath on a rolling assembly line, it also reduces warranty or repair time should an oil pan gasket leak or an oil pan somehow get damaged. But why are only certain examples of one trim level of Transit affected by this recall?
Well, the Transit Trail isn’t built quite like your standard contractor’s van. In pursuit of greater off-road capability, this all-wheel-drive machine gets a bunch of treats including a body lift kit that are installed by Ford’s vehicle modifier network. According to the recall report, it was in the fitting of that lift kit that things deviated from the norm.
During a Ford review of Transit Trail vehicles, Ford learned that to accommodate the vehicle’s body lift, the vehicle modifier used substitute bolts that may not have included washers to secure the engine crossmember to the body. The use of the substitute bolt without a washer had not been validated by the vehicle modifier or Ford Engineering.
Naturally, the next step after learning that these washer-less replacement bolts hadn’t been tested was to put them to the test against bolts with washers. The finding? As Ford stated in the defect report, “Physical testing simulating lifetime performance confirmed engine slip and loss of clamp load on assemblies with no washers.”
Now I know what you’re thinking—if the fasteners on the engine crossmember fail, could the engine sort of fall out? Maybe, but probably not in an engine-on-ground slapstick way. Not only will the transmission mount be fighting for its life in the case of engine cradle hardware slipping, but anyone who’s pulled an engine knows a thing or two about the astonishing strength of the one bit of wire or plumbing they forgot to disconnect.
The good news here is that Ford seems to have managed to catch this gaffe before anything bad happened. As the recall report states, “Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents, injuries, or fires related to this concern,” and automakers generally keep close tabs on incidents involving their products. A human error was made, that human error was caught, and now that human error is being corrected.
Unsurprisingly, the fix here is remarkably simple: new engine crossmember hardware including washers will be installed on all affected vans for free. It should be a quick and easy fix that’ll see owners of affected 2023 and 2024 Ford Transit Trails on their way smoothly, with dealers already being notified and letters arriving in owners’ mailboxes by Feb. 20 at the latest.
While this particular recall is a little embarrassing, it serves as a great reminder of two things. First, modern quality control can catch issues before they become real problems. Secondly, washers are important. If you’re replacing a broken captive-washer bolt on your project car, use like hardware. The engineers specced it for a reason.
Top graphic images: Mercedes Streeter; Ford
Ah, recalled driving a few sho where the engine was largely held in by the firewall and the radiator.
Yes this is hardly the first time motormounts have failed. I applaud not subjecting owner (and radiator) to stress of having and engine wandering around.
Is this a Ford problem or a third-[arty upfitter problem? Were these vehicles inspected by Ford before being delivered to customers or dealers? I can just see some good ol’ boy slapping that cross member and saying ‘That’ll hold her!”
The term ‘engine slip’ is new to me, and I can only relate this to a time slip, so I’m picturing an engine that is there and yet not quite there at the same time, slipping in and out of phase somehow!
How this affects other parts of the drivetrain remains to be seen.
Deep Ford magic at work here!
Time slip? Even after the recall, nothing will ever be the same.
Perhaps this could be exploited to defy normal physical limitations like rpm, or vibration?
Schrodinger’s engine! Is it there? Is it not? Lift the hood but do you really want to?
There might be weight advantages?
I would imagine that one side would fail first and there would all sorts of of weird noises. Of course being a ford van, telling the ominous clanks, clunks, and crashing noises from the run of the mill sounds might be a problem.
Builders of the holy Trail Transit failed in building a good transit and as such they have been sacked.
The people responsible for sacking the builders before fixing the problem have been sacked.
The people responsible for sacking the people before fixing the issue and figuring out a solution have been sacked.
Those responsible for the sacking have been sacked.
Anyone thinking Ford is bringing on to many British car people and/or Monty Python players?
Yeah that one last connected wire is a bitch. However, me pulling on it isn’t the same as a hundreds of pounds of metal with moving parts that can cut a piece of wire. These Ford recalls are really giving off original build Tesla quality build vibes. Finally the term Ford is not aware of any issues is political jive talk, how else are they aware of the issue and the particular range of effected vehicles?
Someone doing their job at Ford after spending the weekend assembling an IKEA bookcase….
“What are all those extra parts doing there?”
“Oh, I didn’t need them…”
The swedish only have that One tool
“Quality is job 1.” Someone didn’t get the memo.
That’s the old tagline.
“Shareholders are Job 1” is more current/correct.
Yes but I fail to see how share prices and as a result shareholders are anything but negative affected. It is pure and simple lazy, poor quality, union job is protected so fuck it.
These are third-party mods and almost certainly not union jobs.
This is Ford, shareholders are like 5th at best.
Still far above the people who are actually buying the products.
Quality is job 1, afterwards we start assembling the automobiles
They did. The quality here refers to the executive compensation packages.
I bet Ford’s really regretting offering the Transit Trail. In two years they only sold 1403 units which have already been recalled once for the signature oversized tires rubbing and requiring replacement.
https://www.theautopian.com/ford-recalled-the-transit-trail-and-the-fix-is-taking-the-trail-part-out/
I’ve never seen one or even thought about it since the new model announcement.
And how hard would that have been to detect on the very first van assembled? But cudos on mentioning the sales of the Trail which seems to equal the amount of vans recalled. So clearly every one was affected. I think Thomas needs sent to the RV of shame for 24 hours for not catching the number was the same as total sales.
I was just assuming that 1403 had been sold because the recall likely affects every one produced.
They’re stupid overpriced
Ah, with so few sold, perhaps the Transit Trail will be a future Holy Grail on this site?
/s
falls out.
Falls out.
FALLS THE FUCK OUT!
I guess someone was absent on motor mount day…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Hz6QIbCt0
https://youtu.be/3m5qxZm_JqM?si=TW3aj1_D7CYrhRXf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-pHuT2666s
Turning my van into an unpowered pinewood derby racer.
I can do your sister in my van.
At ease soldier. God is perfect and he made you and yet you lose teeth. Are you questioning God? At least it’s not the front of the drive train that drops out causing you to pole vault your vehicle into the high cost turnpike lane.
I hope that errant human gets a good spanking.
Given the prevalence of Ford Recalls I’m beginning to think Farley and his upper management are all fans of being spanked.
What was that castle in Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
Castle Anthrax, if I’m not mistaken.
If that’s what they get, I need to find me a job at Ford.
How did they catch that before anything too untoward happened? And kudos to whoever caught it…
Some poor bastard that was reassembling one spent a whole afternoon trying to figure out where the washers disappeared to before realizing they were never there to begin with.
On my Taco that crossmember was welded in place which made changing the clutch a real PiTA. On earlier Tacos that crossmember was bolted in place and could be easily removed which made working on the Transmission much easier. I’d love to get my hands on the bean counter that made the switch.
That sounds vaguely ominous.
A human error was made, that human error was caught, and now that human
erroris being corrected.Fixed.
Me petting my white cat while the laser gets closer to James Bond: “Let’s just say, Mr. Bond, the human error in my plan is being corrected.”