I need some help working through the Ford system. I recently took my '99 F-350 DRW into the service department for its regular 90K service. I also had a list of items that I wanted checked. They found a cracked bearing in the right front hub assembly, which had to be replaced. I know with certainty that this is premature failure of this component if the bearing truly is cracked since I work for the company that supplies this component. I asked our service engineer what I could do about it. He said to get the name of the Ford service engineer from the dealership, and contact him/her about starting a warranty investigation. Powertrain should be warrantied for 100K miles. The Ford dealership said that they didn't have contact information of a Ford service engineer, but gave me the number of customer service. Ford Customer Service said that they didn't have any contact information to give me either and that the component was not covered under warranty. HELP!!!! I would like to get reimbursed for the cost of the hub (not cheap!) since this would be premature failure.

I didn't remember Ford having a 100K power train warranty, just the diesel. Dodge had power train untill 2006 for 7 years 70K.

How do I find out for sure if the powertrain is warrantied? I'm sure it's not something that is advertised well. Or what do you recommend in terms of dealing with this problem?

Any Ford service center can run your VIN # through the Ford Oasis computer program and see the truck's history and what's left of the warranty.

Ford did have a problem in the early 2000's with the way they worded warranty verbage in their broshures. Some sales people took it wrong and told customers that they had a longer drive train warranty, but as I remember it wasn't a Ford term.

I'll have to look through some of my older broshures and warranty manuals and see exactly what it said.

Ford's Warranty is 3 years or 36000 miles. The Powertrain warranty is only on the diesel engine and is 5 years or 100,000 miles and covers engine related issues only, nothing else. At that mileage, Ford will not consider any kind of after warranty aadjustment. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it's not going to happen unless you can get the failed part and try to get some kind of reimbursement from the bearing manufacturer.

Well you know what they say...knowledge is power. So, thanks for arming me with the information about the warranties. I doubt I will be able to get reimbursed from the bearing manufacturer. I work for them, and could not get the replacement bearing from them to start with since it wasn't on the approved list (probably b/c it's the whole hub assembly and a little bit more expensive than your average bearing). We actually didn't physically have any hub assemblies in the distribution center to swipe either. Word on the street is that typically the sensors have failed. When they do, you have no choice but to replace the whole hub assembly. I was told by Ford Service that my issue was actually a crack, but I haven't torn it down yet to verify. Our service engineer said that it would void my warranty if I had it torn down. I guess that's pretty much a non issue now!!!! Thanks again for the information