CarComplaints.com Notes: Ford changed a lot of things for its 3rd generation, just none of them were a good idea.
The transmission tends to hesitate and jerk when accelerating. The new electronically-driven power steering can fail suddenly and without warning. Even Ford's SYNC can be a headache. Actually, scratch that last one — it's always been a headache.
With the colder weather, I've started using my block heater in the mornings. I have the block heater set on a timer to run for 1 hour before I leave for work in the morning. Previously, this was enough to partially warm the coolant up so I had instant heat in the mornings to defrost the windshield without excessive idling. The last two days I've noticed that the coolant was cold at startup. A resistance check of the block heater showed an open circuit. It goes into the dealer tomorrow morning for repair.
Update from Nov 6, 2013:
Block heater was replaced under warranty and functions now.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
With the colder weather, I've started using my block heater in the mornings. I have the block heater set on a timer to run for 1 hour before I leave for work in the morning. Previously, this was enough to partially warm the coolant up so I had instant heat in the mornings to defrost the windshield without excessive idling. The last two days I've noticed that the coolant was cold at startup. A resistance check of the block heater showed an open circuit. It goes into the dealer tomorrow morning for repair.
Update from Nov 6, 2013:
Block heater was replaced under warranty and functions now.
- krugford, Waverly, IA, US