One of the hotter stories floating around the internet for the last couple weeks involves Ford’s bad Larry off-road truck, the Raptor. It has come to light that these trucks are experiencing frame issues in the area that lots of trucks do, between the bed and the cab. Raptor owners are crying foul that Ford has misrepresented the truck in their advertisinig and marketing, while Ford has denied warranty fix claims on the grounds that the injuries came from abusive driving. Who owns this one? As is the case in most of these situations, the answer seems to be somewhere in the middle.
The issue was brought up on RaptorForumz.com after several owners participated in the “Raptor Run” a desert bash from Barstow to Las Vegas, Nevada. The idea of the event was to get these trucks together and allow them to do what they were designed for, high speed off road driving. As stories and videos of the event have come out, it seems that there was one spot in particular that caused the damage to the trucks. The particular spot featured a berm that was reported to be about two feet tall which was immediately followed by a ditch. It seems as though the suspension was smashed to max compression when hitting the berm and then allowed to extend, only to be smashed to max compression again, all in the span of a second of less.
What that did was hammer the dookie out of a bump stop that the leaf spring hits. That bump stop is located in a spot which features a hole in the frame, creating a potential pinch point and a “soft spot” that has become the main focus of the internet chatter involving the problem. We’ll show you a video below of just how violent this spot was. In fact, the video we’ll show features a truck that hit it so hard it ripped the inner fender liners out of the front end of it!
The dudes who own the Raptors are furious and Ford has not been welcoming in these trucks with open arms for warranty fixes. The Raptor guys claim that they bought a truck which was advertised to be highly capable of agressive off road driving, and that the trucks are less than advertised. The obviously believe that Ford should pay for the repairs and fix the trucks under warranty.
Ford thinks that these trucks were being abused, not being used within the realm of what a reasonable person would expect a vehicle to hold up to. They have had engineers inspect the trucks and as of yet have not (as far as we know) repaired any trucks for off roaders.
So who is right and who is wrong?
Our take, and it is a basic one, is that we saw these trucks make pretty gnarly jumps at the 2010 SEMA Show literally hundreds of times with no ill-effect. Ford was running a deal where people could ride around a course with a professional driver that showed the capabilites of these trucks. There were three of them on a constant loop and we’d be shocked to find out any one of those trucks made less than 100 jumps.
As you’ll see in the video (at about 2:00!) the spot where these trucks got jacked up was very violent. So violent that we honestly think that any other half ton truck would have probably lost one of both axles when hitting it at the speeds you will see. Hell, a desert race truck would grunt a little hitting this deal.
Is this the same as the guy with a new Camaro blowing up the rear end at the strip a week after buying the car or maybe the dude with a Porsche looping it into a wall during a Time Attack event?
You tell us. Who should own the damage on this thing, Ford or the drivers?
Press play below and pay close attention around 2:00 for the violent spot that supposedly caused the damage!
No sympathies from me. I rode with the most violent driver at SEMA, he wasn’t shy at all about launching that thing at speed, nor driving over the 4″ tall by 5″ wide speedbumps they had set up. Even Top Gear America put a Raptor through it’s paces out in the desert at good speeds with no problems…That just appears to be full abuse and frankly, if Ford pays, I’ll be pissed.
Considering the abuse today’s gearheads perpetrate on stuff that’s not intended for the road – I’d say they are taking it even further.
Ford should tell them to stuff it.
To me it kinda seems like that deal with the GTR’s and there launch control. You can use it, maybe once or twice but if you do it will void the warranty. Like WTF? Then why put it in their and have all the testing done in the magazines and shows with the 0-60 times and they use the launch control. Or if you buy a SCC Aero and it hits its top speed of 268mph but you are about to hit 269-270 and oops the wing flies off and the exhaust explodes. Sorry cant help ya. Back in the 60’s there were some amazing warranties, Mopar offered a 7 year 30 something mile warranty. Guys would buy the factory dragster (1963 light weight 413) take it to the track, bust the rear end, drag it back and they would fix it, same with any of there cars. Mopar would take that opportunity to see what happened and try to engineer their next axle or factory “dragster” to be stronger and better.
If it has a plastic dash, it is not an off road racer…
Ford shouldn’t pay the warranty. But they should redesign the obvious junk weak point in their trucks. Also, NO WAY would Top Gear share that kind of info with their viewers and chance losing future participation from FoMoCo.
So, for me it’s a combo of uneducated drivers who played too much RC Pro Am on their nintendo as children and a manufacturer who has misrepresented a product that has a serious design flaw.
Reminds me of the last 8 years of Ford Diesel engines too, doesn’t it? people STILL buy them!
Same as hitting a tree. NO WARRANTY
Looks like a good opportunity for the aftermarket to me!
The toughest frame still has an achilles heel. I can’t watch the video at the moment, but from the comments I’m guessing Barry hit the nail in the head.
The goomer in the video piled it up. When you spit out BOTH the front wheel shields, you’ve wrecked the vehicle. The others on the Raptor website, however, I think they’ve got a legitimite bitch. I wonder what would happen on a standard F150? Maybe not from a jump, but how about a losd of gravel and a speedbump taken too fast? That won’t be a problem for Ford because 99% of these trucks are used as a sedan with a back porch. Ford should take care of guys buying $50,000 sport trucks. It’s time for a RECALL!!!
NO way Ford should have to pay for warranty on stupid shit like what that guy is doing
The dudes in the vid were doing WAY over 50mph OFF road, with sh*t visibility following in a dust clowd of the truck in front of them.
And they DIDNT slow down AT ALL.
Ivan Stewart once said about how he won so many off road races singlehandedly:
“You gotta know when to go slow.”
These guys couldn’t figure that out.
F’em.
I think that’s completely typical of modern america that some a$$hole will spend 50k on something, purposely destroy it, then expect someone else to assume the blame..
Eff it, its like a modern cellphone or tv, everything we own any more is disposable to us..
Easy… The owners are liable. From the 2011 Ford warranty booklet:
These implied warranties do not apply at all if you use your vehicle
for business or commercial purposes. In addition, the implied warranty
of fitness for a particular purpose does not apply if your vehicle is
used for racing, even if the vehicle is equipped for racing.
WHAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NEW VEHICLE LIMITED
WARRANTY?
Damage Caused By:
?
ford has a giant problem. they marketed the truck as a serious off road truck. it turns out it is a pussy wagon, but having said that, I don’t know why anyone would do this to a stock truck. if you’re gonna use it this way i’d think you’d take to an off road shop and get it prepped for hard use. Ford is a bunch of liars and those owners are gullible as hell.
You bend it you mend it!
Simple as.. dont blame other people for you screw up’s! if you want to bash a stock truck hard be ready to brake it! if you have money to waste to do that you have money to pay for repairs!
Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
Turbo regal and captain obvious have it correct,
You bend it you pay!
Well that sure looked like a fun ride!
On one side Ford advertised the trucks as being able to run the Baja so it should be able to take some desert run BUT when you do stuff like that you have to be aware that you can and will break stuff.
The guy should pay to have the truck repaired and Ford should recall the trucks and fix that frame weak point.
I was on the fence on this one. Ford blasted this new truck everywhere as a purpose built off road machine, and said that all they did to the stock truck to run Baja was put saftey items in it. After looking at the pictures on page 3&4 in the link at the bottom of the article i am very skeptical that thier advertising was honest.
I think theres an obvious design problem with the frames of these trucks, which really suprises me because ive watched the ford videos where they say the F-150 is the only pickup in its class to have a 100% boxed frame. So one would assume the frame is going to be strong.
The problem is the GIANT hole directly abopve the bumpstop! Thats the point of the frame that will be stressed the most and to have a obvious weak point right there is a blunder on Fords part.
I agree that the owners were being hard on the trucks, but thats why they bought them. This goes back to people being denied claims on Lightning pickup trucks because ford said there was evedence of abuse or that they had been to the drag strip. People buy these SVT vehicles to go fast. Its not thier fault that ford cheaped out and put weak rods in them
On the other side of the personal responsibility argument you could say, what about a company that has an obvious design flaw manning up and fixing thier mistake.
Bob B. must have watched a different video from the one I did. I saw the owners nose dive this thing into the ground like they were on an episode of the dukes of hazard. I think I’m gonnna go buy one of these and try to run it through the wall of my garage and see if warranty will cover it. Same difference.
It has more than just a clause in the manual about it. Since they were racing the truck it is not covered even though it is supposesd to be able to take the abuse. What it can’t take is people that have no idea what they are doing beating the living dog sh*t out of a vehicle and destroying it. There is a difference.
Ok, LOL, first off, let me say I have seen all the hype and advetisements and read all the articles on the Ford Craptor and after watching this video I still believe they are very capable trucks. That being said, I own a 94 Chevy with long travel suspension with over a foot of suspension travel and it comes down to driver capability. Especially if you havent prerun a course and know how bad a bump can be, the obvious choice is to be a little conservative with your driving. Yes the Raptor ran the Baja, did the driver have the pedal to the metal? No. I say Ford is right, these idiots drove a capable truck beyond its capabilities
The guy crying the most and loudest (BlueSVT), is using RaptorForumZ to promote his agenda (he and some of his buddies are Z forum moderators) and just refuses to accept the fact they are responsible for the damage. You can bet this is nothing new for him, check his past blogs on other sites and you will probably find much of the same type of whining…There is a price to pay for playing, man up and accept the fact you screwed up.
Although most of the guys with frame issues have sucked it upand are fixing it, there is one thats the cause of alot of the negative press. BlueSVT over at the “Z” forums thinks that no matter what Ford is responsible for the damage. He is on a twisted mission to try and force the issue and in the mean time is causing other owners a great deal of grief. He reminds me of a spoiled little rich boy I once knew, no matter what it was always someone elses fault and would direct all his effords tryin g to prove it or damage thier respectability by charactor assasination. BlueSVT is a sniveling little dreeb!
By the way I have logged over 54,000 miles on Raptors (an early 5.4 and now my 11’6.2) both on and off road and these are without a doubt the most capable factory-built truck ever produced. However Ford cannot warranty the cause of BlueSVT’s frame damage: STUPIDITY
And whats up with RaptorForumZ for allowing BlueSVT to remain a moderator on the Z site, using it as his personal media to cry, whine and discredit Ford? His own video shot by the guy riding with him, shows him doing 85+ with no apparent regard for whats up ahead and limited visibility due to the dust clouds…Blue-pay up and shut up.
Yeah BlueSVT’s or BlueSTI or what ever he is going by, yes CC he is the biggest Cry Baby DWEEB!
Don’t blame Ford for driving your $50,000 street legal Raptor like you stole it or didn’t care about it.
You can break **** on road and stuff breaks more often offroad especially when you don’t pre-run the trail and have no idea where the hazards are.
BlueSVT’s BS criticism of Ford and what he claims is a frame design flaw is hurting Raptor owners, Ford and anyone who takes responsibility for how they operate their vehicle!
http://media.fakeposters.com/results/2011/07/23/c933jpoumz.jpg
While this was a nasty hit. This was NOT the frame bender.