Splitter came off on the freeway....... Anyone else have this happen??

5975 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by HellOnWheels, Jul 18, 2018

16SNAKE

Discussion Starter · Jul 15, 2018

About 2 weeks ago my splitter came off while driving on the freeway. The "leading edge" of the splitter came loose, hit the freeway and sanded itself into a melted plastic mess. The rear if the splitter stayed attached to the car. This also caused damage to the car's belly pan by ripping various screws / mounting points out of said pan (also destroyed). Car was towed to the local dealer (Antelope Valley Ford). Inspection there showed that the selling dealer failed to install all of the mounting screws along the front edge of the splitter (there are 8) and did not properly seat the tabs on the splitter into the front facia. Antelope Valley Ford was very professional, and called to selling dealer (Montebello Ford). After explining the circumstances Montebello Ford agreed to fix it at no cost to me and pay for a full tank of gas for my troubles..

MORAL to this long story.... all the mounting hardware on your splitter should be checked for correct installation, and make sure the mounting tabs are locked into their respective slots. This requires a lift and a torque wrench that measures NM (Newton Meters) and a rubber mallet. The offical Ford mounting tech video can be located on You Tube. Some dealers have been neglecting to install all the hardware causing several similiar incidents like this.

Kudos to Montebello Ford for stepping up to fix it and not making excuses.

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Reactions: 1

1 - 12 of 12 Posts

GT_Dave

· #2 · Jul 15, 2018

You got lucky and came out of this situation OK. This has happened to others where the dealer did not install the front splitter properly or completely , then blamed the owner for having an impact that caused the the splitter to come off along with any damage. You can search out those threads if you are interested.
The are also a few threads on every GT350 forum that advise new owners to check the splitter installation. If the splitter is installed correctly, there is no way it can come off the car. My dealer left out the 4 angled screws, but at least got the front clips engaged properly.

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Duratec

· #3 · Jul 15, 2018

mine came of at 250kmh !

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17snake

· #4 · Jul 16, 2018

Duratec said:
mine came of at 250kmh !

I can't imagine what's the mark ups for these in Europe would be

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DCShelby

· #5 · Jul 16, 2018

If it was Porsche and a part fell off, its at least 1000 dollars, plus you would need special tools to install it, add in some PWSIS coding and three hours of labor, for a total cost of at least 3K dollars.

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racer172

· #6 · Jul 16, 2018

bummer this happened to you.
I read about this issue, I think JimT. mentioned it, BEFORE I installed my splitter with my mechanic up on his lift.
We spent about an hour doing the install together.
Those of you that had yours installed by the dealer.. DO NOT TRUST THAT IT'S ON CORRECTLY.

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RoarMore

· #7 · Jul 16, 2018

When I went to buy my car, the splitter wasn't on it. They asked whether I wanted it installed and I told them of course I do. I had to wait while they did the install. After reading this, I am wondering whether they did it correctly. I would have thought that the splitter would have been installed when I came in to buy the car. So, if I can't trust the dealer to install it properly, who can I trust? I live in Midland, TX and there aren't a lot of knowledgeable folks around here.

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DCShelby

· #8 · Jul 17, 2018

I suppose you can use a mirror to look at the clips and fasteners if you get under it. Or use a lift if you have access to one. When I bought mine I told them to put it on, they said it would take 40 minutes or so. So I assume they did it right and the Shelby tech put it on

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racer172

· #9 · Jul 17, 2018

RoarMore said:
When I went to buy my car, the splitter wasn't on it. They asked whether I wanted it installed and I told them of course I do. I had to wait while they did the install. After reading this, I am wondering whether they did it correctly. I would have thought that the splitter would have been installed when I came in to buy the car. So, if I can't trust the dealer to install it properly, who can I trust? I live in Midland, TX and there aren't a lot of knowledgeable folks around here.

Yeah mine was in the trunk when I bought my car too, I was disappointed that it was not already installed, the sales guy said they leave it off cause some buyers want more clearance.. who?
As I mentioned above I have a mechanic that lets me work with him in his bay and under his lift so we installed it together.
I recommend that you look for a small auto shop that will let you do the same.
However, having done this once myself I could easily do it again in my own garage if the front end was lifted up a couple feet, but this install is WAY easier if you are standing under the car.
If you can't find a shop that will allow you in the bay during the install AT LEAST ask to do an inspection of the install before they lower the lift, that is a very reasonable request.

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SAA106

· #10 · Jul 17, 2018

[video=youtube;CqeWVXKNKKc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqeWVXKNKKc[/video]

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JimT

· #11 · Jul 17, 2018

If you look at one of my prior posts, I was missing 4 of the 8 screws on the front edge. Lucky to find them missing and replaced. Sorry you had the mishap.

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HellOnWheels

· #12 · Jul 18, 2018

16SNAKE said:
About 2 weeks ago my splitter came off while driving on the freeway. The "leading edge" of the splitter came loose, hit the freeway and sanded itself into a melted plastic mess. The rear if the splitter stayed attached to the car. This also caused damage to the car's belly pan by ripping various screws / mounting points out of said pan (also destroyed). Car was towed to the local dealer (Antelope Valley Ford). Inspection there showed that the selling dealer failed to install all of the mounting screws along the front edge of the splitter (there are 8) and did not properly seat the tabs on the splitter into the front facia. Antelope Valley Ford was very professional, and called to selling dealer (Montebello Ford). After explining the circumstances Montebello Ford agreed to fix it at no cost to me and pay for a full tank of gas for my troubles..

MORAL to this long story.... all the mounting hardware on your splitter should be checked for correct installation, and make sure the mounting tabs are locked into their respective slots. This requires a lift and a torque wrench that measures NM (Newton Meters) and a rubber mallet. The offical Ford mounting tech video can be located on You Tube. Some dealers have been neglecting to install all the hardware causing several similiar incidents like this.

Kudos to Montebello Ford for stepping up to fix it and not making excuses.

Sorry to hear that. Thanks for pointing it out for some. First thing I did was have them put it up and make sure it was secured properly. I also bought another splitter and put it away for "just in case".

Hopefully your dealer will not report this in car records it could show on carfax IF you were ever to sell it. I've found that some things like this do end up on public record.

Best to you.

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