Help me replace my 2022 Raptor

This truck is great when it runs. It's comfortable, has plenty of power when towing, and great creature comforts. 6.5 months of ownership, 21k miles (I make two 1k mile round trips a month), and lots of dealership trips. 

- The exhaust valves to change the exhaust note in the catback portion of the system haven't worked since I purchased the car, they are stuck on baja mode, and no dealer I've taken it too will properly diagnose or replace them. You can tell they are broken as they rattle like all hell. Even going up echelon in the Ford service hiearchy has netted zero results. 

- The car has been down for over a month of that ownership due to drivability issues. From the Fox shocks causing the vehicle to go into a weird limp mode to the PCV valve yeeting itself out of the valve cover earlier this month on my way home from the Road Atlanta Champcar race. Replacement parts are rarely available and dealer service times don't help with the problem. The transmission hates the 3-4 shift and the transfer case is leaking like a sieve. 

- Ford quality control on other items: On both rear doors, the exterior weather stripping surround the windows is falling off and the cover for the tailgate step ladder won't stay on.

- Interior: The over the air software updates have made the infotainment system completely inoperable on a few occasions. They also completely wipe out the drivers seat settings, radio presets, and instrument cluster settings. Mostly a minor inconvenience but for the price of the truck, I shouldn't have to bust out the headphones for my phone to listen to music on my commute to work lol. 

Anyways, I need something that can at least tow a race car on an open trailer or preferably a smaller closed 26ft trailer. Something that won't require a monthly dealer trip if purchased new under warranty, and can fit my two kids, gf, and a dog at times. My 01 Sequoia can do this but towing is a 55-60mph adventure that I don't always enjoy. 

The new 3.4TT V6 on the 3rd gen Sequoia and Tundras scare me for some reason.

I've been eyeing 2021-2022 Sequoia and Tundra TRD Pro models. Lexus LX570s and GX460s. And maybe a newer Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade with a 6.2; however, I have my reservations about GM. 

I've also considered the new Pilot, MDX Type-S, or Ridgeline but the 5000lbs towing capacity is the biggest turnoff and why the 4Runner and Tacoma are also on the bottom of the list. 

Escalade? You want squishy guts, Cadillac is the move. Otherwise the nicest Lexus SUV you can buy. 

I have an excursion I could be tempted to part with

Can't you lemon law that hooptie?

Sequoia should be able to handle your towing needs.

amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:

Can't you lemon law that hooptie?

Sequoia should be able to handle your towing needs.

Honestly, I probably could. In Florida, it's if it is in the dealer or authorized service agents shop 3 times for the same repair within a 24 month period. The alternative argument is if it is in the repair shop for 15 cumulative days for one or more different problems. For the current batch of issues that I took it in for, we are at 14 days. 

I would need to see what Ford's arbitration process is. At a minimum, I would have to send Ford a letter via certified mail and they would have 10 days to provide the repair before its escalated to the next step. 

I have an f250 on order (lol 12 month wait?!) and have been looking hard at the tundras. I think I want "Toyota-like" quality. TRD Pro are hard to come by and likely won't come in near msrp. I'm looking for a crew cab, 6.5 bed with air suspension and the rest I don't care about. Good luck man, I'm worried about quality control at ford!

After you go after the lemon law, they have 1 more chance to fix it i think.  I knew a guy that went thorough it with a honda accord surprisingly. Their last attempt to fix involved honda flying in a field engineer who found the issue. It was a pinched wire for the air bag system causing a persistent air bag light. 

If you want to tow an enclosed 26ft trailer, I don't think the SUV options are the best choice due to shorter wheelbase and lower tow ratings. My steel 24ft enclosed weighs 8000lb loaded with a 2100lb racecar plus spares, tools, etc. That's getting close to the limit of what a half ton truck can do comfortably.

I had a few teething problems with my 2021 F150 - basically the same truck but a regular body not a Raptor - and the experience was definitely different depending on which dealership I went to.

First round of issues I went to the selling dealer.  

• Drivers seat trim had a loose bolt and was damaged
• Dash had a loose panel
• Sound insulation on the back of the cab was screwed up/not installed.
  • This was a big one because they had applied LineX (dealer installed) to the bed prior to inspecting the truck for damage and prior to me taking delivery.  In order to fix the insulation the bed or cab had to come off and they had LineX'd the bolts in the bed and of course they didnt want to eat the warranty time to pull the cab, even though it was a dealer mistake.  

They told me to pound sand on the bed, so I took it to another dealer.  They were able to carefully extract the bolts on the bed, fix the insulation, and install.  They also ordered me a new resonator that was rattling - it did take 5 months to get a replacement - but it did arrive and they did install it no problem.

Second issue was a front hub exploded, locking me out of 4x4 right at the start of winter.  Was able to make an appointment and get it handled in a prompt timeline.

Long story short - first dealer was horrible to work with.  Second dealer was much better.  Truck has had a few nagging issues but overall its a very solid vehicle.  Maybe the non-Raptor version of the F150 with the 3.5 would be a better option since there is less to break.  

I have owned my 2017 trd pro tundra for 3-4 years and still love it.  I've put around 55k miles on it in that amount of time. Only issue I've had is a couple of plastic trim mount pieces broke off on the hood buldge. 
 

93gsxturbo said:

I had a few teething problems with my 2021 F150 - basically the same truck but a regular body not a Raptor - and the experience was definitely different depending on which dealership I went to.

First round of issues I went to the selling dealer.  

• Drivers seat trim had a loose bolt and was damaged
• Dash had a loose panel
• Sound insulation on the back of the cab was screwed up/not installed.
  • This was a big one because they had applied LineX (dealer installed) to the bed prior to inspecting the truck for damage and prior to me taking delivery.  In order to fix the insulation the bed or cab had to come off and they had LineX'd the bolts in the bed and of course they didnt want to eat the warranty time to pull the cab, even though it was a dealer mistake.  

They told me to pound sand on the bed, so I took it to another dealer.  They were able to carefully extract the bolts on the bed, fix the insulation, and install.  They also ordered me a new resonator that was rattling - it did take 5 months to get a replacement - but it did arrive and they did install it no problem.

Second issue was a front hub exploded, locking me out of 4x4 right at the start of winter.  Was able to make an appointment and get it handled in a prompt timeline.

 

Long story short - first dealer was horrible to work with.  Second dealer was much better.  Truck has had a few nagging issues but overall its a very solid vehicle.  Maybe the non-Raptor version of the F150 with the 3.5 would be a better option since there is less to break.  

I've been dealing with dealers in Central Florida and in the Panhandle with no luck at any of them. My next choice would be venturing into Alabama. Luckily I have a fleet of cars between both locations. 

I thought about a 2023 F-250 w/ the 7.3L but not at this juncture.

Current enclosed trailer with heavy ass Accord race car is right around 7500-7800 depending on what we pack. I believe the new Sequoia could handle that. I think it would be near the max capacity for the GMT SUVs and second gen Sequoia. 

The Sequoia is basically a Tundra with an suv body. Towing capacity seems about the same and mostly varies according to the engine. 5.7 should be sufficient. That said, not sure how soft the suv suspension is compared to the truck and how it handles that much towing weight. Definitely want an Anderson hitch or similar 

amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:

The Sequoia is basically a Tundra with an suv body. Towing capacity seems about the same and mostly varies according to the engine. 5.7 should be sufficient. That said, not sure how soft the suv suspension is compared to the truck and how it handles that much towing weight. Definitely want an Anderson hitch or similar 

I have one of those and the rear airbags on my 01. Helps out a ton with towing, especially with the "overland" suspension setup I have on it. Probably puts towing capacity back to what it is from the factory haha. 

I got a call back from the dealership yesterday. They put a new PCV in it and it blew right out again and don't know why (hmm could it be too much crank pressure?). They also said the front dampers are on backorder, as is the wiper motor for that recall, and the rear window trim. 

2017 Yukon Denali XL (aka Escalade light-ish) owner here.  Really solid vehicle now at 93k.  I've replaced brakes and rear shocks ($$$ due to megnetorheological actuation and air adjustable ride height).  Dealer did warranty R&R on trans fluid due to shift shudder and I've done all other drive train fluids.  I'll do the front shocks in the spring.  Solid otherwise and recommended.  Towing so far has been limited to my vintage Airstream Bambi (2500lbs) and my boat at about 6000lbs and it has performed well.  Just my info for a data point.    

Sorry to hear the troubles with your Raptor,pricey rig to have to deal with that.

 My '22 Tundra has been great the 17k I've put on it,and its clear they really focused on towing ability.

 It really stands out even with the suv tires it comes with,I haul a '30 TALL toyhauler with no drama.

 Same trailer on my last truck(titan Xd gas)used more fuel,more rpm on any hill and no more stable despite the E range tires.

 Is the tundra perfect?,no but its only been to the shop for oil changes so theres that.

 Btw I've done the Suv thing,ok'ish untill winds etc start steering you around....crew cab truck hauls people with the same comfort while keeping tools/fuel etc outside.

Teh E36 M3 said:

Good luck man, I'm worried about quality control at ford!

They're leading the industry in recalls, so, your concern is grounded in reality!

Sent a letter to Ford to start the lemon process. They have 10 days to respond, 10 days for a shop to fix the issues, etc. If they don't respond within 10 days, I can move to the arbitration process in the state of Florida. 

I did get the Acura dealer in town to give me what I owe on trade in without even seeing the car LOL. 

Went and checked out a new Tundra today. Not bad and very impressive quality. 

Gonna check out a few more cars this weekend. 

In reply to kevlarcorolla :

Wow, 30ft tall trailer. Must be a triple stacker?

In reply to sevenracer :

Haha,30' long and very tall camper.

sevenracer said:

In reply to kevlarcorolla :

Wow, 30ft tall trailer. Must be a triple stacker?

Someone towed in a short bus lengthed double stack trailer with a 350 at Road Atlanta. I can't imagine that thing is fun to tow with a full load

DirtyBird222 said:

amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:

The Sequoia is basically a Tundra with an suv body. Towing capacity seems about the same and mostly varies according to the engine. 5.7 should be sufficient. That said, not sure how soft the suv suspension is compared to the truck and how it handles that much towing weight. Definitely want an Anderson hitch or similar 

I have one of those and the rear airbags on my 01. Helps out a ton with towing, especially with the "overland" suspension setup I have on it. Probably puts towing capacity back to what it is from the factory haha. 

I got a call back from the dealership yesterday. They put a new PCV in it and it blew right out again and don't know why (hmm could it be too much crank pressure?). They also said the front dampers are on backorder, as is the wiper motor for that recall, and the rear window trim. 

did the same thing with my power wagon, they have pretty low towing/payload in comparison because of that broverlanding suspension but its not nearly overloaded but it will sag significantly having some air bags in the rear has been super helpful to combat this and making the ride quality much nicer, almost want to find front air shocks as well it works so good lol 

sorry about your ford and all I hear about is ford vehicles stuck in dealerships lately, I can't stand the v6 raptor sounds. plenty of them with exhausts around here ripping around in traffic like d-bags...

so yeah, check out the ram2500 power wagon if you're not jumping anything and want some more tow capacity. heated/cooled leather seats, manual transfer case, dana 60 front, dana 70 rear, bilstein shocks factory ontop of the other goodies it makes for a super capable vehicle. 

otherwise the escalade/suburban/yukon family is good option, baby diesel with the 10 speed could be a hot ticket for you too

I wouldn't buy any vehicle made during the chip shortage. Even Toyotas. Lots of changes and compromises were made to keep the lines running and people working.   I got a feeling it will be a maint nightmare in the future.  

I towed my old e36 m3 on a featherlite trailer with my GX470 once.  I wouldn't do it again and I certainly wouldn't tow a 26' enclosed trailer with it.  I haven't towed anything with my land cruiser yet but I still wouldn't tow an enclosed trailer with it.  It gets abysmal mpg's as is, unloaded, I couldn't imagine how it'd do with a trailer. 

It really sounds like a truck is what you need, not an SUv

Points to you for being honest about your experience!  This reminds me of what happened when I bought a Nissan Frontier new, and when I bought a Focus SVT.  As for a truck, I repeat myself endlessly:  2500 is the answer, unless you're always unlucky . . .

Fueled by Caffeine said:

I wouldn't buy any vehicle made during the chip shortage. Even Toyotas. Lots of changes and compromises were made to keep the lines running and people working.   I got a feeling it will be a maint nightmare in the future.  

This thread is exactly why I'm worried about my company truck replacement (also an F150). I ordered it in August of 2021, then it sat waiting for a chip, and then they LOST it in transit for over 6 months. My co-workers have gotten their replacements and several of them spent time at the dealership fixing stupid problems.