2012 5-Door tail lamp scratching body

[5spdti]

Thanks. Given that you're a Certified Ford Service Adviser, have you ever seen this problem with any 2012+ hatchback taillights conflicting with paint on the various models that you're been exposed to over the last 12 or 13 months?

[Justintoxicated]

Originally Posted by misfire

It's really easy. Each tail lamp is held in place by two plastic wing nuts. Simply remove each one and the tail lamp comes right off.


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I can't find them..... Well maybe one but not the other. Do I need tiny hands or something to get up inside that tiny area? Or do I need to remove the interior paneling to get at the second one?

N/M I found the second one behind the carpeting, however the subwoofer is in the way so I can't get pliers on it. How do I remove the subwoofer?

edit: I was finally able to get that second nut off with the pliers.

my paint damage is minimal so a trip to the dealer isn't needed. I ended up filing down the light a bit, and backing out the stop a couple turns and I think it will do the trick.

[lddavis]

Has this issue gotten any attention at Ford yet? Given the variety of suggested fixes as well as the occasional failed attempts*, it would seem useful for dealers to have a TSB with a recommended procedure. Also, it's the only way to get the problem fixed, rather than repaired later.

[HuskerFocus]

Originally Posted by lddavis

Has this issue gotten any attention at Ford yet? Given the variety of suggested fixes as well as the occasional failed attempts*, it would seem useful for dealers to have a TSB with a recommended procedure. Also, it's the only way to get the problem fixed, rather than repaired later.

I don't know. I am taking it into my dealer soon (Crystal from the Ford Customer Service team pushed it on up to regional for me). From the conversation I had with the Regional Rep, he said that the dealer will take a look, and assuming it is what I say it is (and it certainly will be), they will send it out for a quote and repairs. All while they provide me a rental.

What I will be asking when I take it in is, "What will you be doing to prevent this from happening in another 6 months?" It would appear that the light, when installed, was simply tightened a bit too much, hence it rubbing. I would assume that either a 'buffer' will be installed to keep it just off the body. But, who knows.

Also, in all fairness to my dealership, I had yet to tell them. The Regional Rep did it first. But they have been nothing but great/understanding with the transmission re-flash/programming and the strut TSB.

[cbdallas]

The engineers need to get busy and create a mounting pin with a two millimeter thicker base, and add some rubber washers to the mounting bolts. That's all it would take to get the light away from the body

[suss6052]

My hood is being rubbed by the LF head lamp but the RF appears clear, so what gives?

[HuskerFocus]

Originally Posted by suss6052

My hood is being rubbed by the LF head lamp but the RF appears clear, so what gives?

Lol, great. Now I need to go check the front lights!

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by HuskerFocus

Lol, great. Now I need to go check the front lights!

There is a Zero mm clearance on the lh side (actually a slight interference, but I don't know if Ford will fix it, and the RH side appears clear. Not 100% sure on the tail lamps however.

[HuskerFocus]

Originally Posted by suss6052

There is a Zero mm clearance on the lh side (actually a slight interference, but I don't know if Ford will fix it, and the RH side appears clear. Not 100% sure on the tail lamps however.

I know most people are having issues with the driver side tail light (which is definitely the case with mine) ... but my passenger side tail light has minimal/no clearance as well and I noticed some rubbing areas on the passenger side taillight area (though not nearly as bad or noticeable as the driver side) ... At this rate I'm just going to ask the dealer to remove all 4 lights (I now only hope and pray that the fog lights are okay, lol!) so I can look at the areas during their initial inspection....

The up side is that both my dealer and regional rep (Central IL) have been polite and responsive.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by HuskerFocus

I know most people are having issues with the driver side tail light (which is definitely the case with mine) ... but my passenger side tail light has minimal/no clearance as well and I noticed some rubbing areas on the passenger side taillight area (though not nearly as bad or noticeable as the driver side) ... At this rate I'm just going to ask the dealer to remove all 4 lights (I now only hope and pray that the fog lights are okay, lol!) so I can look at the areas during their initial inspection....

The up side is that both my dealer and regional rep (Central IL) have been polite and responsive.

I'm referring to the headlamps, not sure about the tail lamps yet. My regional rep was less than helpful about my heated seats not working after the dealer lied to either them or me and said they were getting to 125F at the sensor in IDS to Ford, but told me they were only ever reading 90-100F at the heater mat (didn't say how they read the temperature)

Then claimed to check the resistance, but the alleged value is for the comfort seat or something but the SEL and TI cloth seats use the Sport seat frame, so idfk.

Seat shouldn't be 30F colder than the heater mat temperature, thermodynamics doesn't work that way, plus where would the thermal energy go? The dealer also lied and told me that cloth would catch fire if it got as hot as the leather seats do. Others have reported a surface temperature at the seat of over 105 even on cold days, mine seem to work worse when its cold (i.e. 39F outside takes the whole trip into work just to get to 70ish when the heater core gets the air up over 100F when set to 70F.)

Ugh, its always the little details that frustrate me the most, especially when the dealer can't or refuses to recognize them and fix them.