Last week, while driving the MKS, a message popped up on dash that read "TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM FAULT" and the tire pressure indicator lamp illuminated. I immediately pulled over to check the air pressure in the tires. When all four tires came back with the same PSI, I knew I was probably going to need visit the dealership. This is the 3rd visit for the 4th problem since May. The first three issues were the transmission valve body, a cracking leather seat, and a binding CV shaft, respectively. This car is killing my vacation day reserve, haha!
Anyway, back to the TPMS sensor. I scheduled a service appointment at one of my local dealerships this past Friday. After being told it would probably take less than an hour to repair, the service rep emerged an hour later to inform me that the only technician they had on duty could not get the car in training mode, which meant that the whole security module was likely toast and they would need to reschedule me at the end of the following week. I declined to schedule the appointment because I wanted to do some research before allowing them to tear into the car. A quick Google search yielded results as to how to put the car in training mode and also explained what most people are doing wrong when they cannot get the car in said mode. I would think that all technicians should be equipped with this skill, but that obviously isn't the case. That is a significant issue that Ford should address.
Yesterday, I phoned another local dealership and they were able to work me in the same day. They successfully put the car in training mode and made a quick diagnosis. It seems that replacing the front right TPMS sensor would be the remedy. Unfortunately, the part was out of stock, so they had to order it. I left the car with them overnight and returned earlier today to pick it up after the repair was complete. To my surprise, I was handed a bill for $81.28. I asked about warranty coverage and was told the car was out of the bumper-to-bumper warranty period of 36k miles. When I reminded the rep of Lincoln's 50k-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, he said he would check with the service manager. The service manager seemed very unsure, but another worker in the room exclaimed that nothing related to the tires is covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty, to which the service manager quickly agreed.
Since returning home, I've searched a few different Ford vehicle forums and the consensus seems to be that the TPMS sensors are covered as long as you do not have aftermarket wheels or the sensor wasn't damaged from replacing a tire. I do not fall into either of these scenarios. The car has the same tires as it did when I purchased it and the wheels are the factory equipped wheels. As I mentioned before, I was just driving down the road when the message appeared. On one of the websites I searching, an official from Ford even confirmed that TPMS sensors are covered under the bumper-to-bumper as long as the damage was not caused by the user.
The good news is that replacing the sensor did, in fact, fix the problem. The bad news is that I probably just paid $80+ for something that should have been covered by the warranty.
Has anyone else been through a similar experience?
