Ford Repair: 03 Escape Power Take Off Unit, dry pavement, costly repair

Question
QUESTION: HI,
I brought my 03 Escape to the dealer because of shimmying in the steering wheel.  They told me the front tires needed to be replaced due to wear and the shimmying was most likely due to the tires.  However, they also said the Power Take-off unit needed to be replaced at 6 hours of labor and almost $1,000 just for the part.  They said it was due to the uneven wear of the tires and the on-demand 4x4 cycling on and off while driving on dry pavement.  In addition, the dealer said the car was unsafe to drive as the PTO may break out of the transfer case(?) and either smash into the oil pan or the front wheels would stop turning, but the part won't be in until 2/2.  Have you ever heard of this happening and do you know of any other way to verify this "problem" other than having the dealer say it needs to be done?

Thank you for your help!  Needless to say we're trying to avoid a very costly repair.


ANSWER: Hello J, Is there another dealer close to you to go to ? I have seen the PTO start to fail but never to the extreme of causing catastrophic damage. It sounds like the person you are working with is trying to scare you so you have the work done with him. I am not saying the work doesn't need to be done but deal with someone you are comfortable and don't be afraid to get a second opinion. A person like that gives the rest of us a bad persona. Hope this helps and let me know Thanks Tony

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: HI Tony,

Thank you for your quick response.  It certainly helps a lot and I will most likely get another opinion.  I just had 2 small follow-up questions.  Do you typically recommend going to a Ford dealer for repair and, if the PTO is failing or damaged, is it something that needs to be fixed asap?  We live in Massachusetts and have been getting a lot of snow lately.  The original dealer told me the PTO could fail or "break" and if that happened the front tires would no longer work.  We have since replaced all 4 tires and the shimmying is now gone.

Thank you again!


Answer
Hello J, I do recommend going to a Ford Dealer because that is all they work on. Vehicles are different from builder to builder. If it starts making a noise or the vib/noise starts coming back you will need to give the attention it needs. Id say the tires fixed it. Thanks again Tony