Dent in cold air intake

[revv]

I bought an ex-rental 2023 Expedition with 60K miles on it. I got a good price and pulled the trigger. Since then, I've started addressing the things an ex-rental car would have and today when I went under the hood I noticed that the cold intake pipe has a dent in it:




Is this fixable? I looked up the part and it is very expensive for what it is. Part of me feels like I can take that off and try to pop it out, but I have no clue if this would be successful or not. I'm struggling to understand what happened here to cause this...

 

[5280tunage]

yeah, it's replaceable but as you said, stupid expensive. I would imagine a real CAI is the same cost as that factory part. My bigger question is how that got dented. you might be able to pull it apart and pop that plastic out. if you go for a real CAI, i highly recommend the Corsa, way better than the first one I bought.

 

[revv]

So this is interesting. I went to ebay to look for the part to see if I can get a used one and found this. It has the same, exact, dent!

After looking carefully at the Ford Parts website, I see a picture with the same dent as well, so it looks like this is how the part is. I'm really curious to understand why these are designed like this.

 

[dr2024]

Leave it alone!

It’s an intentional design feature, not evidence of damage.

 

[revv]

Thanks. I have a post above yours stating that I found that this seems to be intentional. You likely can't see it because I'm new and is being held for moderation as the post contains links to references. Sorry!

 

[dr2024]

Apologies if I came across as brusque.

I’m guessing the indentation is there for fluid flow/dynamics reasons. Interesting & unusual. Given a) it’s intentional and b) I don’t know exactly how/why it works, my inclination is to not mess with it.

Congratulations on your new (to you) Expedition!

Incidentally the pic I posted is of an Expedition I rented from Hertz in 2023, I really liked it and it got me thinking of a new one. (2024’s have the same dimple too…)

 

[revv]

Apologies if I came across as brusque.

I’m guessing the indentation is there for fluid flow/dynamics reasons. Interesting & unusual. Given a) it’s intentional and b) I don’t know exactly how/why it works, my inclination is to not mess with it.

Congratulations on your new (to you) Expedition!

Incidentally the pic I posted is of an Expedition I rented from Hertz in 2023, I really liked it and it got me thinking of a new one. (2024’s have the same dimple too…)

If it helps, this 2023 is new to me as well. Used to be a rental, so lots of little things to do here and there to fix it. These can be had cheap, but with 60K miles on them. They're all over the country. I would not advise getting a black one though; the paint on mine was horrific. Most of it came out with paint correction, but at a cost of $1,500 and 3 days of labor.

I'm still very curious as to why they're designed like this.

 

[AJ82]

There is another thread on this topic if you search. From what I recall, that part is also used on the F150 power boost which has an additional coolant tank in that area and it requires the extra space to fit hence the indentation.

 

[revv]

There is another thread on this topic if you search. From what I recall, that part is also used on the F150 power boost which has an additional coolant tank in that area and it requires the extra space to fit hence the indentation.

Thanks. This makes sense. Still, it is a strange sight.

 

[AJ82]

Yep definitely is, when I first saw it on mine I also thought defect which started my search for an answer too.

 

[LazSlate]

A little common sense and squeezing the pipe will show you that is super thick and hard plastic that could not be dented without breaking it.

 

[pokerfreak]

Stick something you can deflate in there and then inflate, some type of small ball

 

[John53]

I have a 2025 that’s only a month old with 3500 miles. It has that same dent. Clearly caused by heat, and that’s only cold air flowing through that duct. I suspect that it was placed there intentionally to make room for something. I plan to go to a dealership and look at a new new one with no miles on it. If I see it there, I’m not going to worry about it.

 

[BSarchet]

I have a 2025 that’s only a month old with 3500 miles. It has that same dent. Clearly caused by heat, and that’s only cold air flowing through that duct. I suspect that it was placed there intentionally to make room for something. I plan to go to a dealership and look at a new new one with no miles on it. If I see it there, I’m not going to worry about it.

That’s the design. They are all that way.

 

[John53]

Looks like a Mickey Mouse bandaid to an initial design “oops”.

 

[Rob6805]

Looks like a Mickey Mouse bandaid to an initial design “oops”.

No it isn't.. Same charge tube set up is used on all 3.5L. I believe it's the Raptor that has a intercooler tank that sits there and the "dent" makes room for it..

 

[Waydago]

I have a 2025 Tremor with the HO engine with the same dent. I purchased it new. The dent was there when it was born, just a birthmark.

 

[DieselMonk]

I have a 2025 Tremor with the HO engine with the same dent. I purchased it new. The dent was there when it was born, just a birthmark.

Same as my 24 Stealth Performance Package.

 

[Fastcar]

I have one as well. But mine is cute!

 

[ranger22]

I doubt the dent does much to harm the forced induction flow.