Questions about recalls and build date

Looking hard at a 21 ST at my local dealer. It's being offered as a CPO Gold vehicle. A family member has had one from new and it has spent a lot of time in the shop for various warranty issues. So, need to do some homework to find out about warranty repairs and how useful the CPO warranty is.
A quick look at the warranty forum here shows an intake valve recall for 2021 models built between May and October. Yikes! How do I find out when my prospective ST was built? The dealer provided a facsimile Monroney sheet that doesn't show build date. When I went to the dealer service department to ask about recalls, they just said that all recalls had been satisfied with no details given. The NHTSA website gives no details, either.
Have had my eye on the ST for quite a while. The tipping point came earlier this year when I bought a used F150 with the 3.5 EB and fell in love with the engine and really the whole driving experience. On first test drive, the ST proved itself to be a solid athletic performer, well composed on rough, twisty roads and on the freeway too. Not too excited about the center stack display, but oh well.
Finally, can any boat owners tell me how well the ST performs at the boat ramp? I would like to be able to pull an 8k boat and trailer out of the water and no more than 1/4 mile to a parking area.
TIA, Rule of 100

I wouldn't think anyone would recommend you pulling an 8K lb. boat with it, especially at a wet boat ramp. You're completely blowing the GVWR and towing capacity by a mile and you want to do that on a slippery ramp. Who on her is gonna say "Sure since it's only for a 1/4 mile or so..".

This is exactly what the Darwin awards are for. Do this completely at your own risk and not at any positive advice you may (or may not) receive here to go ahead with that plan.

Agree with this. I’ve towed heavy for most of my driving career. It’s not something you want to mess around with imo. Had a few butt puckering moments. I’ve towed near the limits of my trucks and stuff definitely gets sketchy but you are talking doubling the rating. Might not hurt anything but I wouldn’t chance it.


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Looking hard at a 21 ST at my local dealer. It's being offered as a CPO Gold vehicle. A family member has had one from new and it has spent a lot of time in the shop for various warranty issues. So, need to do some homework to find out about warranty repairs and how useful the CPO warranty is.
A quick look at the warranty forum here shows an intake valve recall for 2021 models built between May and October. Yikes! How do I find out when my prospective ST was built? The dealer provided a facsimile Monroney sheet that doesn't show build date. When I went to the dealer service department to ask about recalls, they just said that all recalls had been satisfied with no details given. The NHTSA website gives no details, either.
Have had my eye on the ST for quite a while. The tipping point came earlier this year when I bought a used F150 with the 3.5 EB and fell in love with the engine and really the whole driving experience. On first test drive, the ST proved itself to be a solid athletic performer, well composed on rough, twisty roads and on the freeway too. Not too excited about the center stack display, but oh well.
Finally, can any boat owners tell me how well the ST performs at the boat ramp? I would like to be able to pull an 8k boat and trailer out of the water and no more than 1/4 mile to a parking area.
TIA, Rule of 100

If the vehicle is subject to the intake valve recall Ford is extending the power train warranty to 10yrs/100K miles.

If tow vehicle weight were the only metric, the ST should tow as well as my F150 3.5 EB, since they weigh the same. But in the manufacturer's ratings, the F150 can tow twice the weight, which is also more than twice its own weight. So much for getting on Youtube with the ST for a loading ramp fail!

The obvious difference between these two is the transmission: the 4wd F150 has a low range transfer case to make pulling the boat out of the water an easier task. My initial question had to do with how well the ST's transmission can handle pulling a boat at the ramp. Does anyone know if the 10-speed in the ST is the same transmission used in the 2wd Expedition? That one is rated to tow 9200 pounds, so maybe the ST transmission can do it after all.

So, by my [somewhat hopeful] logic the limiting factor in the ST tow rating is neither weight nor transmission, but rather the fact that is has a unibody which probably would not stand up to the stresses that towing at speed places on the chassis. A shorter wheel base doesn't help either, but neither of those factors comes into play when towing a short distance at low speed. I will have to revisit the one ramp that would be in use: a public ramp at Windmill Point, VA. Think "coefficient of friction".

re: warranties. Ford Gold CPO covers all drivetrain repairs for 7/100,000. The ST I'm considering is a CPO Gold.

re: intake valves. The ST I'm considering has a 4/21 build date, so that is a non-issue.

Thanks to all for your comments, Rule of 100

PS. If towing were not an option, I'd have to look hard at the Edge ST: cheaper, grippier seats, better MPG.

If tow vehicle weight were the only metric, the ST should tow as well as my F150 3.5 EB, since they weigh the same. But in the manufacturer's ratings, the F150 can tow twice the weight, which is also more than twice its own weight. So much for getting on Youtube with the ST for a loading ramp fail!

The obvious difference between these two is the transmission: the 4wd F150 has a low range transfer case to make pulling the boat out of the water an easier task. My initial question had to do with how well the ST's transmission can handle pulling a boat at the ramp. Does anyone know if the 10-speed in the ST is the same transmission used in the 2wd Expedition? That one is rated to tow 9200 pounds, so maybe the ST transmission can do it after all.

So, by my [somewhat hopeful] logic the limiting factor in the ST tow rating is neither weight nor transmission, but rather the fact that is has a unibody which probably would not stand up to the stresses that towing at speed places on the chassis. A shorter wheel base doesn't help either, but neither of those factors comes into play when towing a short distance at low speed. I will have to revisit the one ramp that would be in use: a public ramp at Windmill Point, VA. Think "coefficient of friction".

re: warranties. Ford Gold CPO covers all drivetrain repairs for 7/100,000. The ST I'm considering is a CPO Gold.

re: intake valves. The ST I'm considering has a 4/21 build date, so that is a non-issue.

Thanks to all for your comments, Rule of 100

PS. If towing were not an option, I'd have to look hard at the Edge ST: cheaper, grippier seats, better MPG.

The OP has asked for advice from this forum which he has received in great detail. Regardless of everyones feedback, he's convinced himself that this will all work out for him.