DonShockley

I did the front and rear mud flaps on my 2015 LWB and it wasn't too much fuss. It's been 3 1/2 years so I don't recall all the details. IIRC, just a little bit of frustration to keep the edges aligned as you press home the clips that attach the flap to the existing trim. I don't remember if it was just an issue of not enough hands for the job or just how precisely everything needed to be aligned to get the pieces to interlock. But I did have to loosen the fasteners back up a couple times before I got everything to fall into place correctly. But the instructions lay out the process so it's not one of those installs that requires special tools or knowledge.

I've used these style of nuts with springs (intended for use in channel struts) in other applications where I need a nut in a spot where I can't get a wrench on it. You might find them usable in the slots circled in the photo above depending on width. The nuts are usually available in the electrical supply area of big box hardware stores since the channel strut is often used to mount electrical conduit. https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-GIDDS-461512-ZA1003-8EG-10/dp/B000BPHMQE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1543976744&sr=8-15&keywords=strut+channel+nut

Thule keys also appear to be availale on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Thule-Car-Rack-Replacement-Key/dp/B00T12TYW8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1539159015&sr=8-4&keywords=thule+key&dpID=41NC5I1xGrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

And here's an order page for keys: https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/thule-support/spare-parts-keys When I entered the number shown on my lock body it came up with a valid part to order. So you may be able to get replacement keys for $2.75 each if the number is readable on your lock cylinder.

BTW, here's the Ford Accessories link for these crossbars. https://accessories.ford.com/catalog/product/view/id/10799/s/kit-lugg-crossbar-univ-lockable/category/3020/ And I can't be sure, but I think these are the Thule lock cylinders that could be used to replace broken ones if you choose to force the locks and break them. They look the same, but I'm not sure how universal the fit may be. https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-rack/roof-rack-components-and-accessories/thule-4-pack-lock-cylinder-544-_-1037

Although this video is for a full size Transit van and not a Connect, it's still one of my favorite car show segments. If I win the lottery I want to do something similar with an old beat up Connect. The ultimate sleeper.

Your photo looks like the Ford Accessory bars I got for my TC when I bought it. IIRC, the locks were an optional part of the install and I had to pop out some covers on the end pieces to install them. So the good news is that even if you choose to force the locks, the actual part that tightens the racks in place would remain intact. The tightening is actually done by a bolt in the foot area and the end piece with the lock is basically nothing more than the T-handled end of a long square key that slides through the middle of the bolt shaft to tighten it. The lock is a simple quarter turn pot metal cam that keeps the end cap from pulling out. Once you get the lock turned, with a key or by breaking it, the end cap slides out slightly (or all the way if you want) and you can then spin the square shaft to tighten or loosen the foot. Worst case scenario you could even hacksaw off the entire end piece and still use a wrench on the remaining piece of square stock to operate the tighening mechanism. Now if you're really lucky, your lock has the numbers N165 on it which matches my key set and I can make you some copies and send them to you. But that's a long shot. Here's some photos of my cross bar end showing the mechanism on the end. If you need more detail or pix of how the bar fits the foot bolt just let me know and I can take more. But this should give some idea of what's inside that you need to get around.

I can't speak for how well these work, how good the coverage is, or it it'll fit your needs. But here's a link I bookmarked after somebody else posted it that supposedly offers the factory repair manual for just $60 as a download. https://www.factory-manuals.com/ford-transit/-connect&28&164

I was looking a my TC again to try to help a guy on FB having problems with his door sticking in the latched open position. That middle piece is definitely the hold open latch. There is a wheel and a couple torx screw heads visible up inside the middle track that match that part very well. So the hex screw must be used to adjust the tension on the roller. Glad I found this info because as you can see I've not gotten much lube there when spraying the tracks. This will be another spot to hit with the better red lube spray I just started using.

Opps, lost ability to edit while adding photos. Here's the comparison of the light module in the shelf to the possibly matching cutout in the headliner underneath the shelf.

Here's another photo of the side showing the holes in the headliner that will be left from the shelf mounting points. And I don't know for sure, but it may be possible to remove the light fixture from the shelf and install it in the cutout in the headliner. They look to be about the same size and shape.

That's what's causing it in my screen. Thanks for the help, it's the first time I've noticed this effect from how I have my monitors set up. I use a dual screen setup with two 24" monitors, one in portrait mode and one in landscape mode. Most of my web browsing is reading so I tend to do that on the narrower portrait screen for less scrolling while reading. This is the first time I've seen this cause a picture distortion on a web page. You would think the software doing the compression to make it fit assorted resolutions would be smart enough to maintain the ratios to prevent such distortion.

That camera distortion in the first bunch of clips makes it look worse than it appears in the later photos. That side to side narrowing makes the whole vehicle look weirdly tall and narrow. Even in the later pix without the distortion there's very little noticable change with the add-ons.

I put a 12v power port and a USB power port in mine which is why I had it apart to take the photos. And I keep emergency supplies under the cover for the non-existent sunglass holder.

Here's a photo of what's on the back side. This is from my 2015 with Sync so it has the microphone in that area.

That's the direction I'm pushing. I'm starting to suspect some of what's going on is the service department trying to keep the issue contained so I'm not sure how much is making it up the chain. Tomorrow I'm going in to get my prepaid service contract cancelled. At the same time, I plan to check what's making it over to the management side. And this is another area where I've got a bit of extra leg up in addition to all the recorded evidence I've collected. Although it's not a close relationship, I do have a non-business link to the general manager of the dealership. My mother has been a friend of his since he was a lowly salesman and she was the one who directed me to him for my initial vehicle purchase. Although IIRC he was just an assistant manager in sales at that time and I mostly worked with a different salesman. I'm not somebody to try to throw names around to try for special treatment so I've been trying to get the service guys to handle it right without mentioning him. But I plan to insist on speaking to him tomorrow and I'll be interested to see if he's heard of the problem. And either way, his reaction will tell me how severe of a dealer problem it may be and serve as a guide to how much further I need to go.

I think this particular issue is almost exclusively the dealer and not Ford. I actually plan on following up with Ford, and NHTSA, regarding the failure to actually install any parts during the earlier recall repair. This stopped being about money the second it became apparent that's what actually happened and not a simple mistake of installing on the wrong doors. I've still got to pull the front door panels myself and get photo evidence of my own to prove that issue since right now I am just relying on the dealer's photos at the time. Continued dealer actions will also guide what I do going forward. If they seem to understand the implications of a tech not installing a safety recall part and respond accordingly, I'll tend to do less. If they seem to be concealing or minimizing the error, I'll take it further outside their system. So far I've got a ton of hard evidence, except for the old parts in hand. I just wish I had thought to pull all the door panels before it went into the shop to be able to show all seals intact after the supposed recall install. But all phone calls were recorded and saved, and I did get most of the last in person interaction recorded. All this with the dashcam videos and paperwork would probably make a strong court case if it ever came to that.

It's especially heinous when it's all based on a ficticious statistic made up by a 9-year-old almost a decade ago. https://www.npr.org/2018/07/22/631254978/one-childs-outsized-influence-on-the-debate-over-plastic-waste I like how in this article the number is important when justifying the need to take action, but as soon as it's pointed out that there is no basis in fact for that statistic suddenly the number doesn't matter and we still need to take the same action. From the story: "Right from the get-go, it seemed like a reasonable number because that's 1.5 straws per person per day, which may not seem like a lot but it really adds up," And in the very next paragraph: "Pretty much, no matter what the number is," says Cress, "as long as we're throwing away straws when we don't need to, that number is too high." I can excuse childish thinking from a child. but not from adults using faulty information to make punishing laws.

Just got back from the dealers. Finally the dealer took my initial suspicion seriously and did some actual investigation. Although the part numbers are different for front and slider, once they actually compared them they were virtually identical externally and slider latches would be possible to install in the front. Next step was to pull the door panels in the front to check if slider latches were actually installed. Turns out this was NOT what happened and the original latches were still in place complete with factory witness marks undisturbed. But they were prepared to replace the front latches had they found slider latches in the wrong location. They did end up installing the passenger slider latch since it was obvious the recall had never actually been installed in that door. There's still some more hoops the dealer is having to do on their end to straighten out all the paperwork since their system won't let them do a direct credit card refund on a customer delivered part without a corresponding return of a part into their inventory. They weren't sure they could get it fixed and refunded today even if I waited, so I took delivery of my vehicle now with both slider latches freshly replaced. But they will be issuing a full refund of what I paid, including the Ford Warranty Deductible. Although it may have to be as a refund check instead of a credit card refund. I do have to give the service manager credit, once he realized that I might be right and the paperwork was wrong he immediatly offered a pretty genuine apology. And he immediately got somebody to drop everything else and get all four door latches checked to make sure the correct parts were installed and do the one remaining replacement ASAP. I am sure there will likely be some repercussions for the staff guy for never actually installing the recall a year ago, but that's the dealers issue. The recent fiasco seems due to young techs without a lick of common sense. Not realizing that a prior recall repair should have meant signs of prior work, and if the door they were working on didn't show that prior work then likely the other side wasn't done either and needed to be fixed also.

Well, rear dashcam was a bust. It's always been unreliable which is why it went to the rear after buying a new one for the front. I had been thinking of stepping up to one of those nice $300 ones and this situation may make that a definite buy. BTW, here's a screenshot from the dashcam. Not trying to single out any individuals or anything so I covered any faces or ID I could find. And I was able to get the audio brought up to hear more. The static with every volume at max is bad, but you can now hear most of it. They were definitely discussing the recall and what doors it was supposed to be on. So it looks like my first hunch that last year they installed on the front and not the sliders was correct.

Update: at this dealership at least 6 employees were involved (so far). GOTTA LOVE DASH CAMS!!!!! I finally thought to pull the card from my dash cam. Still reviewing, but just came across a big pow wow among 6 guys after they found the problem talking about how "if you put it in not all of it went in" apparently referring to the recall. Which explains the loud "Oh S****! That's your number!" a bit earlier. I'm going to have to pull the card from the rear dash cam and see if I can get better audio from that. That service manager is not going to like me tomorrow.

Thanks GBL. And during the course of the discussions of physical evidence of non-repair I brought up how much wear was on my 29k latches as opposed to your 70k, apparently just due to a different lube. I actually ended up pulling up the Amazon order on my phone so he could get the manufacturer and lube info for the red spray you've been using.

Distracted driving isn't anything new. It's just the single boogeyman of texting and thinking that just passing a law is going to put a dent in the issue. In the past it was reading the newspaper and putting on makeup during the morning commute. You want a real distraction, try reading one of those giant multifold maps when you're trying to get somewhere. If it doesn't block your vision directly due to sheer size, you're going to be totally distracted trying to figure out where you are on the map or refold it to show that area once you do figure it out. Google/Apple maps on a cell phone that keeps track of where you are and moves the map display for you is almost no distraction. People who don't take driving as the serious responsibility it is aren't going to have their behaviour changed by a law banning device use. Even if you make it impossible through tech improvements, they'll still get lost in their own heads rehashing their last failed date or fight with the wife. Most such extreme limits on otherwise normal use only opens up the potential for abuse and ensnares the relatively innocent or accidental violator and often involves devastating punishments when no real harm was done, only the potential for harm existed. Instead, the laws should be geared towards those whose demonstrated actions pose and actual risk of harm. Don't stop the guy just because you see the glow of a phone screen in the cabin as he drives past under the speed limit and running straight and centered in his lane. Stop the guy that's speeding or slowed to a crawl while he drives halfway on the shoulder while trying to read the text without swerving far enough over to actually hit someone. The first guy might be distracted but his resulting actions aren't posing a risk to others. The second guy's actions are demonstrating he is a risk to others, regardless of what is causing him to behave that way.

Well, I finally got my TC back today. Ford corporate did end up covering the replacement of the failed door latch with just a $25 deductible. Of course the dealer took another 3 days after the repair was done to actually get all the paperwork done until I could actually pick up the car. And I did pay out of pocket to get a spare for the passengers side so if it fails I can get the repair done in a hurry, elsewhere if necessary. So I actually ended up spending $180 total. And now, the rest of the story....... I wasn't able to keep the failed part since it was to be returned to Ford as part of the (out of?) warranty coverage. But I was able to take photos of the failed part. Later while I was killing some time before the movie I was going to see opened, I was looking at the photos and noticed something interesting. The part number label showed a build date of 2014 even though the recall was issued in 2016 and I had to wait 4 months for "recall parts" to be available for installation in June 2017. So the recall compliant parts shouldn't have build dates prior to 2016 or 2017. I returned to the dealer and spoke to the service manager about this. He retrieved the part and looking closer, he found that the timing was even worse. The 2014 label was on top of an earlier 2013 label, making it that much less likely to be from a 2016 recall / 2017 repair. Although I think he realized what it meant, he claimed he would have to consult with the parts experts to determine if those were build dates and not some other random number. Yeah, right. And although he produced the documentation of the parts orders and install entries for the 2017 recall repair, he did say he understood how bad it looked when all the physical evidence seems to suggest the repair wasn't actually done regardless of what the paperwork shows. Although he would not come out and admit what I suspect we both knew, he stated he was going to dig deeper to find out why there was apparently a 2014 part that failed. And that IF it appeared the recall repair in 2017 had not been done properly, they would pull the car back in free of charge, install the part I currently have on hand, and refund both the cost of the part and the deductible that I have already paid. And if that's what happens, it is the proper solution for this issue but I shouldn't have to be the one driving this investigation. The dealer should have done all this ASAP once my initial evidence suggested the 2016 repair was faulty. After I got home, I did some further digging by pulling the inside panel on the passenger slider. Although my intention was to check the part date on that side, I didn't get that far. There is a large white seal with a 2014 date on it and sealed edges that have very obviously never been disturbed. There is no way they replaced a latch in this door in 2017 without disturbing this seal. I plan to call first thing tomorrow morning to add that bit of evidence to the pile. I'll also pull the drivers slider panel to see how much they disturbed that same sheet and seal during the recent repair on that side. I understand that you can't know exactly what your employees do at all times and for liability reasons you may not want to make admissions out of hand. But this latest evidence makes it nearly impossible to continue to insist that the 2017 repair was done properly. And although it's an issue between the dealer and Ford, not me, it would appear that now Ford has reimbursed the dealer twice when in reality only half the work has been done that Ford was paying for. And now for the only bright spot in this whole fiasco, my opinion of the Transit Connect itself has risen back up to where it was before the door latch failed. I understand that every vehicle can have issues so recalls don't really bother me if they aren't ongoing issues. I had begun rethinking my plans to special order another TC when this one is paid off next July. A recall that continues to leave safety items broken would be a deal breaker for me. But it is starting to look like it's not really a Ford Recall or Transit Connect problem but is instead a problem with the technician that did the repair at a minimum and maybe a problem at the dealer level. Switching dealers before that next purchase will fix that cause and I can still feel safe sticking with the Transit Connect which I have otherwise fully enjoyed.

Regarding all the hair splitting about when/if a life threatening situation existed: 1. I am sure almost everybody, on which ever side, did the same thing I did which was replay the video trying to see exactly what happened. When trying the case in court or in the court of public opinion, we need to remember that the people involved didn't have that option. You have to go with what the situation was for the people involved at that time and judge accordingly. 2. A simple push or punch ends lives all the time, intentional or not. When it happens, there's usually a call for leniency because it was an "accident" and there was no intention to kill. But we have laws against assault because the standard expectation is that you have zero right to initiate force against another person. To start splitting hairs about the results of that force, or the force used in defense of that initial attack, is a bit silly. But if you are going to go there, the benefit of the doubt has to go to the person attacked and not the attacker. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/man-dies-after-being-shoved-to-the-ground-outside-downtown-bar https://www.boston25news.com/news/ayer-man-killed-after-hitting-his-head-following-single-punch/646997918 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/harrow-school-boy-died-from-single-punch-after-telling-club-promoter-youll-work-for-me-one-day-a6991941.html https://www.msn.com/pt-pt/desporto/video/cambridge-student-dies-after-being-pushed-hitting-head/vi-AAAmJBY https://www.theroot.com/man-who-landed-fatal-punch-after-victim-called-him-the-1824992681