hello there , In July of 2010 I took my F150 to the dealer to have my heater core replaced , job done at a cost of @ $1200 , a few weeks ago my heater core started leaking again , anti freeze smell in cab & steam from the heater vents when turned on .
Well , this time they tell me that a bad heater core is a sign of the head gaskets going out , which was never brought up the first time . & on the other side when I got it back the first time the door alarm would not shut off (with the keys out) unless the door was closed , they said that they would have to see if it was something they caused , their the only ones that have droped the steering column.
I have replaced tons of heater core throughout the years & it was never the cause of head gaskets going out .
its a 97 F150 5.4
any of you folks ever hear anything like this ? tks

 

Sounds like you had a real plumber working on the heater core job. No offense to plumbers! It is possible the installer overworked the heater core tubes during the installation. It would appear that you might find a more reputable dealer to correct this problem. Is there any way for you to pressure test the cooling system? If so, block off the heater hoses , get the engine warm and see if the pressure rises a lot. Even the radiator cap should have relieved the excessive pressure if that is true.
Naturally the dealer owner/manager will usually support their staff, but they just might be concerned enough to be willing to correct this problem in the interest of good customer relations. You have to let them know of this issue.