Leaking heater core?
Could be that it just wasn't remanufactured to spec, or it started leaking in a new area. Make sure your radiator pressure cap is functioning, as you could be winding up with an overpressurized cooling system and it's causing the weakest link to break.
Leaking heater core?
It most likely leaking at the hose clamps, have them checked and tightened.
Heater sores are made out of very soft metal, but should last more than a year unless damaged on installation. As mentioned check the connections, but be careful not to over tighten as the metal is soft. You may want to try a radiator seal first to see if that does the trick. Is a very inexpensive first step.
More and more these days we are seeing more cheapo heater cores,,they just arent built as tough as they where 20 years ago or so,,,one thing you might do is to reduce the internal water pressure by changing your radiator cap to a lower pressure one.
Other than that,,you can have a heater core custom built at any radiator shop,,and solve the problem once and for all.
Generally all connections are done outside the passenger compartment. When u say it leaked outside your SUV do u mean it was leaking in the engine compartment? What might have happen is that a hose line deteriorated, the service people only replaced the hose and charged you for a core? When the core was replaced did they return the old core to you? It could also be that a used or re-manufactured core was installed and now it has failed. Where was the work done? Even though I have new vehicles I never have work done at dealers because you are not allowed to monitor the work in progress. I go to my local Pep Boys, there I can hang by the door, BS with the mechanic, ask questions and see what is going on. I never leave my car or truck there un-attended. I haven't had(not yet) major work done so I haven't had to stay there more that a couple of hours for a brake job. I also take a small ice chest with some Gator Aid bottles and give one to the mechanic. It's helps to be on their good side. Always ask what the new part looks like, ask in a friendly way as if you are trying to learn and not because you miss trust them. Good luck.
Somebody mentioned the hose clamps... they are at the other side of the firewall. You are dealing with the heater core. Is it possible for it to fail after one year? Absolutely! It's a ford...
inside (left ft floor) heater core. other maintenance neglect could be the reason it went so fast.
Check the two hoses that run to your heater core they could have dried out and started to leak. also if the mechanics that replaced your heater core used regular pluming type hose clamps than they could have tightened them too much and this will cause the hose to rip which will start to leak in a short amount of time. Or the heater core it self could be defective. Also look at your coolant if its brown or if it has white peaces in the fluid than you have corrosion which will eat away at the metal parts of the coolant system and also clog up small passage ways in the radiator and the heater core causing pressure to build up and this will cause a leak.
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