I have a difficult time finding Ford part numbers especially for parts that have multiple configuration per model.
I always try to find the part number and the part on my own that way I can generally find it online for a fair amount cheaper.
If my searches and the forums fail me I head to the local parts department I have 2 close by.

Never seems to be an easy task with these folks.
Bought my Expedition from a Chevy dealership and there was damage to the passenger airbag cover. Part of the deal of the sale was it be fixed. They said it would be easiest just to take it to Ford as they were pretty backed up.
Took it to Ford and they quoted $2400. They claimed the ENTIRE dash had to be replaced $1100 in parts and $1300 in labor. I said no way Ford would have you replace the entire dash in the event of an airbag deployment. Add 2 airbags to that quote and you are close to another 1600.
4K just for airbag replacements they would be totaled every time when adding in any body damage. I said there certainly is a separate airbag cover. Nope they said.
I said well I don’t really care I am not paying for it do what you need. They ordered the dash and started tearing into it. Guess what there was just an airbag cover that cost $150 and an hour of labor. Exactly as I said.

So fast forward to this week. I would like to add the transfer case skid plate. It was standard on the 15-17 XL SSV models. Did not come on any others. It is now standard on the 2018s but the mounting mounts are slightly different.
I tried locating it in the parts catalog and in a couple forums. No luck. Head on down to the different Ford parts department because of the airbag fiasco.
They can only locate one SSV skid plate and it shows it going across the rear protecting the rear sway bar. Nowhere near the transfer case.
Did not look like a skid plate I have. I asked how much and he said $13. That seemed jacked up. The 18 plate is $38 and the F150 plate about the same price.
I figure what the heck. For $13 buck bring it on the more armor the better.
Well it arrived today and it is beefy!! Though it looks nothing like the parts diagram. Spent 10 minutes under the truck without lifting it off the ground before the munchkins got home and it got dark.
Found a similar plate that I would call a heat shield above the muffler but certainly not the same part. Not enough clearance without lifting the truck to try to find exactly where is goes.

So that will be another day.
But I still have not located the transfer case skid plate because the plate I got certainly is not it.
Guess I’ll check with the other Ford place to see what they come up with.

It should not be this difficult. Not for lack of trying on the skid plate he looked and looked.

Reminds me of the time that I asked the dealership to change the cabin air filter in my '06 Mustang GT; they swore up and down that it didn't have one. I know that they didn't want to mess with it because you have to loosen the rain shield in the cowl, and it is a pain to get it sealed back up.

So, I changed it myself. Just for fun I asked again at a later service, and they lied to me again.

Probably both.

I left the business almost two years ago, retirement. Career GM counterman and management. Dealers and managers today feel that due to the electronic parts catalogs anybody can do that job, just punch in a VIN and a keyword. Works great until something is not cut and dry, happens more often than people think. Good thing that the EPC's have a way to insert "user notes" to override screw ups that take months to correct by the catalog vendor, ways to determine design changes, notes when we have to go to the service manual to find the part number for electrical terminals (that was a pretty common occurrence),shortcuts to note additional parts necessary to use when replacing or installing a part that the catalog engineers kind of omitted.

I started seeing the trend towards that a few years ago, overheard one manager gloating during the round of dealership closings 2010-2012 "This is great for us, now instead of them telling us how much it will take to get them (experienced career people) we will tell them how much we will pay. And it's take it or leave it."

Glad I'm out and done. I was closing in on a half century in the business.

It should not be this difficult.
The upgrade package lists “Transfer Case Skid Plate”
One should type transfer case skid plate into the parts search and boom.

They both suck. I tried finding a locking gas cap for my F-150; took awhile to find one and noticed it was for 2014-17 but I have a 2018. Called the dealer I purchased the truck from, first they couldn't find it, then they called back and said "we found it but we have to order it". Me - "fine, order it." Part comes in a few days later, pick it up, go to install it...wrong damn locking gas cap. Go online, lookup the part number and son of a b, isn't it the part for 2014-17 models. Not happy.

Real parts guys have work arounds. Unfortunately you are seeing the result of today’s management mantra “anybody can do any job”. It’s not so.

I don’t know how Ford does it but GM has RPO codes. Generally a parts guy would look for the RPO (Regular Production Option) and see what associated parts are necessary to put it on,takes some common sense.


Worse case scenario is you find the VIN for a vehicle that has the option you need,add it to the search box and it shows you all the parts for that option,that is as long as the catalog lists them.

GM tech assistance is no help in these cases, official reason is that they will not assist in any modification due to warranty,service at a later date,Compliance with FMVSS and or emission certifications and product liability due to death or injury as a result. One of the first things that you have to supply when calling parts tech assistance is the VIN,if the part you are looking for is not coded to that one you are politely told that they cannot get involved in any modifications and the call is terminated,no if’s ands or but’s.

And that was why I was paid the big bucks.

Ford has a similar setup to the RPO not sure what they call it.
I asked him flat out why it seems so difficult to find parts a lot of times. He blamed it on the RPO like program he called it a base code if I remember correctly.
He explained in this instance the Transfer case has a certain base code and all associated parts can be determined starting with that code.
He used that base code and found a plate. The parts diagram shows it attaching over the rear stabilizer which is not anywhere close to the transfer case of course.
But it certainly looks like a skid plate I don’t have and cost $13 so I ordered it as the more skids I have the better and we’ll keep looking for the TC skid.
The thing arrives and looks nothing like the picture indicated in the parts diagram but it would constitute a skid plate for sure. The thing is big and beefy not sure how it is priced at only $13.
It has been in the single digits around here so I have had no more time to get under and see where this thing bolts up.

I have been doing online junkyard searches trying to find a yard with a wrecked out SSV using car-part.com but have not located any yards with full rigs. Would be nice if car-part.com let you post a year, make, and model then it lists all the yards that have those.

Instead you have to pick the part you want then it gives you a list. I have cherry picked a couple parts I know are SSV when searching but the results are few and so far they only have parts and not the full rig.

When requesting the part I am using a VIN specific to an SSV model so that should be helpful, or so I thought.

Our Fleet Services is a Ford shop but I have not seen any 15-17 models in our fleet. We have a few 14s and a bunch of 18s just hit the road. But of course they are different.
I have to drop my company car off next week so I’ll see if our parts dept can be of any help.