rmoonks
New member
The issue - same issue as posted on November 27, 2019 by Mac-N-Jac. Uncontrollably high heat and no temperature regulation.
The cause - The RTD sensor does not regulate the temperature.
Now my story of the worst customer service experience I've ever experienced....
On October 4, 2019 I purchased a Traeger Scout. Apparently, I was fortunate to find one since they are on perpetual back-order. I followed all break-in instructions and quickly discovered the unit would not regulate temperature. No matter what setting it was on, the unit temperature would increase up to 550 degrees and then the High Temperature safety alarm would shut the unit down. I tried unsuccessfully a couple of times to cook on the unit but the result was the same each time.
A few days later I called Traeger to report the issue. Their technician's diagnosis was the digital controller was bad. They said the controller was on back order until the end of November. Their customer service made a ticket and said a new controller would be mailed to me as soon as they came in. I accepted the bad news but requested to speak to a supervisor to lodge my dissatisfaction for having to wait nearly 2 months for the part. The representative told me that no supervisor was available to speak to me and that he would have a supervisor call me back. I never received a call back from a supervisor or anyone from Traeger.
On December 4, 2019, I called Traeger to check the status of my order. As caller 79 I was placed in a never ending que. After nearly 2 hours on hold, I gave up and provided my telephone number as a call back. Later that same day, a Traeger customer service rep called me back. After explaining my issue (again) the rep found my trouble ticket. Unfortunately, Traeger had taken no action on my ticket (despite having the part in stock in Georgia) and furthermore they had no explanation as to why they had not shipped the replacement digital controller nor why I never received a call back from a supervisor. The rep indicated he would have the part shipped from Georgia on December 11, 2019.
A few days past December 11, 2019, I recieved the controller. I removed the old one and installed the new one leaving the original RTD because I could find no way to remove the original RTD without destroying the unit. The RTD on the Scout and Ranger models are installed in a very different manner than the typical barrel style Traeger smokers which only require the removal of 2 small screws on the body and 2 screws on the digital controller and then feeding the new RTD through the barrel up to it's mounting point. The Scout and Ranger models have the RTD secured to the body of the unit by 2 screws but the RTD runs through the body in a manner that appears inaccessible to replace without destroying the unit. Upon testing the new digital controller, I soon discoverd the unit performed exactly as before with uncontrollable high heat to the point of the unit going into safety shut down mode. At that point, I suspected the original RTD was the problem and not the digital controller. In order to test this theory, I removed the 2 wires on the original RTD located on the digital controller and then wired the new RTD to the controller. Since I could not find a way to remove and replace the old RTD, I stuck the new one on the inside of the grill on the pellet box in order to test the new RTD.
Upon turning the Scout on, the unit operated normally with the temperature regulating properly. It was now confirmed the RTD was the problem and not the digital controller as diagnosed by a Traeger technician during my initial call. So much for their legendary VIP 365 customer service and "seasoned experts who have my back." (From Traeger Owners Manual)
I called Traeger to speak to a technician to report what I had discovered and so that they could walk me through how to remove the old RTD from its mounting location and install the new RTD. I have quite a bit of experience working on another Traeger that I own and I am competent in repair and replacement of various Traeger parts. However, the Scout is manufactured differently than the typical barrel type Trager's and I was stumped on how to remove the RTD without causing damage to the unit and felt the appropriate thing to do was call them to seek their expert assistance. After all, the Traeger manual directs customers not to return the Trager, instead, they are "here to help!" (From Traeger manuel customer service insert)
What happened next was unbelievable.
I was once again placed in a que. I was caller 99. (That is a problem in itself) I left my number and was called back later the same day by a customer service rep. After recounting this entire story, the rep placed me on hold in order to speak to a technician because the rep did not know how to walk me through the RTD replacement process. A few minutes later the rep came back on and said he spoke to a technician who indicated that they did not know how to replace the RTD on a Scout model and that it would be difficult at best and that it might not be repairable due to the design! He instructed the customer service rep to tell me to cut the RTD wire and install it like a barrel type Traeger. I couldn't believe my ears. The customer service rep then attempted to give me those instructions and I had to interrupt him to explain (again) that the RTD installation was different on the Scout models and cutting wires and jury rigging a new one was not the proper way to replace an RTD. I then asked to speak to a supervisor. Again I was told no supervisor was available and they would take my number and have a supervisor call me.
Approximately (8) days later on December 23, 2019, I recieved a voice mail from a Traeger representative who did not identify her self. Without leaving me a name or a number, her voicemail directed me to call Traeger customer service back to reach her. Again, I could not believe my ears! How was I to return a call back to someone who did not leave their name or a direct call back number? Why did a customer have to wait 8 days to hear back from a supervisor? Unbelievable!
Due to the approaching holiday and suspecting that I would be placed in a que of 99 callers again, I decided to wait until after the holiday to call Trager Customer Service back in an attempt to find the supervisor who called me and so that I could request my money back. At this point, I was done fooling around with Traeger Customer Service reps on this matter during the holiday.
On January 2, 2019, now starting into my fourth (4th) month of inability to use my Traeger Scout, I called Customer Service back. Guess what? I was number 99 in que. So, same drill, I left my number and later in the day a rep called me back. As before, I had to walk through the entire problem even though I was returning a call to supervisor. Instead of putting me through to a supervisor, the rep suggested I take the Scout to a Traeger service center. For the first time in 3 months and several calls, Traeger suggested I take the grill (under a 3 year warranty) to a service center. I informed the rep that I was no longer willing to commit any more of my time on this nightmare and simply wanted to speak to a supervisor in order to seek a refund along with a return merchandise shipping order so that I could ship the unit and associated accessories back. You guessed it......................no supervisor was available to speak to me. However, the rep told me she would personally see to it that a supervisor return my call before end of day.
It is now after 5:00 and I have not heard from a supervisor nor do I expect to.
The moral of the story is two-fold:
First-never, ever, ever, buy a Traeger Scout or Ranger.
Second-in my opinion and experience, Traeger has the absolute worst customer service of any company I've ever dealt worth. They may have a 3-year warranty on their product, but if you cannot get parts in a timely manner, or competent technical expertise when it's needed, what's the point of owning their product? They may advertise that they are "here to help," but that has not been my experience nor was it what writer Mac-N-Jac reported from his/her blog concerning a very similar issue.
As for me......upon completion of this forum submission, I'm heading to a local Green Mountain dealer to buy their version of a table top smoker. While I'm there, I also plan to purchase a new Green Mountain smoker to replace my Traeger Lil Tex. I'm done with Traeger products and their customer service run around. Whether I get my money returned for my purchase of the Scout that is unusable and apparently unrepairable, remains to be seen. I'm not holding my breath.
R. Moon
The cause - The RTD sensor does not regulate the temperature.
Now my story of the worst customer service experience I've ever experienced....
On October 4, 2019 I purchased a Traeger Scout. Apparently, I was fortunate to find one since they are on perpetual back-order. I followed all break-in instructions and quickly discovered the unit would not regulate temperature. No matter what setting it was on, the unit temperature would increase up to 550 degrees and then the High Temperature safety alarm would shut the unit down. I tried unsuccessfully a couple of times to cook on the unit but the result was the same each time.
A few days later I called Traeger to report the issue. Their technician's diagnosis was the digital controller was bad. They said the controller was on back order until the end of November. Their customer service made a ticket and said a new controller would be mailed to me as soon as they came in. I accepted the bad news but requested to speak to a supervisor to lodge my dissatisfaction for having to wait nearly 2 months for the part. The representative told me that no supervisor was available to speak to me and that he would have a supervisor call me back. I never received a call back from a supervisor or anyone from Traeger.
On December 4, 2019, I called Traeger to check the status of my order. As caller 79 I was placed in a never ending que. After nearly 2 hours on hold, I gave up and provided my telephone number as a call back. Later that same day, a Traeger customer service rep called me back. After explaining my issue (again) the rep found my trouble ticket. Unfortunately, Traeger had taken no action on my ticket (despite having the part in stock in Georgia) and furthermore they had no explanation as to why they had not shipped the replacement digital controller nor why I never received a call back from a supervisor. The rep indicated he would have the part shipped from Georgia on December 11, 2019.
A few days past December 11, 2019, I recieved the controller. I removed the old one and installed the new one leaving the original RTD because I could find no way to remove the original RTD without destroying the unit. The RTD on the Scout and Ranger models are installed in a very different manner than the typical barrel style Traeger smokers which only require the removal of 2 small screws on the body and 2 screws on the digital controller and then feeding the new RTD through the barrel up to it's mounting point. The Scout and Ranger models have the RTD secured to the body of the unit by 2 screws but the RTD runs through the body in a manner that appears inaccessible to replace without destroying the unit. Upon testing the new digital controller, I soon discoverd the unit performed exactly as before with uncontrollable high heat to the point of the unit going into safety shut down mode. At that point, I suspected the original RTD was the problem and not the digital controller. In order to test this theory, I removed the 2 wires on the original RTD located on the digital controller and then wired the new RTD to the controller. Since I could not find a way to remove and replace the old RTD, I stuck the new one on the inside of the grill on the pellet box in order to test the new RTD.
Upon turning the Scout on, the unit operated normally with the temperature regulating properly. It was now confirmed the RTD was the problem and not the digital controller as diagnosed by a Traeger technician during my initial call. So much for their legendary VIP 365 customer service and "seasoned experts who have my back." (From Traeger Owners Manual)
I called Traeger to speak to a technician to report what I had discovered and so that they could walk me through how to remove the old RTD from its mounting location and install the new RTD. I have quite a bit of experience working on another Traeger that I own and I am competent in repair and replacement of various Traeger parts. However, the Scout is manufactured differently than the typical barrel type Trager's and I was stumped on how to remove the RTD without causing damage to the unit and felt the appropriate thing to do was call them to seek their expert assistance. After all, the Traeger manual directs customers not to return the Trager, instead, they are "here to help!" (From Traeger manuel customer service insert)
What happened next was unbelievable.
I was once again placed in a que. I was caller 99. (That is a problem in itself) I left my number and was called back later the same day by a customer service rep. After recounting this entire story, the rep placed me on hold in order to speak to a technician because the rep did not know how to walk me through the RTD replacement process. A few minutes later the rep came back on and said he spoke to a technician who indicated that they did not know how to replace the RTD on a Scout model and that it would be difficult at best and that it might not be repairable due to the design! He instructed the customer service rep to tell me to cut the RTD wire and install it like a barrel type Traeger. I couldn't believe my ears. The customer service rep then attempted to give me those instructions and I had to interrupt him to explain (again) that the RTD installation was different on the Scout models and cutting wires and jury rigging a new one was not the proper way to replace an RTD. I then asked to speak to a supervisor. Again I was told no supervisor was available and they would take my number and have a supervisor call me.
Approximately (8) days later on December 23, 2019, I recieved a voice mail from a Traeger representative who did not identify her self. Without leaving me a name or a number, her voicemail directed me to call Traeger customer service back to reach her. Again, I could not believe my ears! How was I to return a call back to someone who did not leave their name or a direct call back number? Why did a customer have to wait 8 days to hear back from a supervisor? Unbelievable!
Due to the approaching holiday and suspecting that I would be placed in a que of 99 callers again, I decided to wait until after the holiday to call Trager Customer Service back in an attempt to find the supervisor who called me and so that I could request my money back. At this point, I was done fooling around with Traeger Customer Service reps on this matter during the holiday.
On January 2, 2019, now starting into my fourth (4th) month of inability to use my Traeger Scout, I called Customer Service back. Guess what? I was number 99 in que. So, same drill, I left my number and later in the day a rep called me back. As before, I had to walk through the entire problem even though I was returning a call to supervisor. Instead of putting me through to a supervisor, the rep suggested I take the Scout to a Traeger service center. For the first time in 3 months and several calls, Traeger suggested I take the grill (under a 3 year warranty) to a service center. I informed the rep that I was no longer willing to commit any more of my time on this nightmare and simply wanted to speak to a supervisor in order to seek a refund along with a return merchandise shipping order so that I could ship the unit and associated accessories back. You guessed it......................no supervisor was available to speak to me. However, the rep told me she would personally see to it that a supervisor return my call before end of day.
It is now after 5:00 and I have not heard from a supervisor nor do I expect to.
The moral of the story is two-fold:
First-never, ever, ever, buy a Traeger Scout or Ranger.
Second-in my opinion and experience, Traeger has the absolute worst customer service of any company I've ever dealt worth. They may have a 3-year warranty on their product, but if you cannot get parts in a timely manner, or competent technical expertise when it's needed, what's the point of owning their product? They may advertise that they are "here to help," but that has not been my experience nor was it what writer Mac-N-Jac reported from his/her blog concerning a very similar issue.
As for me......upon completion of this forum submission, I'm heading to a local Green Mountain dealer to buy their version of a table top smoker. While I'm there, I also plan to purchase a new Green Mountain smoker to replace my Traeger Lil Tex. I'm done with Traeger products and their customer service run around. Whether I get my money returned for my purchase of the Scout that is unusable and apparently unrepairable, remains to be seen. I'm not holding my breath.
R. Moon
Last edited:
. Replaced RTD, no dice. Replaced controller, no dice. Paid $175 for a Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro Controller and, bingo... works like a charm now. It’s technically not meant for the smaller grills like the Scout so, it was an experiment on my part. The guys at Smoke Daddy made no guarantees that it would work but, I’m glad it does. I can set it to “smoke” and the temp only fluctuates between 170 and 200. Set the temp at 275 stays within 5 degrees or so. The Smoke Daddy Controller measures the temp every 2 seconds and pulses the fan/auger. Sounds completely different when cooking now. It came with its own RTD and meat probe. The RTD is too long but the Traeger one is compatible. The Smoke Daddy Controller also lets you Control the temp in 5 degree increments instead of 25 degrees. Of the 12 calls placed to Traeger (when I was ripping my hair out), I gleaned some worthwhile knowledge about the Scout: 1. The hopper needs to be slap full pretty much every second. 2. Check the hopper often to make sure you don’t see a void or “tunnel” where pellets will stop making it through the auger tunnel. This can happen a lot with a Scout because the hopper is small. Really, really important if you’re using the stock controller. 3. The shaft of the auger doesn’t extend the length of the auger. Me thinks this is a design flaw. I “extended” the shaft so the pellets are pushed in to the fire box evenly instead of being dumped in at the end. I also stopped having “back burns” after doing this. I’m going to email Traeger and suggest a revision based on my results. I did not think of this idea... saw another user comment on a YouTube video I watched. Worked for me. Lastly, I purchased a Country Smokers Traveler for $175 direct from their website. My neighbor has one, no mods, works perfectly. When I say perfectly, I mean rock solid. I’m still waiting for mine to arrive but interested to do a side by side soon.
