1996 FORD E-350 Complaints

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED 3 TREAD SEPARATIONS ON FIRESTONE STEEL TEX BRAND. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. TS ONE OTHER TIRE SHOWED SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION WHICH INCLUDED THE SPARE. ALL TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT *JB

CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE SPEAR TIRE CARRIER HAD BROKEN CAUSING SPARE TIRE TO FALL FROM UNDER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

3 TIRES ALL SEPERATED AT DIFFERENT TIMES WITHIN A 3 MONTH. BOTH FRONT TIRES AND ONE REAR TIRE. ALL 3 TIRES HAD THE SAME DOT NUMBER. THE OTHER 3 TIRES DID NOT SEPERATE AND HAD A DIFFERENT DOT NUMBER. I STILL HAVE ALL OF THE TIRES. DT

UPON INSTALLING PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKE PADS ON VEHICLE, I FELT THEY WERE WRONG. I CALLED AUTO ZONE FROM WHOM I PURCHASED AFTER MEASURING AND FINDING THEY WERE 0.773 THICK. THEY ASSURED ME THEY WERE THE RIGHT PADS. I INSTALLED AND THOUGHT NOTHING MORE OF IT. UPON DRIVING VEHICLE AROUND A MONTH LATER, I HAD NOT GOTTEN 5 MILES WHEN THE FRICTION CAUSED MY CALIPER SEALS TO CATCH FIRE. WE CONTACTED PERFORMANCE FRICTION THE SAME DAY AND TALKED TO MIKE COCHRANE, WHO ASSURED HE WOULD INVESTIGATE AND GET BACK TO ME. AFTER NOT HEARING ANYTHING FOR OVER A WEEK, WE CONTACTED AGAIN. THIS TIME I TALKED TO JENNIFER RAMSEY, WHOM CONTACTED ME THE FOLLOWING VIA E-MAIL AND SAID THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE AND GET BACK. I DID SOME INVESTIGATING MYSELF AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING : NAPA PADS MEASURED 0.719 ; ALBANY 0.720 ; WAGNER 0.717 ; WAGNER HEAVY DUTY 0.738 AAND MOTORCRAFT 0.738. I REPORTED THESE FINDINGS TO MS. RAMSEY AND ASKED WHY THEIR PADS WERE NEARLY 0.040 THICKER THAN ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER, BUT STILL HAVE NO ANSWER. THE LAST CONTACT I RECEIVED FROM MS. RAMSEY STATED THAT THESE PADS WERE HIGH VOLUME SELLERS AND THEY HAD NO OTHER COMPLAINTS, AND THEY WERE STILL INVESTIGATING DATED 11/07/01. I LAST E-MAILED MS. RAMSEY ON 12/07/01 AND HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *AK

ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT ON A FORD, E350, 1996. 10,000 MILES ON TIRES. TIRE SIZE LT24575R16. TREAD SEPARATED FROM SIDEWALL OF RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. CONSUMER REPLACED TIRE WITH SAME MODEL TIRE THAT HAD DEVELOPED SPLITS IN THE SIDEWALL. *AK *SLC

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A SHOP, AND BOTH FRONT ROTORS WERE CRACKED. *AK

AFTER NOTICING A FUEL SMELL CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED AND FOUND FUEL TANK WAS CRACKING AT SEAMS. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR FUEL TANK ON 1997-2001 VANS, BUT THIS MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

CONSUMER HAS A 1996, FORD, 350 AND LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD CAME OFF WITHOUT WARNING. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. TREAD GOT CAUGHT AND WIPED OUT HEATER AND A/C LINE. CONSUMER WAS WAS TRAVELING 60MPH. DEALER REPLACED TIRE WITH A SPARE. AT THIS TIME VEHICLE HAD 21,000 MILES. *AK RIGHT REAR TIRE ALSO EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, FIRESTONE TIRES, P225/75R16. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE ENTIRE TREAD CAME OF THE RIGHT INSIDE DUAL TIRE, FIRESTONE LT 22575R16, WHICH PUT A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE MOTORHOME.

SYMPTOM IS THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN STEADY. WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE ABS IS INOPERATIVE (UNSAFE CONDITION). THE 1ST HCU FAILED WITHIN 2 YEARS ($550 TO REPLACE). THE SECOND FAILED JUST OVER A YEAR LATER. THE DEALER MECHANIC SAYS THAT HE SEES *LOTS* OF THESE ($550 TO REPLACE EACH OCCURRENCE). FORD CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE A CLASS C MOTORHOME BASED ON THE SAME '96 FORD E350 CHASSIS. THE ABS LIGHT IS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. I BELIEVE THE HCU'S THAT FORD IS INSTALLING ARE DEFECTIVE AND THEY SHOULD DESIGN A BETTER ONE (THAT LASTS LONGER THAN 1-2 YEARS). CURRENTLY, FORD EXPECTS THE CUSTOMER TO PAY $550 EVERY 1-2 YEARS JUST TO KEEP THE ABS SYSTEM FUNCTIONAL. THAT'S ON TOP OF ANY OTHER NORMAL MAINTENANCE THE VEHICLE REQUIRES. THANKS. *AK