1996 FORD E-350 Complaints

APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES ON A 800 MILE ROAD TRIP WHEN IT WAS 90 DEGREES OR HOTTER IN THE AFTERNOON MY 1996 E350 MOTORHOME WOULD STOP RUNNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED STRANDING US IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON I40. AFTER SITTING IDLE FOR 30-60 MINUTES IT WOULD START AND RUN MAYBE 30 MILES AND STOP. IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING OR MORNING IT WOULD RUN AS LONG AS NEEDED. THE PROBLEM IS AN INADEQUATE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON MANY INTERNET BLOGS. IN MID YEAR 1996 FORD UPGRADED TO A TURBINE FUEL PUMP WHICH I HAVE NOW PAID $450 TO INSTALL. THIS UPGRADE SOLVES THE PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO STRANDED AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS ALSO. I READ THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH I CANNOT FIND. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP WAS A GEROTOR WHICH CAUSED CAVITATION OF FUEL WHICH CAUSED AIR TO REACH THE FUEL RAIL CAUSING THE VAPOR LOCK LIKE PROBLEM.

ABS SPORADICALLY CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL WHILE RHYTHMICALLY PULLING HARD RIGHT. HIGHWAY OR SURFACE SPEEDS. GOOGLE HAS MANY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND NO FIX. NO CODES ARE THROWN. DEALERS ARE NO HELP. MUST DISABLE THE ABS BY PULLING THE 60AMP FUSE.

THIS ISSUE WAS ON A 1996 FORD F350 AMBULANCE ON ROUTE TO EMERGENCY CALL WHEN ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND LOST ALL POWER LIKE IT WAS OUT OF FUEL 7.3 LITER DIESEL AND TANK WAS FULL. HAD UNIT TOWED TO CROSS WOOD FORD IN KERNERSVILLE NC AND $2700.00 LATER AFTER NEW FUEL TANK FUEL PUMP 6 INJECTORS AND TURBO DUE TO LINER INSIDE OF TANK CAME OFF AND CLOGGED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS NO HELP AND SAID SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE COST ISSUES. *TR

DISCOVERY OF CRACKED FRONT ROTORS ON MY 1996 E-350 MOTORHOME. FIRST CRACKED ROTOR FOUND IN MAY 2007 WITH 35,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. SECOND CRACKED ROTOR FOUND IN SEPTEMBER 2009 WITH 41,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 45/55 MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT OUT OF ROUND, AND THE LEFT FRONT TIRE STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF FATIGUE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED FRONT SHOCKS FAILED, AND THE HYDRAULIC FLUID SPILLED ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS RESULTED IN SEVERE FRONTAL VEHICLE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

SUBJECT VEHICLE IS A FORD E350 SUPERDUTY VAN CHASSIS MANUFACTURED IN MAY 1996 WITH VN [XXX] EQUIPPED WITH A E40D TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION IN A 1997 CLASS C MOTORHOME STARTED TO LEAK. THE PROBLEM WAS DETECTED BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FIRE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO GARAGE. WHEN TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT A SEAL HAD TO BE REPLACE. THE OEM PART NUMBER WAS E9TP 7AP48 AA. THE SEAL WAS REPLACE WITH A PART FROM PERCISION INTERNATIONAL WITH PART NUMBER 16601EV, WHICH CAME WITH THE FOLLOWING ADVISORY "THE ORIGINAL DESIGN SILICONE RUBBER IS NOT AS COMPATIBLE WITH NEW FORD MERCRON V FLUID. ALSO IT'S NOT ABLE TO HOLD UP TO THE DEMANDS OF HEAVY DUTY TRUCK APPLICATIONS." IF THIS IS IN FACT THE CASES THE AFFECTED VEHICLES SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND IF NECESSARY RECALLED. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CONSUMER STATES THAT VALVE STEMS RECOMMENDED FOR VEHICLE IS NOT EFFECTIVE AFTER 8000 MILES. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TIRES WOULD BECOME FLAT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER OF THE VALVE PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH TREAD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH. *AK

THE INJECTOR MODULE FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO STOP WORKING. *JB THIS WAS THE SECOND FUEL INJECTOR DRIVER MODULE THAT FAILED DUE TO WATER IN THE MODULE. THE ENGINE STOPPED WITH OVT WARNING. SCC

GULF STREAM RV MANIFACTORYING. BUILT THE CLASS C RV ON FORD E-350 CUT A WAY CHASSIS. THE FORD CHASSIS MANUAL STATES THAT IT IS SUPPLIED W/ 2 HAZARD AND TURN LIGHTS ON FRONT AND 2 ON THE BACK (TOTAL OF 4 LIGHTS) AND A FLASHER FOR 2 BULB AND 4 BULB MAX FLASHER #SF-602 THIS IS THE ONLY FLASHER THAT FORD HAS. GULF STREAM ADDED ANOTHER TURN/ HAZARD BULB ON EACH SIDE ON REAR. PLUS TWO TRAILOR LIGHTS. THE FORD REFERENCE MANUEL PAGE 19 TABLE H STATES THAT IF MORE LIGHTS ARE ADDED THEY ARE TO CHANGE THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHER. WITH ONE HAVING THE CORRECT LAMP RAREING. GULF STREAM DIDN'T DO THIS THEY LEFT THE ONE THAT FORD PUT ON AT THE FACTORY. WHEN YOU TURN THE HAZARD FLASHER LIGHT ON IT OVER LOADS THE FLASHER OUT ($38.00 EA) THEN YOU DON'T HAVE FLASHERS. I HAVE BURNT OUT 2 SO FAR. I HAVE CONTACTED GULF STREAM RV ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY GIVE ME THE RUN AROUND ON THIS. THEY SAID I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. ONLY THE 1996 FORD E-350 USES THIS FLASHER. I CAN'T FIND ANOTHER ONE ANY WHERE THAT WILL WORK IN THE E-350. FORD TOLD ME THAT IS THE ONLY FLASHER THAT WILL WORK AND THAT IT IS A GULF STREAM PROBLEM AND THEY DENY THE PROBLEM. THIS AFFECTS ALL 1996 FORD E350 VANS. DT