2003 FORD F-150 Complaints

MY 2003, FORD F-150 BLEW A SPARK PLUG FOR THE FOURTH TIME YESTERDAY. EACH TIME A DIFFERENT PLUG. I WAS HEADING TO CHURCH AND "POP". WE WERE JUST GETTING ON THE ON RAMP WHEN IT HAPPEN. FOUR TIME NOW AND EACH TIME I HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT AND IT'S SITTING IN MY YARD... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PENDING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,381.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 - 70 MPH ON I-95, THE SPARK PLUG ON THE #2 CYLINDER BLEW OUT. #2 CYLINDER IS 2ND PLUG FROM FRONT OF ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. LOUD NOISE AND LOST POWER. *TR

MY FAMILY AND I WERE SITTING IN A DRIVE THROUGH PICKING UP A PIZZA. CAN WE WENT TO PULL FORWARD AND IT STARTED LOOKING REALLY BAD .. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FELT ALL THE PLUGS AND FOUND THAT NUMBER FOUR PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD! IT COST US 500 FOR FIX AND NOW ANOTHER ONE IS STARTING TO GO!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER (IN DRY CLIMATE), INCLUDING STEERING, AND BRAKES AT APPROXIMATELY 50MPH. CAME TO A STOP USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. HAD TWO NEAR MISSES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AS THE ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) WAS NO GOOD. HAD PRIOR MISFIRES IN ENGINE, WHICH FORD HAD DIAGNOSED AS A BAD HEAD VALVE. AFTER REBUILDING THE HEADS, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED (WHILE UNDER USE IN DRY CLIMATE). INCIDENT OCCURRED, AT WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE HAD BECOME DISABLED. 2ND FORD DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED AS "ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS" WHICH HAD ALLEGEDLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE'S ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) TO SHORT OUT. NO MORE THAN 500 MILES AND/OR 3 DAYS AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE ECM AND FIXING OF UNSPECIFIED "ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS" (AND IN MOIST CLIMATE), VEHICLE WOULD HAVE PERIODIC MISFIRES WHICH WOULD ON OCCASION BE SO SEVERE SO AS TO DROP ALL GAUGES ON DASH TO THEIR "OFF" POSITIONS, BUT WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING (UNDER STRESS FROM SUPPOSED MISFIRE WHICH WOULD SHAKE THE ENTIRE TRUCK). ON TWO LATER OCCASIONS, WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE WOULD REPEAT THE SAME CONDITION AS WITH THE INITIAL INCIDENT, WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD COMPLETELY SHUT-OFF, WITH EXCEPTION THAT ON THE REPEAT OCCASIONS, THE ECM WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL AND I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. A 3RD FORD DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE EXACT PROBLEM BUT SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT OF COILS FOLLOWED BY WIRING AS A POSSIBLE FIX TO THE MISFIRE. I REMOVED THE VEHICLE TO A DRY CLIMATE AND REPLACED ALL PLUGS, COILS, AND BOOTS FOR TESTING. VEHICLE SUCCESSFULLY FUNCTIONED UNDER DRY, MOIST, AND SNOWY CLIMATES AFTERWARDS. CONTINUES IN OPERATION AND IS CURRENTLY AT +/- 155,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ADJUSTED, THE TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,184 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 05/27/14*LJ UPDATED 8/17/17*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE WHEN IT WAS NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL GASOLINE FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION NEAR THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON INTERSTATE 81 AT CHRISTIANSBURG VA. MY GAS TANK FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO DEFECTIVE STRAPS RUSTING INTO AND LETTING IT FALL CAUSING GASOLINE TO LEAK ON ROADWAY AND ALMOST CAUSING A FIRE. THE GAS TANK STRUCK THE ROADWAY AND THE GRINDING CAUSED THE TANK TO LEAK AND THE SPILLAGE. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND HAVE PURCHASED A USED GAS TANK AND ORDERED NEW STRAPS. I HAVE WRITTEN FORD AN E MAIL, ASKING THEM TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING HOME, MY ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A LOUD NOISE & RUNNING BADLY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE MOTOR, I FOUND THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE #3 CYLINDER, BREAKING THE COIL PACK IN THE PROCESS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. I HAVE CHECKED ON-LINE TO SEE IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER F-150 OWNERS, AND FOUND OUT IT IS FAIRLY COMMON. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET FORD TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM? *TR