2003 FORD F-150 Complaints

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. *JB *TT

ON 2/11/05, MY 2003 FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER IT WAS PARKED MY JOB-SITE FOR TWO HOURS, AND THE FIRE ALSO DESTROIED A SIENNA VAN PARKED NEARBY.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 FORD F150 MY 4WHEELDRIVE STOPPED WORKING , BUT THE DASH INDICATOR SAID IT WAS INGAGED. THIS MAKES FOR A VERY UNSAFE OPERATING CONDITION. BECAUSE YOU DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE SAME IF THE 4X4 IS WORKING.I BROUGHT IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY REPAIRED IT . THIS APPARENTLY WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE PART# F75Z*3N139*KT WHICH COST$133.98 AND THE LABOR WAS $302.00. THIS PART IS VERY CHEAPLY MADE AND WILL PROBABLY BREAK AGAIN. THE TECH TOLD ME THERE IS NO WAY TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THIS PART IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HOPE THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER. I HAVE LOOKED ON FORD LINKS AND WEBSITES AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMMENTS OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE IF YOU CAN HELP ME, IT WOULD BE APPRICIATED. I KEPT THE OLD PARTS, THE MATERIAL THEY USE ON THE FORK WON`T HOLD UP TO THE CONDITIONS IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 FORD F150 PICKUP, V6, 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES AND MY CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER FAILED AT 37,000 MILES. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP AND TELLING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ASKING THEM IF THEY WOULD COVER THE PART SINCE IT HAD FAILED PREMATURELY, AND THEY ANSWERED "NO". I TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE SHOP AND HAD THE SLAVE CYLINDER REPLACED. THE DAY AFTER I GOT IT BACK I PERIODICALLY HEARD STRANGE NOISES COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT BACK INTO THE SHOP THAT REPLACED MY SLAVE CYLINDER. UPON OBSERVATION THEY FOUND NOTHING. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR TWO MORE DAYS THE PROBLEM WAS EXTREMELY EVIDENT BY THE NOISES THAT WERE CONSTANT WHENEVER I SHIFTED AS WELL AS IN NEUTRAL. I TOOK IT TO A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND TOLD THE SHOP THAT I WANTED TO BE THERE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS OPENED UP. I WAS PRESENT WHEN THEY OPENED UP THE TRANSMISSION. AS THEY PULLED THE TRANSMISSION APART, THEY FOUND MANGLED THIN METAL DEBRIS, SOME PIECES AS LARGE AS MY THUMBNAIL. AFTER TAKING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION APART AND INSPECTING ALL BEARINGS AND ALL OTHER PARTS, THEY FOUND THAT THE PIECES WERE A FOREIGN MATERIAL TO THE TRANSMISSION. THEY DID NOT COME FROM ANY PART OF THE TRANSMISSION. ONE OF THESE PIECES FOUND ITS WAY BETWEEN THE GEARS ON THE COUNTER SHAFT AND BROKE ONE OF THE TEETH, EXPLAINING THE NOISE. SO, IN SHORT, WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT A COST OF $1800.00 ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 37,000 MILES ON IT. *NM

2003 FORD F-150 4X4. AFTER ONLY A FEW HOURS IN 4X4 MODE, TRUCK NO LONGER ENGAGES INTO 4X4 MODE, CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITION AS PEOPLE EXPECT THIS TO WORK AND TRUCK IS VERY PRONE TO GETTING STUCK IN ROAD OR LEAVING THE ROAD WITHOUT THIS FEATURE (AS ALL SUCH TRUCKS ARE RELATIVELY VERY LIGHT IN THE REAR). OWNERS OF 4X4 VEHICLES EXPECT THIS FEATURE TO WORK AS ADVERTISED AND FAILURE CAN CREATE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. FROM SHORT INVESTIGATION - SPEAKING TO FORD MECHANICS AND VISITING FORD-TRUCKS.COM, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR REASONS GIVEN ABOVE - AFTER PERSONALLY GETTING STUCK IN A PUBLIC ROAD, AND VERY NEARLY SEVERAL TIMES, THE TRUCK IS NO LONGER USED WHENEVER THERE IS ANY CHANCE OF SNOWY CONDITIONS (I AM IN THE NORTH-EAST). I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT - THE FORK WHICH ENGAGES THE FRONT AXLES HAS A PLASTIC END WHICH BREAKS OR FALLS OFF AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I REQUEST THAT THIS BE INVESTIGATED AND IF FOUND TO BE A DESIGN RELATED ISSUE, WHICH I BELIEVE IT CLEARLY IS, THAT FORD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THESE VEHICLES WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNER AND PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE. ALSO NOTE THAT I HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO 2 FORD DEALERS WITH THE SAME DIAGNOSIS, BOTH QUOTED 6-7 HOURS OF LABOR WHEN IT CLEARLY TAKES HALF OR LESS OF THIS TIME (AGAIN, PLEASE SEE THE FORD-TRUCKS.COM/FORUM). I BELIEVE FORD IS USING THIS KNOWN ISSUE TO PURPOSELY OVER CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *AK

I WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT. THIS WAS A HEAD ON ACCIDENT. I OWN A 2003 F-150 SUPER CREW. ON 02-21-05 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I HIT A MINI VAN IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. THE ESTIMATED SPEED WAS 35-40 MPH WITH NO BRAKING. THE AIR BAG'S NEVER DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAGS IN THE MINI VAN DEPLOYED BUT NOT IN MY VEHICLE. RESCUE PERSONEL COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE DONE. *AK

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ON IT'S OWN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

IN LIGHT OF THE RECALL OF THE 2000 MODEL OF THE FORD F-150 PICKUPS FOR ENGINE FIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT NHTSA AND FORD TO LOOK AT A POSSIBLE SIMULAR PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 MODEL OF F-150'S. A FEW MONTHS AGO I HAD MY CRUISE CONTROL ON AND AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE DASH CLUSTER. WHEN I DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE OFF BUTTON THE LIGHT WENT OUT. I HAD THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN CONROE CHECK IT OUT AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT OR FIND A PROBLEM. NOW I AM VERY CONCERN THAT MY F-150 MAY ALSO CATCH ON FIRE LIKE THE 2000 YR MODELS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK

IN MAY, 2004 I WAS TRAVELING OUT OF STATE WITH MY MOTHER AND MOTHER IN LAW AND FRIEND WHEN WE BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT TIRES ON MY TRUCK. AFTER FINDING A GARAGE THAT WAS OPEN, WE WERE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THE LUGS: NUTS ON BOTH FRONT WHEELS HAD LOOSENED TO THE POINT OF ALMOST FALLING OFF. THE GARAGE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, AND THEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. GIVING THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 17,000 MILES I FELT LIKE SOME SORT OF RESTITUTION WAS IN ORDER FOR THE TIME AND TROUBLE I HAD UNDERGONE. AFTER MUCH ARGUMENT, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE WHEELS REPLACED, BUT NEVER QUITE FELT SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. IN NOVEMBER, 2004, WHILE GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR CHURCH, MY HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO START THE SAME VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN EXPERIENCING TROUBLE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND WERE SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN UP IN THIS TRUCK. IT ONLY HAD 25,500 MILES ON IT. I WAS FORCED TO UPGRADE TO A NEWER VEHICLE AND INCURRED MORE PAYMENTS WITH THIS NEWER VEHICLE. I HAVE MADE MANY COMPLAINTS TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I FEEL LIKE I AM DUE SOME SORT OF RESTITUTION FOR THE VEHICLE THAT I HAD TO TRADE. I HAD MADE 15 PAYMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND REALLY HAD NO CHOICE. THE ANSWER I RECEIVED FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS THAT NO ONE WOULD OFFER ME A TRADE IN ON A VEHICLE WITH A BLOWN ENGINE. I DISAGREE. THE TIME AND TROUBLE THAT I HAVE HAD TO UNDERGO IS WORTH SOMETHING. TERESA LIMBAUGH. *AK