2003 FORD F-150 Complaints

THE CONSUMER FEELS, "THAT THE POSITION OF THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH POSES A SAFETY RISK. A CHILD OR AN ANIMAL CAN ACTIVATE THE SWITCH JUST BY STICKING THEIR HEAD OUT OF THE WINDOW." THE CONSUMER'S DOG WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE SWITCH AND ALMOST CRUSHED HIS HEAD IN THE WINDOW. *LA THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS DISCONTINUED IN THE 2003 MODEL. *SC *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT VEHICLE WAS USING A LOT OF OIL. IT USED A QUART OF OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. VEHICLE HAD NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE TIE ROD ENDS NOR ON THE STEERING. THIS MADE THEM SQUEAK. SUBSEQUENTLY WITHOUT THE GREASE FITTINGS THESE PARTS WILL DROP OUT . CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER TOLD HIM THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A COUPLE OF HOURS TO REPAIR VEHICLE. BUT WHEN CONSUMER CALLED BACK HE WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE ON BACK ORDER. IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS TO GET THEM. CONSUMER INSISTED VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE, AND CONSUMER WAS AFRAID SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.*AK

TIRES WERE SHOWING WEAR ON OUTER EDGES AT 4,000 MILES. I ROTATED AT THAT TIME. THEY CONTINUED TO SHOW WEAR. HAD TRUCK ALIGNED AT 12,000 BUT IT REALLY WASN'T OUT OF ALIGNMENT. FORD SAYS THAT IS NORMAL AND WE ARE TURNING TOO MUCH AND THAT IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE WEAR. *JB

2003 FORD F-150 SUPER CREW, HOWLING/WHINING NOISE FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL DURING ACCELLERATION. NOISE ONLY OCCURRES BETWEEN THE SPEED OF 40MPH AND 60MPH, MOST NOTICABLE AT 50 MPH.*AK SO FAR DEFECT HAS NOT CAUSED OPERATIONAL FAILURE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO ATTENTION OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHO SOLD ME THE TRUCK. FIRST ATTEMPT TO REPAIR RESULTED IN NO WORK PERFORMED, NOISE CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE BY FORD SPECS. SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT (AFTER WRITING TO DEALERSHIP) RESLULTED IN SERVICE MANAGER DIAGNOSING A RING AND PINION GEAR PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE RING AND PINION GEAR 3/30/2004. PROBLEM REOCCURED AFTER 4 WEEKS, ADDITIONAL ATTEMPT TO REPAIR RESULTED IN ORIGINIAL CONCLUSION THAT NOISE WAS ACCEPTABLE PER FORD SPECS. INCONSISTENT PATTERN OF REPAIR WITH PROBLEM STILL EXISTING.

HOWLING NOISE IN REAR DIFFERENTIAL. REAR DIFFERENTIAL REPLACED TWICE. NOISE CONTINUES. FORD NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR REAR DIFFERENTIAL BECAUSE OF COMPLETE OVERHAUL TWICE. FORD NOW SAYS NOISE IS "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT TRUE AS I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER IDENTICAL VEHICLES WITHOUT THE NOISE. NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER REPAIRS ARE MADE FOR ABOUT 6000 MILES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH AND TRYING TO AVOID A MERGING VEHICLE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE BUT BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING PROPERLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE EMPLOYED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE AWAITING AN EXAMINATION. *AK THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED AND CAUSED THE COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. *SC

PINGING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE, HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN TWICE WITH NO RESOLVE. BOUGHT TRUCK NEW IN JAN 03, HAVE 29,000MI ON IT. FIRST THEY REPLACED THE MAF STILL HEARD NOISE, THEN SECOND TRY THEY REPROGRAMED THE COMPUTER. SERVICE MANAGER STATED IT MIGHT BE COMING FROM FUEL INJECTORS. SOUND HEARD ON ACCELERATION AT ALL SPEEDS GREATER UNDER LOAD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH THE CONSUMER FELT A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE LUG NUTS HAD BACKED OFF OF THE SCREWS. THE DEALER CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MALFUNCTION. *NM

THE REAR END SUSPENSION IS GOING OUT PER THE DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD HUMMING NOISE AT 50 MPH. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON A SMOOTH SURFACE ROAD, VEHICLE MADE A LOUD CLUNG NOISE THAT FELT LIKE THE SUSPENSION DROPPED. DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHICLE 3 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, AND REPLACED THE BEARINGS AND OTHER SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. A FACTORY ENGINEER ALSO INSPECTED VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT THERE' WAS NO SOLUTION THIS ISSUE, AND TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY. *AK

2003 FORD 150 EXT CAB 4X4 TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WITH A LIGHT LOAD. AS THE TRUCK WAS SHIFTED FROM 3RD TO 4TH THE DRIVE LINE BROKEN IN HALF AND BEGAN POUNDING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE DAMAGING THE FUEL TANK AND EXHAUST SYTEM. THE DRIVER CLAIMS THE CLUTCH WAS NON RESPONSIVE AND THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF BURNED CLUTCH HAS THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. FORD REP IS CLAIMING DAMAGE IS THE RESULT OF ABUSE AND/OR PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE DRIVELINE BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED BY DEALERSHIP (THE FORD REP DID NOT PHYSICALLY INSPECT). THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO OPINION OF WHY THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND HAS CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A FAILURE. I DO NOT FEEL THAT THERE IS DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT FORD'S POSITION AND THEY ARE SIMPLY ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A WARRANTY CLAIM. OF EVEN DEEPER CONCERN IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT OTHER F150'S COULD EXPERIANCE THE SAME FAILURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE. *AK