2003 FORD F-150 Complaints

PURCHASED THE 2003 F-150USED FROM HERTZ RENTAL AT 22,00O MILES. WITHIN 2000 MILES, A GRATING SOUND BEGAN TO OCCUR PERIODICALLY. BASICALLY, AFTER YOU ARE AT A STOP OR COMPLETE A TURN, THE TRUCK WILL MAKE THIS GRINDING SOUND AS YOU ACCELERATE. IT LASTS FOR A SECOND OR SO AND SOUNDS AND FEELS LIKE YOU RAN OVER A CATTLE GUARD. IT DOES IT SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS. ALSO, THE TRUCK WILL SOMETIMES DROP ITS IDLE TO 100 WHILE STOPPED AND ALMOST DIE. ALSO THE AIR CONDITIONING MAKES A LOUD GROANING TYPE WHILE WHEN YOU FIRST TURN IT ON. YOU HAVE TO TURN THE TRUCK OFF AND BACK ON TO MAKE IT STOP. IVE HAD THE VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AND ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP 8 TIMES. EACH TIME THEY TELL ME THEY CANT FIND A PROBLEM. I DONT BELEIVE THIS CONSIDERING THERES MANY OTHERS ON HERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. IVE CALLED CUSTOMER ASSITANCE AND THEY JUST SAY GO TO THE DEALER. ITS GOT 30,000 MILES ON IT. MY WARRANTY TIME IS RUNNING OUT. I CANT SELL IT BECAUSE ID HAVE TO TAKE A LOSS ON IT. FORD HAS HUNG ME OUT TO DRY. PLEASE PLEASE HELP. MY WIFE AND I CANNOT AFFORD THIS KIND OF FINANCIAL HIT. I DONT EXPECT A NEW TRUCK, I JUST WANT MY TRUCK FIXED SO I CAN TRUST IT.*AK

ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN THE CONSUMER PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL 3 MORE TIMES TO STOP VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS ALWAYS HAPPENED WHEN THE BRAKE PARTS GET WET. *AK *SC *JB

I PURCHASED MY FORD F150 ON DECEMBER 29, 2002 FROM SUNRISE FORD IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA. I RETURNED IT IN MARCH 2003 BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ODD CLUNKING, GRINDING AND WHINING SOUND WHEN IT WAS DRIVEN. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEN I TOOK IT BACK ONE MORE TIME IN APRIL OF 2003 AND THEY STILL COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IN MAY 2003, I MOVED TO ARIZONA AND ON MAY 9, 2003 I TOOK IT TO BERGE FORD LOCATED MESA, ARIZONA. THEY TESTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. EVEN THOUGH THEY PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT IT COULD BE THE REAR END THAT HAS THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2003 TO BERGE FORD AND THEY FOUND SEVERAL ITEMS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. ALTHOUGH THEY FIXED THE ITEMS LISTED ON THE SERVICE TICKET, THE TRUCK IS NOT FIXED. THIS VEHICLE OBVIOUSLY HAS A PROBLEM. I WOULD NOT WASTE MY TIME LEAVING WORK TO DEAL WITH SUCH ISSUES IF THE ISSUES DID NOT EXIST. IT TOOK FOUR TIMES TO LOCATE A PROBLEM AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. I TOOK THE CAR TO BERGE FORD ON MAY 26, 2004 AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE AIR FLOW VALVE. I AGAIN TOOK THE VEHICLE IN ON JUNE 1, 2004 AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AGAIN. I BELIEVE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS TRULY A LEMON AND I AM HOPING THAT FORD CAN WORK WITH ME ON THESE ISSUES. I WAS TOLD I DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE LEMON LAW BECAUSE OF MY MILEAGE, BUT THE PROBLEMS STARTED BEFORE I WAS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMIT. IT IS FRUSTRATING TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES FOR OVER A YEAR. IF THERE WERE NOT ANY PROBLEMS THEN WHY WOULD I HAVE RETURNED THE TRUCK 3 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT? I WOULD LOVE TO TRADE IT IN, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE AGAIN BY BEING UPSIDE DOWN. I SPOKE WITH A GENTLEMAN AT BERGE FORD AND HE SAID THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT FORD MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUY THE TRUCK BACK AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED THEM TO DO AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *AK

I PURCHASED A LEFT OVER 2003 FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCK AT CONDIT FORD IN NEWTON, NEW JERSEY. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE ON FRIDAY EVENING MAY 28, 2004 ON SUNDAY MORNING AT 8:00 WHEN I BENT DOWN TO PICK UP A PIECE OF PAPER IN MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED THAT THE UNDER SIDE OF THE REAR BUMPER IS RUSTED FROM SEVERAL SCRATCHES, I WALKED AROUND THE TRUCK AND NOTICED SEVERAL PAINT AND BODY DEFECTS AS FOLLOWS: REAR BUMPER HAS SEVERAL SCRATCHES AND RUST, TOW HOOK IS RUSTED, THE LEFT REAR FENDER HAS CRACKED/RIPPLED FIBERGLASS IN THE SECTION THAT IS NEAR THE BUMPER, THE LEFT DOOR HAS RAISED PAINT BLEMISH AND DENT, THE RIGHT DOOR ON THE INSIDE BY THE DOOR LATCH IS MISSING PAINT, THE RIGHT REAR CAB DOOR IS DEFECTIVE - IT BOWS OUT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THE SALES MANAGER STATED THAT I MUST HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. I MENTIONED THAT WHO CRAWLS UNDER A NEW TRUCK TO SEE IF THE BUMPER IS DAMAGED AND RUSTED AND THAT WITH AN ALL WHITE TRUCK IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO IMMEDIATELY DETECT DAMAGES. AND THAT WHEN A CONSUMER BUYS A NEW VEHICLE IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE NEW VEHICLE IS NEW AND NOT DAMAGED. *AK

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH REAR-SEAT SEATBELT EXTENDERS. THE EXTENDER PROVIDED BY OUR DEALER IS NUMBER F58Z-16611C22-A. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE RECEPTACLE ON THE EXTENDER WILL NOT LATCH ONTO THE SEAT BELT UNLESS THE EXTENDER RECEPTACLE IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OR ABOVE. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE PARTS AND SERVICE FOLKS AT FRIENDLY FORD OF MONROE, MICHIGAN CLAIM THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THERE IS NO OTHER EXTENDER AVAILABLE. THEY HAVE REORDERED THE EXTENDERS SEVERAL TIMES, THINKING THAT MAYBE THEY WERE DEFECTIVE, BUT WE STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE TO WARM UP THE EXTENDERS IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO WORK, AND EVEN THEN THEY WILL NOT LATCH 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY HAVE ALSO TOLD ME THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE. *LA

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE BRAKE DEPRESSED, THE FRONT WHEELS BEGAN TO TURNED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL DOWN A DRIVEWAY. DURING THIS INCIDENT A BABY WAS INJURED. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

DRIVE TRAIN WINE BETWEEN 47 MPH AND 55 MPH IN MY 2003 F-150 SUPPER CREW. THE FORD DEALER REPLACED THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. DEALER CALLED FORD AND FORD SAID BECAUSE I HAVE A SLIDING REAR WINDOW, TONNEAU COVER AND 3.73 REAR END GEARING THESE ITEMS ARE CAUSING THE WINE. THE FORD DEALER SAID THAT IF TRIED TO RUN THIS PROBLEM THROUGH WARRANTY AGAIN FORD WOULD DENY IT. THE DEALER ALSO SAID I SHOULD TAKE THIS PROBLEM TO ANOTHER DEALER.*AK

ODOR OF GASOLINE, CAUGHT ON FIRE. AN INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HAD IGNITED FROM GASOLINE VAPORS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL RAIL HAD CRACKED, CAUSING THE FUEL LEAK.*AK

WHILE PARKED VEHICLE CAME OUT OF GEAR AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL INTO A DITCH. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE BRAKES SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF ON IT'S OWN.. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *NM THE DEALER REPLACED THE VSS AND FOUND OPEN CIRCUIT IN WIRING CONNECTOR. THE DEALER ALSO ADDED BRAKE FLUID BECAUSE IT WAS LOW. *NM