2004 FORD F-150 Complaints

IN JUNE 2011, RIGHT PASSENGER WINDOW DROPPED INTO THE DOOR. HAD TO REPLACE WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY. THE SAME HAPPENED IN THE LEFT PASSENGER WINDOW IN OCTOBER 2011, AND THAT WINDOW REGULATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS COMMON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150 EXTENDED CAB. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER CLEANING THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. A PRIVATE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT WATER ENTERED AN EXPOSED MODULE FOR THE FUEL PUMP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 153,000.

I'M DRIVING MY TRUCK WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL START VIBRATING HORRIBLY, LIKE DRIVING OVER A WASHBOARD TYPE OF ROAD. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO STOP IS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, PUT IT IN PARK, WAIT, AND THEN TRY TO RESUME DRIVING. BUT THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO STOP AND CHANGE TO PARK, OR REVERSE, A COUPLE OF TIMES, BEFORE DRIVING AGAIN SO THAT THE VIBRATION GOES AWAY. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND I SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON "FORD OWNER WEBSITES", AND EVERYBODY IS PISSED. NOBODY CAN GET AN ANSWER FROM FORD SERVICE AS TO WHAT IS WRONG. MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPLACED MANY DIFFERENT THINGS (I.E. TRANSMISSION, CLUTCH PADS, BEARINGS, U-JOINTS, EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE OR PADS), ALL TO NO AVAIL. THEY HAVE WASTED THEIR TIME AND MONEY, AND FORD REFUSES TO LIVE UP TO THIS AWFUL AND VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, FORD KNOWS THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH 2004 F-150 TRUCKS, ESPECIALLY, BUT WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT. SOMEONE WROTE ON THE WEB THAT FORD KNOWS THEY HAD A RETOOLING PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS, AND LET THE TRUCKS GO OUT FOR SALE ANYWAY. I AM NOW HAVING THIS PROBLEM MORE OFTEN, AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO FIX MY TRUCK, SINCE OUR ECONOMY IS SO BAD AND HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR YEARS. MAKE FORD TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS RECALL PROBLEM! *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND HAD JUST PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE SUDDEN SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE CAB OF THE TRUCK. WHEN I GOT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD AND THE COIL PACK WAS DAMAGED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD THAT FORD DECIDED TO USE ONLY HAD THREE THREADS TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUG IN PLACE AND THAT THE PLUGS SEEMED TO BLOW OUT OF 1997-2004 MODELS. THEY COULD USE A HELICOIL TO REPAIR THE THREADS BUT THEY COULDN'T MAKE ANY GUARANTEES ABOUT THE REPAIR. AFTER I HAD IT REPAIRED I DISCOVERED THOUSANDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE OF SPARK PLUGS BEING BLOWN OUT OF THE HEADS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVING TO REPLACE THE HEADS ON THEIR VEHICLES. I SPOKE TO A BUDDY OF MINE IN TOPEKA WHO TOLD ME OF HIS NEIGHBOR WHO JUST BOUGHT A USED 2004 MODEL FORD TRUCK AND HAD AN ENGINE FIRE BECAUSE OF THIS SAME ISSUE. I GOT LUCKY WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR BUT BECAUSE OF THE POOR CONSTRUCTION DESIGN OF THIS HEAD, THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY OF COURTESY COVERAGE. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY LOOKED AT AS A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL OF A FIRE HAZARD AND A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD WHEN THIS OCCURS, THEY CAN BE SERIOUSLY HURT BY FLYING DEBRIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,076.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY F150 WITH A 5.4 TRITON MOTOR. THE TRUCK HAS SOME VALVE TRAIN NOISE THAT I FEAR WILL GET WORSE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL. I FOUND THAT FORD ISSUED TWO DIFFERENT TSB'S RELATED TO THIS VERY PROBLEM WHICH ADVISED THEIR TECHNICIANS OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW TO FIX IT DOWN TO THE PARTS REQUIRED. IT WAS SUCH A PROBLEM THAT FORD UPDATED THE PARTS TO BE REPLACED IN MAY 2005 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE TSB ISSUED BY FORD. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS KIND OF VALVE TRAIN NOISE AT 75000 MILES. I FEEL FORD ONLY TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR THOSE THAT COMPLAINED UNDER WARRANTY AND FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX AN ENGINE PROBLEM THEY KNEW HAD FAULTY PARTS AND IS EVIDENT BY THEIR TSB RELEASES. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD, BUT MY COMPLAINT HAS FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. THEY WANT ME TO SINK $1500-$2000 INTO A FIX THAT I FEEL THEY KNEW ABOUT BUT CHOSE TO IGNORE. FORD SHOULD, INSTEAD, RECALL THE TRUCKS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS ENGINE. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME. *KB

TRUCK WOULD NOT START EVEN THOUGH LIGHTS, DASH INDICATORS, & RADIO CAME ON. CHECKED UNDER HOOD & THEN PLACED IN NEUTRAL TO TRY & START. VEHICLE STARTED IN NEUTRAL. PLACED VEHICLE IN PARK AND UPON TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE, VEHICLE LURCHED BACKWARD (IN REVERSE) ALMOST GOING OVER AN EMBANKMENT WHEN I SLAMMED BRAKES. VEHICLE SHIFT INDICATOR SHOWED IT IN PARK BUT, TRANSMISSION WAS ACTUALLY STILL IN REVERSE. COULD NOT GET SHIFT TO ENGAGE INTO PARK. PLACED VEHICLE INTO GARAGE WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE SECURED UNTIL COULD DETERMINE PROBLEM. RESEARCH INDICATED FORD HAD A RECALL (RECALL - #97V171000) FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE ON 1997-1998 MODELS ONLY. BUT, APPARENTLY IT IS STILL A PROBLEM ON LATER MODELS. COULD NOT FIND A RECALL ON 2004 MODEL. NOTE THAT THIS CONDITION ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN GIBBS ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE A 2011 VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM WEBASTO TO NORTH AMERICA, INC FOR VEHICLE SUNROOF GLASS PANELS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE SUNROOF DID NOT OPEN. THE CONSUMER THEN RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL, REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, HE WAS INFORMED THE SUNROOF WOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE EVEN IF IT DIDN'T OPEN. THE PARTS WERE SHIPPED TO AN AUTHORIZED COMPANY TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS. HOWEVER, WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, HE WAS TOLD HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE SUNROOF OPENED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AGAIN, THEY STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET THE SUNROOF OPENED, AND THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE PARTS TO BE INSTALLED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND A TUNE-UP. SIX OF THE EIGHT SPARK PLUGS THAT WERE BEING REPLACED FRACTURED DURING THE REPAIR. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON IN THE PARTICULAR MODEL BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED THAT THE SPARKS PLUG BE REPLACED EVERY 100,000 MILES BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT SPARK PLUGS SHOULD NEVER BE IN A VEHICLE FOR THAT LONG OF A PERIOD BEFORE BEING REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 01/25//12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY AN AUTO MECHANIC, NOT THE DEALER, BECAUSE THEIR PRICE WAS EXCESSIVE.UPDATED 04/18/12

TRUCK WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT AT 5:45 AM ON 12/17/2011 AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 4 PM SEVERAL EMPLOYEES AND I HEARD WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SOMEONE'S ALARM GOING OFF. THEY WENT TO PARKING LOT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND SAW FLAMES INSIDE MY TRUCK AROUND THE DASHBOARD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE NOISE WAS ACTUALLY THE HORN BLOWING. WE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE DOOR, WE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UPON ARRIVAL THEY PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN PARKED ALL DAY & I NEVER ENTERED IT AFTER I ARRIVED AT WORK. THE TRUCK IS DESTROYED. *TR