2001 FORD F-250 Complaints

ON NOVEMBER 20TH I CAME HOOME HOME FROM SHOPPING AROUND 8:30PM ,PAPRKED IN DRIVEWAY ,TURNED TRUCK OFF WENT INSIDE TOOL CARE OF DOGS WENT OUT T TRUCK TO GET PACKAGES.CAME IN WENT TO BED AROUND 10:00PM. MY HUSBAND CAME HOME FROM WORK AT 1:30AM PARKED IN DRIVEWAY SDIDNT NOTICE ANYTHING . SUNDAY MORING NOVEMBER 21ST WENT TO START TRUCK(8:55 AM) TO WARM UP BEFORE GOING TOP GET THE PAPER , AND WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR TO THE TRUCK IT SMELT AND WAS BLACK , THE DASH MELTED I CALLED THE POLICE AND THEY CALLED THE FIRE COMPANY THE FIRE WAS OUT .I MADE A POLICE REPORT AND THE FIRE MARSHAL MADE A REPORT ,WHICH HE CONCLUDED THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SWICH . LATER THAT WEEK THE INSURANCE MAN CAME LOOKED AT TRUCK AND SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A TOTAL LOSS,WHICH I JUST RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD, THEY CAN NOT HELP ME DEAL WITH THE INSURANCE CO.IT WOULD COST ABOUT 12,000. TO FIX AND THE BOOK VALUE IS 23,000.BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE WIRING FROM THE 4X4 SWICH IS WHAT STARTED THE FIRE .I PLAN ON GOING TO FORD WITH THIS BEING THEY DIDNT SEND ANYONE OUT TO LOOK AT MY TRUCK BUT ARE SAYING THEY CANT HELP ME .*AK

AFTER NOTICING DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL ITEMS REMAINING ENERGIZED AFTER THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF I BEGAN DOING SOME RESEARCH. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE LOCAL FORD DEALER IS THAT THE WINDSHIELD SEALANT COMPOUND USED WAS OF POOR QUALITY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. OVERTIME THIS ALLOWS WATER TO SEEP IN AROUND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND DRAINS INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH AREA. THIS LOCATION HOUSES THE FUSE PANEL AND GEM (GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE). THE WATER THAT ENTERS THE FUSE PANEL AND GEM CAUSES BOTH UNITS TO SHORT OUT, AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A FIRE. THE EARLY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM ARE THE AC FAN RUNNING WITH THE IGNITION OFF, THE CLOCK ON THE RADIO FLASHING WHEN IT SHOULD BE OFF (IGNITION OFF), AND THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS, AND POWER MIRRORS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. FORD DEALERS ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND STATE THAT THOUGH FORD MOTOR COMPANY ADMITS USING POOR QUALITY SEALANT, THEY REFUSE TO FIX ANY OF THE FUSE BOXES OR GEMS. WHILE INSPECTING THE UNDERSIDE OF MY DASH I HAVE ALSO NOTED THAT THE LINKAGE FOR THE BRAKES, PASSING THROUGH THE FIREWALL, IS EXTREMELY RUSTY. EVENTUALLY THIS RUST COULD CAUSE AN OWNER TO EXPERIENCE BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED BY A BROKEN LINKAGE. *AK

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL TIRE FAILURES. *NM THE FIRST VEHICLE TIRE SEPARATION OCCURED AT 16900 MILES. BOTH FAILURES CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSTABLE AND WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. FIRESTONE REPLACED BOTH TIRES WITH THE SAME MODEL TIRE. *TC

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 75 MINUTES AND A PASSERBY NOTICED SMOKE AND ALERTED CONSUMER, WHO SAW FLAMES FROM LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY BY CONSUMER. DAMAGE LIMITED TO AREA WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES OF BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BURNED OFF ON MASTER CYLINDER. CONSUMER STATED THAT CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. #13 FUSE FOUND OPERATING. *AK

UPON JACKING THE VEHICLE UP TO CHANGE THE TIRE THE TRUCK FAILED. THE JACK WAS NOT BUILT CORRECTLY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT DRIVER'S FRONT TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER, THE PASSENGER'S REAR AND DRIVER'S REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. *AK

THE TREAD ON THE TIRES WORE OUT. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAD 26,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. *AK *SC *JB

WHILES DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE CONSUMER HEARD AND BIG BANG NOISE, AND WITHOUT ANY OTHER WARNING, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FLOOR MANAGER STATED IT WOULD COST $3,400. THE CONSUMER SEARCHED THE NHTSA WEB SIDE, AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER SAW THE SPARK PLUG WAS DEFECTIVE, AND DROVE HOME. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE TRANSMISSION WAS DOWN SHIFTING HARD AND MAKING A BANG NOISE,WHILE SLOWING DOWN.ON 7-18-04 WHEN RETURNING FROM THE SOCCER FIELDS WITH MY 2 KIDS IN THE F-250 PICK-UP ,THE TRANS TRIED TO LOCKUP A COUPLE OF TIMES.PROCEDING THOUGH INTERSETION INSTEAD OF UP SHIFTING. IT TRIED TO DOWNSHIFT AND STOP.EVERY STOP SIGN OR LIGHT THIS HAPPENED.3 TIMES I HAD TO PULL OVER AND PUT IN NEUTRAL.MY DAUGHTER WAS SO SCARED SHE KEPT ASKING TO JUST WALK HOME.NOW THE TRUCK WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS,UNLESS MANUALLY SHIFTED AND STILL SLIPS BADLY.THE F-250 HAS ONLY 52960 MILES 90% HIGHWAY MILES,ONLY TOWED A COUPLE OF SNOWMOBLES TWICE.*AK