2001 FORD F-250 Complaints

THE TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE PARKED. IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR OVER 13 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. IT DESTROYED ONE CAR ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR COULD NOT SAY EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE AT THE TIME, BUT MADE ME AWARE OF A RECALL ON THAT YEAR OF FORD VEHICLES INVOLVING THE SPEED CONTROL SAFETY DEACTIVATION SWITCH. INFORMATION ON THE RECALL SAYS THAT THE WIRE COULD HEAT UP AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE TRUCK ALONG WITH TWO OTHER VEHICLES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE FIRE.

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON A CITY STREET, THE SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER DESTROYING THE THREADS, COIL PACK AND SPARK PLUG.

SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT.WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY HAD A SPARKPLUG BLOW OUT OF THE ENGINE.LIMPED THE TRUCK HOME SLOWLY WITH GAS FUMES EVERY WERE.VERY DANGEROUS. FORD WONT ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT THEY DO HAVE A FIX.YOUR DOLLARS NOT THERES.THIS IS ALSO THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME.

WIFE WAS DRIVING EAST BOUND ON 580 COMING DOWN WHAT WE CALL THE ALTAMONT PASS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH MODERATE TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS EMPTY SO THE BOUNCING ON THIS FREEWAY IS PRETTY STANDARD. SHE HEARD A LOAD EXPLOSION AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND NOTICED THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE WAS SHREDDED ALONG WITH THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK. PRAISE GOD SHE HAD JUST HAD THE TIRES ROTATED OTHERWISE THIS TIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FRONT AND PULLED HER ACROSS TRAFFIC. HER SPEED WAS IN THE RANGE OF 55-65 MPH WHICH IS TYPICAL FOR HER AND ON THE FREEWAY THIS TIME OF DAY. CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BECAME DETACHED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH A RECALL AND THERE WAS NO DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300,000....UPDATED 01/07/16 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE SEAT BELT WOULD INDEPENDENTLY UNLATCH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE SEAT BELTS. THE TECHNICIAN REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO BE INSPECTED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V227001 (SEAT BELTS) BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

LUCKILY I WAS STOPPED, BUT COULD JUST AS WELL HAVE BEEN ON EXPRESSWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC!!! BRAKELINE RUPTURED, MAYBE RUSTED THROUGH IN RONT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL, PEDAL WENTT O THE FLOOR & ONLY HAD SLIGHT AMOUNT OF BRAKES. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, THEY WERE LESS THAN CONCERNED. SEE ON LINE OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUE. SEEMS MOR OF A PROBLEM THAN THEY WILL ADMIT.

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2011, A KUMHO ROAD VENTURE AT TIRE, SIZE LT235/85R16, DOT K2ORYD4A3508 (MANUFACTURED AT KUMHO?S BINH DUONG PLANT IN VIETNAM IN THE 35TH WEEK OF 2008) SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC TREAD SEPARATION, RESULTING IN SEVERE INJURIES TO THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER OF THE FORD F-250 AND THE DEATH OF HER SON, WHO WAS 32 WEEKS OLD AND STILL IN UTERO. A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST KUMHO TIRE CO., INC. AND KUMHO TIRE U.S.A., INC. IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF KANSAS (CASE NO. 2:13-CV-02393-JTM-TJJ). DURING THE DISCOVERY STAGE OF THE CASE, THE PASSENGER RETAINED TROY COTTLES, A RENOWNED TIRE FAILURE EXPERT. AFTER INSPECTING THE SUBJECT TIRE, MR. COTTLES FOUND THE FOLLOWING DEFECTS IN THE SUBJECT TIRE: (1) INADEQUATE BONDING BETWEEN BELTS (TRAPPED AIR/STEAM BLISTER IMPRESSIONS); (2) PREMATURE OXIDATION OF THE BELT SKIMS; (3) BELTING DEFECTS (COINCIDENTAL BELT ENDINGS, IRREGULAR BELT WIRE SPACING, GAPPED BELT SPLICES, DOG-EARED SPLICES, SNAKING, AND SPREAD CABLES); (4) CORD SHADOWS ON THE INNERLINER; (5) LOW TOP BELT WIDTH TO TREAD WIDTH RATIO; AND (6) INADEQUATE APPLICATION OF NYLON CAP PLIES. AS PART OF HIS WORK ON THE CASE, MR. COTTLES TESTED TWO EXEMPLAR KUMHO ROAD VENTURE AT TIRES OF THE SAME SIZE AS THE SUBJECT TIRE THAT WERE ALSO MANUFACTURED AT KUMHO?S VIETNAM PLANT. BOTH OF THOSE TIRES FAILED IN SIDEWALL FAILURE MODE IN APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES OR LESS UNDER PROPER LOADS, INFLATIONS, AND SPEEDS THAT WERE MONITORED DAILY. SEE ATTACHED TEST REPORTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. THIS INFORMATION IS BEING SUBMITTED BY THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE INJURED PASSENGER, AND WITH HER PERMISSION, IN HOPES THAT THIS TIRE (AND THOSE SIMILAR TO IT) WILL BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED TO ENSURE NO ONE ELSE IS NEEDLESSLY INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THESE DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE TIRES....UPDATED 07/30/15 *BF UPDATED 10/23/2017*CN

WE HAD TRAVELED APROXIMATELY 450 MILES AND ON THE LAST LEG OF A TRIP IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE DRIVER NOTICED ON THE LAST 150 MILES OF THE TRIP THE STEERING WHEEL HAD CHANGED POSITION WHERE THE CENTER OF THE WHEEL NORMALLY WAS HORIZONTAL, WAS NOW 45 DEGREES OFF AND VERTICAL. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON ARRIVAL TO DESTINATION. THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE MOVED AND UNLOADED WHEN THIS WAS ATTEMPTED THE STEERING WHEEL JUST TURNED WITH NOT CONTROL OF THE WHEELS. SO WE WERE UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. AFTER AN INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS PLACED ON A FLOOR JACK TO RAISE THE FRONT END TO LOOK FOR PROBLEMS UNDER THE VEHICLE. AFTER TURNING THE WHEELS MANUALLY IT WAS NOTICED THE ARM THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING BOX WAS LOOSE AT THE ELBOW. AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE SHAFT WAS SHEERED OFF AT THE STEERING BOX. WE WERE LUCK IT FAILED WHEN WE WERE NOT ON THE ROAD. IT MUST DID THE FINAL FAILURE WHEN WE DROVE INTO OUR DRIVE WAY AND PARKED. THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DISASTEROUS ACCIDENT IF THIS HAD FAILED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE MOUNTAIN ROADS WE HAD JUST DRIVEN ON OUR TRIP.

FOR ABOUT 7 MONTHS, MY SON HAS BEEN DRIVING THE 2001 F250 SD UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INSTANCES WHERE THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT HAS UNLATCHED ON ITS OWN. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN BACK TO FORD DEALERSHIP ON 3/7/03 UNDER RECALL 01S21 SEATBELT. "BUCKLES WERE INSPECTED, OK AS PER 01S21, NO REPAIRS NEEDED." WE WERE CHARGED $27.16 FOR THE INSPECTION. TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO DEALERSHIP TODAY (5.27.15). THEY HAVE NO ADVICE FOR US. THERE ARE MANY OPEN COMPLAINTS FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I'VE SEEN THE REPORTS OF MANY INJURIES ALREADY.