2003 FORD F-250 SD Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 2003 FORD F-250 WITH 48950 MILES, AND POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. ALTHOUGH THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE THE FAILURE CONTINUED. SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS THE REPAIR ORDERS FOR THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.*AK THE POWER STEEERIG FAILED TWICE. UPDATED 01/30/07. *JB

THREE CONTINENTAL GENERAL TIRE AMERITRAK'S HAVE FAILED ON MY 2003 F250 SUPERCAB (TIRE TREAD SEPARATION) SINCE JAN. 2006 AND NON-RESPONSIVE CONTINENTAL TIRE HAS FAILED TO CONTACT ME, AS THEY SAID THEY WOULD, TO EXPEDITE RESOLUTION OF MY CLAIM! HERE ARE THE ACTUAL FACTS: IN JAN 06, THE FIRST TIRE, FRONT PASSENGER, FAILED WITH TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. DURING DEALER VEHICLE/TIRE DAMAGE INSPECTION, IT REVEALED THE OTHER FRONT TIRE SHOWED SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION. UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALER REPAIRED ALL BODY DAMAGE (OVER $3000.00) AND REPLACED THE TWO FAILED FRONT TIRES. MY VEHICLE HAD 9600 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER DID THE RIGHT THING. ON 10-26-06 AT 1:33 PM THE 3RD "GENERAL TIRE AMERITRAK" TIRE TREAD ON MY 2003 F250 SUPERCAB SEPARATED, CAUSING OVER $3000.00 IN BODY DAMAGE & AT 16,194 MILES ON THE VEHICLE/TIRES. ON 11-20-06, CONTINENTAL TIRE, NORTH CAROLINA, RECEIVED MY CLAIM (#6300003). ON 11-27-06, CONTINENTAL TIRE RECEIVED THE FAILED TIRE. ON 11-28-06, I E-MAILED AN INQUIRY TO CONTINENTAL. ON 11-29-06, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL AND THE UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE STATED I SHOULD HEAR SOMETHING WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. IT IS NOW 12-13-06 AND I HAVE HEARD NOTHING. MY VEHICLE REMAINS DAMAGED, AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLE TO ME THAT CONTINENTAL IS PERMITTED TO SELL DEFECTIVE "GENERAL" TIRES AND NOT EXPEDITIOUSLY SETTLE CLAIMS STEMMING FROM THOSE DEFECTIVE TIRE FAILURES. IT'S PAST TIME FOR CONTINENTAL TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND RESTORE MY VEHICLE BACK TO PRE-DAMAGE CONDITION. SINCE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION HAS BEEN WELL-ESTABLISHED, HISTORICALLY, CONTINENTAL NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE AFTER-AFFECTS OF THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS . THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS!!! I WAS DRIVING ON BOTH OCCASIONS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. CONTINENTAL IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET ON SETTLING THE DAMAGES. THESE TIRES SHOULD NOT BE ON THE MARKET! HOW CAN CONTINENTAL CONDUCT BUSINESS AS USUAL AND NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAILURES IN THEIR PRODUCT? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER COMING TO A STOP UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED; THE STEERING WOULD NOT TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE BUILD OF THE VEHICLE WAS NORMAL, AND THEREFORE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE CONTACT FOUND COMPLAINTS ONLINE SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS THE VEHICLE HAD. UPDATED 12/5/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JOLT BACKWARDS. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL. THE SPARE TIRE WAS INSTALLED AND THEN THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS BODY DAMAGE REPAIRED. LATER, WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY UP AND DOWN THEN LEFT TO RIGHT. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND WHEEL WELL DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP; THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THE INCIDENT IN SEPTEMBER. THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE WAS ALERTED. THE TIRES WERE SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE BLOWOUTS WERE A RESULT OF IMPACT DAMAGE. UPDATED 07/17/07. *JB

MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2003 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY LONG-BED PICKUP WITH 4 FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S TIRES FILLED TO ABOUT 70PSI (COLD). THE TRUCK WAS CARRYING A LIGHT 8.5' POP-UP TRUCK-CAMPER (2500LBS) AND PULLING A SMALL 18' OPEN-BOW SKI BOAT (2300LBS) ON A SINGLE-AXLE TRAILER (850LBS - MEASURED TONGUE WEIGHT OF BOAT & TRAILER = 260 LBS. WE BEGAN FROM AN RV PARK IN RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM, NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 5. TRAFFIC MODERATE AND WEATHER WAS CLEAR, DRY APPROXIMATELY 95 DEG F. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, WE WERE ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF REDDING, CALIFORNIA, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 58 MPH IN THE RIGHT LANE, WHEN THE TRUCK SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHUDDER. SECONDS LATER THERE WAS A LOUD THUD, AND ALL INDICATIONS OF A RIGHT REAR BLOWOUT. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER AND STOP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED A RIGHT REAR TIRE FAILURE. THE TREAD WAS SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL AND ALL BUT WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE. THE MUD FLAP AND WELL LINING WAS GONE. THE CHROME WHEEL-WELL TRIM WAS MANGLED, THE BED SIDE-PANEL SUPPORT ARM WAS RIPPED AWAY FROM THE BED BODY, AND THE OUTSIDE WALL OF THE TRUCK BED WAS FOLDED UNDER AND BENT AROUND THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS SCRATCHES AND BLACK MARKS ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE BED BODY AND BUMPER. LATER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THE SHOCK JAMMED CLOSED. AFTER REMOVING THE RIPPED TREAD, BLOWN TIRE AND OTHER BROKEN PIECES, I INSTALLED THE SPARE. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PROCEED TO A NEARBY LES SCHWAB TIRE STORE A FEW MILES AWAY. I DECIDED THAT I COULD NOT TRUST THE REMAINING TIRES, SO I PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES, NEW REAR SHOCKS AND HAD THE SHOCK MOUNT REPAIRED AT A TOTAL COST OF $1000. I ASKED SEVERAL TECHNICIANS AS WELL AS THE TIRE STORE MANAGER TO INSPECT THE FAILED TIRE. THEY ALL AGREED THAT THE BLOWN TIRE APPEARED TO FAIL AS A RESULT OF TREAD SEPARATION, RATHER THAN A PUNCTURE OR SIDEWALL FAILURE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE TURBO STARTED TO FLUTTER AND THE TRUCK EITHER STALLED OR ALMOST STALLED. THE VEHICLE STALLED 6 TIMES AND ON TWO OF THE OCCASIONS IT WOULD NOT START. THIS FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER 2004 AND THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS AUGUST 4 2006. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ONLY WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE.

I HAD A NEAR WRECK IN MY 2003 F250 SUPER DUTY CREW CAB, LARRIAT TRIM PACKAGE WHEN THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE ROOF OF THE CAB, AND FELL INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAB LANDING AT MY FEET, AND INTERFERING WITH THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS. NO FIRE OR WRECK, BUT CERTAINLY A NEAR MISS. I AM AWARE THAT THE HARD PLASTIC MOLDING AROUND THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE IS VERY BRITTLE, AND CAN CRACK AND BECOME DISLODGED IN NOT JUST MY TRUCK, BUT MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT I HAVE QUESTIONED REGARDING THIS MATTER. I WAS EVEN INFORMED BY A LOCAL DEALERSHIP THAT THEY CANNOT KEEP THIS ITEM IN STOCK IN THEIR PARTS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE EVERYONE'S OVERHEAD CONSOLES ARE BREAKING. THIS IS A RATHER LARGE PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, AND IS A SAFTEY MATTER THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. OBVIOUSLY THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF PLASTIC USED TO MOLD THIS CONSOLE IS NOT APPROPRIATE, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A MORE PLYABLE, AND LESS BRITTLE MATERIAL, OR IT SHOULD BE BETTER SECURED TO THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE TO AVOID COMPLAINTS SUCH AS THIS. *JB

DAD*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT AND VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED TWO POWER STEERING PUMPS AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. UPDATED 08/14/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, THE SPARK PLUG WAS LYING ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP.

TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE CAUSING A BIG DENT IN FENDER AND CAUSED ME TO LEAVE THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH SPEED. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT FIRESTONE HAD WITH THEIR TIRES. I STILL HAVE THE TIRE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT FOR STUDY (GENERAL TIRE). *NM