2003 FORD F-350 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F350. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AMERI-TECH TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CURRENT ESTIMATE FROM HIS INSURANCE COMPANY IS OVER $2,700, WHICH INCLUDES FENDER AND RIM DAMAGE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, THE ABS SYSTEM, AND THE FENDER INNER-LINER. THE DOT NUMBER AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 29,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,100.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY. THE CONTACT HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE GENERAL AMERI-TRAC TIRE. THE TIRE IS A FACTORY TIRE WITH ONLY 29,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET BEEN NOTIFIED. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 29,130 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

UPON LEAVING THE FREEWAY AT 55MPH, I PROCEEDED UP THE EXIT RAMP TO A STOP LIGHT. I BRAKED TO SLOW AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL CREEPING FORWARD AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. I SLAMMED THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC GEARSHIFT INTO PARK AS THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. THE ENGINE ONLY THEN RETURNED TO A NORMAL IDLE. IF ANYONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM OR CONTINUED INTO THE INTERSECTION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALER BUT THEY HAVE YET TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.

DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, TRUCK STARTED CUTTING OUT COULD BARELY GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SWAPPED IN MY SPARE CPS AND TRUCK STARTED RIGHT UP AND I DROVE AWAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. *TR

SALES OF A VEHICLE WITH SUPPORTING VIN DATA NOT MATCHED TO ACTUAL EQUIPMENT RECEIVED. THIS MISMATCHED DATA HAS CAUSED THE WRONGFUL ORDERING AND INSTALLING OF A REPLACEMENT REAR GEAR RATIO THAT DOES NOT MATCH UP WITH THE FRONT RATIO WHILE IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. THIS MISMATCH CAUSES A BIND ON THE TRANSFER CASE WHICH COULD EXPLODE AND CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY. OF COURSE THIS MIGHT BE A ONE TIME PROBLEM, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY UNDER MODERN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES THERE COULD BE AN ENTIRE SERIES OF TRUCK PRODUCED. *JB

FAX FROM (FL) RE FOUR TIRE TREAD SEPARATIONS ON HIS 2003 FORD F350 4X4 LARIAT W/DUAL REAR WHEELS. *TS DOT NUMBERS ADOR 1P6 2202, ADOR 1P6 2802, ADOR 1P6 2202, ADOR 1P6 2202. THE FIRST TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AT 18000 MILES WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVER AT 65 MPH. THE AWNING ON THE TRAILER BEING TOWED WAS DAMAGED. THE SECOND SEPARATION OCCURRED AT 20000 MILES, THE THIRD AT 24000 AND THE FOURTH AT 26000 MILES (CONTINENTAL GENERAL TIRES). *NM

BACKGROUND: ORIGINAL GENERAL TIRES ON 2003 F350 DUAL-TIRE TRUCK, APPROX 30,000 MILES. TIRE SIZE IS LT235/85R16. 1 WEEK PRIOR TO INCIDENT, ALL TIRES WERE ROTATED, BALANCED AND PRESSURE WAS PER MANUFACTURE SPECS AT LOCAL TIRE STORE. FAILURE: AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 1 MILE FROM HOME, LEFT-OUTER REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM BELTS DAMAGING LIGHT WIRING, AND DESTROYING FENDER WELL. (PICTURES CAN BE SENT IF DESIRED). TIRE WAS SENT TO MANUFACTURER. TIRE DID RETAIN AIR AND DID NOT BLOW SINCE IT WAS A DOUBLE TIRE AREA. TIRE WAS REMOVED BY OWNER AFTER REDUCING TIRE PRESSURE AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. SINCE WE WERE UNSURE IF ANOTHER TIRE SEPARATION WAS UPCOMING , WE HAVE REMOVED ALL 6 TIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH ANOTHER BRAND. ESTIMATES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACE FENDER WELL AND WIRING. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE HIT BY THE FLYING DEBRIS, NOR WERE ANY INJURIES INCURRED. *NM

MY 2003 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY TRUCK SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER QUICK WORKING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IT TOOK MONTHS TO GET A REPLACEMENT UNIT FROM FORD BECAUSE (ACCORDING TO THE DEALER) THE UNITS WERE SO BACK-ORDERED DUE TO THE HIGH RATE OF FAILURE OF THIS PARTICULAR ASSEMBLY. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT UNIT. DURING THE MONTHS I DROVE WITHOUT A SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER, THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE HOW FAST I WAS DRIVING NOR ANY ACCURATE MEANS OF KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACTUAL MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER KEPT THE FAULTY UNIT. A VEHICLE WITHOUT A SPEEDOMETER SHOULD BE OUTLAWED. A VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY METHOD OF DETERMINING THE ACTUAL MILEAGE BY WHICH TO MONITOR EPA COMPLIANCE SHOULD ALSO BE OUTLAWED. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, MANY FORD TRUCKS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE OPERATING AT A REDUCED SPEED. THIS WAS INTERMITTENT IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION FOR A MOMENT, THE ENGINE RESTARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE STALLING PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

2003 FORD F-350 DIESEL STALLING. VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. CONDITION STARTED WITHIN THE FIRST 7000 MILES. DEALER SEEMED TO REMEDY AS THE CONDITION NEVER RECURRED UNTIL 37K MILES; NOW, 42K MILES. COMMENCED STALLING IN FEB 2006 AND HAS STALLED 6 TIMES FROM FEB 2006 TO AUGUST 2006. THE SECOND TIME IT STALLED, WE WERE IN FREEZING RAIN IN 4X4 DRIVING MY WIFE TO WORK (SHE DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS) THE VEHICLE STALLED ON TOP OF TALL BRIDGE 300 FT OVER THE WILLAMETTE RIVER IN ICE CONDITIONS. LOST STEERING, HAD TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL WHILE STILL MOVING AND RE-START THE VEHICLE TO RE-GAIN CONTROL. NORMALLY, THE VEHICLE SIMPLY STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND WHILE THIS IS A MAJOR DISTRACTION, I'VE MANAGED TO RE-START WITHOUT INCIDENT. DEALER/FORD HAS BEEN EXCRUCIATING RELUCTANT TO REMEDY. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE RECALLED 180,000 2004-2005 VEHICLES UNDER RECALL 05V27000 7/22/05 FOR THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOM, ENGINE, VEHICLE MODEL, THEY CLAIM TO BE UNAWARE OF THE ABOVE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR NUMEROUS TIMES (6 TIMES) SINCE FEBRUARY 2006. A FLIGHT RECORDER HAS BEEN INSTALLED TWICE TO RECORD COMPUTER DATA. ONCE THEY INDICATED IT WAS AN EGR PROBLEM AND PRESUMABLY REMEDIED. STILL STALLS. GOT ANOTHER STALLING INCIDENT RECORDED ON THE FLIGHT RECORDER (TWICE NOW) BUT APPARENTLY NO GOOD READING. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE (REGIONAL) THREE TIMES NOW AND THEY HAVE SEEMED TO BE MODERATELY HELPFUL, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY. AS IT STANDS NOW, THE DEALER/FORD SERVICE IS IGNORING THE RECALL EXISTS FOR SIMILAR VEHICLES (MY VEHICLE IS AN F-350 6.0 DIESEL WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS, BUT IT IS A 2003 MODEL). THEY WANT ME TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO CONNECT THE FLIGHT RECORDER YET A 3RD TIME AND ALLOW THEM TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AROUND THE 700 OR SO MILES IT TAKES TO GET A READING (PROBABLY A MONTH) AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LIABILITY. *NM