1999 FORD F-350 Complaints

DT: BOUGHT TRUCK 11-15-01. SINCE THEN YOU HAVE HAD REPAETED PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT HUB BEARINGS. THE 1ST TIME THEY WENT OUT WAS 12-12-01, AGAIN ON 2-11-02, AND 2-14-02. AGAIN 4-23-03. NOW CURRENTLY OUT AGAIN. IN THE PAST FORD HAS WORKED WITH THIS ISSUE, NOW WILL NOT. 3-15-05 NEW ENGINE WAS INSTALLED, NOW HAS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND KNOCKING NOISES. DEALER IS REFUSING REPAIRS UNLESS PAYS OUT OF POCKET.

THE FUEL PUMP ON 1999 F350 4X4 WITH 38800 MILES [XXX] STRANDED ME AND THE FAMILY AFTER TRAVELLING 80 MILES DRIVING AT 65MPH NEAR MORRIS, IL. REQUIRED A TOW TRUCK THAT TOOK OVER 2 HOURS TO GET US. I AM A DIABETIC AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BEING STRANDED MY BLOOD SUGAR WAS TOO LOW. TOWED TO THE FORD GARAGE AND TECHS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AT A COST OF $680, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT 7 OTHER FORD VEHICLES WERE TOWED IN WITH FUEL PUMP FAILURES. HE CALLED FORD TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT FORDS FAULT BUT TOO HIGH OF A ALCOHOL LEVEL IN THE LOCAL GAS. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE AS MY WIFES JEEP USES THE SAME FUEL THAT I DO AND HER CAR DID NOT HAVE A FUEL PUMP FAILURE.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TRUCK HAS 56K MILES ON IT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A COUPLE OF MILES FROM HOM EWHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG OR POP NOISE WHICH SHOOK THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK THEN CONTINUED MAKING A LOUD NOISE, SHE DROVE BACK HOME AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE ENGINE, I DETERMINED THAT A COIL PACK HAD BLOWN OFF. THE SPARK PLUG WAS ALSO ATTACHED TO IT SO THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, AV FORD AND THEY SAID MORE THAN LIKELY IT'S WHAT THEY CALL A 'BLOWN PLUG'. THEY ESTIMATED THE HEAD SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE THIS WOULD STRIP THE THREADS OF THE HEAD. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT BOTH HEADS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5800 BECAUSE OTHERWISE I MIGHT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH THE FORD V10 ENGINES FROM ABOUT 1999-2003. I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF OTHER FORD SERVICE TECHS AT OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND THEY AGREED THAT IT'S A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT FORD IS NOT RECOGNIZING OR DOING ANYTHING ABOUT. I CALLED FORD CONSUMER RELATIONS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DEFECT AND THEY SAID BEFORE THEY CAN HELP ME, I NEED TO HAVE THE DEALER OFFICIALLY LOOK IT OVER. THE TRUCK IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WANT $5800 TO FIX IT. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED OR EVEN THOUSANDS OF POSTS ONLINE OF OTHER FORD OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE V10 ENGINE. THE DEFECT IS THAT THE ALUMINUM HEADS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH THREADS TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS SECURELY AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL VIBRATE LOOSE ENOUGH TO BLOW OUT CAUSING UNREPAIRABLE DAMAGE TO THE HEAD.

THE FRONT RIMS HAD CRACKS ON THEM. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT TIRES TO LOSE AIR PREMATURELY. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE RIMS/TIRES. *AK

WHILE4 DRIVING AT 40 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE SPARK PLUG FAILURE. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK THE CYLINDER HEAD FAILED. THE SPARK PLUG FELL OUT OF THE ENGINE. *TC

WHEN ACCELERATING VEHICLE SLIPPED GEAR OR JERKED FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, AND ABOUT 50 MILES LATER THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. *AK *SC

A BRAKE LINE LEADING TO THE REAR WHEELS CORRODED/ERUPTED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING. THE DEALER/ MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THERE WERE TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILD PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE DURING THE INCIDENT. *AK *TS *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. THE CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER REAR TIRED BLEW OUT. *AK THE TREAD SEPARATION REPEATED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. *SC