2001 FORD F-350 Complaints

SPARK PLUGS BLEW OUT? TRUCK IS NOW SITTING AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS TRUCK FOR 8 MONTHS AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING ON ANY VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS.

I NOTICED A PULL TO THE LEFT ON MY 2001 FORD F350 WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL TIRES LT 265 75R 16 THINKING IT WAS AIR PRESURE RELATED THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT I CHECKED THE PRESURE IN ALL TIRES AND ALL HAD REQUIRED PRESURE, SO I THOUGHT THERE MAY BE AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. THE NEXT DAY THE LEFT FRONT TIRE FAILED WITHOUT NOTICE WHILE TRAVELING 70MPH DOWN THE TURNPIKE CAUSING SIGNIFIANT DAMMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AN ALMOST A CATASTROPHIC CRASH. UPON INSTALLING THE SPARE THE PULL TO THE LEFT DISAPPEARED, THUS NO ALIGMENT ISSUE THE TIRE MUST HAVE BEEN ON IT'S WAY TO FAILURE CAUSING THE PULL TO THE LEFT. THE TREAD SEAPRATED FROM THE TIRE COMPLETLY, BUT THE TIRE SILL HELD PRESURE.

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN BECAUSE CAM SHAFT SENSOR FAILED. CAM SHAFT SENSOR WORE OUT BEFORE ALL THE OTHER THINGS BECAME DEFECTIVE AND IT KILLED THE ENGINE. CONTACTED FORD, THEY SAID THIS DID HAPPEN, AND THE ONLY THING THEY DO WAS REPLACE THE SENSOR. *AK

VEHICLE HAS 85,600 MILES, 95% OF WHICH ARE HIGHWAY MILES, 10% OF WHICH WERE PULLING AN 8,000 POUND TRAILER. NO SIGNS OF TROUBLE UNTIL PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN LAST NIGHT WITH NO LOAD. TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT IN MY E04 TRANSMISSION WAS A LITTLE ERRATIC WITH A CLUNKING NOISE. SOON AFTER, IT DIDN'T WANT TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WITHOUT ME BACKING WAY OFF OF THE THROTTLE AND THEN IT SHIFTED HARD INTO 2ND. ALL SHIFT POINTS SEEM TO BE VERY SLIGHTLY HIGHER. NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS EXCEPT IN 1ST GEAR. EVEN MODERATE ACCELERATION FROM A STOP WITH NO LOAD PRODUCES ERRATIC ENGAGEMENT PROBLEMS. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE FORD 5-YEAR, 75,000 MILE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER, 100,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY THAT I BOUGHT WITH THE TRUCK WON'T COVER THE TRANSMISSION SINCE IT IS NOT CONSIDERED PART OF THE "POWER TRAIN". IT IS CONSIDERED, INSTEAD, PART OF THE "DRIVE TRAIN." THIS IS VERY MISLEADING AND FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE TRANSMISSIONS. I HAD TO PAY $96.00 FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS, THEN ANOTHER $96.00 TO TEAR INTO IT AND PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ''ONE-WAY CLUTCH'' HAD FAILED AND FILLED THE TRANSMISSION WITH BITS OF METAL. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TRYING TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION BUT, INSTEAD, REPLACE IT WITH A REMANUFACTURED UNIT. THEY DID INDICATE THAT FORD HAS REDESIGNED THE NEWER ONE-WAY CLUTCHES AND SOME OTHER COMPONENTS TO BE STRONGER AND THOSE WOULD ALREADY BE INSTALLED IN THE REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. THE COST: $3,400 PLUS TAX WITH A 3-YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THREE MORE BUSINESS DAYS IN THE SHOP. THIS IS MY LAST FORD VEHICLE.

VEHICLE: FORD TYPE: F350 DIESEL 7.3L - 2001 ISSUE: THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START. CAUSE OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO IDM MODULE (INJECTOR MODULE) AS FROM THE FORD DIAGOSTIC SHEET (CODE P1298); THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED BY THE FORD DEALER, BEING BLAMED ON LOW VOLTAGE BATTERIES. THE "DEAD" BATERIES WERE A CAUSE OF THE IDM MODULE (ENGINE WOULD TURN BUT NO FUEL INJECTION PRESENT). AT THIS MOMENT THE IDM MODULE WAS STILL NOT REPLACED, AND FORD STILL BLAMES THE BATTERIES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTOR DUE TO THE FACT THA T IT MAY OCCUR ON A HWY., AND A HEAVY TRUCK LIKE A F350 CAN NOT BE STOPPED INSTANTLY. ALSO THIS MAY CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING AND POWER BRAKES.

THE VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES. FRONT AND REAR WHEELS SPUN. DEALER FOUND NO DEFECTS.*AK *BF *NM

I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING AND BRAKES.AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING MY STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP AND BE VERY JERKY,AT TIMES THE STEERING WHEEL WILL GO BACK AND FORTH VERY FAST AND YOU CANNOT HOLD WHEEL STRAIGHT.I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES IN A WEEK FOR THIS PROBLEM THEY REPLACED BALL JOINTS,STEERING STABILIZER AND TIERODENDS.THE PROBLEM STILL EXSIST AND I HAVE CALLED DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ARE UNSURE OF WHAT ELSE IT COULD BE.THE BRAKES ARE ALSO LOCKING UP WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN STOPPED THERE IS ALOT OF SMOKE FROM BOTH REAR BRAKES.AGAIN THIS IS NOT ALL THE TIME SO DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT FIX THIS AS WELL.I AM VERY CONCERNED I HAVE A FAMILY THAT IS IN THIS VEHICLE AND BOTH OF THESE ISSURES ARE SAFTEY.

RECALL 03T002000 CONCERNING FIRESTONE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. WHILE THE COMPANY REPAIR SHOP WAS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE MECHANIC NOTICED A FOOT LONG CRACK ALMOST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE. THE CRACK INDICATED THAT THE TREAD APPEARED TO BE SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE. FORD, F350 SUPER DUTY 2001. FIRESTONE TIRE, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE LT265/75R16, DOT # VNW81XL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *BF *NM

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT. CONSUMER CAME OUT THE NEXT MORNING., ENTERED THE VEHICLE, STARTED IT, WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE, AND UPON RETURNING THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35-45 MPH, MY 2001 F-350 FORD CREW CAB,4-WHEEL DRIVE DUALLY PICKUP TRUCK CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP WITH A LOUD EXPLOSION. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN HOME AS I WAS ONLY ABOUT 1-1 1/5 MIIES FROM MY HOUSE, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, RICART FORD. LOOKING UNDER THE TRUCK, I NOTICED A LARGE, GAPPING WHOLE IN THE GEAR BOX ON THE FRONT AXLE. IT APPEARED THAT THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE HOUSING, BLOWING A WHOLE IN THE METAL. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY (51,178 MILES) AND FORD WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. RICART REPLACED THE FRONT AXLE WITH A USED ONE FROM A JUNKYARD FOR $3478.21. GIVEN THEIR EXTIMATE FOR A NEW AXLE, MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED WITH A USED ONE. I HAD TO RENT A CAR WHICH COST $426.99. I HAVE KEPT A LOG OF MY CONTACTS WITH RICART AND THE ONLY CONTACT WITH THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE WHICH I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUMMARIZE. I ALSO HAVE THE DAMAGED FRONT AXLE AND HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL DIGITAL PHOTOS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH HOW THINGS HAVE GONE THUS FAR. FOR EXAMPLE, IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO HEAR FROM FORD. IN FACT, RICART AVOIDED GIVING ME A NAME TO CONTACT. EVEN AFTER BEING CONTACTED BY THE FORD REP, I ASKED FOR A CONTACT ABOVE HIM AND HE INFORMED ME THAT EVEN IF I CONTACTED THE PRESIDENT, IT WOULD COME BACK TO HIM FOR THE DECISION. WHEN I ASKED FOR HIS PHONE NUMBER, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A PHONE AND I COULD REACH HIM THROUGH THE DEALER. HAD THIS OCCURRED WITH MY WIFE AND 4 YEAR OLD TWINS IN THE TRUCK AND THE TRUCK VEERED INTO ON-COMING TRAFFIC, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT AVENUE OF RELIEF.