2003 FORD F-350 Complaints

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 65-70 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND HAD THE PROBLEM RESOLVED BY REPLACING THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. CURRENTLY, DEALER INDICATED THAT THE SENSORS WERE DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE WAS BACK AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. *AK THE VEHICLE HAS BROKEN A TOTAL OF 5 DIFFERENT TIMES AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. BACKED TRUCK UP AND THEN WENT TO PULL FORWARD TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE. REPLACED OIL PUMP, GEARS, FILTER & GASKET. 28,330 MILES ON TRUCK. *LA

I WAS DRIVING MY FORD F-350 AND MAKING A TURN. WHEN I WENT TO STRAIGHTEN THE TRUCK OUT, I HAD NO STEERING AND WENT INTO A DITCH AND KNOCKED 2 EVERGREEN TREES DOWN AND RESTED AGAINST A UTILITY POLE. TOO MUCH DAMAGED WAS DONE DURING THE ACCIDENT TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO STEERING. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED OUT.*AK

I PURCHASED MY FORD F350 IN JULY, 2003 FROM LEO KAYTES IN WARWICK, NEW YORK AND HAVE HAD 4 FUEL INJECTORS GO BAD SINCE THEN. I HAVE A $35,000 TRUCK LOAN AND HAVE ONLY PAID 10 MONTHS ON THIS TRUCK. I AM A SOLE PROPRIETOR AND HAVE A FAMILY TO SUPPORT. EACH TIME MY TRUCK GOES INTO THE DEALERSHIP, I LOSE ACCOUNTS AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ON 7/4/04 AND 7/7/04, A FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE GENERAL MANAGER AT LEO KAYTES FORD DEALER IN WARWICK, NY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FORD IS HAVING AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THEIR FUEL INJECTORS IN THE 6.0 LITER ENGINE. AFTER MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A FIRST MASSIVE RECALL IN APRIL, 2003 FOR 66,720 TRUCKS FORD SOLD WITH THE 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE TO REPLACE THE FUEL INJECTION CONTROL PRESSURE SENSOR. IVE ALSO LEARNED THERE WERE NEARLY 500 BUYBACKS OF TRUCKS WITH ENGINES SO BADLY FLAWED THAT THEY COULDNT BE FIXED. APPARENTLY, A BATCH OF FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS LEAKED SO MUCH DIESEL FUEL THAT FUEL FILLED THE CRANKCASE, CAUSING ENGINES TO SEIZE. THERE WERE ALSO GLITCHES WITH THE TURBOCHARGER AND ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE. LEO KAYTES REPRESENTATIVES HAVE STATED THAT THE BEST APPROACH IS TO REPLACE ALL THE FUEL INJECTORS BUT ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD MOTOR CORPORATION WILL NOT HONOR SAME UNDER THE WARRANTY. MY RESEARCH HAS ALSO REVEALED THAT MANY DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINES FOR CUSTOMERS AND THAT FORD HAS BOUGHT BACK TRUCKS. MY CHIEF CONCERNS ARE WHO WILL BEAR THE FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR FUTURE FAULTY INJECTORS ONCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT MY ENGINE COULD CEASE IF CAREFUL AND COMPLETE REPAIRS TO THIS ENGINE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AS OF THIS WRITING. TO DATE, THE DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO MAKE REPAIRS AS A BAND-AID FIX AND ARE NOT FINDING THE SOURCE OF WHAT IS CAUSING THESE INJECTORS TO GO BAD. AS A RESULT, I ANTICIPATE FUTURE FAILURES.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP. VEHICLE WOULD TURN LEFT BUT WILL NOT TURN RIGHT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR BOX. CONSUMER HAS YET TO TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, CONSUMER WANTED ON RECORD THAT THE STEERING BOX DEFECTION SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES,THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT HOME. THE DRIVER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER NEXT WEEK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE FAILED TO GAIN SPEED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. DEALER REPLACED COMPUTER AND A COUPLE OF SENSORS, HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL RECURRED. *AK

JANUARY, 2004, THE FIRST "REAL" LOAD IN MY NEW 2003 FORD F-350 "SUPER DUTY" TRUCK, WAS MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHR. IT LOADED WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEMS. ON OFF-LOADING OF THE MOTORCYCLE, AS THE REAR TIRE ROLLED ONTO THE LEADING EDGE (LOWER EDGE) OF THE TAILGATE, THE TAILGATE CRUSHED. I SPOKE WITH THE PURCHASING DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER WHO AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNUSUAL AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. HOWEVER, HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE TAILGATE. I WAS REFERRED TO THE FORD FACTORY SERVICE "REP." HE AGREED THAT HE DIDN'T THINK THE TAILGATE SHOULD HAVE FAILED, BUT HAD NO BASIS FOR WARRANTY. THE TWO SERVICE MANAGERS REFERRED ME TO THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TWICE, HOPING TO GAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD HAS TAILGATE SPECS AVAILABLE TO THE DEALERS THROUGH THE "FORD TECH HOTLINE." I CONTACTED THE DEALERS GENERAL MGR. HE "LOOKED INTO IT" AND SAID THAT FORD DOESN'T OFFER SPECS OR CAPYS FOR TAILGATES. THEREFORE, HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FORD DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BOARD (DSB) PER MY OWNERS GUIDE. THE COMPLAINT WAS VERY DETAILED. I ASKED THAT THEY DETERMINE IF FORD OFFERED SPECS AND CAPYS ON THEIR TAILGATES - IF SO, AN OBJECTIVE DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I MET OR EXCEEDED THOSE SPECIFICATIONS. IF I DID, THE FAILURE WOULD BE ON ME; IF NOT, THE FAILURE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DSB RESPONDED: ...WE REGRET TO ADVISE YOU THAT THE CONCERN STATED IN YOUR APPLICATION DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD....IF THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS, YOU MAY CONTACT THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800------ FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. I HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE. TO DATE, NO ONE AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS WILLING TO DISCUSS THIS TAILGATE FAILURE IN OBJECTIVE, MEASURABLE TERMS. APPARENTLY, THERE IS NO AVENUE TO PURSUE OUTSIDE OF THIS LOOP OF DEALERSHIP TO FORD ASSISTANCE CENTER AND BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. *JB