1996 FORD F-350 Complaints

WE HAVE HAD FOUR INSTANCES ON THIS VEHICLE WHERE THE LUGS ON THE WHEELS, BOTH FRONT AND BACK, HAVE SHEERED OFF. TWICE LEAVING US STRANDED FOR HOURS - INCLUDING A TERRIFYING NIGHT IN THE NEVADA DESERT, WITH OUR CHILDREN, STRANDED UNTIL FOUR IN THE MORNING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART ON ITS OWN. DEALER AND MECHANIC CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ON A RAINY DAY, REAR BRAKE LINING GRABBED ACTUATING THE ABS SYSTEM. AS I HAVE FOUND, THIS PROBLEM IS DISCUSSED IN FORD TSB 9805A24A. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL AS ADDITIONAL PRESSURE WAS NEEDED TO STOP. DESCRIBED AS "NORMAL" IN SPECIAL SERVICE MESSAGE 03731. (A NICE WAY TO DESCRIBE A PROBLEM THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO FIX.) THE ABS BRAKES STOPPED PUMPING. THE SYSTEM THEN APPEARED AS THOUGH NO BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE TRUCK WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. EITHER THE BACK BRAKES AND POSSIBLY THE FRONT WERE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL, OR ALL 4 WHEEL WERE LOCKED UP AND THE TRUCK WAS SLIDING. (TIRES WERE ALL IN GOOD CONDITION.) I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE TRUCK INTO A DITCH IN ORDER TO AVOID THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. LATER TESTING ON A WET SURFACE REVEALED THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF TO PUMP THE BRAKES, SOMETHING THAT MANUFACTURERS OF ABS SYSTEMS ADVISE YOU NOT TO DO. AS I UNDERSTAND FROM READING INFORMATION BY OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, THE VACUUM SUPPLY ON THE SYSTEM IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO HANDLE REPEATED OPERATION BY THE ABS SYSTEM. I STILL AM NOT SURE WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE WHEELS WERE AT THE POINT WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROAD, WHETHER THE FRONT WERE ROLLING, OR LOCKED AND WHETHER THE BACK WERE ROLLING OR LOCKED. *AK

VEHICLE STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL RESTART ON ITS OWN AND SOMETIMES IT WILL LIGHT THE "WAIT TO START" LIGHT AND YOU MUST WAIT TO MANUALLY RESTART. THIS LEAVES VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOR THE LAST 1500 MILES OR SO. REPLACED THE CMP SENSOR TWICE AND NO TROUBLE CODES EXISTS IN COMPUTER.*AK

WINDOW DISENTEGRATED WITH OUT WARNING ANF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE WERE NO CRACKS, CHIPS, OR ANY OTHER SIGNS OF DEFECTS IN THIS WINDOW. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO THE REMAINING WINDOWS, CAUSING INJURY TO MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS.

DELIVERED NEW 22 MAR. 1996. TAKEN IN AT 16768 MILES ON 10-DEC. 96 FOR HARD SHIFTING OF AUTO. TRANS. ANDOIL LEAK FROM FRONT MAIN ENGINE SEAL. WAAS RETURNED TWO WKS. LATER FOR REAR ENGINE SEAL LEAK. MECHANICS REPLACED PARTS AND ADJ. TRANS. ENGINE OIL LEAKS STOPPED, BUT STILL HAD TRANS. SHIFT PROBLEMS. FRONT WHEELS BEGIN TO PULL HARD TO LEFT AFTER BEING TAKEN IN TO DEALER TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED. THEY HAD TO BE FORCED OFF HUB BY TWO MEN. FRONT END ALIGNEMENTS WERE DONE BUT AT 65000 MILES WHEELS STILL PULL TO THE LEFT. FIRESTONE 235/85/16 TIRE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF CRACKS IN BELTS BETWEEN TREAD. COST WAS PRORATED. TAKEN IN 02 APR. 97. STILL HAVING SHIFT PROBLEMS WITH TRANS. OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE OIL PAN AND PUMP GASKET. 30MAY 97 TAKEN IN FOR BOTH HEADLIGHT FAILURE. TRANS STILL HARD TO SHIFT. MECHANICS UNABLE TODETERMINE PROBLEM. IN AUG. 2000 TRUCK WAS IN AGAIN FOR SHIFT PROBLEMS AND TRANS SLIPPING. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING IN GEORGIA, PULLING A 36FT. FIFTHWHEEL WHEN TRANS. HAD A HARD TIME DOWNSHIFTING. THE TRANS. WAS LOCKED OUT OF OVERDRIVE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH. AND STARTED UP A HILL WHEN THE TRANS. WOULDN'T DOWN SHIFT. THE TRUCK SLOWED DOWN TO 40 MPH. IN LESS THAN THAN 60 SECONDS, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAD PROBLEMS PULLIN THE REST OF THE WAY TO MICHIGAN. THIS WAS LATE IN THE EVENING WHEN SHOPS ARE CLOSED. BY THIS TIME TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRENTY BUT FORD MTR. CO. AND THE DEALERSHIP AGREED TO PAY ALL BUT 75.00 OF THE REPAIRS. THE TRANS. SHFTS SMOOTHER NOW BUT IT'S UPSHIFT HARD ON TWO OCCASIONS FROM THIRD GEAR INTO OVERDRIVE. I'VE PULLED THE CAMPER APPROXIMATELY 600 MILES SINCE THE REPAIR AND THE TRANS. SHIFTED MUCH SMOTHER. MY PROBLEM NOW IS WITH MY AUTOMATIC LOCKING 4X4 HUBS. I'V USED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE MAYBE 10 TIMES IN MUD AND SNOW, NEVER ON A HARD SURFACE AND ALWAYS RELEASED THE HUBS WHEN DISENGAGING THE DRIVE. THE HUBS WENT OUT ON 13JAN.2001 WHILE IN REVERSE AFTER TRAVELING THROUGH SNOW IN MY DRIVEWAY. HOPE OTHER OWNERS HAVE BETTER LUCK.

THE INSIDE REAR TIRE HAD A BUMP ON IT WHICH CAUSED VIBRATION IN THE DRIVETRAIN WHILE DRIVING (FIRESTONE STEELTEX P235/85R16 M/S). NLM

THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT RELATES TO SPEEDOMETER THAT IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. ALSO, ERRATIC PERFORMANCE OF SPEEDOMETER AND INOPERATIVE GAS GAUGE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TIRES ON A FORD, F350, 1996, LT2158516, UNOPTWV206. ALL SIX TIRES ARE SHOWING EVIDENCE OF TREAD BEGINNING TO SEPARATE.*AK *SLC

AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE,CAUSING A HOLE IN THE FUEL HEATER CORE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK