1997 FORD F-350 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THIS WAS THE THIRD TIRE FAILURE OF THE SAME SIZE AND MAKE, THE TIRE WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND THE OTHER TIRE BLOWOUTS OCCURED AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED (DOTYDOR1XK427 FIRESTONE, SIZE LT235/8516MS. NLM

WAS TRAVELING 35MPH AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. NEITHER DRIVER'S NOR PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES.*AK

TRUCK WAS PARKED IN LEVEL DRIVEWAY AND JUMPED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE AND ROLLED THRU FENCE, PASTURE, AND SHED. DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO FENCE, SHED AND TRUCK. MY HORSE WAS MODERATELY INJURED DUE TO TRUCK CRASHING INTO SHED AND HORSE RUNNING THRU FENCE. FORD STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF THING CAN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME WHEN A VEHICLE GETS A LOT OF MILES AND PARTS GET WEAK.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH AND APPLYING BRAKES, BRAKES HESITATE TO STOP VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER REPLACED PARTS 2 TIMES. HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. *AK CONSUMER STATES BRAKE CABLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS, DUE TO DEALER USING THE WRONG CABLES, THE CABLES ARE CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL.*JB

ENGINE FLYWHEEL FAILED WHILE WAITING AT A STOP SIGN. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DIRT ROAD, THE STEERING COLUMN ON MY F-350 BOUND UP MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE A UPCOMING CORNER. BY REEFING ON THE STEERING WHEEL I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO MAKE THE CORNER. WHEN I REEFED ON THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A LOUD POP THEN STARTED TURNING. THE STEERING STARTED WORKING AGAIN AFTER THAT BUT NOW THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN IS VERY WOBBLY. I'VE CONTACTED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND INFORMNED HIM OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, #5 PISTON (OR WRIST-PIN) FAILED IN THE ENGINE, CONSUMER IS SEEKING SOME RELIEF IN THE MATTER OF REPLACING THE FAILED ENGINE. *TT

PROCEEDING DOWN STEEP HILL AT NIGHT APPROACHING A T INTERSECTION, ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART FAILED, JUST NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION, MINIMAL BRAKES AND STEERING AVAILABLE. CONTACTED PERSONAL MECHANIC, EXPLAINED SITUATION. CHECKED FUSES, 30 AMP FUSE FOR POWERTRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM RELAY COIL/GLOW PLUG CONTROLLER HAD FAILED. MECHANIC ADVISED OPEN THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING, REMOVE FILTER, CHECK THE HEATER WIRE IN BOTTOM. IF LOOSE, SHORTED OUT FUSE, THEREBY SHUT DOWN ENGINE. FOUND THE SOLDERED WIRE LOOSE. REMOVED SAME FROM THE ASSEMBLY PER INSTRUCTIONS AND REPLACED THE FUSE. ENGINE STARTED. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS REPAIRED (4) FORD DIESELS WITHIN PAST FEW MONTHS WITH SAME FAILURE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. HE FURTHER SAID FORD WILL NOT HONOR REPLACEMENT OF THE FAILED PART. MY WARRANTY BOOK STATES THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM (LESS LINES AND TANK) ARE COVERED. CONTACTED TWO DEALERSHIPS, BOTH INDICATED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED FRONTIER FORD WHERE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED. THEY STATED THOSE PARTS ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY IN THEIR BOOKS. ADVISED THEM OF THE CRITICAL NATURE OF ENGINE FAILURE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. CONTACTED FORD MTR CO. AND WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD THE SAME THING. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED, BUT I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL A DEALER COULD BE LOCATED WHO HAD THEM IN STOCK, I WAS TOLD THEY ARE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER STATUS. THE INTERNAL ASSEMBLY MADE OF A THIN METAL PLATE WITH THE HEATER ELEMENT SOLDERED TO THE PLATE WHICH PLACED UNDER THE FUEL FILTER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. BY DESIGN ANY WATER PARTICULES DRAWN INTO THE FILTER SYSTEM ARE FORCED INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE ASSEMBLY WHERE A DRAIN VALVE IS LOCATED. FORD REQUIRES DRAINING THE ASSEMBLY EVERY 5K MILES OR WHEN THE WATER IN FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE HAD THE FUEL FILTER REPLACED WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE TRUCK AND USE THE DRAIN VALVE EVERY TIME I REFUEL WHICH IS ON AVG. EVERY 400-500 MILES. *AK

WHEN SHIFTING FROM SECOND GEAR TO THE DRIVE GEAR, ENGINE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY STALL. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE TWO TIMES AND HAS FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER ADDS ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WHEN UPSHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR GENERALLY ON INCLINE, WHEN ENGINE DIES THERE ARE NO BRAKES, NO POWER STEERING, AND THE VEHICLE THEN BECOMES UNCONTROLLABLE, VEHICLE IS PUT IN NEUTRAL TO RESTART ENGINE. *TT

WENT TO 2 DEALERS BOTH SAID THAT THIS SENSOR HAS A NORMAL PROBLEM OF LEAKING FUEL OVER THE ENGINE AND A HIGH FAILURE RATE I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAS THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL HAD THE SAME SENSOR FAIL AND LEAK FUEL ON THE MOTOR AS WELL AS LEAKING A GOOD AMOUNT ON THE GROUND WHEN THE SENSOR FAILS FROM INSPECTING THIS SENSOR IT IS OF POOR QUALITY AND DESIGN FOR THIS PURPOSE.*AK