1997 FORD F-350 Complaints

HEADLIGHTS DIM AND GO OUT ON A INTERMITTENT BASIS. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE ENGINE WILL STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND REPLACED VARIOUS SENSORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER 7 TIMES FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND,LIKE METAL TO METAL. ALSO, EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCE. DEALER DETERMINED THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS NOT RELEASING PROPERLY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO BRAKE DRUMS. DRUMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE THUS FAR. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE. *AK

PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW FROM THE DEALER AT 51,000 MILES THEY HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION TRUCK THEN WORKED GOOD FOR A WHILE THEN THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS COMPUTER AT MY EXPENSE NOW AT 81,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING AS AT 51,000 MILES I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ONLY COVERED FOR 12,000 MILES I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SEEING AS THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT IN THIS UNIT AS OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HARD SHIFTING IN AN AUTOMATIC FROM 1ST TO SECOND AND HAVING PASSING GEAR KICK IN ALL THE TIME.*AK

TIRE DEVELOPED A LARGE BUBBLE OR BLISTER WHERE THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL MEET. TIRE THEN BLEW WITH ONLY APP. 6000 MILES ON IT. FIRESTONE DEALER ONLY WANTED TO SELL ME NEW TIRE AND OFFERED NO EXPLANATION OF TIRE FAILURE. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND STEERING WAS LOST WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

DRIVER'S REAR INSIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITH A TIRE BLOWOUT. TIRE HAD 2/3 OF TREAD LEFT BEFORE THE BLOWOUT. VEHICLE WAS GOING 25MPH AND HEARD A BOOM. THEN, CONSUMER SAW TREAD FLYING OFF THE TIRE. 1997, FORD, F350 CLUB CREW CAB, USED TIRES CAME ON VEHICLE, SIZE P235/85R16, APPROXIMATE MILEAGE UNKNOWN.*AK FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S, P235/85R16, FAULTY TIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO VEHICLE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT AND FOR TIRES TO BE REPLACED. *SLC

VEHICLE GOES FROM SIDE TO SIDE AFTER HITTING A BUMP, VIBRATES, AND IS HARD TO CONTROL. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER VEHICLE NEEDS A STABILIZER BAR, DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH ONE.*AK

POWER STEERING WAS LOST WHEN MY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE HOSE WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE FITTING THAT THREADS INTO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT HAD SEEN SO MANY OF THESE HOSES REPLACED THAT THE EMPLOYEE AT THE COUNTER KNEW WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLE IT WENT ON WITHOUT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS. HE WAS ALSO ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE NEW HOSE FROM THE WAREHOUSE WITHOUT CONSULTING A COMPUTER FOR A PART NUMBER OR STORAGE LOCATION. THIS TELLS ME (AND HE EVENTUALLY CONFIRMED) THAT THESE HOSE FITTINGS HAVE BEEN FAILING REGULARLY. THE NEW HOSE HAS THE SAME FITTING DESIGN BUT IT ALSO HAS A TAG WHICH CLEARLY STATES, "DO NOT EXCEED 20 FTLBS TORQUE". THE PARTS GUY WAS EMPHATIC THAT I FOLLOW THIS TORQUE SPECIFICATION. I WILL NOTE THE FITTING DESIGN IS SUCH THAT EXCESSIVE TORQUE COULD DAMAGE AN INTERNAL CLIP WHICH SEALS AND HOLDS THE HOSE TUBE TO THE FITTING. I BELIEVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THESE FITTINGS WERE OVER-TORQUED AT THE FACTORY AND IS THE REASON FOR FAILURE. NOTE THAT MY FITTING FAILED AT A LOW SPEED IN A REMOTE SETTING AND NOBODY WAS INJURED - THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT HAD IT FAILED WHILE TURNING THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION.*AK

PREVIOUS COMPLAINT #ODI747045. I WANTED TO SEND YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM AS I AM AWARE THAT FORD HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES SINCE 96 WHEN FORD BOUGHT BACK MY VEHICLE AND REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. RECENTLY I RAN OFF THE ROAD WITH THIS VEHICLE JUST MISSING GOING OVER A SHEER DROP OFF OF OVER 1,000 FEET INTO THE OCEAN. IN MY PANIC STOP WITH NO POWER STEERING AND BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL WAS INDENTED WITH MY HAND PRINT AND DENTED FRONT SECTION OF WHEEL ALONG WITH THE SHIFT LEVER BREAKING OFF DURING THIS PANIC STOP. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED JUNE 19, 2001 AND I WAS INFORMED THEY WOULD AGIN BE CONTACTING FORD. I HAVE RECEIVED NO FURTHER RESPONSE.