2001 FORD F-350 Complaints

DRIVER SEAT BELT. SEAT BELT INADVERTENTLY COMES LOOSE. MAY STAY FASTEN FOR FIVE MINUTES OR SOMETIMES AND HOUR THEN WITH NO PRESSURE APPLIED TO BELT IT JUST SNAPS LOOSE. FORD HAD A RECALL BUT THEY CLAIM MY DATE OF MANUFACTURE IS NOT COVERED. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD AND CARRIED MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THEY OFFERED NO RESOLUTION EXCEPT SEAT BELTS WEAR OUT. I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD WEAR OUT AFTER 38,000 MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 FORD F350 TO WORK. JUST AS I TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY MY TRUCK LURCHED AND THE REAR WHEELS BEGAN TO SKID. I PUT MY TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND THE REAR WHEELS BEGAN TO ROLL AGAIN. I COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I TESTED THE BRAKES AND THEY WHERE FINE. I TRIED REVERSE AND FORWARD AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. I WAS CLOSE TO WORK AND THE ROAD SHOULDER WAS VERY NARROW SO I DECIDED TO SEE IF I COULD GET TO WORK. THE TRUCK STARTED OUT FINE. HOWEVER WHEN IT SHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR IT LURCHED AGAIN AND THE REAR WHEELS BEGAN TO SKID. I MANUALLY SHIFTED BACK TO SECOND GEAR AND THE TRUCK RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION FOR THAT GEAR. AFTER TALKING TO A NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION MECHANICS THE CONSENSUS WAS CLEAR. THE 'MECHANICAL DIODE' ON THE DIRECT DRUM WAS SEIZED. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED. IT IS COMMON ON 2001 FORDS TRUCKS WITH THE 4R100 TRANSMISSION. THESE ARE THE ONLY FORD TRUCKS WITH THIS 'MECHANICAL DIODE'. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS OF PRODUCTION FORD SWITCHED BACK TO USING A ROLLER SPRAG JUST AS IT HAD USED IN ALL AUTOMATIC TRUCK TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE AND AFTER. IF THIS CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE HAD OCCURRED MOMENTS BEFORE OR AT ANY POINT THE NEXT DAY (SNOW RAIN MIX) THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD A TRANSMISSION SHOP REMOVE THE DEFECTIVE PART. THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE A REDESIGNED FORD PART THAT REPLACES THE 'MECHANICAL DIODE' WITH A ROLLER SPRAG. *TR

WHILE PICKING UP SPEED ON AN ON RAMP JUST OUTSIDE LAS. VEGAS NV. UNTO THE I-15 MY F350 FORD TRUCKS FRONT END BEGAN A SHIMMY. AS WE WERE APPROACHING HWY. SPEEDS 71 OR 72 MPH. SUDDENLY THE LT. FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED THROWING US TOWARD THE NEXT LANE. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. ODDLY ENOUGH THE TIRE STILL HAD AIR IN IT. THE ACCIDENT HAS CAUSED APROX. $2600.00 IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. TIRES, LT235/85R16 AMERI TRAC TR 10/32 TREAD.*TR

I HAD A TIRE THAT THE TREAD CAME OFF. IT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK. THREE WEEKS LATER ANOTHER TIRE STARTED TO SEPARATE. I HAD THE TIRES REMOVED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS WITH OTHER TIRES BUT FOUND THAT THE SAME TIRE IN A DIFFERENT SIZE WAS RECALLED DUE TO THE SAME FAILURE. *TR

MY 2001 FORD F350 5.4 ENGINE WHILE DRIVING BLEW A SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSED A SMALL FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. I WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO HAVE A SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON BOARD. *TR

THE OIL PANS ON MOST LATE MODEL FORD 7.3 LITER POWER STROKE DIESELS HAS A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PANS RUSTING THROUGH, CAUSING MASSIVE OIL LEAKS, POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARDS, AND SEVERE ENGINE FAILURE, IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT CAUGHT IN TIME. THE COST TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED IS CLOSE TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THIS PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY WELL DOCUMENTED AMONG OWNERS OF VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THIS ENGINE. FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, NO RECALLS, NO TSB'S, NOTHING. A NEW OEM OIL PAN FROM FORD IS CLOSE TO $400 DOLLARS, AN AFTERMARKET CLOSE TO $100. THE WAY TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM IS TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE ENGINE FROM THE VEHICLE, A JOB REQUIRING EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND SKILL, AS WELL AS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT. (IN ORDER TO DO THE JOB PROPERLY, AND SAFELY). IT IS THE PERSONAL OPINION OF MY PERSONAL ASE CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN, AS WELL AS ANY PERSON I HAVE SPOKEN WITH IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER THAT THE ONLY FAIR THING TO DO WOULD BE FOR FORD TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT THIS ISSUE, AT NO COST TO THE VEHICLE OWNER. *TR

V-10 TRITON. I STARTED HEARING A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. I HAD TAKEN IT TO SHOP FOR UNRELATED WORK AND THEY DID NOT THINK IT UNUSUAL. ON 1/8/09, I HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN IT STARTED TO SOUND LIKE AN EXHAUST LEAK COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AS THE ENGINE SEEMED TO OTHERWISE RUN OK, I DROVE IT TO A FORD DEALER IN SNOHOMISH WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM THE #4 CYLINDER. THE PLUGS HAVE NEVER BEEN CHANGED, ORIGINALLY INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-350 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED IRREGULARLY DURING RAINY CONDITIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V258000 (VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR). THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 57,000.

SPARK PLUGS COMING OUT OF ENGINE. IT HAS FAILED ABOUT FOUR TIMES ON THIS TRUCK AND ONE ON ANOTHER ONE OF OUR TRUCKS. COSTS ABOUT $3900 TO GET FIXED. BOUGHT NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF PROBLEM AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON NEW ENGINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F350. THE VEHICLE HAS FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TREAD DETACHED FROM THE TIRE DOWN TO THE BELT. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04T003000 (TIRES). THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN AND TIRE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,660. UPDATED 11/6/08 *CN THE COSNUMER STATED THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE UNTIL DAYS LATER. UPDATED 11/07/08. *JB