2003 FORD F-350 Complaints

I'M SURE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HEARD A TICKING NOISE ALSO, THEN MY TRUCK STARTED TO MISS UNDER LOAD. UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH CYLINDER IS THE PROBLEM, SOUNDS LIKE ALL MY BE BAD AT SOME TIME. FORD HAS TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, NOT TAKING THE BLAME IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY RUN THEIR BUSINESS. OOOHHHH WAIT THEY ARE GETTING READY TO GO UNDER. WONDER WHY???? *TR

SLUGGISH, CHUGGING, STALLING OF VEHICLE. HAD INJECTOR CHANGED BY FORD. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN ON 1/19/2007 THEY SAID LINING IN TANK WAS COMING APART IN THE FUEL TANK. FORD CHANGED 3 INJECTORS, FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTERS AND FUEL TANK. IS HAS NOW HAPPENED AGAIN 11/7/2008 AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

2003 FORD F350. DIESEL 6.0 LITER. HARD TO START EVEN WHEN WARM OUT, NOW IS NOT STARTING AT ALL, HAVE HAD THE SAME OIL LEAKS, AT SPEED OF 55 TO 60 JERKS HARD AND HAS EVEN STALLED WHILE DRIVING. JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS AND WE KEEP SPENDING MONEY TO HAVE FIXED AND THEY JUST RECUR AGAIN. BEEN READING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS US. FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THIS. *TR

CLUTCHES, LOTS OF THEM, WHEN THEY FAIL ITS HARD TO STOP TRUCK, NOT FROM ABUSE FAILING FROM DEFECTIVE PARTS THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A YEAR, FORD WONT STAND BEHIND IT, ALSO HAVE HAD LOTS OF CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDERS, WHEN THIS GOES THERE IS NO STOPPING, AM I THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM? CHECK ONLINE SEEMS LIKE ACROSS THE BOARD CLUTCH PROBLEMS AT FORD. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD F350 KING RANCH WITH A 6.0L DIESEL MOTOR. THE TRUCK HAS HAD A VARIETY OF SOFTWARE FAILURES WITH RESPECT TO THE PCM FOR THE MOTOR WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE MOTOR COMPLETELY AND INSTANTANEOUSLY SHUTTING DOWN OR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN THE TURBO OVER BOOSTING AND BLOWING UP THE INTERCOOLER OR NO PSI OUT OF THE TURBO LEAVING ME AND MY FAMILY STRANDED TWICE IN THE MOUNTAINS PULLING A FULL TWO HORSE TRAILER (6,500 POUNDS). VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO BAKERSFIELD FORD, VISALIA FORD, RANCHO FORD FOR SERVICE. PCM SYSTEM WAS ALWAYS REFLASHED AND REPAIRS MADE UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL THE MOST RECENT TURBOCHARGER FAILURE 09-28-2008. THE VEHICLE WAS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS FAILURE COST ME $2,700. TODAY 10-6-2008 THE PCM LOST ALL ITS MEMORY AND I AGAIN LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY MULTIPLE VEHICLES TRYING TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OFF THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS FIVE DAYS AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK FROM FORD. A PROCESS WAS WENT THROUGH AT FORD TO RE-LEARN THE "TURBO STRATEGY" AND THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME WORKING FINE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH A FUEL INJECTOR FAILED LITTERING THE #3 CYLINDER WITH DEBRIS. A BLUE SMOKE CLOUD IMMEDIATELY BLANKETED THE HIGHWAY REDUCING VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO FIND A SAFE LOCATION TO PULL OFF BEFORE THE ENGINE SEIZED. I TOWED THE TRUCK TO THE FORD DEALER FOR AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS. I WAS ADVISED THAT A FUEL INJECTOR HAD FAILED AND IT COULD BE REPAIRED FOR $750. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR AND RECEIVED A CALL THAT AFTERNOON THE TRUCK WAS DONE HOWEVER #3 CYLINDER COMPRESSION WAS HALF OF NORMAL. THEY RECOMMENDED A "SHORT BLOCK" WHICH COSTS $8,000 PLUS LABOR. I WAS ANGRY AND PAID THE BILL AND SOUGHT OUT A SECOND OPINION. I CHOSE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE AFTER SEEING THE DAMAGE AND ON THE ADVICE OF THE SECOND MECHANIC. I DID NOT WANT TO PUT THE OLD INJECTORS INTO A NEW MOTOR. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST INJECTOR TO FAIL ON THIS TRUCK, HOWEVER THE FIRST DID NOT CAUSE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, I HAVE HEARD OTHER ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES. THIS WAS A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE WITH ALL THE WORK DONE AT FORD DEALERSHIPS AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS. I HAD THE MECHANIC SAVE THE DAMAGED PISTON WHICH BEARS THE IMPRINT OF THE INJECTOR DEBRIS INCLUDING PARTIAL PART NUMBER. BEFORE TAKING THE TRUCK FROM THE DEALERSHIP I HAD THEM SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM FORD TOWARD THE REPAIR WHICH WAS DECLINED. I BELIEVE THIS PART FAILED PREMATURELY @ 120,000 MILES DUE TO A FLAW IN DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION. I HAVE A REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF GREATER LONGEVITY FOR A HEAVILY BUILT DIESEL ENGINE FOR WHICH I PAID AN EXTRA $6000 OVER BASE PRICE. A FAILURE COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE THICK BLUE SMOKE OR THE INABILITY TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD UNDER ITS OWN POWER . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-350 SD. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXAMINING HIS VEHICLE, HE NOTICED OIL SPOTS ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL PAN WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 61,800.

TRUCK BEGAN STARTING A LITTLE HARD ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THIS OCCURRED. AT ABOUT 60-70 MPH, TRUCK LOST POWER, ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE BUCKED, AND CONTINUED TO COME TO A STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. TURNED OFF VEHICLE, WOULD NOT RESTART. BROUGHT TO DEALER, FUEL INJECTORS WERE BAD. $700.00 BILL LATER, TRUCK LEAVES THE DEALER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW, AND THE TRUCK IS BEGINNING TO START HARD AGAIN WHEN COLD, WILL NOT RESTART WHEN HOT. *TR

FORD MOTOR COMPANY PUT OUT DEFECTIVE COOLANTS ON THEIR 6.0L DIESEL ENGINES. I HAVE/HAD 2003 F350 KING RANCH TRUCK WITH 67,000 MILES. FORD WARRANTIES DIESEL ENGINES TO 5 YEAR 100,000. ON JUNE 24, 2008, I WAS DRIVING WHEN MY TRUCK OVERHEATED. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED FORD NORTH SCOTTSDALE. THEY SAID THAT THE EJR COOLANTS ARE NOT GOOD ON THOSE TRUCKS AND MOST LIKELY IT GAVE OUT. THEY TOLD ME TO GET IT TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I DROPPED THE TRUCK OFF AT BELL FORD IN ARIZONA ON TUESDAY JUNE 24 TO LEARN THAT MY WARRANTY EXPIRED MAY 28, 2008. I GOT DIAGNOSTICS DONE AND THE HEAD GASKETS BLEW. BELL FORD SAID THEY BLEW BECAUSE THE COOLANT WENT OUT AND BLEW OUT THE WATER, WHICH OVERHEATED THE COOLANTS. WE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY HAD 2 CST (MARK & STEVE) "RESOLVE" THE DISPUTE AND SAY THEY CANT HELP US. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED, THAT WHY WOULD THEY NOT RECALL A PART THEY KNOW IS NOT EFFICIENT? THEY DID NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER. AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH, I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 6.0L. I AM LOOKING AT $4300 JUST FOR THE HEAD GASKETS AND THEN PLENTY MORE IN LABOR CHARGES. THIS DOES NOT EVEN INCLUDE GETTING THE COOLANT FIXED. WILL I EVER BUY FORD AGAIN? MOST LIKELY NOT. THEY CANT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT OR HELP THEIR CUSTOMER. THIS IS A TRUCK THAT HAS BEEN BABIED AND UP TO DATE FOR ALL MAINTENANCE. AND NOW ITS DESTROYED. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN NOVEMBER 2004 WITH 42,000 MILES. IT NOW HAS 67,000 MILES AND BLOWN HEAD GASKETS. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ON 28 MAY 2008 AND I DID NOT RENEW BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS AND IT HAS SUCH LOW MILEAGE. ON 24 JUNE 2008 THE HEAD GASKETS FAILED WHILE HAULING A HORSE TRAILER. FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING AND THE COST WILL BE IN EXCESS OF 4,000 DOLLARS. EVIDENTLY, THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ABOUT EGR COOLERS LEAKING WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AT A REPUTABLE DEALER THROUGH THE 3.5 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED IT. IS THERE ANY HELP THAT I CAN GET OR ADDRESSES WHERE THIS COMPLAINT MAY BE SENT? I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD PRODUCT AGAIN, AND THAT IS SAD. *TR