1999 FORD F-350 SD Complaints

THE FUEL PUMP ON 1999 F350 4X4 WITH 38800 MILES [XXX] STRANDED ME AND THE FAMILY AFTER TRAVELLING 80 MILES DRIVING AT 65MPH NEAR MORRIS, IL. REQUIRED A TOW TRUCK THAT TOOK OVER 2 HOURS TO GET US. I AM A DIABETIC AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BEING STRANDED MY BLOOD SUGAR WAS TOO LOW. TOWED TO THE FORD GARAGE AND TECHS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AT A COST OF $680, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT 7 OTHER FORD VEHICLES WERE TOWED IN WITH FUEL PUMP FAILURES. HE CALLED FORD TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT FORDS FAULT BUT TOO HIGH OF A ALCOHOL LEVEL IN THE LOCAL GAS. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE AS MY WIFES JEEP USES THE SAME FUEL THAT I DO AND HER CAR DID NOT HAVE A FUEL PUMP FAILURE.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TRUCK HAS 56K MILES ON IT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A COUPLE OF MILES FROM HOM EWHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG OR POP NOISE WHICH SHOOK THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK THEN CONTINUED MAKING A LOUD NOISE, SHE DROVE BACK HOME AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE ENGINE, I DETERMINED THAT A COIL PACK HAD BLOWN OFF. THE SPARK PLUG WAS ALSO ATTACHED TO IT SO THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, AV FORD AND THEY SAID MORE THAN LIKELY IT'S WHAT THEY CALL A 'BLOWN PLUG'. THEY ESTIMATED THE HEAD SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE THIS WOULD STRIP THE THREADS OF THE HEAD. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT BOTH HEADS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5800 BECAUSE OTHERWISE I MIGHT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH THE FORD V10 ENGINES FROM ABOUT 1999-2003. I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF OTHER FORD SERVICE TECHS AT OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND THEY AGREED THAT IT'S A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT FORD IS NOT RECOGNIZING OR DOING ANYTHING ABOUT. I CALLED FORD CONSUMER RELATIONS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DEFECT AND THEY SAID BEFORE THEY CAN HELP ME, I NEED TO HAVE THE DEALER OFFICIALLY LOOK IT OVER. THE TRUCK IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WANT $5800 TO FIX IT. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED OR EVEN THOUSANDS OF POSTS ONLINE OF OTHER FORD OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE V10 ENGINE. THE DEFECT IS THAT THE ALUMINUM HEADS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH THREADS TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS SECURELY AND EVENTUALLY THEY WILL VIBRATE LOOSE ENOUGH TO BLOW OUT CAUSING UNREPAIRABLE DAMAGE TO THE HEAD.

A BRAKE LINE LEADING TO THE REAR WHEELS CORRODED/ERUPTED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING. THE DEALER/ MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *NM THE FIRST TIRE WAS REPLACED WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE THIRD AND FOURTH TIRES DEVELOPED A BUBBLE. *JB

NOTICED TIRE WABBLING ON HIGHWAY DRIVING HOME STOP TO SEE IF TIRE WAS FLAT/FOUND IT INFLATED OK DROVE ABOUT 1/2 MILE AT 45 VMPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD CAME OFF COULD NOT STOP DUE TO NO PULL OVER ON INTER CITY XPRES WAY.TIRE STAYED INFLATED NO TREAD ATTACHED,FOUND A PLACE TO GET OFF HIGHWAY LOTS OF DAMAGED TO TRUCK FENDER, BRAKE, LINE 4-WHEEL DRIVE HUBS, BUMPER, AND RUNNING BOARD PLUS PAINT ON DOOR.DUE TO STEEL CORDS FROM TIRE.I SENT TIRE TO COOPER TIRE COMPANY THEY INSPECTED UNIT SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT! COST OF TIRE WAS $123.95 REPAIR TO TRUCK WAS ABOUT $3700.00 FORD DEALER. AUG 03 2004,5DAYS AFTERIGOT TRUCK FROM DEALER AND DRIVING TRUCK ONLY 34 MILES A SECOND TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPRATION I TOOK TIRE TO LILBURN TIRE (770)923-4400 /IT WAS REMOVED INSPECTED FOUND TO HAVE HAVE SPERATED ALSO :NOTE TIRE WAS INSPECTED FOUND NO DAMAGED TO INSIDE ,NO REPAIR DONE OR BRUSING BOTH TIRES ARE CHAPARRAL A/P LT265/75-R16 WITH THE SER NUMBER OF WEW-081-N07R COOPER TIR HAS FIRST TIRE AT THEIR PLANT IN OHIO.*AK

DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON I-95 AT 60MPH HEAVY VIBRATION FOR 15 TO 20 SEC THEN TIRE EXPLODED. REPLACED WITH SPARE. DEFECTIVE TIRE IS AVAILABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIRE FROM A SET OF FOUR I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH. THE OTHER TIRE HAD THE BELTS SLIP CAUSING VIBRATION AND LOUD NOISE. ANOTHER TIRE FROM THAT GROUP IS CHUNKING IN THE CENTER. *AK

APRIL 2ND OF 2004 DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND COASTING TO A STOP SIGN THE NUMBER 3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE CYLINDER HEAD OF MY 1999 FORD F-350 WITH A V-10 ENGINE IN IT. FORD IN KINGMAN,AZ. INSTALLED A RECONDITIONED CYLINDER HEAD THAT HAD A SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF IT AND A STEEL INSERT WAS THE FIX FOR THAT CYLINDER HEAD. I WAS GIVEN A RECONDITIONED HEAD WITH THE INSERT IN IT AND TOLD BY THE FORD MECHANIC IN KINGMAN,AZ. THAT IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT BLOWS ANOTHER SPARK PLUG OUT OR SUCKS THE STEEL INSERT INTO THE ENGINE. I SINSERLY HOPE I'M NOT 100 MILES FROM ANYWHERE WHEN THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. I ALSO HOPE IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE. THIS IS A VAST PROBLEM AND CAN EASILY BE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET BY SIMPLY TYPING IN "FORD V-10 ,SPARK PLUG". FORD KNOWS THIS IS A CASTING PROBLEM WITH THE ALUMINUM HEADS HAVING ONLY 3 THREAD COUNT IN EACH CYLINDER HOLE HOLDING EACH SPARK PLUG IN. *AK

BOUGHT 6-10PLY HEAVY DUTY TRUCK TIRES FOR MY FORD 350, DUALLY, DIESEL TRUCK & I ROTATED THEM EVERY 6 MONTHS. WHEN I WAS IN A MALL, A PASSER-BY STOPPED ME TO TELL ME MY LEFT FRONT TIRE, ON THE INSIDE HAD A HUGE BUBBLE IN IT. WHEN I LOOKED, IT WAS AROUND 8 TO 10 IN. AROUND & WHEN I STOPPED, IT DID NOT GO DOWN, IT STAYED THERE. I ONLY HAD THEM FOR ABOUT 2 YRS. I BOUGHT THEM FROM A & K TIRES ON MOODY BLVD., IN FLAGLER BEACH, FL. 32136 GOODYEAR WOULD NOT EVEN PRO-RATE THEM, I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER TIRE. NOW, I AM AFRAID THE OTHER 5 WILL DO THE SAME & AS A RETIREE, I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY 6 TIRES EVERY TWO YEARS FOR MY TRUCK. I AM AFRAID ANOTHER BUBBLE WILL COME UP ON THE OTHER TIRES, BUT I AM STUCK WITH THEM. IF IT HAD BLOWN OUT ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, BUT THANKS TO A CONCERNED PASSERBY, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. HOPE I AM THAT LUCKY AGAIN, IF THE OTHER TIRES GO OUT TOO. *JB

A RATTLING NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE FLUIDS WERE CHANGED BUT THE NOISE CAN STILL BE HEARD. ALSO, THERE IS A TIRE COMPLAINT. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE DISINTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. *AK PER RESULTS PERFORMED; THERE WERE METAL(S) UNDERLINED WERE ELEVATED EXCESSIVE WEAR. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO GO HARD TO THE LEFT, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGUN TO JUMP AND SEPARATED LIKE THE FIRST TIRE INCIDENT. A WHINE/GRINDING NOISE WOULD ALSO BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BELOW 35 MPH. *SC

BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS FROM THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK TO THE BACK WHEELS RUSTED THRUOUGH THERE BY CAUSING ME TO LOSE MY BRAKES WHILE DRIVING THEROUGH THE MOUNTAINS .*AK