2001 FORD F-350 SD Complaints

MY FORD F-350 DIESEL JUST HAD THE CAM POSITION SENSOR GO OUT FOR THE THIRD TIME! I WAS HEADING DOWN HILL AND LOST POWER STEERING AND PARTIAL BRAKES. I WAS TOWING A SMALL TRAILER THAT HAD ELECTRIC BRAKES AND USED THOSE TO STOP US OR WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ALL DIED. ALMOST ALL THE DIESEL OWNERS I KNOW HAVE HAD THESE CPS'S GO BAD. HOW CAN FORD GET AWAY WITH THIS? IM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE TRUCK AGAIN. *JB SEE ALSO 10191279. *DSY

FORD F350 SUPER DUTY XLT LARIAT 7.3L POWERSTROKE DIESEL 2001 MODEL MY TRUCK HAS A FACTORY INSTALLED ENGINE BLOCK HEATER, WHICH I HAVE TO USE TO GET IT TO START ON COLD MORNINGS. AT 7:15AM, I WAS TALKING TO MY WIFE ON OUR CORDLESS PHONE & IT WENT DEAD. AFTER SOME SEARCHING, I FOUND OUT THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD TRIPPED. THIS CIRCUIT BREAKER POWERS THE WALL THE PHONE BASE STATION WAS PLUGGED INTO, AND THAT WALL IS SHARED WITH THE GARAGE. AFTER SOME MORE SEARCHING, I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SHORT THAT CAUSED THE TRIP AND I RESET THE BREAKER. IT TRIPPED AGAIN. I HAD TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL, SO I FIGURED I WOULD WAIT AND LOOK SOME MORE WHEN I CAME HOME. I OPENED MY GARAGE DOOR TO FIND MY TRUCK ON FIRE. THE PLUG FOR THE ENGINE BLOCK HEATER HAD SHORTED OUT, MELTED & CAUGHT FIRE....THIS CAUGHT MY TRUCK ON FIRE. THE BACK SIDE OF THE PLUG HAD MELTED AND THE WIRE HAD BURNED AND BECOME DISCONNECTED. NO OTHER PART OF THE WIRE WAS DAMAGED....ONLY THE PLUG. I CALLED FORD, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL & THE COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. MY CONCERN IS THAT, OTHER THAN FEELING A LITTLE "PUT OUT" AT THE SITUATION & HOW I WAS TREATED BY FORD, WHAT IF I HAD PULLED MY TRUCK AS FAR FORWARD AS I USUALLY DO.....THERE IS AN ORNAMENTAL PINE TREE AT THE CORNER OF MY HOUSE......AND THE FLAMING MOLTEN PLASTIC FROM MY TRUCK HAD DRIPPED ON THE PINE NEEDLES & CAUGHT THE PINE TREE ON FIRE........THIS WOULD HAVE ENGAGED MY HOME. AND, WHAT IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT NIGHT & I HAD NOT PUT IT OUT RIGHT AWAY. I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. BY THE WAY, THE PLUG ON MY ENGINE BLOCK HEATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN WARM TO THE TOUCH WHEN PLUGGED IN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A DIESEL BEFORE & ASSUMED THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL CURRENT THAT THE HEATER PULLED, AND THE MECHANIC SAID THIS WAS TRUE. MY NEW ENGINE BLOCK HEATER WORKS JUST FINE & THE PLUG IS NOT WARM TO THE TOUCH. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT. *NM

SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT FROM THREADED POSITION IN ENGINE HEAD WHILE ENGINE RUNNING DUE TO PRODUCT DEFECT. SPARK PLUG AND SPARK COIL PACK LEFT "FLOATING" IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE CONDITION AS VACATED AND OPEN SPARK PLUG HOLE BEING INJECTED WITH COMBUSTIBLE(GAS) IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SPARK PLUG COIL PACK STILL PRODUCING SPARK. WHEN FORD WAS CONTACTED CONTACTED THEY INDICATED THIS WAS A KNOWN PRODUCT DEFECT AND DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS AS A RESULT. THEY INDICATED THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND IT'S FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS PENDING IN (CA.) ON THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, FORD AUTOSERVE, TILTON NH 03276, FOR REPAIR. REPAIR COSTS WERE NOT COVERED BY FORD. REGIONAL FORD REP CONTACTED FOR FOLLOWUP, BUT HE NEVER RETURNED REQUESTED PHONE CALL TO DISCUSS SAFETY CONCERNS AND REPAIR COSTS. FORD REPAIR INVOICE #[XXX] CUSTOMER #[XXX] VEHICLE 2001 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY. V8 VIN[XXX]. *NM UPDATED 07/11/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

(1) ON 13 DEC 06 TRUCK (APPROXIMATELY 57000 MILES ON VEHICLE) QUIT RUNNING ON MAIN ARTERY, NO LEADING SYMPTOMS (2) HAD TRUCK SERVICED AT BLACK FOREST AUTO CENTER (LOCAL) AND REPLACE CPS- CAM POSITIONING SENSOR (3) TRUCK RUNS FINE...THIS IS THE SECOND. *JB

WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE, WHILE RUNNING, WILL BLOW A SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. AFTER THE SPARK PLUG IS BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD THE TRUCK IS NOT DRIVABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE TRUCK HAS DONE THIS. WITHOUT EXTENDED INSURANCE THE COST WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROX. $5,000 VS. $100 DEDUCTIBLE. *NM

HIGH PRESSURE OIL PUMP SPRAYING OIL ALL OVER THE ROAD UNTIL VEHICLE QUIT RUNNING. FIRST TIME WAS AROUND 10,000 MILES- THEY PUT AND O-RING IN THIS TIME AND WITH IN ANOTHER 10,000 MILES IT DID IT AGAIN- THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE PUMP AND IT LASTED UNTIL VEHICLE HAD 36,000 MILES AND IT DID IT AGAIN - THEY REPLACED THE O-RINGS AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT MADE IT TILL IT HAD 68,000 MILES AND IT DUMPED ABOUT 15 QUARTS OF OIL ON THE ROAD AGAIN. THIS TIME THE OIL PUMP BLEW APART. THIS IS 4 TIMES THIS VEHICLE HAS DONE THE SAME THING. THIS OIL PUMP IS WHAT MAKES THE FUEL GO TO THE CYLINDERS AND KEEPING THE ENGINE RUNNING, NO OIL PRESSURE AND THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE MECHANIZED FOR 20 YEARS WITH UPS AND HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF ENGINES AND HOW THEY WORK. THE ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THAT IT DUMPS OR SPRAYS OIL ALL OVER THE ROAD AND ALL UNDER THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE ITSELF OR SOMEONE FOLLOWING TO WRECK IN THE OIL , OR SOMEONE RUN INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT QUITS. FOUR TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND FORD WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS THE LAST TIME. THIS IS A PRE-EXISTING PROBLEM THAT NEVER HAS BEEN FIXED THE FIRST TIME IN THE SHOP. THIS HIGH PRESSURE OIL PUMP IS WHAT MAKES THE FUEL INJECTORS OPERATE. NO OIL PRESSURE AND THE INJECTORS WILL NOT OPERATE AND THE ENGINE QUITS WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE HAD THE OIL ALL UNDER THE VEHICLE AND ALL OVER THE REAR TIRES. I ALSO MENTIONED TO THE DEALER AFTER THE 3RD TIME THAT IF A MOTORCYCLE GOT BEHIND ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS CONTROLLING HIS RIDE. I CAUGHT THE PUMP LEAKING BEFORE IT QUIT THAT ONE TIME. FOUR TIMES WITH 68,000 MILES IS NOT A SAFE RECORD WITH PUTTING ABOUT 3 GALLONS OF OIL ON THE ROAD EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS. ALSO CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF DUMPING OIL EVERYWHERE. *JB

FRONT CENTER SEAT BELT ON MY VEHICLE, THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE SEAT BELT LATCH CAME OFF AND THE SEAT BELT CAME OUT OF THE LATCH, MAKING IT UNSAFE FOR CENTER SEAT PASSENGER TO SIT. *NM

THE FLOOR-MOUNTED MANUAL SHIFT LEVER (FORD PART NUMBER F81A-7K387-AA) BROKE OFF AS THE TRUCK WAS BEING MANUVERED THROUGH A PARKING LOT. FORTUNATELY THIS DIDN'T OCCUR AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY ONRAMP. WHEN IT BROKE, CONTOL OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOST. EXAMINING THE SHIFT LEVEL, AT ITS BASE TWO BOLTS MOUNT IT TO A FLANGE COMING OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION, THE LEVEL SHEARED AT THE TOP BOLT, COMING COMPLETELY UNATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION FLANGE, MAKING SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

2001 FORD F350 7.3 DIESEL. TRUCK STALLS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING LOSS OF POWER, POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN LAST 7 DAYS. I LOST CONTROL OF TRUCK AND HIT A CURB FROM STALL. READ ON INTERNET TO REPLACE CAM SENSOR. I REPLACED SENSOR ON 10/6/06 *JB

THERE IS A SEAT BELT RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE A 2001 FORD F-350 MANUFACTURED IN THE KENTUCKY TRUCK PLANT. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 01V227001. I HAVE TALKED TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER ANTELOPE VALLEY FORD, AND TO FORD CUSTOMER CARE. THEY BOTH TELL ME THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL. MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS CONTINUALLY FAILING TO REMAIN LATCHED, AND FORD IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR THE ITEM UNDER THE RECALL NOTICE. *NM