2008 FORD F-450 SD Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-450. WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TURBO HEAD WAS REPLACED. PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT FAILURE, THE TURBO HEAD HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

PROBABLY AROUND 30,000 MILES MY FORD F450 STARTED HAVING THE WATER IN FUEL LIGHT COME ON CONSTANTLY. I WOULD ATTEMPT TO DRAIN AND THERE WOULD BE NO WATER. RIGHT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE THAT MY F250'S WATER IN FUEL SENSOR WENT BAD (AT 35,000 MILES), THE COMPUTER IN MY F450 HAD BEEN "RE-CALIBRATED" AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IN FOR SERVICE. THE RE-CALIBRATION CAUSED THE TRUCK TO GO INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE EVERYTIME THE WATER IN FUEL SENSOR CAME ON. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS THESE DIESEL TRUCKS ARE USED TO HAUL HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND SOMETIMES ON THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED. THE LIMP HOME MODE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING TAKES THE THROTTLE AWAY AND THE TRUCK WON'T GO OVER ABOUT 30 MPH WHICH COULD CAUSE VERY SERIOUS WRECKS WITH THAT KIND OF WEIGHT JUST STOPPING IN FRONT OF OTHER VEHICLES GOING 50-80 MPH. ONCE STOPPED, YOU HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, PRETEND TO DRAIN THE FUEL AND YOU ARE GOOD FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO. IT GOT TO WHERE THE TRUCK WAS DOING THIS AT LEAST 5 TIMES A DAY. LIKE I SAID, MY F250'S SENSOR ALSO WENT OUT (BEFORE BEING RE-CALIBRATED) RIGHT BEFORE 36,000, AND I GUESS MINE HAD GONE OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, BUT BEING SELF-EMPLOYED, I DEPENDED ON MY TRUCK TO WORK 6-7 DAYS A WEEK AND COULDN'T TAKE IT IN. MY DAD & SEVERAL FRIENDS WITH 2008 SUPER DUTY TRUCKS ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE POINT IS FORD IS INSTALLING CRAPPY PARTS, NOT STANDING BEHIND THEM (WANTED $800 TO REPLACE ENTIRE HOUSING ON A PART THAT SHOULD LAST WAY LONGER, BUT FAILING ON MANY OF THE TRUCKS,), AND THE RE-CALIBRATION HAS MADE IT DANGEROUS ON TOP OF BEING BAD BUSINESS. *TR

THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. A LOUD POP WAS HEARD AND THE GLASS EXPLODED OUT OR UPWARD. SUNROOF WAS CLOSED, AS WAS SHADE THAT COVERS IT. THERE WAS A CAMPER ON THE TRUCK THAT COVERS THE CAB OF THE TRUCK, AND THERE WERE NO MARKS ON THE TRUCK OR CAMPER TO SAY A ROCK HAD SOMEHOW RICOCHETED AND HIT THE SUNROOF. (I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE ANYWAY.) THERE IS PLENTY OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE CAMPER AND THE CAB AND IT HAS NEVER IT THE ROOF. THERE IS A ROW OF LIGHTS ACROSS THE CAB THAT SIT HIGHER THAN THE SUNROOF, AND THEY ARE ALL FINE. ALL THIS TO SAY, THE 'EXPLOSION' HAPPENED WITHOUT COMING IN CONTACT WITH ANYTHING, AND THE FACT THAT IT EXPLODED OUT, NOT IN, ALSO WOULD TELL ME IT'S SOME SORT OF DEFECT. FORD WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, AND WILL NOT LOOK INTO IT, SINCE WE ALREADY HAD IT FIXED. I SEE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING, SEVERAL ON FORDS, BUT ALSO OTHER CARS AS WELL. I'M HOPING SOMEONE WILL LOOK INTO THIS. *TR

2008 FORD F450. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A SAFETY CONCERN OF AN AUXILIARY FUEL TANK *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE PURCHASED THE FUEL TANK AND IT WAS INSTALLED ON JUNE 1, 2011. THE TANK WAS MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL AS TOOL BOXES FOR TRUCK BEDS. RECENTLY, A SINGLE BOLT ATTACHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAME LOOSE AND SLIPPED AN INCH AND A HALF OUT OF THE HOLE SECURING THE TANK TO THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE BOLT THREADS WERE STRIPPED UP TO THE END OF THE BOLT. THE NUT WAS AT THE END OF THE THREADS OF THE BOLT. THE BOLT WAS PROTRUDING OUTWARD IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK AND WAS BENT AT A 45 DEGREES. WITH THE BOLT BENT OVER, THE TANK SLID AN INCH FORWARD IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE DRIVER SIDE BOLT HAD ALSO LOOSENED, BUT WAS STILL SECURE WITH A NUT. THE ESTABLISHMENT WHERE THE CONSUMER MADE THE PURCHASE, INFORMED HIM HE TANK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MOVABLE. THEY STATED IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SECURED WITH ONE BOLT ON EACH END.

THIS TRUCK STARTED HAVING ISSUE AT 24,593 MILES FROM THE RADIATOR, COOLER, AND GASKET ISSUES, REPLACED PARTS. THEN 6 MONTHS LATER ISSUE AGAIN ON RADIATOR AND REPLACE AGAIN. 4 DAYS LATER BACK AGAIN FOR SAME ISSUES. 1 MONTH LATER AGAIN IN SHOP FOR COOLANT LEAKING. FEB 2010 WE REPLACED FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. JULY 2010 HAD TO REPLACE FUEL SYSTEM ON VEHICLE AND ALL 8 INJECTORS. HAD WORK DONE AT ANOTHER SHOP BECAUSE 2 FORD DEALERSHIPS WHERE BEHIND 2 WEEKS. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 39,849 MILEAGE AND FORD WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME SINCE FORD DEALER DID NOT FIX. OCTOBER 2010 FUEL SENSORS NOT WORK AND HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIR. HAVE 5 F-450 AND ALL HAVE ISSUES.

5/15/09 ~ RADIATOR LEAKING COOLANT, REPLACED RADIATOR. 4 MONTHS LATER REPLACED FUEL INJECTOR AND OIL CAP ASSEMBLY. 9/1/10~ REPLACE COOLANT HOSE AGAIN.

2008 FORD F-450 SD DIESEL ENGINE AND RADIATOR FAILURE. THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP I HAVE CONSISTENTLY HAD THE NOTICE OF "CLEANING EXHAUST" COME UP. I MADE FORD AWARE OF IT AND THEY WOULD TELL ME THAT THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. I WAS PULLING A 5 HORSE TRAILER (APPROXIMATELY 18,000 POUNDS EMPTY) WITHIN WHICH I HAD ONLY 3 HORSES. IT WAS A WARM, BUT NOT HOT DAY AND I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON FAIRLY FLAT TERRAIN. THE WATER TEMP LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SUDDENLY WENT TO HOT. I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A FORD DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES AWAY. I WAITED FOR A BIT AND I DROVE 20 MPH TO DEALERSHIP. THANK GOD I WAS GOING TO MEET SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE A 5TH WHEEL AND COULD COME PICK UP THE HORSES. THANK GOD I WAS NEAR A SMALL TOWN. I WAS ABOUT TO GET OFF OF THE HIGHWAY TO HEAD OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE DEPENDABLE AT ALL. I MUST HAVE A DEPENDABLE TRUCK TO HAUL HORSES!!! THE TRUCK IS APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO OWN 2008 FORD F-350 AND F-450 TRUCKS WHO HAVE HAD ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS AROUND THE 30,000 TO 40,000 MILE MARK. THE ENGINES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THAT IS RIDICULOUS ON A DIESEL ENGINE! THEY SHOULD LAST 200,000 MILES!!! *TR

TRUCK WAS RECALLED TO GIVE WARNING WHEN THE TRUCK GOES INTO REGENERATION. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON NOW FORD CURRENT FIX IS FOR THE MESSATO DISPLAY FOR JUST A FEW SECONDS. SO IT CAN BE IN THE REGENERATION MODE AND YOU WILL NOT KNOW IT. BACK TO THE SAME OLD SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD AS BE FORE THE RECALL.. BEEN AT THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. LAST TIME 10/11/10. *TR

OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, OUR 2008 FORD F-450 HAS BEEN INTO FORD SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES RELATED TO THE EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY THE REGENERATION PROCESS. THE TRUCK GOES INTO THE REGENERATION MODE AND OVER THE LAST WEEK HAS INSTANTANEOUSLY SHUT THE ENGINE, BRAKING, AND STEERING SYSTEMS DOWN WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A 5 SECOND WARNING. THUS, CAUSING IMMEDIATE DANGER TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILIES HEALTH, SAFETY, AND LIFE (ALONG WITH OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY).WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHEN THIS HAS OCCURRED, WE WERE TOWING AN 15K POUND, 40 FOOT FIFTH WHEEL. PACIFIC FORD, LONG BEACH, CA WAS CONTACTED WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THIS OCCURRING. THE SERVICE CENTER AT THIS DEALERSHIPS ADVISE TO US WAS TO "BABY" THE TRUCK. WE JUST GOT THE TRUCK BACK AFTER TWO WEEKS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REGENERATION ISSUE, WHERE THEY COULDN'T IDENTIFY ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO MY FAMILY AND ALL OTHERS ON THE ROAD AND FORD HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY SOLUTION TO THIS SITUATION AS THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD US THEY CAN'T LOCATE ANYTHING WRONG. THE LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED, TODAY 9/4/10, MYSELF, WIFE, AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN WERE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT, IN 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES, MILES FROM THE NEAREST TOWN FOR 6 HOURS WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCKS. AT THIS POINT, WE NOW CONSIDER THE VEHICLE UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS TO MY FAMILY AND THE PUBLIC. I REFUSE TO PUT MYSELF, FAMILY, AND THE PUBLIC IN IMMINENT DANGER. WE FEEL THE ONLY FEASIBLE OPTION TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL IS; THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE PERMANENTLY REMOVED FROM THE HIGHWAYS. WE EXPECT FORD TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE OR REFUND THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE VEHICLE TO US. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK JUST SHUT DOWN! THIS IS THE 3RD TIME. TRUCK ONLY HAS 26,900 MILES. *TR