2003 Ford E550

IN REFERENCE TO OUR 2003 FORD F-550 DIESEL DUMP TRUCK. THE FIRST DOCUMENTED OCCURRENCE THE PROBLEM OF LOSS OF POWER WHILE ON THE ROAD AND RUNNING WAS BACK IN 2005. THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY PROPERLY DIAGNOSED ON 9/13/07 BY MCCAFFERTY FORD. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE LINING OF THE FUEL TANK WAS FLAKING AWAY AND CLOGGING THE FUEL LINES, FUEL PUMP AND FILTER. FORD'S REASON FOR THIS HAPPENING WAS THAT 5% OR MORE OF BIODIESEL WAS USED IN THE TANK. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH WE HAVE FOUND THAT JUST ABOUT ALL OF OUR FUEL PURCHASED FOR THIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED BY EITHER EXXON OR SUNOCO. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN STATEMENTS FROM BOTH EXXON AND SUNOCO THAT DETERMINE UNDENIABLY THAT THERE IS NO CHANCE ANY BIODIESEL WAS PURCHASED FROM THEM. BEYOND THOSE STATEMENTS, SUNOCO HAS OFFERED TO NOT ONLY TEST THE FUEL WE SAVED FROM THE TANK, BUT WILL ALSO RUN TESTS ON EVERY STATION WE PURCHASED FROM AND GO TO THEIR BOARD AND ATTORNEYS ON OUR BEHALF WITH THIS ISSUE. MCCAFFERTY FORD HAS ALSO SHOWN THEIR SUPPORT OF US, JUST IN ORDER TO KEEP US HAPPY AS THEIR CUSTOMER, HAS CREDITED US BACK HALF OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THESE TANKS ARE OBVIOUSLY FAULTY FOR SOME REASON OTHER THAN THE USE OF BIODIESEL IN THEM. CUSTOMER CARE SPECIALIST IN THE ESCALATED DEPARTMENT TOLD US THAT MCCAFFERTY FORD STATED THAT THERE WAS PROOF OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS 5% OR MORE OF BIO DIESEL USED AND THAT WAS THE SOLE BASIS OF FORD?S DENIAL. NO ONE AT MCCAFFERTY MADE THAT STATEMENT TO ANYONE. NOR IS THERE ANY PROOF OF SUCH. AND, MCCAFFERTY STATED THAT THEY HAVE ADDRESSED THIS SAME ISSUE WITH FORD 6 OR 7 TIMES PRIOR TO OUR ISSUE AND THAT FORD HAS BEEN ?VERY UNCOOPERATIVE?. WE CAN SUBSTANTIATE THE FACT THAT NO BIODIESEL WAS EVER PUT IN THIS TRUCK AND SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR, SUPPORT THE MAKE-UP OF, AND OBTAIN DOCUMENTATION ON EVERY DROP OF FUEL EVER PUT IN THIS TRUCK. *JB

IN THE THIRD WEEK OF JUNE 2007 MY WIFE MOVED MY TRUCK FROM THE PARKING SPOT IN THE DRIVEWAY, BRAKED TWICE WITH NO PROBLEM. ON THIRD BRAKE DEPRESSION, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD. TRUCK IMPACTED OUR 2004 FORD EXPLORER IN THE DRIVEWAY, DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES APPROXIMATELY $3000 TOTAL. AFTERWARDS THE BRAKES MAINTAINED PRESSURE. (THE F250 HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT FIVE DAYS WITHOUT MOVEMENT). ON AUGUST 17,2007 I PICKED UP THE F250 AFTER BEING PARKED AT THE AIRPORT FOR FIVE DAYS (HIGH TEMPERATURES - 100 DEGREES). AFTER STARTING, BRAKES APPLIED GOOD FOR TWO LIGHT APPLICATIONS, THIRD APPLICATION RESULTED IN PEDAL GOING COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. RAPID ACTIVATION OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE STOPPED VEHICLE PRIOR TO ANY COLLISION. ONCE IS A FLUKE, SECOND IS A DEFECT. TOOK F250 TO FORD DEALER, COULD NOT DUPLICATE FAILURE. WAS GOING TO HAVE ME DRIVE AWAY AS IF THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. AFTER CALL BACK TO FORD TECH, THEY THOUGHT POSSIBLE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER PROBLEM. F250 LEFT AT DEALERSHIP FOR MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIGN LIABILITY IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE. MASTER CYLINDER WILL BE RETAINED AND AVAILABLE FOR NHTSA INSPECTION IF REQUESTED. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS HAVING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON HIS 2003 F-350 FORD DIESEL WHEN THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED HE HAD A RADIATOR LEAK, THERE WAS A HOLE IN A RADIATOR HOSE. THE LARGE DEALERSHIP WAS OUT OF STOCK OF REPLACEMENT HOSES. (THERE'S A CLUE THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM) THEY DECIDED TO PULL ONE FROM ONE OF THE USED TRUCKS IN STOCK AND HAD TO CHECK THREE BEFORE THEY FOUND ONE WITHOUT A HOLE (THERE'S A SECOND CLUE) I FOUND THE FOLLOWING ON-LINE "SO I TOOK MY TRUCK IN FOR A COOLANT LEAK..MORE LIKE AN ADDED DRAIN IN A 3" HOSE THAT TO ME LOOKS LIKE THE RETURN UNDER THE ENGINE. THIS HOSE IS LOCATED IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE STEERING BOX.....YEP...A HOLE WAS WORN IN THIS HOSE FROM THE STEERING..." THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW PLACING THE RADIATOR HOSE TOO CLOSE TO THE STEERING MECHANISM. OVERHEATING AND STRANDED MOTORISTS CONSTITUTES A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

FIRESTONE STEELTEX LT265/75/R16 R4S TIRES - SIDEWALLS ARE SEPARATED AT THE RAISED LETTERS. THIS ISSUE WAS IDENTICLE ON ALL 4 TIRES. TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A FORD EXCURSION - 2003 2WD DIESEL. TIRES CURRENTLY HAVE 48000 MILES WITH GOOD TREAD REMAINING. I CAN LIFT UP THE LETTERING AND SEE THE SIDEWALL FIBERS ON THE SIDEWALLS. THIS VEHICLE IS NEVER USED OFF ROAD AND SPECIFICALLY USED FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL. I AM GOING TO REPLACE THESE TIRES TOMORROW, 3/21/2007. I HAVE NOT AT THIS TIME HAD A BLOWOUT OR FLAT TIRE BUT THESE TIRES ARE EXTREMELY UNSAFE.*AK

I OWN A 2003 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. 2 PROBLEMS..1. POWER LIFTGATE DOES NOT WORK, CAUSING RUNNING BOARDS NOT TO DEPLOY..SOMETIMES I WAS ABLE TO PULL FUSE FOR LIFTGATE AND EVERYTHING WOULD RESET AND WORK FOR ABOUT 1 DAY. NOW THAT WILL NOT WORK...2 MY OVERDRIVE LITE FLASHES. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALER AND PAID FOR 1 HR LABOR WITH NO RESULTS..I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE GETTING 4 OR 5 ERROR CODES ON TRANSMISSION, BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL LABOR FOR THEM TO DROP TRANSMISSION TO HOPEFULLY ISOLATE PROBLEM..THERE IS A 4/50K WARRANTY ON TRANSMISSION, AND I HAVE JUST OVER 70K. I WOULD THINK THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, AND AM WONDERING EVENTHOUGH MILEAGE IS EXCEEDED, AM I STILL COVERED BY YEARS? *NM

NO WARNING/SYMPTOM CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILED -10* OUTSIDE WITH ICY ROADS 7:00 PM MODERATE TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY ENGINE SHUT DOWN THIS IS A 1TON PICKUP GOING 55 MPH WITH VERY LITTLE STEERING CONTROL WITH LACK OF POWER STEERING. MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE FORD 7.3 DIESEL POOR DESIGN THIS IS ALSO A DEALER ONLY PART THAT COST $175.00 I WAS JUST GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. *JB