2008 Ford F-150

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-150. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ODOR OF EXHAUST FUMES WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE IDLING, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND RATTLED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. JOE MACHENS FORD (807 SOUTHWEST BLVD, JEFFERSON CITY, MO) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I WAS TAKING THE GRANDKIDS HOME,5MILES WEST OF HWY 24 ON 1025 BADGER TRL.DR.FLORISSANT,CO.80816,TO MY SON AN HIS WIFE AND GOING A LITTLE FAST ON THE DIRT ROAD AN SWERVED TO KEEP FROM HITTING DEER THAT JUMPED IN FRONT OF ME,WELL I OVERSTEERED,DONE A 360 AND ENDED UP ON MY SONS LAND WITH THE TRUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG TREE,CRAMMED THE FRONT END TO ENGINE BLOCK,BUT NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED,ALL THAT WERE IN TRUCK WERE HURT,I GOT WHIPLASH,MY GREAT NIECE GOT HER ARM HURT,MY GRANDSON GOT A HURT LEG,AND MY GRANDAUGHTER HURT HER HEAD,I HAD FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE,BUT GEICO SAID THEY WERE NOT PAYING THE X-RAYS AN HAVE BEEN STRANDED ALL SUMMER LONG,NEVER HAD A MORE MISERABLE SUMMER OVER AN ACCIDENT,MISSED A FEW DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS DUE TO NO TRANSPORTATION,NO ATTOURNEYS WOULD TAKE MY CASE,SO I GIVE UP KNOWING THE DEVIL IS RESPONSIBLE GRANDKIDS HOME,LIKE ALWAY`S

HELLO I OWN A 2004-2008 BODY STYLE FORD F-150 4X4 STYLE SIDE 2008 TO BE EXACT. WILE MY TRUCK WAS STATIONARY PREFORMING REGULAR MAINTENANCE I NOTICED TWO LARGE 4'X6' AND 4'X4'RUST HOLES IN THE REAR STRUCTURAL FRAME RAILS THAT RUN THE FULL LENGTH OF THE VEHICLE. THE HOLES WEAKEN THE STRENGTH OF THE FRAME. THIS COULD RESULT IN FRAME FAILURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IF FAILURE OCCURS DURING OPERATION OF VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2004-2008 FORD F-150 OWNERS WITH SAME FRAME WEAKENING RUST HOLES DUE TO PORE FRAME COATING AND FRAME DESIGN. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY BY REPLACING FRAMES ON THESE FORD F-150 TRUCKS IN THE FORM OF A RECALL. IF THE NEW FRAMES COULD BE COATED INSIDE AND OUT WITH A RUST PREVENTATIVE COATING OR PAINT. THIS MAY CURE THE DANGEROUS FRAME RUSTING ISSUE. OR AS TOYOTA HAS DONE ON MANY MODELS OF THERE TRUCKS THEY MAY EVEN BUY BACK THESE PICKUPS FOR A PRICE THAT MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE TRUCKS VALUE. THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY.

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON MINE IS STARTING TO FAIL, THE GAUGES AREN'T ALWAYS ACCURATE, THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON MOST OF THE TIME EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM THE PARKING BRAKE SENSOR IS GOOD ALREADY CHECKED IT, AND THE FLUID LEVEL IS FULL AND THE SENSOR IN THE MASTER CYLINDER IS GOOD. DUE TO THE CLUSTER MALFUNCTION ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT THE INTERIOR LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON WHILE DRIVING LEADING TO A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS WITCH MAKES SEEING WHERE YOUR GOING VERY DIFFICULT, AND ABOVE THE CLUSTER ON THE DASHBOARD IT BEGINS TO GET HOT WHILE DRIVING SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. WHILE THE TRUCK IS PARKED THE INTERIOR LIGHT WILL COME ON FOR NO REASON. I CHECKED THE SWITCH ITS NOT THAT AND FROM WHAT IVE GATHERED ITS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE CONNECTION ON IT, THE CLUSTERS SEEM TO BE A WEAK SPOT ON THESE TRUCKS IVE SEEN MULTIPLE TRUCKS WITH THIS PROBLEM

I WAS DRIVING ON ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE TRUCK STARTED TO HESITATED. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO CHANGE HARD. I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND I NOTICED THAT THE O/D INDICATOR WAS ON. WHEN I STARTED TO MOVE AGAIN, IT SEEMED AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THE TRANS FAULT INDICATOR CAME ON. THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT CHANGE SMOOTHLY WHEN I DROVE APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER MILE. I PARKED THE TRUCK IN FEAR OF FURTHER DAMAGING THE TRUCK.

MY TRUCK HAS 80,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT GRADUALLY THE STEERING WAS BECOMING STIFFER AND HARDER TO TURN FEELING AS IF IT WAS BINDING AT TIMES. IT GOT TO A POINT THAT WHEN MAKING A TURN THE WHEEL WOULD NOT RECOVER AND ACTUALLY HAD TO BE PULLED BACK MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO MY SERVICE SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE AND FOUND VARIOUS FORUMS WHERE OWNERS AND REPAIR TECHS DESCRIBED THE TWO "U" JOINTS ON THE F-150 STEERING SHAFT BECOMING BADLY CORRODED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND POINTING OUT THE JOINTS HAVE NO GREASE FITTING. I CHECKED THE JOINTS ON MY TRUCK AND THEY ERE CORRODED. I APPLIED LUBRICANT EXTERNALLY AND IT COMPLETELY ELIMINATED MY PROBLEM, HOWEVER, I HAVE TO REAPPLY LUBRICANT EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE ATTACHED PHOTO SHOWS THE UPPER JOINT AFTER I LUBRICATED IT. FORD HAS TO KNOW THIS SAFETY ISSUE EXISTS AND THAT THIS IS COSTING OWNERS NEEDLESS REPAIR COSTS.

WHILE THE TRUCK WAS PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND IN A PARKING LOT, I NOTICED WHAT A APPEARED TO BE A HOLE RUSTED THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE FRAME. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL LARGE HOLES BEGINNING IN FRONT OF THE REAR WHEEL AND EXTENDING TO ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE CAB. THESE HOLES ARE ALL THE WAY THROUGH, (BOTH SIDES OF THE RAIL), ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRUCK. SEE ATTACHED PICTURES. I FEEL THIS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISES THE INTEGRITY OF THE FRAME AND MAKES IT LESS SAFE TO OPERATE. I AM ALSO VERY SURPRISED TO SEE SO MUCH CORROSION ON AN 11 YEAR TRUCK. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE TRUCK 5 YEARS AGO, TO FORD MOTOR CO., AND TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. NONE OF THESE ATTEMPTS HAVE RESULTED IN ANY ACTION. I'M SURE MINE IS NOT THE ONLY F150 WITH THIS PROBLEM AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE WORD GETS OUT.

"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS TAKING MY GRANDCHILDREN HOME ON A DIRT ROAD AND HIT A DEER WHICH SPUN ME AROUND AND SMASHED INTO A BIG TREE HEAD ON.THE CRASH WAS SO HARD THAT THE FRONT BUMPER WAS CRUSHED AGAINST THE MOTOR BLOCK,DECLARED TOTALLED FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY.MYSELF,I HAD A WHIPLASH,MY GREAT NIECE (PASSENGER) BROKE HER WRIST,MY GRANDSON HAS LEG PROBLEMS AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER HIT HER HEAD REAL HARD!MR. (XXXXX) THE OWNER WAS DRIVING!!!!!!! PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).