2003 Ford F-350 SD complaints

PICKUP HAS LOSS OF POWER AND SURGING MOSTLY WHEN WARM. THE FIRST TRIP TO FREEDOM FORD THEY REPLACED THE EGR VALVE. THE SECOND TRIP TO FREEDOM FORD THEY SAID THEY COULD ONLY FIND NORMAL SURGING THE THIRD TIME TO FREEDOM FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THEY KEPT THE PICKUP FOR 7 DAYS AND REPLACED THE TURBO AGAIN AND THE EGR AGAIN.*AK

TRIM IS FALLING OFF THE PICKUP. I TOOK THE PICKUP TO FREEDOM FORD FOR REPAIR THEY ORDERED THE PART, THEY KEPT MY PICKUP ONE FULL DAY THN CALLED AND TOLD ME THE PAINT DID NOT MATCH SO I HAVE TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER TRIP AND ANOTHER DAY AT THE DEALER.*AK

THE HEAT BLANKET LINER ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD IS BEING RUBBED BY A BOLT THAT STICKS FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CAUSING A HOLE TO BE RUBBED INTO THE BLANKET, MAKING PIECES OF THE BLANKET SHREAD INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. BACKED TRUCK UP AND THEN WENT TO PULL FORWARD TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE. REPLACED OIL PUMP, GEARS, FILTER & GASKET. 28,330 MILES ON TRUCK. *LA

I PURCHASED MY FORD F350 IN JULY, 2003 FROM LEO KAYTES IN WARWICK, NEW YORK AND HAVE HAD 4 FUEL INJECTORS GO BAD SINCE THEN. I HAVE A $35,000 TRUCK LOAN AND HAVE ONLY PAID 10 MONTHS ON THIS TRUCK. I AM A SOLE PROPRIETOR AND HAVE A FAMILY TO SUPPORT. EACH TIME MY TRUCK GOES INTO THE DEALERSHIP, I LOSE ACCOUNTS AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ON 7/4/04 AND 7/7/04, A FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND THE GENERAL MANAGER AT LEO KAYTES FORD DEALER IN WARWICK, NY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FORD IS HAVING AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THEIR FUEL INJECTORS IN THE 6.0 LITER ENGINE. AFTER MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS A FIRST MASSIVE RECALL IN APRIL, 2003 FOR 66,720 TRUCKS FORD SOLD WITH THE 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE TO REPLACE THE FUEL INJECTION CONTROL PRESSURE SENSOR. IVE ALSO LEARNED THERE WERE NEARLY 500 BUYBACKS OF TRUCKS WITH ENGINES SO BADLY FLAWED THAT THEY COULDNT BE FIXED. APPARENTLY, A BATCH OF FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS LEAKED SO MUCH DIESEL FUEL THAT FUEL FILLED THE CRANKCASE, CAUSING ENGINES TO SEIZE. THERE WERE ALSO GLITCHES WITH THE TURBOCHARGER AND ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE. LEO KAYTES REPRESENTATIVES HAVE STATED THAT THE BEST APPROACH IS TO REPLACE ALL THE FUEL INJECTORS BUT ALSO TOLD ME THAT FORD MOTOR CORPORATION WILL NOT HONOR SAME UNDER THE WARRANTY. MY RESEARCH HAS ALSO REVEALED THAT MANY DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINES FOR CUSTOMERS AND THAT FORD HAS BOUGHT BACK TRUCKS. MY CHIEF CONCERNS ARE WHO WILL BEAR THE FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR FUTURE

I WAS DRIVING MY FORD F-350 AND MAKING A TURN. WHEN I WENT TO STRAIGHTEN THE TRUCK OUT, I HAD NO STEERING AND WENT INTO A DITCH AND KNOCKED 2 EVERGREEN TREES DOWN AND RESTED AGAINST A UTILITY POLE. TOO MUCH DAMAGED WAS DONE DURING THE ACCIDENT TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO STEERING. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED OUT.*AK

JANUARY, 2004, THE FIRST "REAL" LOAD IN MY NEW 2003 FORD F-350 "SUPER DUTY" TRUCK, WAS MY HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHR. IT LOADED WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEMS. ON OFF-LOADING OF THE MOTORCYCLE, AS THE REAR TIRE ROLLED ONTO THE LEADING EDGE (LOWER EDGE) OF THE TAILGATE, THE TAILGATE CRUSHED. I SPOKE WITH THE PURCHASING DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER WHO AGREED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS UNUSUAL AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. HOWEVER, HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE TAILGATE. I WAS REFERRED TO THE FORD FACTORY SERVICE "REP." HE AGREED THAT HE DIDN'T THINK THE TAILGATE SHOULD HAVE FAILED, BUT HAD NO BASIS FOR WARRANTY. THE TWO SERVICE MANAGERS REFERRED ME TO THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TWICE, HOPING TO GAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD HAS TAILGATE SPECS AVAILABLE TO THE DEALERS THROUGH THE "FORD TECH HOTLINE." I CONTACTED THE DEALERS GENERAL MGR. HE "LOOKED INTO IT" AND SAID THAT FORD DOESN'T OFFER SPECS OR CAPYS FOR TAILGATES. THEREFORE, HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FORD DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BOARD (DSB) PER MY OWNERS GUIDE. THE COMPLAINT WAS VERY DETAILED. I ASKED THAT THEY DETERMINE IF FORD OFFERED SPECS AND CAPYS ON THEIR TAILGATES - IF SO, AN OBJECTIVE DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I MET OR EXCEEDED THOSE SPECIFICATIONS. IF I DID, THE FAILURE WOULD BE ON ME; IF NOT, THE FAILURE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DSB RESPONDED: ...WE REGRET TO ADVISE YOU THAT THE CONCERN STATED IN YOUR AP

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING RIGHT FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING THE TIRE TO BLOWOUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER. ALSO, TWO REAR TIRES BLEW OUT, FIRESTONE, P205/70R14. *AK

THE PROBLEM IS CALLED DEAD PEDAL. WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL YOU GET NO RESPONSE AT ALL UNTIL YOU LET OFF THEN THE TRUCK LUNGES FORWARD USUALLY LEAVING HALFWAY IN A INTERSECTION. HAPPENED ON 6-26-03 AGAIN, LEAVING ME IN INTERSECTION WITH SEMI APPROACHING AND VEHICLE PULLED UP BEHIND ME, FORTUNATELY THE SEMI HAD ROOM TO STOP. DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX THIS BUT HAS NO IDEA WHATS CAUSING THIS. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS ON FORDTRUCKS.COM/FORUMS I FOUND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM.

ENGINE FAILURE/INJECTORS- 5/19/03,6/16/03,8/14/03,10/4/03 WE PURCHASED THIS TRUCK 4/17/03

6.0 LITRE DIESEL ROUGH IDLE, DEAD ACCELERATOR AT TIMES, LOW POWER, EXCESSIVE SMOKE, POOR FUEL MILAGE 8 TO 12 MILES PER GALLON. HAVE 30,000 MILES ON VEHICLE, POOR ENGINE RESPONSE WHEN COLD, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, HAS BEEN TO SELLING DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR REPAIRS, RE-FLASH OF COMPUTER FOR UPDATED INFO FROM FORD BUT PROBLEMS TILL PRESENT! DEALER HAS HAD VEHICLE FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS ,SAID ITS FIXED! PICKED UP LAST NITE, ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT HOME! THEY NOW HAVE BACK TO LOOK AT..HAVE BEEN AROUND DIESELS FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS; THIS ONE IS A DUD!! MOST ALL PROBLEMS STILL PRESENT, NOW FUEL ODOR IN CRANKCASE, DEALER DID REPLACE I.P.C. SENSOR AND DOWNLOADED LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO NO HELP!

THE TRUCK WILL NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT. THE TRUCK WANDERS ON THE ROAD. THERE IS APPROXIMATLEY 2 INCHES OF "PLAY" IN THE STEERING. FORD CALLS THIS NORMAL AND CONSISTANT WITH OTHER "LIKE" VEHICLES. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 3 TIMES, MAYBE 4. I'VE LOST COUNT. THE FACTORY "REP" SUPPOSEDLY HAS DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND SAID IT'S NORMAL. I'VE HAD THE MOTOR PROBLEMS LIKE THE CONCERNS I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET, BUT THE DEALER HAS CORRECTED THOSE. THIS VEHICLE DOES "HAUL THE MAIL", BUT I PURCHASED IT TO PULL MY TRAVEL TRAILER. BUT, BECAUSE I CAN'T "SAFELY" KEEP IT BETWEEN THE LINES, WITH OR WITHOUT THE TRAILER, I DON'T FEEL SAFE HAVING MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE.

CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE CUT OFF 3-4 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. EACH TIME HE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER/MECHANIC THEY REPLACED A PART OR DID SOME ADJUSTMENTS, AND CLAIMED IT WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

2003 FORD F350 SUPERDUTY 6.0 POWERSTROKE. I PURCHASED IT NEW ON NOVEMBER 28, 2003. TWELVE HOURS AND 68 MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY YET TO FIX PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER NEW TRUCK. THE DEALER WILL NOT GIVE ME ONE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE RUN-A-ROUND THE DEALER IS GIVING ME. THEY DON'T CARE THAT THE TRUCK WAS JUST PURCHASED. THEY ARE TAKING THERE SWEET TIME OF FIXING THE TRUCK. THERE WERE ALSO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE INJECTORS, PCM, AND TCM. WITH ALL THESE FACTORS AND BEING 12 HOURS OLD AND ONLY 68 MILES, YOU WOULD THINK OUT OF COURTESY FORD OR THE DEALER WOULD GIVE ME A IDENTICAL NEW TRUCK. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING IT TOOK THE WHOLE ENJOYMENT OF OWNING A NEW TRUCK. *LA

ALL SIX TIRES ARE BUBBLING AT SIDEWALL. DEALER REPLACED FOUR TIRES, BUT THOSE REPLACED TIRES ARE STARTING TO BUBBLE ALSO. *AK

2003 F350 6.0L DIESEL - SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.DISPLAY LIGHTS COME ON BUT WON'T START, DOES NOT CRANK OVER AT ALL. HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. ONLY HAVE 5124 MILES ON IT. FIRST BREAKDOWN HAPPENED AT 900 MILES, SITTING STILL. 2ND BREAKDOWN HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED. THIRD BREAKDOWN HAPPENED TODAY 10/12/03 AT 75 MPH. STUCK IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC WITH FAMILY WAITING FOR TOW.GIVEN DIFFERENT REASON AT EACH REPAIR BY DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. EACH DEALERSHIP SAID FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT CAN'T FIND A FIX.THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THESE 6.0 LITER ENGINES CAME OUT. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR SAME PROBLEM LISTED ON "THEDIESELSTOP.COM" WEB SITE. MANY PEOPLE ARE STUCK WITH THESE UNSAFE VEHICLES. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT RECALLED THESE TRUCKS, MAYBE YOU CAN FORCE THEM TO DO SOMETHING. *LA

MY 6.0L FORD DIESEL WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND IS A DANGER TO MY AND MY FAMILY. BY FAR I AM NOT ALONE AND YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION BY LOGGING ON TO THEDIESELSTOP.COM AND LOOK IN THE 6.0L FORUM.

MY 2003 F-350 SUPER DUTY 5.4, WITH 3,500 MILES HAS AN ENGINE KNOCK ON COLD START-UP.THE DEALER HAD THE TRUCK FOR A WEEK, AND SAID THIS IS NORMAL.I TOOK AN OIL SAMPLE, AND HAD IT TESTED, AND WAS TOLD THE SAMPLE HAD TO COME FROM A HIGH MILEAGE MOTOR,THE SAMPLE SHOWS TRACES OF BEARING MATERIAL.THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR "BREAK-IN" OIL.I THINK THERE IS MORE WRONG, AND DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT.THIS IS A $30,000 TRUCK, AND I CAN'T SEE TEARING IT UP.*AK

DANGERIOUS WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC! FLAT SPOT IN LAUNCH!*AK

LOSS OF POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE.TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FIX, THAT I SHOULD PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESET THE COMPUTER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIUOS (HEAD-ON) COLLISION IF IT OCCUR WHILE PASSING ON A TWO LANE ROAD.

THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND IT TOOK OFF REALLY FAST FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 8/5/2003. THE DEALER DID NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM TO THE CONSUMER. WHEN PICKING UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER THE VEHICLE STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER TO DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND BRING IT BACK IF IT DOESN'T GET BETTER. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *PH

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND EACH TIME THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL AT THE DEALER AND NOT RUNNING. *MR *TS *JB

DEAD PEDAL. WHEN YOU STEP ON GAS PEDAL YOU GET NO RESPONSE UNTIL YOU LET OFF, THEN THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD,USUALLY LEAVING YOU IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. *JB-

NEW F350 DIELEL 6.0, CONTUNIAL INJECTOR PROBLEMS, RUNS ROUGH AND QUITS, TOWED 2X'S, SUCKING DIELES INTO OIL.*AK

STEERING BOX, OIL LEAK, BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LEAK. *NLM

THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *NLM

SHIFT ON THE FLY 4WD SYSTEM DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY ON THE TRUCK. WHEN SELECTING 4WD AND TRAVELING UNDER THE OWNERS MANUAL REQUIRED SPEED THE VEHICLE TAKES OVER 2.5 MILES TO ENGAGE OR NOT AT ALL. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES WITH NO PROBLEMS FOUND. I VIDEO TAPED THE INCIDENT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY AND NO I CANNOT GET THE DEALER TO CALL ME BACK AT ALL. IF THE SWITCH IS LEFT ON AND THE UNIT DOES NOT ENGAGE I AM AFRAID I WILL EXCEED THE MAX RECOMMENDED SPEED THEN THE UNIT WILL ATTEMPT ENGAGEMENT AND DAMAGE THE 4WD. *NLM

2003 FORD F-350 6.0 LITER ENGINE DIESEL RUNAWAY AFTER OWNING 13 DAYS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE AND AT DEALERS FOR OVER THREE WEEKS. *JB

CONSUMER STATES INTERMITTENTLY LOOSE THE BRAKE. NO POWER STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

VEHICLE LOST POWER (AND NEVER RETURNED) WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 20 MILES OF DRIVING UNDER THE LOST POWER CONDITION. TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE EGR VALVE. THIS HAPPENED AT ONLY 3500 MILES. I WISH FORD WOULD TEST THEIR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF HAVING THE CONSUMER TEST THEM FOR THEM ON THE HIGHWAYS. *NLM

I HAD A BRAND NEW 6.0 POWERSTROKE SUPERCHARGER BLOW UP ON ME AND IT ONLY HAD 244 MILES ON IT. SO THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A NEW TRUCK. THEN THE NEW TRUCK HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT 8,000 MILES AND IT WAS THE SUPERCHARGER TO BUT IT ALSO BURNT AN INJECTOR OUT AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND FORD WAS NOT GOING TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAD AN AFTER MARKET PART ON IT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE FIRST TRUCK ,BUT FIRST TRUCK DID NOT HAVE THE AFTERMARKET PART ON IT . SO I SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE FOR IT. *NLM

FORD F350 CREW CAB WITH 6.0-LITER DIESEL ENGINE. THE TURBO RANDOMLY SHUTS DOWN AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE OVER 45 - 50 MPH. THE ONLY TEMPORARY FIX IS TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. MY SPOUSE WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY A HAY TRUCK WHILE TRYING TO GET ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THREE COMPUTER PROGRAM UPDATES - NONE OF WHICH HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM. FORD HAS NOW TOLD THE FLEET SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. FORD DOES NOT HAVE AN "UPDATE" TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO US TO DRIVE UNTIL THEY COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. *NLM