1994 Ford E-350

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WITH SPEED CONTROL ENGAGED. TRUCK AHEAD OF ME APPLIED BRAKES. I APPLIED MY BRAKES. SPEED CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. BRAKE FROZE IN 'HIGH' ('OFF') POSITION WITHOUT ANY BRAKE APPLICATION. PASSING GEAR WAS ENGAGED AND VEHICLE SHOT FORWARD. FOOT CONTACT WITH BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR DID NOT AFFECT ACCELERATION OR SHUT OFF SPEED CONTROL. I MANUALLY TURNED OFF THE SPEED CONTROL NARROWLY AVOIDING A COLLISION. TESTED THE SYSTEM ON AN OPEN STRETCH OF INTERSTATE LATER IN THE DAY AND THE SITUATION DUPLICATED ITSELF 4 TIMES. VEHICLE IS AT DEALERS NOW FOR INSPECTION: OLATHE FORD, OLATHE KS

SUDDEN BRAKE HOSE FAILURE. 1994 FORD DIESEL E350 W/4-WHEEL ABS. BRAKE HOSE FAILURE DUE TO RUSTED PORTION OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY . THE AREA THAT RUSTED AWAY IS THE CRIMPED CONNECTION WHICH JOINS THE RUBBER HOSE TO THE STEEL FITTING AT THE CALIPER END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY. THIS RUST IS NOT VISIBLE WHILE DOING A ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT IS COVERED BY A RUBBER SLEEVE. APPARENTLY WATER/MOISTURE IS COLLECTING UNDER THIS RUBBER SLEEVE AND CORRODING THE STEEL CRIMPED AREA OF THE FITTING UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE OF A SECURE CONNECTION OF THE RUBBER HOSE TO THE STEEL , THEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE FLUID IS PRESSURIZED IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM THE RUBBER HOSE WILL BLOW AWAY FROM THE STEEL FITTING. (IDENTICAL FAILURE IN NHTSA DATABASE MAY 06, 2002 - TOMS RIVER, NJ). *TR

WHEN I AM DRIVING MY 1994 E350 DIESEL TRUCK, THERE WILL BE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ABILITY TO STOP THE TRUCK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS TRAVELING AT A SLOW SPEED WITH PLENTY OF CLEARANCE AHEAD OF ME AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD AND HAVE IT TOWED IN TO A MECHANIC SHOP. SO FAR THE SERPENTINE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED, A NEW TENSIONER INSTALLED, AND A NEW IDLER PUT IN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. I SEE THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED # 9610030000 BY NHTSA FOR 1994 FORD ECONOLINE E350 TRUCKS WITH SERPENTINE BELT PROBLEMS AND THAT THE FORD DEALERS HAVE AGREED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. WHEN I CALL FORD, THEY SAY THAT MY VIN# IS NOT AMONG THOSE THAT WERE RECALLED. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I HAVE LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES DUE TO A SERPENTINE BELT MALFUNCTION. I BELIEVE THAT MORE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED THAT YEAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

1994 FORD E350, CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERATIVE. *KB AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALERSHIP FOR AND INITIAL INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING AND DOUBTED HIS ABILITY TO GET IT REPAIRED UNDER THE VEHICLE'S EXTENDED WARRANTY, SINCE IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. FOR SEVERAL DAYS THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE SALES DEALER. MESSAGES WERE LEFT BUT NONE OF THE CALLS WERE RETURNED. THE CONSUMER FINALLY SPOKE WITH THE OWNER OF THE DEALER WHO REPUDIATED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND BOASTED THAT HE HAD THE CONSUMER'S INITIAL ON THREE SEPARATE DOCUMENTS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS-IS. *NM

ACTUALLY THE COMPLAINT IS IN REGARD TO A NEAR MISS CONDITION WHILE DRIVIING MY 1994 DAMON ULTRASPORT (FORD E350) MOTOR HOME. WHILE REURNING FROM VACATION I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON THE FRONT OF MY MOTORHOME WAS LOOSE AND AS I WAS PASSED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER RIG IN IOWA ON INTERSTATE 80 THE WIND TURBULANCE CAUSED MY VEHICLE STEERING TO BE VERY ERRATIC. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR A SERVICE CALL AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE MECHANIC AT MONTICELLO FORD. THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICHLE AND SAID THE TOP BALL JOINTS WERE WORN APPROXIMATELY AN 1/8". FORD SAID THE TOLERANCE IS 1/4' AND MY WARRANTY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS MEMORY STEERING BY THE MECHANIC. IN THE ABSENCE OF WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR AN $800 REPAIR, HE RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE THE STEERING DAMPENER TO SEE IF IT HELPS MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMED TO REDUCE THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT ELIMINATED IT. HE DOES NOT RECOMMEND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WITH THE BALL JOINTS BEING SO LOOSE. HE ALSO MENTIONED HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY FORD SPECIFIES A 1/4" WHEN CHRYSLER SPECIFIES 1/16" WERE LIMITS ON THE BALL JOINTS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT FORD HAS A SPECIFICATION THAT IS NOT REALISTIC AND PUTS THE LIVES OF THEIR VAN AND MOTORHOMES DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS AT RISK EPSPECIALLY ON FREEWAYS WHERE DRIVERS GO 70-75MPH IN SEMI RIGS CAUSING VEHICLES NEAR THEM TO BE IN JEPARDY IS THEIR STEERING IS AS LOOSE AS FORD ALLOWS.