2005 Ford F Super Duty

VEHICLE ENGINE (6.0 DIESEL) UNEXPECTEDLY AND SUDDENLY DIED WHILE CLIMBING A NARROW MOUNTAIN STATE HIGHWAY, JUST IN BETWEEN SWITCHBACKS THAT HAD NO SHOULDERS; HAD ENOUGH SPEED TO JUST CLEAR ROAD ONTO A SHOULDER. NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD EVER DISPLAYED PREVIOUSLY TO THIS INCIDENT. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, TOWED TO LOCAL FORD DEALER. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED LOSS OF HIGH PRESSURE OIL; AND FICM FAILURE AND GLOW PLUG MODULE FAULT BY OBD AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT NOW'S CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. STC FITTING REPLACED, DECLINED FICM AND GPM REPAIRS DUE TO COST AND VEHICLE ABLE TO RUN TO GET IT HOME. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THESE 3 PARTS, AMONG OTHERS ON THE 6.0 ENGINE, HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATES, ALL RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND POTENTIAL STRANDING. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED WITHOUT SATISFACTION. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS AS A SAFETY AND INHERENT DEFECTIVE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING ISSUE (AND COST!!!). IT MAY ALSO BE AN EMISSIONS CONTROL ISSUE AS THESE PARTS FAIL AND ARE NOT REPAIRED OR ARE REMOVED. THIS VEHICLE IS FACTORY STOCK AND DEALER MAINTAINED, HAD 6 YEAR, 75,000 MILE FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

SEVERE VIBRATION AND COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AFTER GOING OVER BUMP/ROUGH AREA OF ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES. NEAR CRASH OVER SIDE OF MOUNTAIN AS VIBRATION WAS SO SEVERE AS TO INVOLUNTARILY CHANGE MORE THAN ONE LANE. BRAKING INSUFFICIENT DURING THIS PERIOD OF SEVERE VIBRATION. CONTROL OF VEHICLE OBTAIN ONLY AFTER SPEED REDUCTION ATTAINED (NOT EASILY ACCOMPLISHED WHEN IT HAPPENS GOING DOWNHILL!) TWICE HAPPENED AT 65MPH AND TWICE APPROXIMATELY 45MPH. FORD DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED FAMILIARITY WITH THIS PROBLEM, CALLING IT THE "DEATH WOBBLES". STATED THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE "OLD STYLE" STEERING DAMPENER WITH NEW. IF IT WASN'T A DEFECTIVE PART/DESIGN, WHY WOULDN'T THEY REPLACE IT WITH A DUPLICATE OF THE ORIGINAL. NO CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AS VEHICLE "TOO OLD"...EVEN WITH ONLY 61,000 MILES. *TR

WHEN TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROX 65MPH, I HIT A ROUGH AREA AND THE FRONT END STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO A VERY UNSAFE APPROX 30MPH BEFORE THE SHAKING STOPPED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, JUST THE MOST RECENT. THE FIRST TIME WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS CARRYING MY 4000 POUND CAMPER AND PULLING A BOAT WITH MY FAMILY. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND WAS ONLY CORRECTED BY SLOWING DOWN. I HAVE BEEN READING HUNDREDS OF ON-LINE POSTINGS OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH OTHERS PLEADING F350 OWNERS TO SUBMIT THEIR EXPERIENCES ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE. *TR

ON 7-11-2012 I NOTICED A STRESS CRACK FROM SPOKE TO SPOKE NEAR THE ALLOY WHEEL OUT SIDE NEAR TIRE BEAD. I WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THIS RIM AND DISCARDED IT TO RECYCLING CENTER. PURCHASED A USED ONE FROM CANADA COSTING $500.00 PLUS SHIPPING. ON 7-01-13 I NOTICED A SECOND OEM HARLY DAVISON RIM WITH A STRESS CRACK IN THE SAME LOCATION DIFFERENT WHEEL. COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR MALFUNCTION IF THE RIM FAILURE GOING HIGH WAY SPEEDS I CHECKED ON LINE ANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THESE STRESS CRACKS APPEAR ON THE RIMS AS WELL SAME TYPE AROUND SAME YEAR. *TR

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70 MPH ALONG INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, WHEN CROSSING TRANSITION ON INTERSTATE BRIDGE FRONT END OF TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY; STEERING WHEEL SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL. BROUGHT VEHICLE SAFELY TO A STOP, MOVED INTO EMERGENCY LANE, CHECKED ALL TIRES, NO APPARENT PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DRIVING LANE AND IN LESS THAN 1 MILE UPON HITTING ANOTHER BUMP IN THE ROADWAY TRUCK AGAIN BEGIN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY*. AGAIN, DRIVER HAD VIRTUALLY NO CONTROL OVER STEERING UNTIL VEHICLE HAD SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, AT WHICH TIME DRIVER ELECTED TO RETURN HOME RATHER THAN CONTINUE TRIP. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. DEALER STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE 'DEATH WOBBLE' HOWEVER THEY HAD NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. DEALER EXAMINED TRUCK AND DETERMINED THAT THE BALL JOINTS, DAMPERS, AND AXLE SE SHOULD BE REPLACED. HE DID NOT INDICATE THE PARTS WERE WORN, AND SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAVE NOT DRIVEN VEHICLE OVER 50 MPH SINCE RECEIVING IT AFTER REPAIRS, SO DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS ACTUALLY REPAIRED. *THE SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT EVERYTHING LOOSE IN THE TRUCK IS THROWN ABOUT. THIS WAS NOT A TIRE PRESSURE ISSUE! TIRES PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AND ALL 4 TIRES WERE WELL WITHIN THE SPECIFIED TOLERANCES. *TR

STARTED HAVING DIFFICULTIES WHEN DRIVING , SPEED DID NOT MATTER , COULD HAPPEN AT 20-50-65 . SPUTTERING ,MISSING HEAVING , NO POWER OR LOSING POWER. NO COMPUTER CODES EITHER - 2 TIMES TO THE DEALER WITH NOT FINDING THE PROBLEM AS IT WAS OCCASIONAL/AND UNUSUAL IN THE WAY IT OCCURRED. 3RD TIME THE DEALER TOLD US IT WAS THE TURBO AND WE PAID 2,000.00 TO REPLACE- NOW 5 MONTHS LATER CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS AGAIN. THIS TRUCK AS IT STANDS IS UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS - WE LOST POWER ON THE INTERSTATE - COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I READ ON LINE MANY ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUE . I WANT AN ANSWER AND I WANT A SOLUTION NOW. *TR

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO GO SLOWER AND SLOWER AND THEN ONCE STOPPED AND PULLED OVER WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY KNEW RIGHT OFF THAT IT WAS THE EGR COOLER THAT FAILED AND SAID IT IS A KNOW DEFECT IN THIS MOTOR AND TRUCK. THE EGR COOLER IN TURN COKED THE CENTER OF THE TURBO AND THE HEAD GASKETS FAILED. I FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT IN THIS MOTOR BUT FORD WOULD NOT BACK IT UP SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR