2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

joeprinter · January 2005

I am still having the same vibs. so I filed a dsb with ford. Will let you know how it turns out.

trcar · January 2005

So, it's been about a week. Have you found the source of the excessive moisture on the passenger side floor?

mr.ed · January 2005

I have a 4x4 flareside xlt with the same vibration and shaking problem. I found the dealership service of no help at all. Suggested that I either trade it back to them or file a dsb.

I contacted a lawyer and I am in the process of filing a lemon. I will never buy a ford product after this nightmares' over. Thank God for Virginia state lemon law!

joeprinter · January 2005

Please keep us up to date on your progress with the lemon law proceduer.

joeprinter · January 2005

I received a letter from the dsb and have been assigned a case# So things are in the works. I know it will take time but atleast something is happening.

lariat4 · January 2005

I just got it back from the dealer today...they put in a new PROCESSOR. HOPEFULLY that will work...what steps did your friends dealer take.Now ya got me worried!!

dan222000 · January 2005

I am going throw this same problem. My 2004 F-150 has all the simptum that your truck has. The dealership told me that this was a national problem that alot of F-150 had and that the engineers where working on the fix. They told me that there was no fix at the moment. Well that's not good enough for me! who wants to drive a new truck that has sd problems. So I am going through the Ford Dispute Settlement Board. I was wondering if you had any luck with the board or where you are in the process. I have received my packet with my case. The board is scheduled to review my case on Jan. 26, 2005. I'll let you know what happens.

jedwards · January 2005

This sounds just like my truck. Ford engineer even looked at mine and said there was nothing wrong with it. Pursuing lemon law.

jedwards · January 2005

What happened with your hearing? I have one in March. julie@brooksdata.net

dan222000 · January 2005

Ok I went to the Ford Dispute Settlement Board meeting where they reviewed my case. I gave a quick statement on how ford had tried everything to fix my vibration problem. The dispute settlement packet stated that there was a new service bulliten availalbe. I contacted my ford customer relations manager and asked him to schedule me in to have it done. He advised me to just go in front of the board because he had done the new bulliten and it had only partially fix the problem. He told me that I had a good chance that I would get a refund or a replacement truck. Well that the meeting I told them exactly what my customer relations manager told me and offered the board to drive my truck. They didn't want to drive it and when I was done they had no questions. That was it! In the end they told me that I would have to wait 7-10 days to get there written decision on what they where going to do. I'll keep you posted as to what they decided to do with my truck.

ronm1 · January 2005

My truck is a 2004 super crew 5.4 with 3:73 gears. and I now have 6,000 miles on it.

Looks like you are going in the right direction with the dispute board.

I have the same problems as you plus scored rotors and lousy gas mileage. The dealer replaced the gears and the noise and vibration is worse,the dealer asked me to wait 3 months for Ford to come up with a fix. afer 3 month I called the dealer and he called Ford and they said no fix yet the dealer suggested I exercise my options. I sent in the dispute form and in short order I got a call from Ford. The Ford engineer wanted to look at it before the dispute board makes a decision. It is apparently one of the things the board recommends the manufacturer do prior to having to make a decision (from what I can find out it costs the Manufacturer $1,000.00 penalty, if the board finds in the customers favor.) so the manufacturer usually tries to settle before it goes to the board for a decision. So far I have been lucky, the dealer has worked with me and I even listened when they call Ford trying to see it they had a fix yet, they also are keeping a file of my correspondence in the office.

I meet with the ford Engineer on Feb 1 th It will be interesting to see how it goes. A squeaky wheel gets the grease but don't get angry or upset with the dealer or them you have more to lose that they do.

but you can sure be a pain in their (a_ _) back side

ttimbers · January 2005

I have had the ford in so many times I lost track. This time I think it is fixed!!

Here is what they have done:

1) road force balanced tires

2) 4 new tires

3) dampner kit

4) new drive shaft

5) rear brake rotors

Drive shaft, tires and dampner seemed to help steerig wheel vibration, but still felt vibrating up through seat and feet.

Took it back in and they put on the rear brake rotors. I couldn't believe the difference. It took the virbrating out!!!

This may not help every truck, but it sure did help mine.

dan222000 · February 2005

At last! The ford dispute settlement board has written me back. They are buying back my truck!! They request the sales contract, finance info, & registration of the truck. Looks like I finally won but what a long process to have to go through. For everyone that is having this problem please go through the dispute settlement process ford is buying back these faulty trucks. If anyone has any questions please email me at dan222000@aol.com

gordon fan · February 2005

I have a 2004 f150 super crew is the vibration your taking about a frontend one? I took mine back after one week of driving 3 months later and a few trips to the shop. Yesterday i sat for three hrs at the dealers hoping they were fixing it . They broke down my tires then did some fancy balance job told me it was fixed. NOT

Any suggestions?

montanaford · February 2005

just bought a 2005 350 lariet 3 weeks ago, already in the shop . they say it is the fuel injector. we will see.i am supose to get it back tommorrow

jasene · February 2005

I am about to buy an 04 f-150 FX4 supercab. i have been on the internet looking at the trucks and found a few i want. I want to know how do i tell if the bed of the trucks have the tie downs on the outside of the bed. Some FX4's do and some don't. I want to know if the flareside is the only body style with it or not, and how do i tell in the description without driving all over the state looking at them. i want to find the one i want over the internet and order it.

mac24 · February 2005

I guess I'm missing something here, but can't you just ask the seller?

I wouldn't drive ten miles to look at a truck without finding out if it was still available, and I think that would be a good opportunity to enquire about the specific details as well.

elemint · February 2005

Of no other cars and trucks have i heard of more transmission nightmare stories. Can ANYONE help explain why this would be? I can think of over 20 bad transmission stories over the last 10 years only and 19 have been ford cars and trucks. Now i like a lot of ford products and i think the make fine engines but why cant they make a trouble free trans??????? If ANY car company had more than a year of bad trans i would think they would either TOTALLY redesign a new trans or copy one from another manufacturer that was know to be reliable. Not go on for decades making crap!

mac24 · February 2005

Ummm......... true, but you might want to take a look at the stories some owners of DC minivans can tell! GM owners aren't free of troubles either.

wpalkowski · February 2005

It's not just FORD. You're just not looking in the right place. Even the Japanese can't get it right!

Honda has problems too. The Odyssey Van, the Accord, and Accura TL, and MDX suv all have problems

Go over to the Vans Board for the Odyssey. There's entire topics devoted to Ody Transmission problem

They had quality problems from '99-'01 with tolerances on some of their housings and trannies would grenade over time.. So Honda issued special warranty for 7 years, 100K miles.

For '02 through '04 Models, there's an outright design flaw. Not enough transmission fluid bathes 2nd gear. Metal overheats and gear can fail under acceleration. They're inspecting all trannies - if gear shows evidence of damage - replace the tranny under warranty. If not damaged yet, then they do a retrofit to provide better fluid flow and cooling.

Kirstie_H · February 2005

A newspaper reporter would like to interview owners of big pick-up trucks with large cabs that they primarily use for family transportation. If you fit what the reporter is looking for and you are interested in being interviewed, please send a brief description of yourself and your vehicle with your daytime contact information to Kirsten Holguin at kholguin@edmunds.com by 9am Pacific, Monday, February 7.

wijoco · February 2005

Funny you would post that here. Ford truck transmissions are more reliable than their cars. Except for the 5-speed automatic Rnager/Explorer trans. Most of their front wheel drive transaxles are junk.

mjkram · February 2005

Ford has generously extended the TIRE warranty on my '04 Lariat from 12 to 36 mos.! (From 12k to 36k miles). Do you suppose the tires are vibrating the truck, or the truck vibrating the tires that led them to the extended warranty? I expect the latter. By the way, if any of you get your vibration problems solved, do not lower the rear end using a 2" lowering shackle. For some reason this throws the driveshaft alignment off enough to cause a vibration at 15-25 mph. But, this may only apply to trucks with the 2 piece driveshaft. Shorter wheelbase trucks may not experience the same problem.

twocar · February 2005

What kind of tires on your Lariat? I just got an '04 SCrew and it has BF Goodrich Rugged Trails.

twocar · February 2005

Just got my extension on tire warranty yesterday from 12 months/12,000 miles to 36 months/36,000 miles. Wonder why it doesn't cover the '04 heritage but only the "new" ford f-150 body?

joeprinter · February 2005

This is the first I heard of the tire warranty where did you get it?

twocar · February 2005

Just arrived in the mail from Ford. On the outside of the envelope it said "Important Service Information" or something to that effect.

toolman2 · February 2005

I had the same problem. after the second time at the dealers ,they put new plates in , which they just happened to have in stock. It seem to take care of the problem for now. What about rough idle at a stop light, the dealer said their is nothing wrong ,but he hasn't talked to my wife yet.........

mjkram · February 2005

My Lariat SCrew is 2 wheel drive and came with BFG Long Trails, however I put '04 Navagator chrome wheels with taller 255/70R 18 Michelin Cross Terrain tires on the truck. The original hubcap snaps right on and I like the look. They do throw the speedometer off by about 2-3 mph. On another subject, I also notice a rough idle at stoplights. I feel it more with the HVAC off. With the a/c on it's a little better. I asked the dealer about it and the said they were aware of the problem, but as yet Ford didn't have a fix, and they would not recalibrate the engine computer without some instruction from Ford.

roker · February 2005

2004 lariat I've had my 04 truck in the shop 10 times in the month of January alone. My truck seems to stall when I am parking, from drive to reverse and then drive again. This has happened to me about 8-9 times. Service can't figure it out yet, but I just recently got all paper work in order to submet to Ford and I hope that they buy me out of this LEMON.

jsr283 · February 2005

Need advice, suggestions, comments on following:

I purchased a 2002 Ford F150 4wd supercrew w 5.4 L Triton engine in Sept 2001 and have had uneventful service until yesterday morning when I noticed what looked like smoke coming out of exhaust during a 2 mile drive. It was a cool morning and when it went away before I reached my destination, I dismissed it as water vapor from catalytic converter. Three hours later when I cranked it there was a large plume of smoke that came out exhaust pipe and then dissipated. Checked oil and it did not even register on the dip stick. Added half pint of STP oil treatment and almost 2 quarts of 5W-20 motor oil to bring level up to dipstick mark.

I have changed motor oil and filter every 3K miles since buying it new. Last change was early January 2005 and I have driven almost exactly 2k miles since then. The oil capacity is 6.5 quarts. Until yesterday, I have never needed to "add" any oil. My oil gauge has always indicated halfway between low and high and have not had any low oil warning lights.

Now after having brought the oil level back up, I notice wispy smoke exiting exhaust pipe and on a short test drive there is more smoke exiting when I punch the accelerator. I am a slow, smooth driver but hit the accelerator hard a couple times to simulate load on engine.

It's Sunday and I cannot consult a mechanic until tomorrow, but I would appreciate any comments that anyone can offer. Thanks in advance. Joe

ripcord2000 · February 2005

The other night the output shaft from the steering gear box sheared on my 2001 F-150 4x4 Supercab Lariat 139" WB Flareside 5.4L EFI V8 (name directly from sticker). The output shaft sheared between the pitman arm and the steering gear box.

I had two steering/alignment specialists look at the vehicle and am going to have Ford go to the garage where the truck is currently located to review what happened. Both specialists are of the opinion the shearing was the result of a manufacturer defect - not standard wear-and-tear - as the truck only has just over 67,000 miles on it.

Has anybody out there ever heard of this happening? I couldn't find any information on AutobyTel's site regarding recalls for this type of malfunction, but am really interested to find out if this has happened before and/or if there are any class action lawsuits in process against Ford for this problem. If this would have happened on the highway at a higher speed, there's a good chance I wouldn't be alive to make this post tonight.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

tmcclintic · February 2005

The cabin lights that turn on whenever truck doors are open are not turning off. Ideas?

wpalkowski · February 2005

Go find the door switches. Clean 'em off with a paper towel and then spray them with a few liberal shots of WD-40. CLean & repeat as needed.

Usually grit gets caught in the action and then lights won't turn off. Mine were right on the edge, lights turned off when you closed the doors, but everytime I hit a bump they'd flicker. Cleaning solved the problem.

tmp888 · February 2005

Is your trans. auto-4-speed? There is an issue with the auto-4-speed on (not sure exactly the year). If driver rests his/her arm/hand on the shift lever or does not shift the trans. completely in D (between D and 2). The software thinks the trans is in D but hydraulically the trans is in 2nd manual. The software just goes ahead shift the trans in highest gear when vehicle reaches high speed but the clutch could not handle the load (hydraulically incapable). Consequently, the clutch(es) wear out prematurely. Watch out when shifting in D. When you feel your trans does not get OD (watch the tachometer), try to push the shift lever a little toward N (not completely into N). Other than that problem, the trans is absolutely solid. You can expect the trans last at least 200K with manufacture recommended & scheduled fluid change.

jhd1 · February 2005

Does anyone know if there is a problem with the F-150 that causes it to stall? If so what was done to correct the problem? Today was the first time it happened, but I only have 5000 miles.

whatif · February 2005

did you re-install your stock shackles? did it do anygood?

mjkram · February 2005

Yes, I had to put the stock shackles back on. It just would not drive smoothly with any alteration. It looks jacked up like a grasshopper but I guess it's ok. Sure liked the lowered look better. Mine is 2wd with a 2 piece driveshaft, but noticed the 4wd trucks have a 1 piece driveshaft. Wha???????

aalexander · February 2005

I have handled the vibration defect on the F-150 for many of my clients. I practice lemon law in Michigan. Anyone in Michigan may contact me for free advice. 248 855-0866

andrew10 · February 2005

2004 F150 FX4 here, Ive had it just over 1 year with 22,000KM on it. About a month ago I started getting vibrations through the steering wheel, pedals, shifter...you name it, thoe whole truck shakes. It mainly happens at highway speeds and it comes & goes from day to day. My right front brakes are very squeaky when coming to a stop. It feels like a warped rim or an un-balanced drive shaft when it happens. Its also much more noticable when making right turns, and feels as if the right front wheel is seizing up. Anyway its at the dealer right now (couldnt get it to vibrate when we test drove it with the mech....go figure!!!) I guess I'll see what they say but it would seem as if this is a national problem.....

whatif · February 2005

I have the same situation 2wd supercrew 2 peice drive shaft 2" shackles, vibration between 15 & 25 mph. Installed the stock shackle and vibration problem solved.I'm afraid of what it's gonna do if I have to carry a heavy load.

aspesisteve · February 2005

I got the extended tire warranty in the mail from ford as well.

It just says the warranty has been extended from 12 to 36 months to cover defects or excessive wear?

I have Hancock tires on my F150 '04 - as far as I can tell they seem to be wearing normal.

rlewis · February 2005

Have a F350 work truck and have replaced battery cables, batteries (2), Alternator, starter, selenoid, & Voltage reg. When a charge tester is connected it is showing very low when enging is at idle. When enging is reved up the charge rises to the normal range. Is it normal for a diesel to barely charge at idle? I replaced the plug that connects to the regulator because of corrosion, Should I consider re-wiring the remaining items in the system?

fordfan · February 2005

I bought a 2004 F-150 Supercrew FX4; recently, it has developed a high pitched whining noise from the rear-end when accelerating; The Ford Dealer acknowledged the problem and says that Ford has a kit being released in Mid-March to solve the problem. They believe it is caused by a defective bearing in the rear-end. However, when I asked what I an supposed to do with the truck until the problem is fixed (ie. drive it vs park it), the service manager played dumb and would not acknowledge that it may be unsafe to operate until fixed.

Has anyone had this problem that developed into disabling the use of the truck? Thanks.

mac24 · February 2005

As a general rule, rear ends are pretty tough. You can often run for tens of thousands of miles with a bad bearing.

mac24 · February 2005

Is it normal for a diesel to barely charge at idle?

The alternator gives its lowest output at idle speed. It doesn't care what type of engine it's attached to.

:--)

joeprinter · February 2005

I filed with the dsb and won so I will get a new truck or my money back (my choice). It was a very simple process and no lawyer fees. Thanks but no.

Joe

mr.ed · March 2005

congratulations joe! remember, i plan to do a lemon law in our state of virginia but my lawyer advice me to go with the dsb. my hearing will be this coming march 9th. But things is not looking good. A so-called specialist from ford headquarters came to my dealership and tested my truck with a digital vibration analyzer and came to a conclusion that it is just but a result of normal driving operation. I am disgusted and plan to have either gmc,toyota or chevrolet service to test it but held on at the last moment... any advice you can gave? I am still going with the lemon law if my dsb hearing favors them...

wijoco · March 2005

1.Is the idle itself set too low?
2.Why did you replace all those components, what problem were you having?
3.Is it possible the alternator and or regulator you installed are junk?
4.What is the voltage reading at idle?

mac24 · March 2005

"...plan to have either gmc,toyota or chevrolet service to test it but held on at the last moment..."

Somehow I don't think that an opinion from a competing manufacturer will carry much weight.

:--)

2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Problems and Solutions

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