NHTSA Complaint #10140061 — 1999 FORD F-350 SD

I OWNED A 99.5 FORD F350 WITH THE 7.3L DIESEL AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION. AT AROUND 30K MILES, DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WHILE TOWING A LOADED TRAILER, THE TRUCK SHUT OFF. THIS LEFT ME WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES OR ABS BRAKES. HAD THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A STEEPER GRADE OR BUSIER TIME OF DAY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER, THE TRUCK RESTARTED AND RAN BRIEFLY BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AT THAT POINT. THE TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT FIXING THE TRUCK, WHICH LED TO ANOTHER HIGH SPEED STALL WITH LOSS OF CONTROL, THEY FINALLY REPLACED THE CAM POSITION SENSOR (CPS). I HAD TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY THE PROBLEM WHEN I HAD IT TOWED THE FIRST TIME. IT SEEMS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG FORD 7.3L DIESEL OWNERS THAT THIS PART FAILS WITHOUT WARNING AT AS EARLY AS 500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. MOST OWNERS CARRY A SPARE IN THEIR TRUCKS TO AVOID BEING STRANDED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS HAS BECOME A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THESE TRUCKS AS MORE AND MORE FAMILIES USE THEM AS GROCERY-GETTERS AND/OR THE FAMILY WAGON. A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER OR A DRIVER IN A MORE HAZARDOUS SETTING WOULD NOT HAVE FARED AS WELL AS I DID. I URGE YOU TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND BRING IT TO LIGHT SO THAT FORD CAN NO LONGER SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG UNTIL PEOPLE GET HURT. AS THESE TRUCKS GET MORE MILES ON THEM THE ODDS INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THAT THE CPS WILL FAIL LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE STATE IN MANY INSTANCES. *JB