NHTSA Complaint #10148205 — 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY

THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH F SERIES DIESEL TRUCKS. I HAVE THE 7.3 LITER ENGINE WHICH IS IN MANY TRUCKS. THE FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE SIMPLY STOPS. USUALLY,IN MY TRUCK, IT "RESTARTS" BY ITSELF. IF IT DOES, THE VEHICLE BUCKS. WHEN IT DOES NOT "RESTART", THE ENGINE IS NOW OFF AND I HAVE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND CRANK THE ENGINE. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS IN A CREW CAB, FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, DIESEL PICK UP TRUCK. THE LAST FAILURE, SOME TIME IN DECEMBER, WAS AT 30 MILES PER HOUR AS I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER I95 IN BIDDEFORD, ME. I CROSSED OVER THE HIGHWAY WESTBOUND ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP AND THE TRUCK DIED JUST AS I HIT THE CURVE WHICH ROTATES YOU 270 DEGREES TO ENTER THE SOUTHBOUND LANE. I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO CRANK THE WHEEL OVER AND MAKE THE SHARP TURN. THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE CPS OR CAM POSITION SENSOR. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. JUST LOOK IN WWW.DIESELSTOP.COM AT THE FORUMS. DRIVERS ARE CARRYING SPARES IN THE GLOVE BOX!!! I AM LUCKY THAT MY PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. FOR SOME FOLKS, THE TRUCK DIES AND NEVER RESTARTS. MY TRUCK EXHIBITS THE PROBLEM EVERY FEW WEEKS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THE FINANCIAL ISSUES ARE ALSO AN UNFAIR BURDEN ON THE CUSTOMER BUT THE SAFETY ASPECT OF LOSING POWER AT A CRITICAL MOMENT IS MUCH WORSE. *NM