NHTSA Complaint #10180948 — 2004 FORD F-150

MY F-150 SUPERCREW HAS DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVETRAIN, PRIMARILY A LOUD GRINDING NOISE CAN BE HEARD UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I THOUGHT MY VEHICLE HAD RUN OVER SOME TYPE OF METALLIC OBJECT ON THE ROADWAY. THE NOISE WENT AWAY AFTER I MERGED ONTO A HIGHWAY. FOUR DAYS LATER I WAS OPERATING ON A CITY STREET WHEN THE SAME TYPE NOISE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE GAS IS DEPRESSED AND THE NOISE DOES NOT DECREASE WHEN THE GAS IS LET OFF. ONLY AFTER DECREASING SPEED UNDER 15 MPH DOES THE NOISE GO AWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT SLAMS OUT OF GEAR JUST PRIOR TO THAT. AN ASSOCIATE OF MINE WHO OWNS A 2005 F-150 WITH THE EXACT SAME TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I CONTACTED THIS DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 30 TRANSMISSIONS ON 2004-2005 MODEL YEARS AND THE ISSUE WAS A "KNOWN ONE". I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FORD MANDATED TO WARRANTY THE DRIVETRAINS IN THESE TRUCKS BEYOND THE NORMAL PERIOD. *NM