NHTSA Complaint #10248890 — 2005 FORD F-350

ON JULY 4, 2005, I PURCHASED A 2005 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY LARIAT WITH LONG BED AND DUAL WHEELS AND 4WD AT EL CAJON FORD. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE TRUCK EXPERIENCED SEVERE FRONT-END VIBRATION WHEN I REACHED ABOUT 60 MPH. IT CONTINUED UNTIL I GOT TO ABOUT 80 MPH. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM THE FIRST VISIT FOR SERVICE AT DOWNEY FORD. AFTER A FEW VISITS FOR DIAGNOSTICS, DOWNEY FORD INSTALLED A "DAMPENER" ON THE FRONT END. IT MADE THE PROBLEM BETTER, BUT IT DID NOT COMPLETELY CURE THE DEFECT. I EVENTUALLY BOUGHT A LANCE CAMPER, WHICH WAS ON THE TRUCK FOR OVER A YEAR. WHILE THE TRUCK HAD THE 3000 LB CAMPER ON IT, THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY ON THE STRAIGHTAWAY, BUT WAS HORRIBLY DANGEROUS ON THE CURVES. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE SUCH CURVE IS THE 605 SB TO THE 405 SB IN LONG BEACH. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE/CAMPER ON THIS CURVE UNLESS I ALMOST STOPPED. I REMOVED THE CAMPER ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRUCK IS WORSE. IT NOW WILL VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY AT 40-50 MPH. I REPORTED THIS VIBRATION PROBLEM EVERY TIME I WENT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY ALWAYS SAID THEY DID ALL THEY COULD WITH THE DAMPENER. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO EL CAJON FORD ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS AGO. NOW THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY, FORD NOW SAYS IT CAN FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS DAMAGE THE FRONT STEERING MECHANISM. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID IN A VOICE MAIL THAT DOWNEY PUT ON A DAMPER THAT WAS TOO SMALL FOR MY TRUCK. I DEMANDED THEY FIX IT FREE AND THEY REFUSE. I WANT MY TRUCK FIXED. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT, SINCE IT HAS EXISTED FROM DAY 1. I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT EXISTED WELL BEFORE 2005, BUT FORD HAS IGNORED THE SAFETY ISSUES. A HIGH PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT EXISTS WHEN YOUR TRUCK IS VIBRATING AND BOUNCING ACROSS LANES AND YOU CANNOT STEP ON THE BRAKE OR MAKE IT WORSE! THANK YOU, ANNETTE GILLIAM *TR