NHTSA Complaint #10304460 — 2004 FORD F-150

ONE YEAR AGO MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE STOPPED WORKING. MY F-150 WAS 47 MONTHS OLD AND PURCHASED TO GO IN SNOW AND OFF ROAD. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE BROKE AND THE LIMITED SLIP REAR AXLE (ALSO DEFECTIVE) ONLY SPINS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. NOW, IF YOU GET ON WET GRASS YOU ARE STUCK AND NEED A TOW. I TOOK MY F-150 TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY DID A $100 DIAGNOSTIC AND SAID THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED. FORD DEALER SAID THIS 4X4 MODULE (INTEGRAL PART OF THE PCM) WAS NOT COVERED BY THE 8 YEAR 80,000 MILE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WARRANTY BECAUSE THE F-150 WOULD STILL PASS EMISSIONS TESTING (THE OTHER TWO THIRDS OF THE PCM STILL WORKED CORRECTLY). THE COST ESTIMATE STARTED AT $1100 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PCM, AND THE DEALER WAS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON THE REPAIR PRICE. THE REPAIR WAS NOT AFFORDABLE FOR ME AT THIS TIME. THE REASON I PURCHASED THE TRUCK WAS TO GO IN THE SNOW, BUT IT IS WORSE THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN THE SNOW NOW WITHOUT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. IT CAN'T EVEN GET UP THE SLIGHT HILL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW WITH A FEW INCHES OF SNOW, AND JUST SPINS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WITH ZERO TRACTION. *TR