NHTSA Complaint #10350726 — 2004 FORD F-250 SD

OUR FAMILY WAS TRAVELING TO THE BEACH ON A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE WHEN OUR 2004 FORD F250 DIESEL, PULLING A 35 FOOT RV, STARTED RUNNING HOT. I PULLED OVER IN THE EMERGENCY LANE TO INVESTIGATE. LET THE TRUCK IDLE AND COOL FOR A BIT, RETURNED TO THE INTERSTATE TO TRY AND GET TO THE NEXT EXIT FOR A LESS DANGEROUS PLACE TO WORK ON IT. IT CONTINUED TO RUN HOT AND UPON EXITING THE INTERSTATE ON THE DOWN RAMP THE VEHICLE SHUTOFF, WITH NO POWER BRAKES TO STOP THE TRUCK AND CAMPER, I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AT THE STOP SIGN AND BLEW THROUGH IT. THANK GOODNESS NOTHING WAS COMING. TURNS OUT ALL THE WATER WAS GONE, DUE TO EITHER A BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR EGR OIL COOLER FAILURE AND THE MOTOR OVERHEATED AND RUINED. FORD WANTS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $17,500. THE TRUCK HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT AND IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A KNOWN ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEM FOR FORD YET THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THE PROBLEM. IF I HAD KNOWN THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS I WOULD HAVE HAD MINE FIXED OR REPLACED PRIOR TO HAVING TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. I PAID $50,000 FOR A TRUCK WITH A PREMIUM TO GET A DIESEL THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LAST FOREVER, AND IT DOES NOT EVEN LAST MORE THAN 63,000 MILES. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO FACE THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE HAD TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEARCH BLOWN HEAD GASKETS FORD F250 ON GOOGLE TO FIND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE EXTREMELY HOT EXHAUST GASES GET RECIRCULATION INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, BUT FIRST IT HAS TO BE COOLED. WHEN THE COOLER FAILS, ALL THE WATER FROM YOUR ENGINE GOES OUT THE EXHAUST, THROUGH THE TURBO (BYE BYE TURBO), THEN YOU ARE PUMPING EXTREMELY HOT GASES BACK INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH BOILS THE WATER, CREATING EXTREMELY HIGH PRESSURES, WHICH LIFTS THE HEADS AND BLOWS THE HEAD GASKETS. WHAT KIND OF STUPID DESIGN IS THAT? NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THOSE DESIGN PROBLEMS? I NOW HAVE A $50,000 BOAT ANCHOR, WHICH IS NOT WORTH REPAIR. HELP PLEASE!!!!!! *TR