NHTSA Complaint #10379684 — 2008 FORD F-450 SD

2008 FORD F-450 SD DIESEL ENGINE AND RADIATOR FAILURE. THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP I HAVE CONSISTENTLY HAD THE NOTICE OF "CLEANING EXHAUST" COME UP. I MADE FORD AWARE OF IT AND THEY WOULD TELL ME THAT THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. I WAS PULLING A 5 HORSE TRAILER (APPROXIMATELY 18,000 POUNDS EMPTY) WITHIN WHICH I HAD ONLY 3 HORSES. IT WAS A WARM, BUT NOT HOT DAY AND I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON FAIRLY FLAT TERRAIN. THE WATER TEMP LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SUDDENLY WENT TO HOT. I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A FORD DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES AWAY. I WAITED FOR A BIT AND I DROVE 20 MPH TO DEALERSHIP. THANK GOD I WAS GOING TO MEET SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE A 5TH WHEEL AND COULD COME PICK UP THE HORSES. THANK GOD I WAS NEAR A SMALL TOWN. I WAS ABOUT TO GET OFF OF THE HIGHWAY TO HEAD OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE DEPENDABLE AT ALL. I MUST HAVE A DEPENDABLE TRUCK TO HAUL HORSES!!! THE TRUCK IS APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO OWN 2008 FORD F-350 AND F-450 TRUCKS WHO HAVE HAD ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS AROUND THE 30,000 TO 40,000 MILE MARK. THE ENGINES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THAT IS RIDICULOUS ON A DIESEL ENGINE! THEY SHOULD LAST 200,000 MILES!!! *TR