NHTSA Complaint #10389902 — 2003 FORD F-150

ON MY 2003 FORD F-150 XLT REGULAR CAB, SHORT WIDE BED PICK-UP I NOTICED A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED FOR A SHORT PERIOD THEN WENT OFF AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. SOMETIMES WHEN I WOULD SHUT OFF THE ENGINE THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT AND NOT REAPPEAR AGAIN FOR A FEW DAYS TO WEEKS. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT STAYED ON. THIS TIME I ALSO NOTED THAT AFTER I TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF I COULD STILL HEAR WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE SOUND OF SMALL ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING UNDER THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND DETERMINED THE NOISE WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE ABS BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. I FELT THE MODULE AND IT WAS WARM. I PHONED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT SOMETIMES IF THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED THE MODULE WILL RESET ITSELF. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY FOR A MOMENT THEN RECONNECTED IT AND THE ABS BRAKE MODULE LIGHT ON THE DASH WENT OFF SO I ASSUMED IT HAD RESET ITSELF AND WAS NOW OK. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE TRUCK FOR APPROX 1 1/2 WEEKS WITH NO TROUBLE THEN SUDDENLY THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH AGAIN CAME ON. AS BEFORE WHEN I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE THE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF A SMALL ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNNING WAS AGAIN HEARD. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH AND A HOT SMELL WAS NOTED ALSO. I VISITED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THE ABS CONTROL MODULE NEEDED REPLACED AT A PRICE OF SOMEWHERE AROUND $700.00 UP TO POSSIBLY $1200.00 SINCE WHEN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE GOES BAD THEN THE HYDRAULIC PORTION OF THIS SYSTEM IS LIKELY ALSO BAD. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 68500 MILES, LOOKS LIKE NEW, AND HAS BEEN TREATED EXTREMELY GENTLY SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2003. *TR