NHTSA Complaint #10408738 — 2008 FORD F-250 SD

I CAME HOME FROM WORK, SHUT MY VEHICLE OFF, CLIMBED OUT AND NOTICED THAT SOMETHING WAS DRIPPING FROM THE FRONT END. GOT UNDER AND FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING AND AT A PRETTY GOOD RATE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK DETAILS ABOUT IT AND AGREED TO DROP IT OFF THE NEXT DAY. I HAD TO REFERENCE THEM TO A TSB 09-23-1 CONCERNING THE RADIATOR LEAK DUE TO A HYPER EXTENDED THERMOSTAT. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I GET A CALL AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THERMOSTAT "SEEMS" TO BE FINE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF THE RADIATOR REPLACEMENT AT $1400. FORD REPLACED THESE RADIATORS IN JOB 1 TRUCKS IF THEY WERE LEAKING AT THE TIME THE VENTURI TEE WAS BEING INSTALLED IN THE COOLING SYSTEM. I HAD THE RECALL DONE BUT IT WASN'T LEAKING AT THE TIME. I HAVE 37K MILES ON IT. I'VE NEVER OVER HEATED IT, OVER SPED IT AND I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLE. THE FORD DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT IF THEY REPLACED THE PARTS, SENT THEM TO FORD AND FORD FOUND THEY WERE STILL GOOD, I WOULD THEN GET BILLED BACK LATER. AS OF RIGHT NOW, I HAVE NOT HAD THEM CONTINUE WITH THE WORK ON THE TRUCK. THE MAIN REASON IS BECAUSE THAT IS A COSTLY REPAIR AND I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD COVER THIS KNOWING IT'S A PROBLEM. THERE WAS A RECALL AS I STATED EARLIER, AND AT LEAST 2 TSB'S STATING THAT THEY KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM. IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT FORD IS STICKING IT TO PEOPLE LIKE ME FOR A DEFECTIVE PART. IT'S CRACKED AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME HOW IT CRACKED. WHEN ASKED, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED, "THAT'S THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION." WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN WORSE, I'M ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND AM PREPARING FOR A DUTY STATION MOVE IN AUGUST. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE TO TOW MY RV AND FAMILY OF 5, NOT FOR IT TO BREAK AND NO APPARENT REASON FOR IT BESIDES THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT. *TR