NHTSA Complaint #10434351 — 2008 FORD F-450 SD

PROBABLY AROUND 30,000 MILES MY FORD F450 STARTED HAVING THE WATER IN FUEL LIGHT COME ON CONSTANTLY. I WOULD ATTEMPT TO DRAIN AND THERE WOULD BE NO WATER. RIGHT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE THAT MY F250'S WATER IN FUEL SENSOR WENT BAD (AT 35,000 MILES), THE COMPUTER IN MY F450 HAD BEEN "RE-CALIBRATED" AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IN FOR SERVICE. THE RE-CALIBRATION CAUSED THE TRUCK TO GO INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE EVERYTIME THE WATER IN FUEL SENSOR CAME ON. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS THESE DIESEL TRUCKS ARE USED TO HAUL HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND SOMETIMES ON THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED. THE LIMP HOME MODE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING TAKES THE THROTTLE AWAY AND THE TRUCK WON'T GO OVER ABOUT 30 MPH WHICH COULD CAUSE VERY SERIOUS WRECKS WITH THAT KIND OF WEIGHT JUST STOPPING IN FRONT OF OTHER VEHICLES GOING 50-80 MPH. ONCE STOPPED, YOU HAVE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, PRETEND TO DRAIN THE FUEL AND YOU ARE GOOD FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO. IT GOT TO WHERE THE TRUCK WAS DOING THIS AT LEAST 5 TIMES A DAY. LIKE I SAID, MY F250'S SENSOR ALSO WENT OUT (BEFORE BEING RE-CALIBRATED) RIGHT BEFORE 36,000, AND I GUESS MINE HAD GONE OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, BUT BEING SELF-EMPLOYED, I DEPENDED ON MY TRUCK TO WORK 6-7 DAYS A WEEK AND COULDN'T TAKE IT IN. MY DAD & SEVERAL FRIENDS WITH 2008 SUPER DUTY TRUCKS ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE POINT IS FORD IS INSTALLING CRAPPY PARTS, NOT STANDING BEHIND THEM (WANTED $800 TO REPLACE ENTIRE HOUSING ON A PART THAT SHOULD LAST WAY LONGER, BUT FAILING ON MANY OF THE TRUCKS,), AND THE RE-CALIBRATION HAS MADE IT DANGEROUS ON TOP OF BEING BAD BUSINESS. *TR