NHTSA Complaint #10476986 — 2006 FORD F-450 SD

ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2012, MY TRUCK ENGINE STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE, (2006 FORD F-450 SUPERDUTY TRUCK) WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, WHERE I ASKED FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE HAS 51,193 MILES ON IT. FORD REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE." THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH A PROBLEM AND WAS PUZZLED. HE SAID THE ENGINE LITERALLY BLEW APART SENDING FRAGMENTS THROUGH THE SYSTEM, DAMAGING OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. TO REPAIR THE ENGINE WOULD COST ME $14,000.00 DOLLARS. I CALLED FORD'S HOTLINE TO ASK WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE GIVEN THE LOW MILEAGE. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THEY WOULD NOT HELP IN THE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF THE TIME FRAME ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF MILES ON THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED THE TRUCK FOR WARRANTY WORK HAD IT BEEN WITHIN THE TIME FRAME. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD SHOULD A FUTURE RECALL BE ISSUED, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER ACTION OR ASSISTANCE WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE SEARCHING FOR A MECHANIC WHO COULD FIX THE TRUCK, I FOUND A NUMBER OF LOCAL MECHANICS WHO WERE VERY CRITICAL OF THE 6.0 LITER DIESEL FORD ENGINE. ONE PARTICULAR MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE CURRENTLY HAD 7 OF THE 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINES HE WAS WORKING ON THAT HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. HE MENTIONED ONE CUSTOMER THAT HAD THE SAME TRUCK AND YEAR MODEL AS MINE, BUT THE TRUCK ONLY HAD 22,000 MILES ON IT WHEN ITS ENGINE FAILED. ANOTHER LOCAL FLEET MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT YOU COULD CALL "ANY DIESEL MECHANIC IN ARKANSAS" AND THEY WOULD TELL YOU WHAT A TERRIBLE ENGINE THE 6.0 LITER FORD DIESEL ENGINE IS. GIVEN THE INFORMATION I DISCOVERED CONCERNING THE FAULTY ENGINES, IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT IF THE NHTSA OFFICE CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION, THEY WOULD FIND CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE FORD 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE USED IN A NUMBER OF THEIR TRUCK MODELS HAVE NUMEROUS DEFECTS AND SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES. *TR