NHTSA Complaint #10523485 — 2004 FORD F-250

FORD F SERIES AND SUPER DUTY PICKUPS WITH 5.4 ENGINES. MY 2004 FORD F-250 HAS AN ISSUE WITH LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. WHEN LOOKING INTO THIS FURTHER WHILE GETTING PRICING, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AND THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE DUE TO A MISTAKE IN MATERIAL USED FOR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS. SO COMMON THAT AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS ARE MAKING REPLACEMENT KITS FOR THE PROBLEM. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ATTACHING STUDS WERE MADE OUT OF A METAL THAT QUICKLY RUSTS OUT CAUSING THE FAILURE. AFTER THE FAILURE, I BEGAN TO NOTICE EXHAUST GASES ENTERING THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE CLIMATE CONTROL, WHICH ITS FRESH AIR INTAKE IS IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I ALSO QUESTION THE EMISSIONS STANDARDS BECAUSE OF THE EXHAUST LEAK NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL FIRE RISK FROM HEATED GASES AND FLAMES ENTERING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR