NHTSA Complaint #10538005 — 2008 FORD F-250

I WAS DRIVING OUR 2008 F-250 2WD AN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO TURN, LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS HAD OCCURRED A FEW TIMES BEFORE BUT I COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND ALTHOUGH A NEAR SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURRED, NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. I WAS PLANNING TO TAKE IT TO A LOCAL DEALER OVER THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT DAY I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND THE TRUCK ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT START. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP COVER GASKET WHICH INCLUDES A WIRING HARNESS NEEDS REPLACED DUE TO WIRE ABRASION AND A SHORTED WIRE. IN ADDITION, THE CAB OF THE TRUCK WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO INCLUDE A GUARD TO PROTECT THE WIRE FROM ABRASION. FROM INTERNET RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR INSTANCES, WITH SOME VEHICLES LOSING POWER WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF TRUCK AND THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL SIMILAR REPAIRS. AS A SAFETY PROFESSIONAL FOR OVER 30 YEARS, THIS IS VERY UNNERVING TO SAY THE LEAST. HIGHWAY CRASHES OCCUR FAR TOO OFTEN DUE TO HUMAN ERROR WITHOUT HAVING KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECTS ADDING TO THE PROBLEM. WHEN A TRUSTED MANUFACTURER DISCOVERS AN ENGINEERING ISSUE BUT FAILS TO INFORM OWNERS OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THIS ADDS UNNECESSARY DANGER FOR UNSUSPECTING MOTORISTS,OUR FAMILIES AND THE PUBLIC. I TRUST THAT THIS WILL BE INVESTIGATED FULLY. *TT