NHTSA Complaint #10611026 — 2011 FORD F-350

STOPPED AT BP GAS STATION IN POCAHANTAS, IL FOR DIESEL. PUMP HANDLE AND BUTTON WERE GREEN. APPARENTLY WAS 85 OCTANE GASOLINE. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES EAST ON I-70 WHEN UNLEADED FUEL HIT THE FUEL INJECTORS AND LOST POWER WHILE HAULING A 3,300 LB CAMPER AND 21' FIBERGLASS BOAT WITH TANDEM AXLE WHILE IN THE #2 (HIGH-SPEED) LANE ATTEMPTING TO PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. LOST ALL POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SIGNALED IMMEDIATELY FOR RIGHT TURN, AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. CALLED THREE FORD DEALERSHIPS IN THE LOCAL AREA AND TWO SAID THEY COULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT FOR A WEEK. PAID ADDITIONAL TOWING TO HAVE IT TOWED TO SCHMIDT FORD, SALEM, IL AND IT SAT UNTIL MONDAY BEFORE I WAS CALLED AND TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $8,500 ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM (INJECTORS, FUEL RAILS, HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE PUMP, TANK, AND FUEL FILTER). SERVICE REP TOLD ME IF I DIDN'T DO THE REPAIRS THEY WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY FORD OF THE WARRANTY VIOLATION AGAINST FORD'S JOB-AID FOR THIS CONTINUED PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON MULTIPLE FORUMS AND DISCOVERED THERE IS A DE-LAMINATION ISSUE OCCURRING WITH THE FUEL TANKS THAT IS CAUSING HIGH PRESSURE PUMP FAILURES. SINCE I DIDN'T DRIVE IT FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD I INSTRUCTED THE SERVICE TECH TO DRAIN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE RETURN LINE, TO WHICH THEY TOLD ME THAT WOULD REQUIRE DROPPING THE TANK, AND I TOLD THEM TO DROP THE TANK, EMPTY IT OF ALL CONTENTS, INSPECT FOR DELAMINATION, CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER, AND PUT FRESH DIESEL FUEL INTO IT AND RUN IT AND CALL ME BACK. THEY DID NOT CALL ME BACK AND WHEN I CALLED 5 MINUTES BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON TUESDAY THEY SAID IT'S FIXED AND RUNNING FINE. I HAD TO ASK HOW MUCH THE BILL WAS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS $640 (APPROX). RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THURSDAY (10 JULY 14) AND PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, PAID THE BILL AND RETURNED HOME (896 MILES). *TR