NHTSA Complaint #10704582 — 2008 FORD F-250 SD

WE PURCHASED THIS 2008 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY NEW AT THE FORD STORE IN SAN LEANDRO, CA ON JULY 21, 2007 AND CONTINUE TO BE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A 6.4 TURBO-DIESEL ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO TSB 07-26-2 (WIRING HARNESS DEFECT ON HPFP) ISSUED AUGUST 2007. ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 27, 2015, WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A FREEWAY AND AT AN APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 50 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE DIED. BRAKING AND STEERING WERE ALSO DIMINISHED. I GOT LUCKY AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP (BUD ADAMS - CASTRO VALLEY, CA; BAR#:228593 CAL#:66801). DIAGNOSIS REVEALED A SHORT IN THE WIRING OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP GASKET WIRING HARNESS (THE SUBJECT OF TSB 07-26-2 WHEREIN FORD RECOGNIZED ON OR ABOUT AUGUST OF 2007 A PROBLEM WITH UNPROTECTED WIRING WITHIN THE HPFP WIRING HARNESS). REPAIRS WERE EXTREMELY COSTLY ($3,791.89 REDUCED TO $2,591.89) BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THIS INSTANTANEOUS FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH; IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. I GOT LUCKY. I SEE OTHER COMPLAINANTS WHO HAD HOURS STUCK IN THE DESERT, SOMEONE WITH A LOAD OF CATTLE STUCK WITHOUT WARNING, THE LIST GOES ON. IN EACH REPORTED INSTANCE THE OPERATOR DESCRIBED AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER PLANT WITH NO WARNING. I URGE THE NTSB TO INVESTIGATE THESE UNPLANNED SHUT DOWNS OF THIS VEHICLE'S POWER PLANT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS MAY LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, COLLISION, INJURY AND POSSIBLY DEATH. FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE AUGUST OF 2007 YET HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. SOME MAY SAY THIS IS DUE TO THE LARGE COSTS INVOLVED TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE HPFP GASKET AND WIRING HARNESS (IN PART INVOLVING THE REMOVAL OF THE VEHICLE'S CAB). *TR