NHTSA Complaint #761843 — 2001 FORD F-350

OUR CONCERN STEMS FROM NOT ONLY THE FAILURE OF OUR TRANSMISSION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FROM THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE HAVE BEEN ASKED BY OTHERS, IF WE HAVE EVER HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. WE FREQUENTLY PULL OUR FIFTH WHEEL RV AND COME INTO CONTACT WITH NUMEROUS PEOPLE AT THE RV PARKS. IN TOO MANY CONVERSATIONS TO RECALL, THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION HAS BEEN THE 2001 FORD F-350 TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE EITHER ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR OWN TRUCK OR KNOWS OF SOMEONE WHO HAS. WE BEGAN EXPERIENCING MINOR PROBLEMS AT AROUND 17,000 MILES WHICH INCREASINGLY GOT WORSE. THE PLANETARY (SP?) GEAR IS WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM THAT FORD HAS PINPOINTED WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THE NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION SHIPPING CASES ALONE, FOUND IN BACK OF THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE HAD OUR TRUCK REPAIRED INDICATIVE OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY FORD. FROM WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED, THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL YOUR MILEAGE IS ABOVE 15,000. SINCE THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION EXPIRES AT 36,000, I EXPECT FORD IS SIMPLY PLAYING THE ODDS ON THE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT HAPPENING AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD RATHER THAN ISSUING A RECALL ON THE PLANETARY (SP?) GEAR. THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL FORD CONSUMERS FOR LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER. VICKIE RAGLE. *AK