2012 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

PURCHASED TRUCK NEW IN JUNE 2012. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I COULD SMELL ANTI FREEZE WHEN I'D TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. COULDN'T IDENTIFY A NOTICEABLE LEAK UPON VISUAL INSPECTION. FLUID LEVEL SEEMED TO STAY FULL. DECIDED I BETTER GET IT TO A DEALER TO CHECK OUT. I HAPPENED TO GET A CALL FROM MY LOCAL DEALER REGARDING A FACTORY RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. MENTIONED TO THEM THE ISSUE WITH THE ANTI FREEZE DURING THAT CALL. I SCHEDULED AND APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE AND A COOLANT CHECK (ALONG WITH SOME OTHER SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WORK). THEY COULDN'T GET MY TRUCK IN THEIR SHOP FOR OVER 2 WEEKS FROM THE DATE OF THE CALL DUE TO THEIR SHOP BEING BUSY SO WE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2/23/15 @ 8 AM. I DROPPED OFF MY VEHICLE AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE COOLING SYSTEM, PERFORM SOME OTHER MAINTENANCE (I.E. FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT) AND DO THE RECALL WORK. I GOT A CALL ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER INFORMING ME MY PRIMARY RADIATOR WAS LEAKING WHICH THEY FOUND PERFORMING A $50.00 "PRESSURE TEST". THE SERVICE ADVISER INFORMED ME THE RADIATOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WORK OUT OF POCKET DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. MY TRUCK HAD 36,265 MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME! OBVIOUSLY IF I'D HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED WITHIN THAT 2 WEEK WINDOW WHERE THEY COULDN'T GET AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED I WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME "TOUGH LUCK". I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY CONTACTED THE DEALER AND DROPPED THE PRICE TO $650 OUT OF POCKET TO ME. THAT STILL DOESN'T SATISFY ME THAT THEY KNOWINGLY HAVE MANY ISSUES WITH THE RADIATORS IN THESE VEHICLES AND WON'T STAND UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING WITH WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IN THE AREA I LIVE IN (MONTANA). WE DRIVE HUNDREDS OF MILES BETWEEN CITIES AND I FEEL FORD PLACED ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION NOT INFORMING ME OF THIS FACTORY DEFECT.

WHILE DRIVING IN WINDSOR COLORADO AT ABOUT 30 MPH MY 2012 F350 SD FLASHED A WARNING LIGHT TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO STOP. I DID SO, TURNED THE KEY OFF AND RESTARTED THE TRUCK. IT STARTED OK. I DROVE 50 YARDS AND THE TRUCK FLASHED THE SAME SIGNAL BUT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 7 DEGREES AND MY WIFE, SON AND TWO YOUNG GRANDSONS WERE IN THE TRUCK (WITHOUT HEAT). I CALLED AAA AND ABOUT 30-40 MINUTES LATER AAA TOWED ME ABOUT 6 BLOCKS TO A REPAIR SHOP. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL FILTER POSSIBLY GELLED AND HAD THE REPAIR SHOP CHANGE THE FILTER. THE TRUCK STILL WOULDN'T START SO I HAD IT TOWED ABOUT 10 MILES TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER, LOVELAND FORD IN LOVELAND CO. IT WAS DETERMINED BY FORD THAT 2 EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE SENSORS HAD FAILED, IMMEDIATELY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY FORD. NOT ONLY WAS I FORTUNATE TO GET THE TRUCK TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD BUT I WAS ALSO EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN IN 7 DEGREE TEMPERATURE WITHOUT HEAT IN THE TRUCK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS TO ALL OF US. *TR

AS I WAS TOWING A TRAILER IN THE 2012 FORD F-350 ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY (US-95 NORTH OF LAS VEGAS), THE TRUCK SUDDENLY CHIMED AND SAID TO PULL OVER AND SHUTTING DOWN. IT SHUT OFF BEFORE I COULD REACT. I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CLEAR A BRIDGE AND PULL OVER WHILE COASTING. THE STRETCH OF ROAD THAT I WAS ON IS DESOLATE AND USED BY BIG RIGS ALL THE TIME. LUCKILY, THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POWERING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. I CHECKED THE CODE AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE EGT SENSORS WAS BAD. DUE TO BEING AN INFORMED OWNER, I KNEW THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE HAD EGT SENSOR ISSUES AND I HAD PURCHASED 2 FOR BACKUP PURPOSES. I WAITED A WHILE FOR THE TRUCK TO COOL DOWN, REPLACED THE FAILED SENSOR. I CLEARED THE CODES AND THE TRUCK STARTED UP WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY. THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR LASTED LONG ENOUGH TO TRADE IN THE TRUCK IN ON NOVEMBER 2014. *TR

AS I WAS TOWING A TRAILER IN THE 2012 FORD F-350 ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY (US-95 NORTH OF LAS VEGAS), THE TRUCK SUDDENLY CHIMED AND SAID TO PULL OVER AND SHUTTING DOWN. IT SHUT OFF BEFORE I COULD REACT. I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CLEAR A BRIDGE AND PULL OVER WHILE COASTING. THE STRETCH OF ROAD THAT I WAS ON IS DESOLATE AND USED BY BIG RIGS ALL THE TIME. LUCKILY, THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POWERING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. I CHECKED THE CODE AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE EGT SENSORS WAS BAD. DUE TO BEING AN INFORMED OWNER, I KNEW THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE HAD EGT SENSOR ISSUES AND I HAD PURCHASED 2 FOR BACKUP PURPOSES. I WAITED A WHILE FOR THE TRUCK TO COOL DOWN, REPLACED THE FAILED SENSOR. I CLEARED THE CODES AND THE TRUCK STARTED UP WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY. THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR LASTED LONG ENOUGH TO TRADE IN THE TRUCK IN ON NOVEMBER 2014. *TR

AS I WAS TOWING A TRAILER IN THE 2012 FORD F-350 ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY (US-95 NORTH OF LAS VEGAS), THE TRUCK SUDDENLY CHIMED AND SAID TO PULL OVER AND SHUTTING DOWN. IT SHUT OFF BEFORE I COULD REACT. I HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CLEAR A BRIDGE AND PULL OVER WHILE COASTING. THE STRETCH OF ROAD THAT I WAS ON IS DESOLATE AND USED BY BIG RIGS ALL THE TIME. LUCKILY, THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POWERING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. I CHECKED THE CODE AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE EGT SENSORS WAS BAD. DUE TO BEING AN INFORMED OWNER, I KNEW THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE HAD EGT SENSOR ISSUES AND I HAD PURCHASED 2 FOR BACKUP PURPOSES. I WAITED A WHILE FOR THE TRUCK TO COOL DOWN, REPLACED THE FAILED SENSOR. I CLEARED THE CODES AND THE TRUCK STARTED UP WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY. THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR LASTED LONG ENOUGH TO TRADE IN THE TRUCK IN ON NOVEMBER 2014. *TR