I have a meeting in the next week with a Ford rep and I would like to get some input although I think what I am after may prove obvious.

I asked my girlfriend to drive up to the lumberyard and pick up some 2x10’s for the deck. I couldn’t help but noticed her holding her hand when she ran back into the house with a real angry look on her face. She got her finger caught behind the door latch. I know it hurts from experience because I’ve done that more than a few times myself. It’s a quick sharp pain when it happens but goes away fairly quick. She had a few nasty words to say and walked out the door again. Ten seconds later she was back in the house holding her head. I’m thinking, now what? She hit her head on the sun visor when stepping up into the truck. I had left the visor down from that drive home into the sunset. The stiff corner of the visor caught her just right and left a nasty bruise. She exchanged a few more select words then asked, "Is there anything else I should know about your damn truck?" I figured I better tell her everything because perhaps it might not be such a good idea to let her drive the rig after all but I figured I would let her decide.

So I said, "Let the truck warm up real good in this cold weather about 15-20 minutes. Don’t be alarmed when the truck revs up by itself real high just sitting there and don’t worry about that blue smoke coming from the exhaust – it will eventually clear up so you can see. It just does that. That way the front window will be defrosted. You might want to just wait in the house while it warms up because that diesel smell fills the cab and makes it hard to breath. Don't worry about the frozen winter wipers or that top right-hand corner of the windshield that never defrosts. No there is nothing blocking the vent, I checked. It just does that. If everything ices up when you are driving, just pull over and let her defrost for about 15-20 minutes. You wont be able to roll down the driver side window because the power window doesn’t work most of the time. There is a two-foot stepladder in the bed and a telescoping ice scraper behind the seat. You will need them to reach the windshield. The windshield washer fluid doesn’t work in this cold weather. Yeah I put in the fluid that doesn’t freeze. Its not frozen in the holding container, it’s frozen at the nipple coming out of the hood. Anyways, it’s been that way for weeks.

Don't worry about the rear window or the rear side windows. They never defrost because there are no vents back there. One more thing, don't bother scraping the mirrors they just frost back up and besides they move at the slightest touch. And you won't be able to see behind you even if they are defrosted because the backup lights are worthless. They just shine enough light to see past the bumper.

No honey, they didn't have heated mirrors when I bought the truck. Just get out and take a good look before you back up each time. And keep your headlights on high beam so you can see better going forward. Don't worry, no one will flash you, they are not that bright." Just remember when pulling up behind a car at the light to stay back about 20 feet or so. The headlight shines right in the back window of the car in front of you and it really ticks people off when you get too close. The further back the better. Ok?

After the trucks been running for about 5 minutes or so, don’t pay any attention to that loud ‘thud’ coming from the front end. I am having Ford look at that. It seems to be the power steering pump. Also the drivers side leaf spring is broke and missing a few leafs so don’t pay attention to that loud clanging or anything hanging out of the wheel wells. The parts are on order and should be in about 2 weeks. Ford says its ok to drive like that but I need to be careful how much weight I carry.

Be careful when you turn the heat dial and the fan select dials, they pop off real easy and if they fall between the seat you will have a real hard time picking them up while driving. Don’t try to look for them if they do fall off, what’s more important is that you keep your eye on the bumps in the road. Oh and that door ajar light will stay on and the cab light too. I hope that cab light isn’t to distracting to drive at night with it on and people might look at you funny. Don’t pay any attention to them. If it is too bright there is some duct tape in the console. Just throw a few pieces of tape over the light. That’s what I do. I had to pick up a role of duct tape to tape the console lid closed so it wont keep popping off the hinge. I don’t tape it closed anymore because I am an in and out of the console too often so now it just pops off a lot.

You will hear a loud clicking noise when you push in the clutch; I think the clutch retainer rod is breaking. I read about that somewhere. I will have it looked at when I take it in. Also, it’s a bit hard to shift from time to time and I remember reading something about that on TSB 99-1-6. When you pass that BP station up on 57 make sure you stop and put air in the rear tires. I took into the dealership and had the tires looked at and waited almost 4 hours in the lounge practically forced to watch Jerry Springer and the service guy tells me they couldn’t find any leaks. Trust me, it needs air so please stop and fill them up again. The sidewalls are cracked, bulging and leaking air so I need to fill them up a lot. I know honey, it doesn’t seem safe but do you really think Ford would have let me take the truck if it wasn’t? They said it passed all the inspection tests. But don’t exceed 70 lbs of air.

If a cop pulls you over for no front plate just tell them that it must have just fallen off. It fell off somewhere but I am not sure when or where. I ordered a new one. You will also hear a single ‘thud’ coming from the rear end each time you take off, it almost sounds like something sliding down the bed liner and hitting the tailgate but it has something to do with the rear end. I read about it on one of the tech advisories somewhere. Don’t even bother taking your Faith Hill CD’s, the CD player didn’t work the day I brought the truck home. Ford had to order a new one and it should be in about 2 weeks.

"Make sure your seat belt is on right. It gets caught in the bottom of the door or around the seat adjustments all the time. If you don't jerk it lose it may break free from the door during an accident. Watch out for the intersection of 113 and 57. If you hit those bumps too fast you may end up in on coming traffic. Try not to run into anything when the truck is going back and forth. Just compensate for it with the "gas" pedal. If the truck stalls - don't worry, it starts right back up. Now once you do get rolling again, try not to use the brakes too much. If you do the truck will pull to the left and you will have to push real hard on the pedal to get the breaks to work. If it doesn’t seem like you are slowing fast enough, quickly re-stomp on the breaks a few times. After a few times it will eventually stop if you haven’t already stopped by crashing into something. Don't worry about that vibration and shaking Ford assures me that it’s normal but I'm having the rotors turned again because it seems to make a big difference. No honey, I don’t think that rotor upgrade works for my early build truck.

You might just want to drive in the right hand lane when possible because if you get in an accident from the truck pulling too much to the left, at least you wont collide with oncoming traffic. Oh by the way, you may not be strong enough to make the parking brake work. It has to go all the way to the floor to work properly. Just push on it with your foot as hard as you can" and don't be surprised if the truck rolls ahead a bit before it catches. And whatever you do - don't park the truck on an incline." I figured that out real quick.

"You will also notice that the truck seems to wander wherever it wants to go. Ford says that’s normal but I read about something about it on TSB 99-8-2. For some reason there is too much play in the steering. Yes, Ford tells me all the recalls are completed but one. Just make sure you pay close attention when driving. Keep an eye open for any bumps or potholes in the road. Please pay close attention on bumpy roads because it will jump all over the road. Don't worry; if you do go in the ditch, just throw it is four wheel drive and hope it works. Just be careful not to turn the steering wheel too far because the truck will start bouncing so hard it might throw you about the cab and if you didn’t free up that seat belt when you got it, you might hit your head on the windshield. Make sure the sun visor is down because you will definitely hit your head on it again from all the bouncing. You can tell when it’s in 4 wheel drive because you can hear all those vibrations.

Oh yeah, let me grab a screwdriver and tighten that console lid again. If you get in an accident and that lid comes flying off it just might poke your eye out. Just remember passenger airbags and 4-wheel anti-locks weren't standard equipment on the '99's but I have them just in case." Each time you break or take off, you will hear a squeaking coming from the front end. It’s the leaf springs squeaking don’t pay attention to it. I read something about that on TSB 99-16-3 but Ford tells me its nothing to be concerned about.

"By the way, I would like to have the truck back home by Friday do you think that’s possible? I need to take it in for the fuel tank recall. I had the truck in there about 5 times since that recall was issued but Ford doesn’t have anything in place that flags whether a vehicle has had or not had the recalls done when they show up at their doorstep. It didn't meet the safety standards again. Yes, I'll tell them about all my problems again and call Ford tomorrow".

She decided not to go after all. I don’t blame her.
1999 F350 SuperDuty, SuperCab 7.3L Turbo Diesel

 

I wish I could give you some good advice but I can't. Good Luck??????????????

 

Not trying to be a smarta**, but problems like yours are one reason why I refuse to by any vehicle in its first year of release. I have a 2000 SD PSD crewcab 4x4 and it has been a really good vehicle. There are some design things I would have changed if I were designing the vehicle but I knew what they were before I bought the truck. I don't live in a climate where it gets icy so I can't say about the icing mirrors, etc.

Sorry to hear you are having so many problems.

 

Sounds like it'd definetely be an adventure!! I'd gladly take that rig off your hands...

 

The origional post is bogus.. I saw this EXACT same post on this board or another about a year ago..

It's an entertaining story, but its pure fiction..

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 17-Feb-01 AT 00:24 AM (EST)[/font][p]yep.. a similar post was posted in aug 99 as stated in my other posts. I replied to his post and told him that story was just like mine in so many ways but i had far more trouble with mine. Pull up his post, mine is very different than his. Its not bogus by any means.. its all true. NO BS. I believe I have a lemon.

(edit)
It just dawned on me that people might think that my post is just a story to read. That story explains (exactly) all of the problems I am having or had with my 99 F350. Its not exaggerated in any way whatsoever.

 

Wow, what a sob story. That's too bad you're having so many problems (if it's a real story which I doubt) but, I don't see many of those being a problem. It's not a luxury car. Heated mirrors? Rear window defrosters? Pretty soon it won't be a truck either like all the rest of them. I guess the ride is too harsh so they should also install lower rated springs so it rides better and raise the price a few thousand dollars more after they add all the junk so no one that actually uses the truck for work will be able to afford it. Buy a F-150 or something! The one about hitting her head on the visor is the best though. Is she stupid? Name a car with a "properly" designed visor? You're not suppose to use it all the time and leave it down. I'd have to say leaving a visor down in any car when not needed is a safty hazard. But, I wouldn't even have thought about morons hitting their head on it. Then there is the comment that "the drivers side leaf spring is broke and missing a few leafs." Oh really, missing a few leafs? The spring pack only has two leafs! A couple of the other things that you mention I don't understand. She got her figure caught on the door latch? Why was she playing with the door latch?

Now, if you really do have the rest of those problems with your truck, I think you got a lemon. It's also too bad the dealer is giving you a hard time about fixing them. Have you tried other dealers? You might want to file for arbitration and have them buy it back.

 

JC, I know it seems hard to believe… I think about that every time I get in my truck. It is all true and Ford has everything documented. You’re right, it’s not a luxury car but it is a $40,000 truck. I hit my head on the visor too, I’ll admit. If you leave it in the straight up and down position and hurry and hop up into the truck.. you’ll hit it too. It’s right in the way and it sticks downward pretty far. I use my sun visor all the time and actually I leave it in the down position most of the time. I get the sun in the morning and coming home from work.

The rear leaf spring as a whole consists of 6 leafs not 2. I have 2 missing and without the other 4, I doubt the truck would sit evenly. The door latch issue isn’t really something I could walk up to the truck and show you how it happens. I have on occasion caught my finger behind the latch too. It does have a hefty spring in the latch to snap it back into place. And once again.. yes I am having or had all of those problems with my truck. I have no reason to sit here and waste my time trying to build a case of a potential lemon. When that steering goes sloppy again in the next few weeks, that’s when I can say the truck has been in the shop for the same problem 3 times and call this beast a lemon.

 

My biggest beef with the truck is simple. I go out and buy a NEW vehicle like many people do so they will have a reliable car or truck that (shouldn’t) need repaired during the first 3 years or time of the lease. Then I have nothing but on going trouble with it. It’s not like I have small $200 payment or a $150 payment for a Ranger. The other real issue is the safety of the truck. I don’t care so much if the light stays on or the ***** fall off but my point is that there are safety issues with that truck. Sloppy steering?? No breaking power?? You can’t look past issues like that and think nothing of them. Many of the other problems don’t seem so serious but could potentially lead to serious consequences. Like the seat belt not retracting or getting hung up on the seat. I spoke to a guy with a 99 F150 and he laughed when he read that part in my story. He said, “my seat belt gets hung up there too and doesn’t retract either”. I’m not the only having problems, I just seem to be the only one with so many.

 

I misread your post about the broken leaf springs, I thought you meant the front leaf springs. Sorry if I was a little harsh in my last post. It's just a pet peeve of mine that you can't really buy a work truck anymore that is fairly priced because everyone and their brother wants one even if it's just to get groceries and whines because it "rides like a truck." I won't even start with what a joke SUV's are now.
With all the problems your truck has, you should get the lemon of the year award. It's also really too bad the dealer is telling you most of that stuff is normal. I have a 99 F-250 with the V-10 and haven't had nearly that many problems. I've only had the front squeaky springs and I've had to have the idle air control valve replaced. There has also been three recalls. I tried to have two of the recalls done at the dealer I bought the truck from and he** would be the only way to describe that experience. They couldn't even do those right on the first trip! It took four trips to the dealer for that. Needless to say I won't ever be going there again for anything and I'll tell anyone that asks to stay away from them. I've used two other dealers for the rest. I wouldn't give them a five star rating or anything but, they took care of me. Good luck with your truck and let us know what the rep says next week.

J.C.

 

I agree J.C., these trucks are outrageous in price. I have a friend with a 99 or 2000 Explorer, she has a lot of problems with it too besides that tire recall. You might want to keep an eye open for those Technical Service Bulletins or TSB’s. Chances are you will see that list grow as time goes on. Here is a link to get you in the right direction.
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/992064BZ.html

My truck had 50 TSB’s posted as of Jan 2000 and I don’t know if that’s an old list or if the problems are limited to that list. I guess I am just bummed about this whole purchase. It only gets worst as the miles accumulate. I have some friends with the 2000 F250 and 350’s, they have problems too so its not like it was just the 99’s that I read so much about. The builder I do work for has a 2000 F350 dully Limited, actually as far as service visits go, he has me beat. I usually wait until I have 4-5 things wrong before I set up a visit to the dealer because I hate doing away with the truck so often. It depends on the severity of the problem.

I’ll keep ya posted on the meeting… I want to hear one more rep from Ford tell me my issues are normal before I turn to legal action. Actually, technically I need to wait one more time for the steering to go sloppy again which will make 3 times for the same repair. The repair only seems to last a few weeks. I am on the 7th day and already notice the sloppiness in the steering coming back.

 

I must have the only good 99 F250 PSD on the road. I bought my truck the last of Feb 1999 and have 69,000 + miles on it and the ONLY thing it has been back to the dealer for was to add the restraining cables to the fuel tank. This truck is used to pull horse trailers ( two each) and to pull my 32 ft 5th wheel trailer and it takes me to work every day, that I work. I have added a powerchip and a K&N Air Filter and nothing else. My truck runs like a bank robber with the cops hot on his tail and pulls like a happy mule. I have several friends and relatives that own PSD's and theirs is as good as mine. This is the second one that I have owned. The first one was a 95 and I drove it for over 160,000 miles with no problems. The only reason I traded was it was a standard cab and I wanted an extended cab. I just wanted you all to know that their are some of us out here that like our truck(s) and that they are not all lemons. My son-in-law has a dodge cummings and I would not trade with him for ANYTHING.

99.5 F250 Supercab SB 6 speed 4x4

 

loganhauler, I'm jealous. I suppose trading trucks is out of the question?? *laughing*

 

NOT ON YOUR LIFE (or mine) But I wish you luck with your truck and dealer. I prefer driving my truck over my 1988 Crown Vic, and that is the best CAR I have ever owned and I am over a half century old.