I posted a few weeks ago regarding my 04 Power Stroke and all of the problems I've had with it...some of you asked for a follow up on it. I filed for vehicle replacement under the Alabama Lemon Law and Ford is replacing the vehicle. I ordered a 2wd LWB crew cab Lariat with a v-10 with 4.30 gears and every other available option I could stick on it to get my full MSPR value from the old truck. According to my dealer in North Alabama my new 05 won't be in for another 8 to 10 weeks. My old truck remains in the shop in Charleston SC...for 2 1/2 months believe it or not. Ford refused to replace the engine, even after 3 failures and instead chose to rebuild the heads (4 bent intake valves) with less than 12,000 miles on a vehicle owned for less that 8 months. The repairing dealership notified me a week ago that the truck would be ready in just a few days so I planned to go back down there and bring it home, verses just turning the vehicle back to Ford there...after all, I still won't have my new truck for some time. Well, I think God has sided with me on this problematic piece of junk....the engine blew again on them during the test drive just after finishing the repairs...it went just a few miles...the mechanic has threatened to sacrifice the truck at the stake. They tell me that it now has knocking in the lower end and low compression on 2 cylinders..not the cylinders that failed previously. So Ford, in their regrettable attempts to save some money on a new vehicle warranty repair is now faced with replacing the engine after all and I'm right back where I started 2 1/2 months ago... have truck...no engine...driving a borrowed dodge with 200,000 miles on it.

I'm trying very hard to remain a smiling Ford customer...but jeeezzzeee

Dave

 

Wow, what an awful experience! I'm glad to hear that at least you're getting a replacement truck for all your troubles. Hopefully you'll have better luck with the new one!

 

I own a 2001 with the V-10 and was thinking of getting the new 6.0 when it came out in 03, but... Then I said I would get an 04, then... Maybe they will get this motor fixed for the 05s? Good thing my current truck is still running great.

OBTW, my V-10 with 4.30 gears can pull any Chevy or Dodge around the parking lot... sideways!!

Edmo

 

Sorry you had a lemon. I know there are those with problems, but the ones that work, they sure do work. 17k trouble free miles out of my 03' 6.0, just curious, but did you ever take your truck to another dealer?? there has been numerous problems with gasser techs trying to repair the diesels because a dealer wants to save money. They end up blowing the truck up. Example in point is my cousin. He had a 03' 6.0 and at 15400 miles the heads blew up. Went through 1.5 months at his purchase dealer of service, they still didn't have it fixed. He was about to call for dsb, I told him just to try my dealer. Believe or not, in 3 days, they gave him new heads, new oil pressure pump, and it ran better than when he drove it off the lot. That was 9k miles ago, still trouble free as to date... But you should really give it a try if you have 10 weeks till you get your new truck. Still might be worth it.. These are THE most advanced engines I have ever seen. They put to shame a Benz diesel when they work properly. Not to mention the amount in fuel you would save by keeping your 6.0. The 10 sucks it like there is no tomorrow.

Best of Luck,
Corey

 

If your truck is at Palmetto Ford on Savanah Hiway, then this does not surprise me one bit. IMHO, that stealership is the crappiest Ford dealer in the entire region and just plain sucks in all aspects. Woody Bilton Ford, in Monk's Corner is supposed to have a top notch Power Stroke mechanic, but unfortunately, it appears to late to get him to look at it. Seems to me you should just forget about the truck in Charleston, and just wait for the Lemon law replacement and chaulk it up to bad luck.

Hammer

 

Yeah, he'll really save fuel...while his truck sits broken

 

It is at Palmetto Ford. When I called the Ford Road Service folks this was the only dealership withing a 100 mile radius that could even look at my truck in the next 10 days. There's a bigger problem here...I tried to find a dealer that could check my truck out for hundreds of miles with no luck...I knew something was wrong for 500 miles. Ford lacks the infrastructure to support these engines. The parts (valve guide/seals) to rebuild my heads were on national backorder for over a month, and everywhere I have checked dealers have one, sometimes two dedicated diesel mechanics available, and they are alway swamped with work. We, as loyal owners of a Ford should not have to search out a dealership that "may" have a good technician. I will never own a Ford Diesel again...they have acted badly with me, claiming that they have no problems with these engines. I confronted them with NTSB data that shows they have bought back over 1,400 of the 03-04's and they got very quiet.

Thanks for your comments.

Dave

 

Sounds likes you guys have bad dealers out there. I hear all the time how your loaners are like the focus. That's horrible!!! Also, always I hear about the parts changers on your trucks. That is just stupid. By the way, any dealer worth their weight in anything. Can diagnos a problem in one day or less. I've never here in Missouri seen a diag take more than one day. Even entire engine swaps are done in a MAX of 7 working days. I know this because my Uncle had his 6.0 replaced under warranty, had catastrophic failure from C-94 side-loading, they did it in 7 working days. He has just about 9k miles on this engine and no probs. My dealer has mine today for a couple hours, adding new intercooler pipe that is just now getting shipped, and also resealing rear diff. They loaned my an 05' with the same options. I tell ya what it's odd driving a non-lifted truck. I think the 03' has more short run power. Maybe it's me.

Best of Luck,
Corey

*Parts Changers*

03' 6.0 F-350 SC LB SRW Lariat 4X4 TorqShift

 

By the way I meant to add if they have sold an appoximate 300,000 F-series 6.0's between 03 and 04, should even 2000 buybacks be given consideration. I mean that's an amazing percentage. I doubt cheb or dudge post that low of numbers.

 

To me it is unbelievable that Ford would have to buy back nearly 1% of all the 6.0's they produce in a year. And, how many have major problems but we not repurchased? 10% maybe. Wow, I wouldn't touch a diesel unless Ford paid me to own it. I just drove a new FX4 Super Cab Short Bed with the 6.0, I thought it was gutless, my '03 F150 with the 5.4 would run away and hide from it. The fellow that owns it is getting 11mpg on the freeway with it, and diesel here in California costs more than regular gas. He does towing, though, and said it does that very well.

 

If he has 11mpg empty on a highway, he needs to find a dealer that is shall we say educated enough to diagnos and treat his problem in a timely matter. I have a 03' 6.0 F-350 4X4, that is lifted 8" with 100 lbs of 38" tire on each wheel, and I get 16.5mpg on the highway empty. For those of you that will ask that is calculated, I do it every tank. With 11000lbs of farm equipment I get 11mpg. SO YIKES!!! If his dealer says that's normal. They have parts changers reading screens. Also, even with my drastically increased air draft (sounds like vortex of a hurricaine at 80mph) , completely stock performance wise, I SMOKE 5.4 f150s and beat (usually half a truck) v10's EVERY TIME!! So I don't know what's wrong with his truck.. I wish him the best though.

Best of Luck,
Corey

*Parts Changers*

03' 6.0 F-350 SC LB 4X4 SRW

 

Technically it's .6%. I realize there will be someone saying that's only .4% away from 1%. But with a basis point in the hundred of thousands, that .4% is quite a bit of trucks.

Corey

 

Actually, I checked it out as best you can online by wading through the maze of news releases and web postings...Chevy and Dodge diesels together don't equal the failure percentage of the Ford 6.0. Chevy's biggest problem seems to be the automatic transmission....and they're just plain ugly. Mixed results on the Dodge, but some are unhappy with it being underpowered, but they should have know this up front. I came across some problems with the manual transmission and rear axles as well for the Dodge. If Nissan or Toyota decides to build a super duty truck the American big 3 had better look out! Here's just one example of the many news releases I came across regarding Ford's problems:

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center width="75%">Diesel Dilemma

By Tom Murphy

Ward's Auto World, Feb 1, 2004 </TD><TD vAlign=top align=right width="25%"><TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=20> </TD><TD class=hilightbold width=135>Brought to you by:</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD vAlign=top height=70>******** marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/wardsautoworld.iclick.com/adtarget;sz=180x150;tile=4;ord=56310671?" frameBorder=0 noResize width=180 scrolling=no height=150>******** language=\"JavaScript1.1\" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/wardsautoworld.iclick.com/adtarget;abr=!ie;sz=180x150;tile=4;ord=56310671?"> </script><noscript></noscript></IFRAME></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle></TD><TD>Print-friendly format</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle></TD><TD>E-mail this information</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=articletext colSpan=2>Ford Motor Co. is likely to offer a V-6 turbodiesel for the high-volume F-150 pickup and perhaps the Explorer SUV as well, but the launch date remains uncertain and it is unclear what company will produce the engine, sources say.

Ward's reported in May that International Truck and Engine Corp. will produce in 2005 a turbodiesel V-6 derived from the Power Stroke V-8 diesel it currently builds for Ford's heavy-duty pickups.

Industry sources now say it is unlikely Ford will source its light-duty V-6 turbodiesel from International because of warranty problems associated with the Power Stroke V-8.

They also say Cummins Inc., a primary diesel competitor with International, is a leading candidate for the contract, and that Ford likely will choose an assembler within a month.

The partnership between International and Ford dates back more than a decade, as International has built 2 million Power Stroke V-8s for Ford — most of them the original 7.3L version. International has a contract to build the Power Stroke V-8 for Ford until 2012.

But since launching the new 6L version in November 2002, Ford has tallied at least $50 million in warranty claims associated with the new engine, sources say.

Plus, International is angry with Ford for having previously scuttled a plan for the engine supplier to build a V-6 variant of the Power Stroke at International's new plant in Hunstville, AL. International says it built the plant specifically for the V-6 program.

The two companies resolved the issue in mid-2003, with Ford paying International $70 million as compensation for scrapping the V-6 program, according to sources.

Ford and International officials decline to confirm the amount of the payment.

Sources say Ford still wants a V-6 light-duty diesel — but not one built by International.

Officially, Ford and International describe their relationship as strong.

A Cummins spokeswoman confirms the company has developed 6- and 8-cyl. light-duty diesels, partially with U.S. Dept. of Energy funding.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Call me nuts, but I'll take my chance at .6% catastrophic failure, and the ability to make it to at least 200k miles on the original trans and other equip. compared to being made of recyled soda cans, built with chop sticks (not tools), or having screws visible in every door panel. Not to mention trans rebuilds every 70k miles. Believe me I know TONS of people who have probs constantly like this. They might now buy back but I know for a fact "I" have never seen a model of Ford in the shop as much as Cheb or Dudge. Again, they might not buy back, but they sure need LOTS of fixin'. Course just my opinion. Wonder why a lot of the probs seem to be on the east coast. Does anyone know of the sales concentration for parts of the country??

 

Well, I don't make it a habit to race trucks, but all I can say is that this F250 with the 6.0 would not be able keep up with my stock '03 5.4 from a dead stop. The owner of the 6.0 agreed. It seemed that the 6.0 needed time to wind up after starting from idle to make any power, while the 5.4 seems to have alot of torque from just off idle. I've read posts on this site about how much power the 6.0 has, that's why I wanted to drive the 6.0. If this truck (which was brand new) is indicative of the performance of the 6.0 in general, I'll stick with gas engines. I was really disapointed!