The whining sounds like a bad rear end. Been through that 3 times.

The tire cupping is an alignment issue. Did they check the alignment?

It is not just the FX4 with a floor shifter. It is almost every model F-150 with the highest percentage being with the 4x4, 5.4 eng, and 3.73 rear ends. Do a search on DSB, Lemon and Vibration and you will be flooded with info.

Don't believe the Ford rep, they are professional "no" men. Most of the people on this board that have gone through the process were at some point told that it is "within specifications" or "could not duplicate". The idea is to get you to wait and run out of warranty or run up the miles so a milage charge is cost prohibitive on a refund.

Read everything you can find on this board for more help. Also get everything in writing. Put every complaint to the dealer in writing. Make sure the service ticket says exactly the same thing every time. Keep a log of every conversation you have and stay on top of the dealer, they will be happy to let you slip through the cracks.

Good Luck,

Toypuller
Successful at the DSB

 

To all,

Even thought my truck was deemed "horrendous", I have been informed that they are still pouring more time and money into mine to try to fix. Since I have 10K on mine, the service tech was frank with me and said Ford wants to try to get yours fixed because buyback is not appealing to them. He said that they are working on a FX4 with problems like mine with only 1K on it and they are going to probably buy it back since it has been in several times and only has 1K on it.

I am getting an new rear end or ring and pinion gear or something. (Anyone who knows what this terminology means, please speak up to help me better understand this fix - Toypuller you seem to be real knowledgable, anything you can expand on this would be appreciated).

Also, They said the TSB from December had a misprint about where to put new body mounts, so they are waiting for some new ones to get in to place them in the right spots. This line sounded like a line of B.S., but who knows.

We will see what happens from here. I guess I technically have to give them one more shot to make four attempts after this. This time if I feel anything it is going right back in without any hesitation like before.

This forum has been very informative and helpful. Please keep up the go work and advice for those just starting the process or right in the middle of it.

Tony

 

I am no expert on the mechanics. I know what ring and pinion gears are but when they did mine they pulled the entire axle assembly off and replaced it with a whole new unit.

Someone more informed than I will fill you in shortly I'm sure.

Check your state requirements- Most states require 4 repair attempts before seeking arbitration (DSB or Lemon Law). The 4th attempt should be the final repair attempt by the manufacturer. You are required to send them written notice via certified mail that they have one more try. The usual time frame is 15 calendar days from reciept of the letter. Again, this is state dependant and you need to contact the Attorney Generals office or their web site for all the info you need. Many states are different (like Florida). The DSB will not help you if you don't follow your states criteria.

My letter went as follows:

Ford Motor Corporation
16800 Executive Plaza Dr.
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48121

To whom it may concern,

I purchased a 2004 F-150 FX4 (VIN #xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) from (SELLING DEALER'S NAME) on (DATE YOU PURCHASED).

This truck has ongoing driveline and rear-end vibration problems and displays a very "harsh" ride condition. (SELLING DEALER'S NAME) has made 3 attempts to repair the problems with no success.

Please contact me to schedule a final repair attempt within 15 calendar days of reciept of this letter.

Sincerely,
Me.
My address and phone #'s



Short and sweet. No need for any more details than that. Ford had the Service Manager at the dealership set up the appointment for the FSE to test drive the truck. This was the first time that anyone at Ford corporate actually stood up and took notice.

One more time- All this stuff is very state specific. It is up to you to find out what the deal is in your state.

 

I filed my DSB after 3 repair attempts, and won, based on the fact that Ford admitted they did not have a solution to the problem my truck was having.

So they have 4 attempts, unless they admit they are stumped.

Good Luck.

 

It appears that the vibration has been eliminated after the rear end work (3rd fix now). I guess I will have to see if wear and tear on the new rear end will hold up.

Unfortunately, some of the seals were either not put on properly or they were damaged when the did the repairs. I had spotting under my truck over last weekend. Besides this, I had been trying to get a sqeak and excessive wind noise from the front right windshield addressed. After taking the truck in for the fluid leak (I am not sure if this technically counts as the fourth visit since it was not vibration related, but directly related to work associated with the vibration), it appears that the leak and squeak were fixed, but the wind noise is still there. They indicated they had a glass guy come out and do pressure tests and no air was entering or escaping the cab around the windshield. Who knows, I will wait to fight that battle another day if it becomes too annoying.

For now, the ride in the truck is excellent compared to before. Even the normal road variences do not seem to be felt as bad as before. The service manager also offerred to me an extended warranty on the truck for all my troubles. I have not signed the paperwork yet, he is waiting on final approval. Therefore, if nothing else goes wrong, "God helping", I am a happy camper with the extended warranty coverage. I will keep all posted if circumstances change.

Take care and thanks for the help.

Tony

 

Wow you guys are dedicated. If that happened to my truck it would be the last Ford I owned and we build the 150's here in Norfolk. Good luck on the 250...the 6.0 is a real pain for fleet folks like me....we run ambulances and Ford is the only one that makes a decent ambulance prep package...if someone else starts building them I will dump Ford in a minute. My 92 and 93 7.3's some with over 400k miles on them are more reliable than the new junk.