I have a 2008 F-350 , 6.4 L, with 92,000 mostly highway miles and very few towing or off road miles. It would not start so I had it towed to the dealer, still under extended warranty. They tell me that the starter motor was trying to engage the crankshaft and could hear the spinning and bendix. Upon further inspection they found that both studs had sheared off in the bell housing and that the starter motor was basically hanging free and held up only by the electrical cables. To repair it means removing the transmission and bell housing to have a machine shop drill out the studs. Parts minimal, but labor intensive. Could run $1000. The Warranty company had denied the claim, claiming that they are only responsible for the motor and not the bollts that hold it on. I am not done with them but want to know if any of you have had any experience with this particular problem? I did have the ball joints replaced after 1 year of use and wonder if the bad joints created some vibration that may have led to the problem. My initial reaction is that this is a defect and not of my doing. Ford or the warranty company should cover it.
Any words of wisdom?

 

Ouch, sorry to hear it.

Has the starter EVER been removed by anybody?

If not, you have a very good reason to insist it is a defect.

 

Thanks for the reply. To my knowledge the starter has not been touched by anyone since I bought the truck new. The service rep says he has never seen anything like it.