2003 Ford F-350 Engine Problems

JUST DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 41 AND IT JUST STOPPED. ENGINE WENT DEAD. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND IT WOULDNT START. HAD TO GET IT TOWED. ITS BEEN IN SHOP FOR 20 DAYS. NEEDS A NEW FUEL TANK BECAUSE THE INNER LINING IS PEELING AND PARTICLES ARE GOING THROUGH ENGINE! NEED HELP I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN 2015 AND ITS BEEN IN SHOP 7 DIFFERENT TIMES.

DRIVING ALONG LOUD NOISE PULLED OVER TO FIND A SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK TAKING THE THREADS WITH IT. NO FIRE THANK GOODNESS!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL WAS FOUND TO BE PREMATURELY LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEAD GASKET HEAD BOLTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURE WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ON 05/31/2013 AFTER DRIVING APROX 50 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE TRUCK WAS PARKED AND A SMALL FIRE STARTED DUE TO LEAKING OIL ON THE HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM A RUSTED OIL PAN. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BEFORE IT CONSUMED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE COST TO REPAIR 1500.00 TO 2000.00 WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I AM DISABLED AND ON SOCIAL SECURITY WITH A VERY FIXED INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. FROM LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER POSTS AND LIVING IN MICHIGAN WITH WINTER SALT, FORD HAS RECALLED MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS THAT COULD CAUSE A ACCIDENT OR DEATH. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MAJOR PROBLEM WITH FORD TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE 7.3 LITER DIESEL ENGINE. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND THEY SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY PARKED AND UNDRIVEABLE. *TR

VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING ONTO ON-RAMP TO INTERSTATE 90 WEST BOUND AT PINES ROAD IN SPOKANE VALLEY WA. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE. AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THEIR WAS A LOUD BANG AND NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXHAUST LEAK. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT OFF. MY WIFE CALLED ME AND I CAME TO INVESTIGATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I TURNED THE ENGINE OVER AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT AN EXHAUST LEAK BUT THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. IT WAS THE NUMBER 4 SPARK PLUG FROM THE FRONT ON MY V-10 GAS ENGINE. I LOCATED THE BENT SPARK PLUG AT THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. OTHER THAN BEING BENT THE THREADS ON THE PLUG WERE INTACT AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CROSS THREADED. I HAD THE PLUGS REPLACED AT JUST OVER 100,000 MILES AS PER THE OWNERS MANUAL. I CHECKED WITH THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP I USED, (AAFES AUTO HOBBY SHOP ON FAIRCHILD AFB), AND INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT FORD HAD A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS VERY SUBJECT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THAT REPLACING SPARK PLUGS SHOULD NOT LEAD TO AN EXPLOSIVE EVENT STRONG ENOUGH TO DENT MY HOOD FROM THE INSIDE. I AM NOW EXPECTING TO HAVE 9 MORE LITTLE TIME BOMBS JUST WAITING TO GO OFF UNDER THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK. I AM JUST THANKFUL THAT MY WIFE HADN'T YET GOTTEN UP TO THE SPEED LIMIT OF 60MPH. *TR

I WAS HAULING A LOADED HORSE TRAILER AND HAD JUST MERGED ONTO THE HIGHWAY. AS I WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE ENGINE WAS "CATCHING" AND WOULDN'T LET ME ACCELERATE PAST 35 MPH AND WAS REVVING VERY HIGH AND WOULDN'T SHIFT UP INTO THE NEXT GEAR. IT FINALLY STALLED AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE WHITE SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MY ENTIRE RIG - TRUCK, TRAILER AND HORSES, HAD TO BE TOWED HOME AND THEN THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. HE FOUND THE ENGINE RUNNING POORLY, AND FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ON CYLINDERS #3 AND #8. HE FOUND LOW OIL PRESSURE AND WHEN HE REMOVED THE OIL PAN FROM THE CHASSIS, HE FOUND PISTON MATERIAL IN THE OIL PUMP. HE REMOVED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THE PISTONS IN CYLINDER 3 AND 8 MELTED DOWN. HE HAD TO BORE OUT AND HONE ALL THE CYLINDERS, REPLACE ALL 4 VALVES IN CYLINDER #3 HEAD, REPLACE ALL PISTONS, REPLACE THE MAIN BEARING AND ROD BEARING, UPDATE THE OIL COOLER AND REPLACE 8 PISTONS AND 6 HEAD GASKETS. WHEN HE PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER AND TEST DROVE IT, HE FOUND AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM THE EBP SENSOR AND TUBE. THOSE HAD TO BE REPLACED. BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE "SKIPPING" WHEN I WAS HAULING MY HORSE TRAILER. IT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS OVER 55 MPH AND IT ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS HAULING. I HAD TAKEN THE TRUCK TO THE MECHANIC BEFORE THE BIG BREAKDOWN (DESCRIBED ABOVE) AND HE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I THINK THAT IS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT HAULING A TRAILER AND THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE TOTAL BILL FOR ALL THESE REPAIRS IS $6400.00 AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT FORD WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP ME. *JB

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM 2003 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY ENGINE: TRITON 5.4L V8 DATE OF FAILURE: 03-10-11 MILEAGE OF TRUCK: 139414 THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING ON A STATE HWY51 NEAR POSTVILLE, IA EJECTION OF SPARK PLUG FROM NUMBER 7 CYLINDER ON 5.4L V8 ENGINE. DAMAGE TO CYLINDER HEAD OF ENGINE AND SPARK PLUG COIL. THIS IS A WELL MAINTAINED 2003 F-350, SPARK PLUGS REPLACED AT A FORD DEALER 01-19-09: 109156 MILES. *TR

I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY MY 2003 FORD F350 SD. SC. 4X4 5.4 ENG. WITH THE PROBLEM WITH BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ROTTING AWAY & THE STUDS & NUTS THAT HOLD THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS TO ENGINE HEADS THAT THEY WERE ALL ROTTING AWAY , THEY TOLD ME WE WON'T FIX THE PROBLEMS FOR FREE . I WOULD LIKE FOR TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE MANY PEOPLE WILL GET INJURY OR MANY FATALITY WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS FALL OFF AND CATCH ON FIRE & BURN UP BECAUSE FIRE COMES OUT OF THE ENGINE TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS . I TALKED TO MANY FORD DEALERS THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY OF THESE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAVE & HAD TO CHARGE THE OWNER OF THESE TRUCKS & MANY OTHER YEARS OF THESE FORD TRUCKS . PLEASE HELP ME & MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THESE FORD TRUCKS TO MAKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECALL THIS PROBLEMS BEFORE PEOPLE WILL DIE & FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE . THANKS *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A SPARK PLUG FLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HIT THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE A COIL AND THE SPARK PLUG WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES AFTER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 101,000.

I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ON MY 2003 FORD F350 SD. SC. 4X4 5.4 ENG. WITH THE PROBLEM WITH BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ROTTING AWAY & THE STUDS & NUTS ROTTING , THEY TOLD ME WE WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM FOR FREE . I WOULD LIKE FOR YOUR HELP TO MAKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY FIX THIS PROBLEMS FOR FREE BECAUSE I TALKED TO MANY FORD DEALERS THEY ARE REPLACING THIS SAME PROBLEMS ON ALL 5.4 ENG. ON FORD TRUCKS AND HAVE TO CHARGE FOR THESE PROBLEMS . PLEASE INVESTAGATE THIS PROBLEMS BEFORE ALL THESE TRUCKS WILL CATCH ON FIRE AND PEOPLE WILL BE INJURY OR FATALITY WILL HAPPEN . PLEASE HELP ME AND MANY PEOPLE CAN GET THESE PROBLEMS FIX FOR FREE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY THANKS. *JS

SPARK PLUG BLEW FROM ENGINE ON 2003 FORD F-350 5.4 TRITON ON MAY 10TH 20010. ON FREEWAY APROX.65MPH. CANNOT RE-INSTALL PLUG DUE TO THREAD DAMAGE. *TR

FORD F350 EQUIPPED WITH 6.0L DIESEL ENGINE EXPERIENCED STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND/OR WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. THIS LOOKS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE THAT AFFECTED VEHICLES IN THE 2004-2005 RECALL. ICP SENSOR LIGHT IS LIT AND MOST LIKELY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. SEPARATE OR RELATED ISSUE? : ENGINE WILL "REV-UP" WHILE DRIVING AND PRODUCE ACCELERATION WITHOUT GAS PEDAL BEING APPLIED. ENGINE WILL REV-UP AND/OR IDLE HIGH WHILE IN PARK AND WHEN STOPPED/BRAKES APPLIED. *TR

WE WERE USING OUR FORD F350 DIESEL (6.0 MOTOR) WITH 63,000. WE WERE GOING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE PULLING A LOADED 5 HORSE TRAILER WHEN THE TRUCK WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, 15 SECONDS LATER ENGINE CUT OFF. WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE AND HAD NO POWER TO STEER OFF THE ROAD AND COULD NOT COME TO A FAST STOP BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE OF HORSE TRAILER. WE HAD TO COAST APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS AND PULL OFF ON THE LEFT SIDE BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS TOO HEAVY AND GOING TO FAST TO LET US OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE. TRUCK WOULD NOT START AGAIN. HAD TO BE TOWED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND HOME. TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE LOCKED UP AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $7500 TO $10000. I CHECKED ON WARRANTY AND BECAUSE IT IS A 2003 IT IS EXPIRED. CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALLS. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT WERE IS NOT SOME TYPE OF DEFECT IN THE ENGINE. *TR

2003 FORD F350 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL INJECTORS, TRANSMISSION AND AN OIL LEAK. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE TAILPIPE. HE ALSO NOTICED A DELAY OF ENGAGEMENT FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE AND THE FUEL GAUGE WAS STUCK. THE NUMBER 8 INJECTOR HAD FAILED, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A NEW PART AND THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDED A NEW SENSOR. IN THE FALL OF 2008, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ICP SENSOR (INJECTOR CONTROL PRESSURE) WAS THE PROBLEM. IN MARCH 2009, WHILE TOWING A TRACTOR, THE TRUCK LOST POWER AND AGAIN IT EMITTED SMOKE AND THERE WAS A HARSH JERK. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THE NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 3 INJECTOR HAD FAILED AND THERE WAS A NEW OIL LEAK. *JB

I SMELLED HINT OF RAW FUEL WHEN THE ENGINE WAS WARM FOR 1-2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM. 3-4 WEEKS PRIOR TO PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST FOR 1-2 MINUTES. THIS SMOKE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ROUGH IDLING THAT WHEN AWAY COMPLETELY UNTIL THE NEXT COLD START UP. THE PRECIPITATING EVENT FOR PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION WAS RAW FUEL SPRAYING ONTO THE TRAILER THAT WAS BEING PULLED. INSPECTION REVEALED RAW FUEL POOLED ON THE HORIZONTAL ENGINE SURFACES AND RAW FUEL IN THE COOLING SYSTEM. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY MANUFACTURER'S DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND FOUND TO BE A LEAKING FUEL INJECTOR CUP. IT WILL REQUIRE CHANGING ALL THE FUEL INJECTOR CUPS. THE DEALER SERVICE AGENT REPORTED THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN SEVERAL TIMES IN THESE PARTICULAR MODELS. IT IS USUALLY A WARRANTY ITEM. THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET AS THIS VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BY TIME LIMIT BUT NOT MILEAGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS DENIED ANY OBLIGATION TO HELP RESTORE THE VEHICLE TO SAFE OPERATION GIVEN THAT IT SEEMS TO RUN UNIMPAIRED FROM A PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT. *TR

2003 FORD F-350 V10 EJECTED A SPARK PLUG FROM THE #3 CYLINDER. *TR

I'M SURE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HEARD A TICKING NOISE ALSO, THEN MY TRUCK STARTED TO MISS UNDER LOAD. UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH CYLINDER IS THE PROBLEM, SOUNDS LIKE ALL MY BE BAD AT SOME TIME. FORD HAS TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, NOT TAKING THE BLAME IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY RUN THEIR BUSINESS. OOOHHHH WAIT THEY ARE GETTING READY TO GO UNDER. WONDER WHY???? *TR

2003 FORD F350. DIESEL 6.0 LITER. HARD TO START EVEN WHEN WARM OUT, NOW IS NOT STARTING AT ALL, HAVE HAD THE SAME OIL LEAKS, AT SPEED OF 55 TO 60 JERKS HARD AND HAS EVEN STALLED WHILE DRIVING. JUST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS AND WE KEEP SPENDING MONEY TO HAVE FIXED AND THEY JUST RECUR AGAIN. BEEN READING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS US. FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THIS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD F350 KING RANCH WITH A 6.0L DIESEL MOTOR. THE TRUCK HAS HAD A VARIETY OF SOFTWARE FAILURES WITH RESPECT TO THE PCM FOR THE MOTOR WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE MOTOR COMPLETELY AND INSTANTANEOUSLY SHUTTING DOWN OR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN THE TURBO OVER BOOSTING AND BLOWING UP THE INTERCOOLER OR NO PSI OUT OF THE TURBO LEAVING ME AND MY FAMILY STRANDED TWICE IN THE MOUNTAINS PULLING A FULL TWO HORSE TRAILER (6,500 POUNDS). VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO BAKERSFIELD FORD, VISALIA FORD, RANCHO FORD FOR SERVICE. PCM SYSTEM WAS ALWAYS REFLASHED AND REPAIRS MADE UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL THE MOST RECENT TURBOCHARGER FAILURE 09-28-2008. THE VEHICLE WAS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS FAILURE COST ME $2,700. TODAY 10-6-2008 THE PCM LOST ALL ITS MEMORY AND I AGAIN LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY MULTIPLE VEHICLES TRYING TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OFF THE FREEWAY. THIS WAS FIVE DAYS AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK BACK FROM FORD. A PROCESS WAS WENT THROUGH AT FORD TO RE-LEARN THE "TURBO STRATEGY" AND THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME WORKING FINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-350 SD. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXAMINING HIS VEHICLE, HE NOTICED OIL SPOTS ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL PAN WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 61,800.