I own a 2003 Ford F350 Lariat Crew Cab dually, 6.0L Diesel. Our truck has 160k miles now. Yes, a lot of miles but 80% are highway miles traveling back and forth, up and down the US. We make sure to have it serviced regularly etc.
Background:
My husband and myself are both Iraqi War Veterans. I served in Iraq from Jan 2005-Jan 2006, along with my husband, and he is currently deployed on his second tour.
While he is deployed we decided it would be best for me to move from Fort Benning, GA to California to stay with my mother while he was serving his “sentence” overseas. We have driven from Georgia to Wyoming, where his family is, a few times, to California, and up to New York and back once.

Upon arriving in California, I had been having a bit of trouble with the trans temp sensor and the alternator, nothing too major. I was in California for almost 7 months. My husband is getting ready to come back home now, and we are trying to sell our house near Fort Benning, so I decided it was time to head back. So the nightmare begins…

Before leaving California I took our truck to the local dealer, Elm Ford [/b]and explained I was getting ready to drive cross country again, and needed any repairs done that were necessary. After having the truck for 3 weeks, cutting it very close to my departure date, and almost $4500 later, they replaced 3 injectors, the rear differential seal, a glow plug, and some other minor odds and ends (including service, etc). With the guarantee from the Ford Service Manager (who is also a friend of my mother’s husband) that “the truck will get you where you are going, no problem” – I set off across the lower United States with my friend (who was going along for the ride and to help me get set back up @ our house – and she would fly out of Atlanta the following week to go back home to California), 2 children (ages 6 and 10), 3 dogs, 2 cats (one pregnant), and my horse trailer in tow containing what belongings I took with me to California.

1000 miles +/- later, in Grants, NM, without any indication there may be a problem the truck simply shut off. Upon trying to restart the truck, I found that pressing on the accelerator caused it to smoke badly, and not pressing the accelerator caused it to sputter and die. I had the truck towed to the nearest Motel 6, as it was night time and the dealership in town wasn’t open. The next morning I called Ed Corley Ford Lincoln Mercury. [/b]After being told it would be a few days before they could even look at my vehicle, getting put off a few times, and 0 returned phone calls, I contacted Ford’s Corporate Customer Affairs hotline. I spoke with an operator, who reminded me the truck was out of warranty and nothing could really be done to help me, to which I reminded her that any work a Ford Dealership does is under warranty for 12 months/12,000 miles. She then called the dealership to get the status. They assured me they would be out that day to get my truck. The Service Manage came and tried to start the truck with a technician, and found that it wouldn’t start - BIG SHOCKER! So they did, in fact, come get the truck that day. Time drug on, and after no calls were returned, my husband, in Iraq, had to call the dealership to get and questions answered. When asked, “Shouldn’t I be made priority?” I was kindly reminded, “All of our customers are priority, ma’am.”

My husband, who is fighting for his country, and has to worry about life and death daily, had to make phone calls to dealerships and Corporate because his wife and kids were stranded in the middle of no where – where no one seems to give a rat’s butt. He called the dealership in California, Elm Ford[/b], and he was told, “I am not surprised, those engines have injector problems all the time.” HELLO! Then why isn’t this a recall issue? (And I will prematurely add in that along the way I was told by technicians at EVERY[/i][/b] dealership I stopped at, that the 6.0L engine is a piece of crap!!!! Especially the 2003, the first year it came out. Can we say – DUH?

10 days later and many, many reminders that I have children with me and I already put so much money into the truck to get it fixed, I got the same 3 injectors replaced plus the 1 other on the same side of the engine, which I had to pay an additional $277 and some change.

On the road again… Being that the truck took so long to get repaired, my friend lost her plane ticket home from Atlanta, and had to purchase another one flying out of Albequerque, the next major city on the map along our route. We planned to stay in Alb. For the night, she would fly out in the morning, and I would be on my way, or so I thought.
Upon arriving to our Motel 6 in Albequerque, I noticed oil all down the side of the passenger side of my truck and horse trailer – NICE! I contacted Bob Turner’s Ford Country[/b], who informed me it would be at least a week before my vehicle could be looked at, and any other dealership in the area was just as, if not more backed up than they were. Taking a chance, I contacted Don Chalmer’s Ford[/b]. Their Service Advisor, Jude, was the nicest, most understanding man. They started diagnosing my truck as soon as I pulled up. They issued me a loaner vehicle and told me they would do everything necessary to get me back on the road. Their finding: Ed Corley Ford Lincoln Mercury, [/b]had forgotten to put the glow plug harness back on which held the injector O-rings, causing it to spew oil. 5 days later, my wheels were rolling… again.

150 miles +/- down the road, in BEAUTIFUL New Mexico (gags), guess what… the truck just shuts off. Except this time I could get it cranked, but could only drive about 20 feet before it sputters and dies. More tow trucks came and get me, and drug me to Hamilton[/b] Big Country Ford. [/b]The Service Manager was NOT a nice guy and questioned why I thought Ford should pay for the tow bill. A friend living in Tennessee decided enough was enough. She started making calls and started her 19 hour journey from Tennessee to NM to come and get me. Out of money and out of patience, how was I supposed to survive another extended period of time in NM. My friend contacted the district manager there and he was Heaven-sent. He paid for the motel bills, and didn’t charge me for parts. He started contacting Corporate Ford to get them to help out with a rental car, or pay for the parts (he still hasn’t heard back from Corporate). They informed me that often the fuel pump will go out, but not completely out, starving the injectors on that side of the engine for fuel. Makes sense…
Their findings: a bad fuel pump and 5 bad injectors. Keep in mind there are only 4 injectors on that side of the engine. Ed Corley Ford Lincoln Mercury left an injector inside the valve cover!!!!![/b] If you have seen and injector for this engine you know that they are about the size of the average adult hand. The service manager said if the injector had gotten above or below a rocker arm, it very well could have ripped the top of the engine off, which makes you only imagine what could have happened to me. Luckily this repair job was completed in 2 days (which took Corely Ford [/b]5 times that to do less work).

With my friend following, in case I had any more issues, we headed off into the New Mexico sunset again. 18 days after my journey began, I crossed the Texas state line. I spent Easter weekend in Tennessee with my friend and continued home to Fort Benning, GA.
Upon arrival in GA, I had to stay at yet another Motel 6, due to my electricity and water not yet turned on @ my house. The next morning I woke up, tried to turn around in the parking lot, from 1 driveway to the other, and the truck just shut off in the middle of the street. I called a tow truck which took my truck to Rivertown Ford, [/b]where it now sits going on day 3. They paid the tow bill for the truck and refused to pay the tow bill for the trailer since “the truck broke down not the trailer.” I was told by the service manager that it will be 2-3 weeks before it can even be looked at. It will cost me $150 to even have it looked at. They have no loaner vehicles to offer, nor will they pay for a rental car.

So in conclusion, my kids have missed 3 weeks of school. I have paid numerous tow bills, motel bills, dining out bills, cel phone overage fees, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. I still don’t have my truck, and can’t expect to have it any time soon. My husband called the current dealership, and when he asked if I shouldn’t be made a priority he was told, “all we see it as is a truck that won’t start coming in off the road.”

WHY DOESN’T ANYONE CARE????? Needless to say, I have contacted a lawyer and you can bet your buttons that Ford will know my name when it is all said and done. I will post an update when there is one available.
This is how an American made product takes care of their soldiers/vetetrans. I am not able to get to my storage unit to get our beds etc, so my children and I have to sleep on the floor. I WILL NEVER OWN A FORD AGAIN!! We will be getting rid of this truck as soon as possible and I can finally say I win!! My husband bought the truck – I am a Chevy girl

Thank you for listening to my story.

 

Guess I don't have anything constructive to say other than I hope your nightmare has a happy ending! I like Chevy's too, but think the answer is finding a good, lucky, honest mechanic. It's hard to find intermittant problems, but one of the guys here might be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat for you. Wish I could help. Please, let us know the outcome!

 

....the problem seems less with the machine,and more with the people who've done work on it.I agree with the thinking of finding a shop that does commercial diesel work.I can understand how you'd be pretty fed up with dealers...

 

I just bought an 03 6.0 and EVERYONE comes out of the woodwork to tell you they dont like them.