Article Comments - 2008 F-450 Super Duty Full Test

146 messages, Last post on Oct 26, 2009 at 7:20 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford F-450 Super Duty, Truck

Article comments for Full Test: 2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty - For those hauling heavy loads — whether it's an extended horse trailer, a part-time home for recreation in remote areas or even a pair of hobby cars — your steed has arrived. (more)

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#104 of 146 Re: Trouble w/ 2008 Diesel [ocalamax] by charlie890 Oct 10, 2008 (6:49 pm)
Replying to: ocalamax (Apr 30, 2007 1:54 pm) Bought the '08 F450 in May 2007. Also use to haul horses. 42' 3 stalls. First trip was Edmonton, AB to Ft Worth, Tx. On and off it made sounds like a tornado under the hood. In Oklahoma is stranded us on roadside. Rented a truck to go on to Texas with trailer/horses. Took two weeks to fix. They delivered it to Tulsa on our way back, supposedly fixed. It broke down on the guy delivering it. Another week. Lost power about 200miles from home. Right now it is in dealership in North Carolina. On our way there it stranded us again on the roadside in Nebraska. Towed in and after three days said it was fixed. It broke again near Raleigh NC. Has been in and out of the garage in NC three times now. Towed in each time. Replaced same injector 3 times and module once. Won't know now until Monday (today is Friday) what is wrong. Diesel mech on vacation this week. Add to that the 6mpg when towing and this truck is For Sale as soon as (or if) we get it home. Oh and yeah the IBC doesnt work with our electric over hydraulics. Told we should read the manual. I guess that is the manual we didn't have before buying the truck.
#105 of 146 BREAKDOWNS by shellade Oct 11, 2008 (4:24 am)
So sorry to hear of all the problems, though, now, not so surprising given all the blogs on the F450 - We put in our own P3 break controller to stop the bucking and re programmed the governor so we did not have to commit suicide when trying to overtake in a difficult situation. The tornado sounds are the turbo's, I'm just waiting for one to fly thru the hood - So far we cannot find a buyer any where close to our buying price the Dodge we want wont even put a price on the white elephant, we were supposed to pick up a horse from Doswell, VA Sunday - But and re thinking taking this thing anywhere - I guess thanks to Ford we are stuck with a 4 ton sculpture in the yard! Good Luck - Endurance Crew. Replies to this message: charlie890 (Oct 11, 2008 6:05 am)
#106 of 146 Re: BREAKDOWNS [shellade] by charlie890 Oct 11, 2008 (6:05 am)
Replying to: shellade (Oct 11, 2008 4:24 am) Yeah seems like all we can do is console each other. Our friends in NC were going to use the F450 to haul our horses and theirs to a show in Columbus next week but now won't use the Ford. They don't trust it and I cant blame them. Do you think the problems come from a lemon or early production (ours was built in April 07) or do you hear the same stuff going on with current builds? Reason I ask is that on paper it is the perfect truck for what we do. It has the power and load capability to handle our trailer and gives us flexibility to drive around once we get to shows vs say a Sportchassis. Also I like the 4wd for snowy roads or mud at the barns.
#107 of 146 Breakdowns by shellade Oct 11, 2008 (7:55 am)
I sadly admit selling our Freightliner 4X4 that we bought from Schwabe in Texas, we moved to the North Georgia Mountains we down sized truck and trailer because of the difficult mountain roads etc. Our truck was also built in 07, it was we thought the ultimate vehicle with extras put on with Western Hauler - 94 gallon tank etc. I'm not sure where the problem lies, some blogs show they love there machine others are just crying all the way to the bank - We are very much in the corner here knowing what to do. It still pulls the 38 ft Sundowner up and down mountains, but has overheated at one stage - The awful sound from the turbo's, so I am so scared to pull any more horses that may get us stuck with out help - Riding endurance leaves us in some god awful places where a tow truck could get to etc....... Diesel mileage sucks compared to the new Dodge 3500..........I'm just so pissed off.
#108 of 146 Future by shellade Oct 11, 2008 (11:14 am)
If you have the financial clout to through the F450 to the dogs, then I would suggest contacting Dennis Schwalbe at Schwalbe.com (940-759-4966) and buy the ultimate Freightliner Sports Chassis with 4 X 4 drive, I very sadly wish I had never sold ours and never heard of the 08 F450 - Good Luck. By the way the Freightliner was the very best machine I have ever owed.....We never got stuck in any weather, we drove the rig from Ocala Florida to Vermont for a 100 mile distance ride then back thru a number of States, nothing went wrong - Oh well - Endurance crew.
#109 of 146 by norcalcal Oct 13, 2008 (8:31 pm)
OUCH, sorry I didn't find this blog before I bought my used F450 from Texas Direct Auto last month. It actually left us stranded in Flagstaff, AZ for two days because of a EGT sensor on the drive home. We also had a problem in Lubbock, TX but was able to drive on. (fuel starvation) After we got the truck home to Northern California I emailed the first owner and he reponded with all the problems he had. Of the 14 months the truck spent 7 months in the shop. Replaced the turbo's, high pressure pumps, wireing harnesses, oil pump. It's headed for the dealership tomarrow for a check-up. My big problem is with CarFax and AutoCheck. Both were checked and neither showed any problems only routine maintenance. Does anyone have information on Car Fax or AutoCheck. There may be some legal action toward Ford if Ford is not reporting repairs. I smell coverup> Cal in NorCal.
#110 of 146 Re: F450 [shellade] by norcalcal Oct 13, 2008 (8:41 pm)
Replying to: shellade (Jun 25, 2008 11:09 am) This is probably too late to help, but I had a trailer that was bucking and the solution was a little grease on the plug connection between the trailer and the truck. Seems some moisture was on the contact and it became rusty. I hauled a cattle trailer for years and know the problem a bucking trailer can do to livestock.
#111 of 146 by thedemoguy Oct 25, 2008 (7:15 am)
2008 F450 diesel 17400 miles, pulls race trailer and toy hauler. Catastrophic engine failure... 1: Radiator let go... 2: EGR cooler got hot, internal burst allowing coolant to inter air intake making it's way through turbos, and all that good stuff to the combustion chambers.... 3: What did we learn,...we can't compress coolant like a mist of fuel.... "HYDRAULIC PRESSER" Ford is well aware of the problem with there engines. the engine is a good engine but built with bad components. The "radiator" design has been a problem for a long time and that's where the problem starts, the radiator fails............ Then the "egr cooler" gets hot and it will burst and let coolant in to the intake,... the coolant will pass through the turbos and hot air return to the combustion chambers. Now I'm not a big time engineer working for ford but I know you can't compress coolant like a mist of fuel and something is going to brake,...like the piston rod, crank, all that good stuff.... To fix the engine problem would be as simple as putting a real "RADIATOR" in the truck and redesign the "EGR COOLER" to a cast steel instead of sheet metal that will not burst if it gets hot..........DAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ford is in the proses of putting a short block in my truck, what about the turbos, head's and every thing else...? If the presser was high enough to destroy a piston, rod and crank, what about the heads and turbos.........? Short Block.....? With the same radiator and egr cooler it will happen again. I will keep records of oil changes and service. All down time and cost for that down time, tows, hotels, rentals, lost revenue, and anything that costs me in relation to the truck failing to preform as advertised and what for the class action law suit... Replies to this message: charlie890 (Oct 25, 2008 7:32 am)
#112 of 146 Re: [thedemoguy] by charlie890 Oct 25, 2008 (7:32 am)
Replying to: thedemoguy (Oct 25, 2008 7:15 am) Geez sorry to hear about your problems with the F450. If you know of any class action suits please post the info. I would join in. Our F450 has stranded us twice with a load of horses. Once in Oklahoma and just a few weeks ago in Missouri. Both times took weeks to fix and ended up being electrical wiring harness problems. The last one was finally diagnosed correctly after changing out the #1 injector twice and the computer once. We have had the radiator fixed twice now. Fortunately for us we or the dealer spotted leaks and did the work before getting the point yours did. We will be checking for leaks at every fuel stop from now on (pain in the ass but better than a breakdown). We live in Canada and I am in the process of filling out the application under Canada's "lemon law" to see if I can get compensation for all the costs we incurred. Like you we had to put the horses up, get hotels, rent a truck to haul the trailer etc.
#113 of 146 Re: Gas Mileage - 2008 Super Duty [floorz] by charlie890 Oct 25, 2008 (7:45 am)
Replying to: floorz (Jul 27, 2007 6:27 am) We haul a 42' horse/living trailer with our F450 and get about 6mpg. Trailer and load weighs about 20,000 lbs. With the 4.88 and that weight that is all it will get. I agree it is disappointing. I think it is the 4.88 since we only get 10 or so mpg without the trailer. Aside from the mileage issue though we have had severe reliability problems. Stranded twice on the road, weeks to repair, mis-diagnosis, no parts available etc. We are filing under Canada;s "lemon law" for relief. The issues have both turned out to be problems in electrical wiring harnesses. We have also had the radiator(s) replace twice. Oh, an the IBC won't work properly with our trailer. This information is in the manual you get AFTER you take delivery.