DO NOT BUY FORD TRUCKS! A RUST Nightmare.

I bought this in 2018, from a private owner. I did not see any rust on it. It just had the engine replaced and had 30,000 miles on it. The vehicle had a little over 120,000 miles. After 1 year the entire frame is rusted. At my last tire change, they were afraid to jack it up because it was too dangerous.

WHAT is FORD doing? This used to be the best truck made in America. Now, that I am aware of the problem, I know this is a WIDESPREAD issue in the design and manufacture of the 2004/05 models. It will not/cannot pass inspection, and I cannot drive it.

It is WORTHLESS. I suppose I could plant flowers in the bed, the world's most expensive flower pot, that's MY FORD TRUCK! Shame on Ford for stealing off of American taxpayers.

How can Ford refuse to help correct a rampant design failure?? It's shameful!!!

I bought this vehicle used from a dealership in Ohio. I had no idea that the rust was actually rotting of the frame. It's horrible.

The engine & transmission are good. The interior of the cab looks brand new.

I took it to get it inspected in WV and found out that they won't even put it on the jack, because it is unsafe to jack it up at this point.

I cannot safely drive this car. I cannot get an inspection sticker, because it is so unsafe. I don't feel comfortable trying to sell it someone else, because it is so unsafe. So it sits parked, while I continue to make payments on it.

I will never buy another Ford. Ford is obviously aware of this problem and should make it right!!

I purchased a new 2004 F-150 Supercrew from Morande Ford (now Tasca Ford) in Berlin, CT in 2005 for around $35,000.00. I paid for rust protection at the time. I babied this truck to the tune of about 6,000 miles a year with frequent washes in the winter, and regularly garaged it. I had a couple of problems over the years including my water pump breaking loose while driving down the highway (at around 60k miles) and then having it spin in a manner to shred everything around it.

I paid to have that fixed and replaced the notoriously faulty split spark plugs at the same time to avoid problems later (I only found out after the refund period that Ford would have paid me $300 of the replacement cost). I learned in December that my frame was rotted when my mechanics told me it wasn't worth doing the scheduled oil change because the truck buckled on the lift. I was floored. I have virtually NO rust anywhere on the body itself, and the frame was rotted!

I learned that this is a common problem for the 2004 model year and also heard that Toyota had a similar problem and that they covered their customers. So I called Ford and unfortunately talked to a representative who was clearly at an offshore call center. He told me my truck was out of warranty and essentially said to go pound sand. I was not happy and told him he was a bad representative for Ford. Everyone I spoke with about the rotted frame said that this should not have happened and that Ford clearly had a bad batch of steel for these frames, but is refusing to stand behind their products.

I wound up paying $7700.00 to essentially have the frame patched and welded with a series of steel channels and plates from front to back. I will keep this truck but I will never buy Ford again if they are going to treat me like that. Which is too bad because my wife is getting ready to trade in her SUV and I was actually going to limit my selection to Ford, but no longer. I am not comfortable with Ford products or service any more.

I’m a LOYAL Ford owner. Drove an Escort thru college, bought a brand new Ranger in 1996, bought a left over 2004 F150 Lariat in 2005, bought a Focus in 2012 which was trouble free until a tree fell on it this spring so I bought a 2018 Focus ST. Oh, my father restores Model A’s and is an expert in Model A’s. Probably one of the top guys in America, his garage is a Ford shrine.

A little background, at 70K the transmission went, a $15 dollar seal blew and that cost me $3K, along the way the AC went, both rear windows fell down because a plastic piece broke, exhaust manifold on the right side, oh and the rear cab corners rusted out. It cost me 3K to have the rockers and cab corners fixed. The 3rd brake light leaked and water pooled in the corners causing the rot. The body shop told me the weep holes weren’t open from the factory. BTW, the water caused an electrical issue that Ford could not figure out. Some redneck on a Ford forum found the problem...two wires splices together into one WITHOUT shrink tubing, all other wires had shrink tubing. Fixed in 15 minutes by me.

So what is my real complaint? I have a frame that is so rotted, not rusted, ROTTED that the shop says it looks like I drove it into the ocean and left it there for a year. The cab mounts are rusted, the drivers side frame has major holes, the passenger side seem is gone the ENTIRE length of the frame, it is terrible. Ford won’t do a damn thing about it. My boss has a Tacoma and they replaced his frame this summer because it was rotted. Ford won’t do it.

I drove my truck maybe 20K miles the last 6 years (sick of 12 MPG so I bought a Focus for a daily driver), ALWAYS washed after a snow storm, I live in MA, and didn’t beat it up. I would have put a new frame on her but the underside is toast. It’s a shame, low miles, newish tires, new brakes last year, body is in great shape, drives great, interior is super clean. I thought I’d have this truck to use on the road for the next 10 years.

There is no excuse why companions don’t tack on another 1-2,000 and undercoat from the factory to prevent rot, I would have paid it. They know snow areas use salt and sand, why don’t they use better steel on their frames? This is total BS. There trucks are NOT FORD TOUGH. My father has 10 Model A frames stacked on top of each other and they sit outdoors 24/7 365. They have surface rust but they aren’t rotted, they are structurally sound. Blast them clean, paint them and they’ll be good or better than new. Those frames are close to 90 years old!

So now what? I’ll email Ford and get a canned response but at least I’ll feel better. In today’s world there is no excuse for poor MPG, major engine or transmission problems, rusted bodies on any vehicle, or rotted frames. I’ll take my truck off the road, no more insurance to pay, excise tax, or registration fees and use her to haul yard waste and haul wood on our property until she snaps in half. What else can I do?

I bought my 2004 F-150 in July of 2004. The first brand new vehicle we had ever owned. Had many Fords before then, mostly work trucks. Was hard to beat the older ones. I had it a month and the gas cap wouldn't stay shut. Should have sold it then but I had been planning on keeping it for the rest of our lives.

It was a good truck for the most part, but early this summer I was under it for some reason and noticed a hole the size of my foot on the inside of the frame just back past the cab on the driver side. It was rusted and pulling way on the bottom of the frame also. Mentioned it to my son and others and they said I should take it to the dealership to get the problem documented. One friend said that Toyota was recalling vehicles for just the same reason.

I'm trying to be as courteous as I can about this situation, because Ford has in the past made some very fine trucks. But I'm thinking they got hold of some bad steel or somebody thought that making a box frame with thinner steel was as good as the older I-beam frames.

Nevertheless, here I sit at my computer reading all these complaints that Ford doesn't want to do anything about while my truck is sitting in the driveway rotting into the ground. If I went to the dealership they would probably tell me that the truck is to old but they would be glad to sell me another one for more money than we paid for our first house. Maybe they should have taken a bailout and found a better source for their frames. Everything is so pretty on the inside and out, but when I crawl underneath and look at the framework (built Ford tough) it just makes me sick to think I'm going to have to make a vehicle payment. It will not be a Ford.

SAME DEAL as every other memo I read. Major highlighting points: - Premature frame corrosion and rust. - Mechanic informed me that the frame on the rear half. - Rusted and cracked under bed and rear wheel wells - Frame would no longer support weight of vehicle - Rust thru holes and longitudinal cracks formed on the bottom and side frame surfaces at the stress point before the rear wheel bend. - Extremely unusual, truck has been generally been garage kept and maintained in good mechanical condition. - The exterior body DOES NOT exhibits spots or surface rust on visible body panels. - No evident signs of rust or degradation of structure. - Meticulously maintained vehicle otherwise. (New transmission, drive shaft, engine retimed, spray bed liner, etc.) - Catastrophic failure of the frame structure was imminent and that the vehicle was no longer safe to drive. - Cannot be repaired and is unsafe. - Cannot pass a state safety inspection. - Cannot even be put on a lift because it has no structural strength.

2004 F150, Upstate, NY. Truck is kept garaged (cold) , sprayed off often, including a good wash underneath, interior/exterior look excellent. One small rust spot on the body around a stone ding otherwise the body is rust-free. Took to the garage and they told me that there are several holes in the frame and it's basically unfix-able. I can only surmise that Ford used really cheap and thin steel in the construction of the frame box, there's no conceivable reason why the frame would rust through before any body panels, according to the mechanics this is affecting this is very common in this model year. This was a $28,000 truck in 2004, and I would have expected better quality... lifelong ford loyalist and am in shock that a babied truck in great mechanical condition, fairly low miles, and that looks this good would have terminal cancer at just 12 years.

I recently brought my F-150 into a local shop to get the exhaust replaced from the y-pipe back so I could pass inspection and when the mechanic put it on the lift the frame started to collapse in on itself. In one of the pictures you can see where it started to collapse. This happened on both sides. This is when the severity of the rot was discovered. All the pictures are from the drivers side as the rot is much worse there. One picture shows a crack running down much of the frame this goes through to both sides. You could easily pull this off the rot is so bad. It literally takes no effort to make it flex. The other pictures are of holes forming in the bottom of the frame tube. This is mirrored on both sides but less severe on the passenger side. The mechanic said that I should try to get rid of it as soon as possible. Being young and right out of college with loans, I don't have the money to buy a new truck. So I brought it to a family friend who is a very experienced welder to get his opinion on whether he thinks he could weld some steel plate to it to strengthen it, so I can keep it for another 2 - 3 years as I planned on doing since the truck is in perfect condition with no problems at all besides this, and he said that he wouldn't do it because of how rusted and weak the rot has made the frame. He said the passengers side could be done but still its not worth it. My next step is to bring it to ford to see if they will fix it or if there is some sort of recall but from what I've seen while searching online this probably wont get fixed. This is very upsetting because I've always sworn by my truck and ford as this truck has been so good to me and my father has also had great experiences with his super duties. But after this I feel as though I've been let down. This is not something that should happen on a vehicle.

2004 FX F150 I can’t believe this Truck is scrap!

90% of my driving is during the summer months. The truck is garaged and all recommended services are done. The body and interior is flawless. The frame is completely shot un- fixable.

I was on line for this year F150 and a multitude of the same complaints. My family and I have always purchased Ford products but I cannot justify ever buying Ford product as well as my family and friends. I am curious to see what Ford says about this issue. From the complaints from other buyers of this Ford I am doubtful.

I really don't know what to say the driver side frame has rusted completely out. There's a way to fix it but it would require a lot of work and a lot more money than I have. The truck's 12 years old it shouldn't rust out like that. Not to mention several other problems that should never have been an issue. The computer messing up, the switch on the transmission and then the transmission. The stereo CD player would stop working for days at a time. The frame rusting out is my biggest issue and truthfully the last straw. I refuse to buy another Ford because of And frankly it just broke my heart.

Traded my 2001 F-350 and bought my F-150 used in 2004 from a dealer with 3000 miles on it. Frame started rotting in 2013 with 86000 miles on it and got exponentially worse as time went on. Now in '16 holes opened up in the front left . Looked OK. Didn't know or expect it to be beer can thin. It is unsafe and off the road. I nearly crashed because the steering box pretty much fell out rear shackles are buckled though I NEVER overloaded it. Rear axle is starting to rust through too. The rest of the truck is in good to excellent condition but, it is junk. Can't sell it except for parts, yahoo, might get 15 cents on the dollar for that. I wanted to keep the friggin thing for another 10 years. After I started complaining about it with locals I find out I know 3 other people whose frames rotted out. F**K Ford. Are the frames made from old scrap bought from Asia? "Built Ford Tough", yea tough on the wallet. Bought a 2015 GMC Sierra and will kick Ford's ass out of my truck buying.They should have had a recall with so many frames shitting the bed. Oh yea, I thought I was doing well because it was made in Canada.

I purchased a 2004 Ford F150 pickup from a dealer in early 2014 for $10K +. Drove nice for a couple of months and then had some hesitation in acceleration. Dealer said it needed new plugs and charged $400 (his cost) to fix. Then in late November 2014 I wanted the truck gone through before I took a 14 hr drive to Florida just to be on the safe side. That's when my mechanic discovered very bad rust in the frame. Several holes had body putty in the frame to hide the holes. My mechanic told me I needed to get rid of the truck, auction it off or something.

The local Ford dealer said there was no recourse due to the age of the vehicle but offered to look at the truck, but off the record due to the fact that if it came in for regular service any results would show up on Carfax. I still owe $6000 on this truck and am afraid to take it to a dealer for trade in due to the rust and would feel guilty about unloading this on someone else. I'm ready to consult a lawyer at this point to see what my options are. The local dealer said that in Virginia it's a "buyer beware" issue and there's is no recourse. The hidden body putty to hide the rust holes really bothers me though.

2004 F150 SCAB and it is just that, a SCAB that won't heal. The frame is rotted through so bad you can't put this truck on a lift. If ford doesn't recall this by the time I search for a new vehicle, I'll never buy another Ford ever as long as I live. This thing has been nothing but a money pit. New engine at 110,000, new front coil springs at 120,000, new rear end, new wheel bearings, front hubs, OH!!! And the new engine popped a spark plug at 23,000 miles. I've owned fords my whole life, I believe this will be my last Unless ford does something to fix this problem ... but I doubt they will

I have a 2004 F-150 XLT and I was told by my mechanic that I had severe frame rust and rot. He said nothing can be done and to sell or get rid of the truck as soon as I can. I call the Ford dealership and they said there are no recalls for this problem. The truck has 124000 miles on it and it runs very well. Two years ago I also had cab rot that I ended up getting fixed and Ford said that wasn't covered either even though many owners I have read are having the same problems. It is very frustrating!!