I was making a left hand turn afyer stoping at a traffic light and loss power. The engine light came on and the turbo pressure gauge dropped. I took the truck into the dealer and the dealer told me that a manafold bolt had broken which caused a bad exhuast leak. Repair cost was $3500. I drove the truck less than 50 miles over the next two days and the problem happened again with loss of power and engine light on. I took the truck back the dealer and was informed that the high pressure fuel pump had exploded and sent metal debris through out the fuel system. I was then told the repair cost were going to $7500 ($6000 for parts and $1500 for labor). This is a bad ford engineering design problem and should be paid for by ford as well as a recall on all models using the same hpfp assembly.
2008 Ford F-450 SD: sudden loss of power
8 of the 68 complaints about the 2008 Ford F-450 SD describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 37,063
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
- 20241
- 20221
- 20201
- 20121
- 20112
- 20088
- 20064
- 20053
- 20046
- 20032
- 20021
- 20011
- 20001
- 19991
- 19951
What owners say
2008 ford f-450 based type I ambulance. Contact alleges that improper manufacturing of 6.4l powerstroke diesel engine cylinder number 8 resulted in reduced compression and excessive blow by of combustion gases and particulate matter. Reported consequence includes engine stall, reduced power, no start condition, exhaust gas temperature sensor contamination and catastrophic turbocharger damage. Engine problems had negative impact on delivery of ambulance services.
Vehicle lost complete power while driving on interstate at cruising speed. There were absolutely no warnings, the engine just quit, disabling the vehicle in high speed traffic. The dealer repair was to replace wiring harness for high pressure fuel pump due to wires shorting the engine after the insulation was chafed by internal contact with other engine parts, which was a known issue with this engine for builds prior to august 20, 2007, according to a ford tsb: 07-26-2. This part is completely internal and not subject to inspection until failure. My family and I were extremely fortunate that we were able to get safely to the shoulder of the interstate with many semi's and cars around us when the failure occurred. Also, since engine wouldn't start at all, we were subjected to extreme cold weather conditions while waiting for tow vehicle, over 2 hours. This is a potential life-threatening defect!! Losing all power in seconds without warning in high-speed traffic is unacceptable, ford!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f450 sd. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH he felt as if the vehicle was losing power of the steering wheel and brakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the power steering box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and the current mileage was 55,000. Updated 9/25/12 *cn updated 10/04/12
2008 ford f-450 sd diesel engine and radiator failure. Throughout ownership I have consistently had the notice of "cleaning exhaust" come up. I made ford aware of it and they would tell me that they fixed the problem, but it would continue to happen. I was pulling a 5 horse trailer (approximately 18,000 pounds empty) within which I had only 3 horses. It was a warm, but not hot day and I was driving at approximately 70 MPH on fairly flat terrain. The water temp light came on and the temperature gauge suddenly went to hot. I began to lose power. I pulled over immediately. I discovered that there was a ford dealership approximately 2 miles away. I waited for a bit and I drove 20 MPH to dealership. Thank god I was going to meet some people who have a 5th wheel and could come pick up the horses. Thank god I was near a small town. I was about to get off of the highway to head out into the middle of nowhere! I do not consider this vehicle dependable at all. I must have a dependable truck to haul horses!!! The truck is approximately 1,000 miles out of warranty. I have spoken with several people who own 2008 ford f-350 and f-450 trucks who have had engine and cooling system problems around the 30,000 to 40,000 mile mark. The engines had to be replaced. That is ridiculous on a diesel engine! They should last 200,000 miles!!!
The coating on the interior of ford diesel fuel tanks corrodes and collects as sediment in the fuel system. The sediment, collects at the botton of the fuel tank and is sucked into the fuel system. In this incident, the failure began with the check engine light illuminating. The dealer, replaced the sensor, then at a second time the fuel element, and finally the entire fuel system required replacement. The fuel lines become fouled, the fuel pumps become clogged and require replacement. As the coating continues to deteriorate, the only recourse it to change the fuel tank, the sensors, and entire fuel delivery system. We have had 3 ford vehicles f series experience this problem. In this case in less than 18 months from date of purchase, the fuel elements and sensors required replacement we are reporting this as it seems to be a defect in all the ford diesel fuel systems. As the fuel systems become clogged, the vehicles lose power without warning and create a safety issue and driving hazard not only to the vehicle operator but other motorists.
Our ford f450 pickup has been in the dealership for repair for shutting down while driving over five times. Three of the episodes occurred while driving on the freeway and with no warning the vehicle shut-down causing loss of power brakes and steering. The last incident occurred on 11/5/09.
Ford refuses to repair warranty vehicle, fuel tank leaks, air conditioner not working, ford refuse to repair radiator recall - customer satisfaction program 08b06 and ford refuses to fix engine problem. At time of the engine problem occurred loss of power shaking knocking sound white smoke from tail pipe. Loss of oil and antifreeze. Maybe egr cooler, injector or turbo problem? Ford shifts the blame on to the customer and will not honor warranty.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Ford: diesel engine runs rough, engine knocking, hard start, crank but no start due to height of improper...
- Ford: due to restrictions from cooling system contamination, diesel engine oil coolers primarily are being...
- Ford: there are exhaust leaks, caused by warped exhaust manifold, experience by diesel engine
- Ford: some trucks, equipped with 6.4L diesel engine will lack power with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCS)...
- Ford: some trucks may exhibit a situation with diesel engine such as engine knocking, low power, exhaust...
- Ford: some ford super duty trucks may exhibit a lack of power with a diagnostic trouble code during...
- Ford: some ford super duty trucks may exhibit a lack of power with a diagnostic trouble code at full...
- Ford service campaign: there are multiple problems with the vehicle
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2008 Ford F-450 SD loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2008 Ford F-450 SD?
8 of 68 owner complaints about the 2008 Ford F-450 SD (12%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Ford F-450 SD?
There are 0 recalls and 33 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Ford F-450 SD
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