Heart Broken

[kday64]

Today I climbed up into my 2003 F-150 4x4 Supercrew shut the door just as I have done hundreds of times before. Rode her through her 155,416th mile just as she did her 117th mile, beautifully!

I opened the door stepped out and half way to through the doors to Home Depot I remembered I left the materials list in the center console of my truck so I turned around headed back to my truck. Underneath the truck right even with the drivers door there was a 3x1" rusty piece of metal. Picking it up I wondered what its story was. Where did it come from? Will it be missed? Was it important? The contemplating lasted just long enough and it was back to shopping.
Sadness followed when I opened the door to my truck and found three more pieces of steel. It appears my baby is rusting and the bottom inside of the drivers side door is pretty much gone.
I love this truck and don't want to buy a new truck and I don't want my old friend to rust out from underneath me.

Any one else feel strange connections to their trucks/tractors alike?

~Kevin

 

[MIKE R]

I have strange connections with my equipment. It feels like family. Worry about it when its not sounding right. Treat it like its a million dollars. Even talk to it sometimes.

Always get any paint chips painted up as soon as possible and get all vehicles under coated once a year. Try to wash the vehicle one a month or more when there is salt on the road.

 

[newbury]

That's why I treat my vehicles like my wife, I make sure a I look at everything I can possibly see once in a while.
That way fewer surpises.

I used to live in the rustbelt called Vermont and can remember seeing cars rusted out that were only two years old.

 

[Scooby074]

I have a 2003 supercrew that has rotten sills on both sides and one cab corner. Door bottoms are blistered too.

You probably dont want to crawl underneath. All my cab crossmembers are gone on the ends. Thats probably what you found.

Thats just the body, the driveline isnt much better.

Ford garbage!! Never again for me

 

[BuzzardA91]

I have a 1999 Ford F350 with 122k easy miles. Has a small exhaust leak and was told it is so rusted out underneath it will be a very difficult job. Body in fine shape, no rust at all. I am not happy but what can you do. It lives outside but still. On its way to being useless with 122k unreal. I have always had Fords and this is my second low miles truck to rot into the ground. Time for another make or is this common?

I just sold my 1986 Ford 1710 tractor that lived outside and wasn't washed for 20 years. Some surface rust on tin but that's it. Bolts are still serviceable etc? Why can't they do that with trucks?

 

[Clint S]

Common on all. I had an S10 that was rarely driven. Body was OK , but at 8 years old and 48k it was a nightmare underneath. 3rd door was rotting inside out and all the steel lines were rusted out bad too. Bed cross members were rotted through. The truck was undercoated new and undercoating touched up every year for first 4 years. Our 2003 2500 is very bad under also at 100k. I live in the rust belt in northern NY

 

[Scooby074]

Im not going to defend ford, nothing they can do will make up for my trucks current condition nor the lack of service I got when the truck was still under warranty... but at the time, ~2000-2003 ford was trying to keep from going under and they got even cheaper with their rust prevention, warranty, and mechanicals. They shot themselves in the foot to save money.

This wasnt my first ford, Ive had several, and they all lasted better then this one, but this is my LAST.

 

[RobertN]

Is it from salt? Don't see that out here in the N.Calif foothills

 

[Diamondpilot]

Its common in the rust belt. Dodge wheel wells, Ford doors and tailgates, GM brake lines and cab corners, Toyota frames, ect.

I wash each of my vehicle weekly, 52 times a year, rain, snow, ect. Its helped. All look brand new with 2 being six years old and 1 being eight years old.

All are garage keep at 55 in the winter which I feel helps out as much as keeking them clean.

Never undercoated any of my 25 or so vehicle's

Chris

 

[sparc]

I have a 2003 supercrew that has rotten sills on both sides and one cab corner. Door bottoms are blistered too.

You probably dont want to crawl underneath. All my cab crossmembers are gone on the ends. Thats probably what you found.

Thats just the body, the driveline isnt much better.

Ford garbage!! Never again for me

a friend at work had a 04 F-150 that had a leak in the 3rd brake light on the roof of the cab. it let water seep in that got down to the channel in the rocker panels and sloshed around in there are rotted the truck out. He didn't found out until he went to run some wires through there for rear speakers after thaving the truck for 3 years. no idea how long it had been leaking.