Ford Super Duty Owner Gets Refund After Diesel Pickup Grows Afterburner

If the dome light in Shelley Shields’ Ford F-450 Super Duty stopped working, she could easily have read a book by the hellish glow emanating from underneath her pickup.

The Cochrane, Alberta driver returned the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel-powered vehicle shortly after purchase after noticing flames shooting from the tailpipe and the exhaust glowing like a certain part of Amsterdam, Truck Trend reports.

Photos posted to Shield’s Facebook page show the situation underneath — and behind — the pickup. Great for melting driveway ice, but definitely unsettling for the owner.

When Shields contacted Ford Canada for a fix, the automaker referred her back to her dealer. Luckily for Shields, the folks at Carstairs Ford didn’t take her for a ride. They offered to take back the vehicle and handed Shields a full refund.

While the owner walked away happy and no neighborhood cats found themselves toasted, the cause of the Ford’s red-hot pipe had forum posters wondering if the truck’s original equipment was to blame. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke’s 6.4-liter predecessor was once recalled for diesel particulate filter overheating, but the automaker claims this glowing Super Duty is a one-off.

In a statement, Ford North American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles Communications Manager Jiyan Cadiz claims the problem doesn’t stem from the factory.

“We have completed our initial investigation into the Super Duty in Canada and have determined it was caused by an incorrect repair after the truck was produced,” said Cadiz. “We are not aware of any other incidents, and we are taking action to prevent this from happening in the future. In this unique case, the customer returned the affected truck and received a refund.”

“Incorrect repair” is plenty vague, but Ford forum posters claim they know the real cause. Diesel fuel poured into the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank during the pre-delivery inspection gets the blame, though it can’t be confirmed. If a technician did make such a whoopsies, it would essentially turn the exhaust system into an afterburner.

[Images: Facebook]