2000 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHEN INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE FRACTURED AND ONLY ONE STRAP WAS LEAVING THE FUEL TANK ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER IN REGARDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM: TANK ASSEMBLY) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE AND STATE OF NEBRASKA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000. UPDATED 09/08/11*LJ THE REAR FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 09/14/11

ON JULY 19, 2011 THE FUEL TANK DROPPED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH MY 2000 FORD F 150 WHILE GOING OVER THE BEACON NEWBURGH BRIDGE IN NY. GAS LEAKED ALL OVER AND HAD THE NYS POLICE AS WELL AS THE BEACON FIRE DEPT. INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE NYDEC. NO FIRE BUT FUEL LEAKED OUT OF TANK. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GARAGE FOR REPAIR AT THE COST OF OVER $1100.00 NOT INCLUDING THE $190.00 TOWING FEE. I AM LUCKY THAT THIS TANK DID NOT BLOW BEFORE I COULD MAKE IT TO WERE I COULD PULL OVER SAFELY. THERE WAS NO BREAK DOWN LANE ON THE BRIDGE. *KB

IN APRIL 2011, WHILE DRIVING OUR FORD F150, MODEL YEAR 2000, ALONG A COUNTRY TWO-LANE ROAD IN A RURAL COUNTY IN VIRGINIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE GAS TANK DROPPED ONTO THE ROAD CAUSING A LARGE HOLE IN THE TANK AND THE LOSS OF NEARLY 3/4 TANK OF GASOLINE. I WAS ABLE TO BRACE THE TANK UP WITH A ROPE LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO OUR SON'S HOME A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY AND LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO RUN OUT OF GAS UNTIL I PULLED INTO HIS YARD. THERE WAS NO INJURY BUT SPARKS FLEW FROM THE TANK AFTER IT DROPPED ONTO THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO FIRE. I HAD A MECHANIC REPLACE THE TANK AND THE STRAP AND HAVE HAD THE TRUCK BACK INTO THE SHOP TWICE TO REPAIR LEAKAGE AND HAD TO REPLACE THE NECK ASSEMBLY AS WELL. WE WERE MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL ON OUR MODEL F150 AND TOOK ALL RECEIPTS TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS TRUCK WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THE DEALER REFUSED REIMBURSEMENT. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FUEL TANK SUDDENLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITH A FULL TANK OF GASOLINE FUEL. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUEL TANK, MODULAR, STRAPS, HOSES, CLAMPS, AND THE TANK PRESSURE SENSOR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINE ABOVE FUEL TANK. NO WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO OR AFTER FAILURE. *KB

ON FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011 I NOTICED SOMETHING HANGING DOWN BELOW MY 2000 MODEL YEAR FORD F150 PICKUP TRUCK. UPON CLOSER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE DANGLING OBJECT WAS THE REMAINS OF THE FRONT FUEL TANK MOUNTING STRAP WHICH HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THE FRONT OF THE FUEL TANK WAS DROOPING DOWN FOUR TO SIX INCHES FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION AND THE TANK WAS BEING HELD ONLY BY THE REAR STRAP. EXAMINATION OF THE REAR STRAP REVEALED THAT IT WAS ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I PURCHASED NEW FRONT AND REAR FUEL TANK MOUNTING STRAPS FROM MY LOCAL FORD DEALER'S PARTS DEPARTMENT AND INSTALLED THEM MYSELF. AS A RETIRED ENGINEER, I WAS DISAPPOINTED BY HOW FLIMSY THESE STRAPS ARE AND HOW THEIR CORROSION RESISTANCE IS OBVIOUSLY INADEQUATE TO PREVENT FAILURE. THAT EVENING, SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2011, THERE WAS A REPORT ON A LOCAL TELEVISION STATION OF A HAZMAT TEAM RESPONSE TO AN INCIDENT NEAR GOOD HOPE ROAD AND US HIGHWAY 45 IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN IN WHICH THE FUEL TANK OF A FORD F150 PICKUP HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS. THAT LED ME TO THE DISCOVERY THAT NHTSA HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING CORROSION FAILURES OF FUEL TANK MOUNTING STRAPS ON F150S. I BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT A VEHICLE SAFETY DEFECT IS PRESENT IN THE DESIGN OF THESE STRAPS, IN THAT THE DESIGN IS INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT OR WITHSTAND CORROSION WHICH COULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING THE NORMALLY EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE. I STRONGLY URGE THAT A MANDATORY RECALL BE ISSUED AGAINST FORD F150 VEHICLES AND ANY OTHERS USING THESE OR SIMILARLY INADEQUATE FUEL TANK MOUNTING STRAPS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED FOR THE INCIDENT AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 8/29/11 *CN THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS TO BLAME FOR THE FIRE. UPDATED 09/09/11 THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS BLEW. THE WIRING TO THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE. THE TURN SIGNALS, FUSE AND JUNCTION BOX WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/21/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE AND FUEL SPILLED ON THE GROUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TANK ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WITNESSES NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES WHILE IT WAS PARKED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A REPORT WAS FILED AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE CONTACTS VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000. UPDATED 09/02/11*LJ UPDATED 09/16/11*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE FUEL TANK DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 199,800.