1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

HEATER CORE LEAKS NEEDS TO BE REPLACE 1 TO 2 TIMES PER YEAR, TURN ON THE DEFROSTER AND IT WILL FOG UP WINDSHIELD FOR YOU CAN NOT SEE THE ROAD. PER FORD DEALERSHIP IT DUE TO POOR PARTS, BUT THE CONSUMER NEEDS TO PAY FOR IT OR GET KILLED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IF THE CONSUMER NEED TO USE THEIR DEFROSTER. *TR

WE JUST RETURNED HOME FROM A 15 HOUR DRIVE FROM NC, WE WERE LUCKY THIS HAPPENED IN OUR TOWN GOING ABOUT 20 INSTEAD OF ON THE HIGHWAY WHERE WE WERE DOING 75+, OUR CABLE HOLDING OUR SPARE TIRE BROKE AND THE TIRE FELL ONTO THE ROAD...THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS BEHIND US.! *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD F150 PICK UP IN WELL MAINTAINED CONDITION WITH 165K MILES. ON A RECENT TRIP WE WERE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED (THANK GOD) THROUGH PORT HURON MICHIGAN. UNKNOWN TO ME, ONE OF TWO METAL STRAPS THAT HOLD THE FUEL TANK TO THE FRAME HAD CORRODED THROUGH. THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF THE GAS TANK WAS SUPPORTED BY ONE REMAINING STRAP. AFTER FUELING (3/4 TANK), WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE LAST STRAP BROKE AND THE TANK FELL TO THE PAVEMENT. THE GRINDING OF THE TANK ON THE PAVEMENT RUBBED A SMALL HOLE IN THE TANK AND CAUSED A MINOR LEAK. BECAUSE WE WERE TRAVELING SO SLOW, WE QUICKLY PULLED OVER AND THE DAMAGE WAS CONTAINED. WITH THE HELP OF A POLICE OFFICER, I RAISED THE TANK ENOUGH TO GET MY CAR JACK UNDER IT AND THEN STRAPPED IT TO THE FRAME RAILS WITH A SECTION OF ROPE. THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE TANK TO THE TRUCK WAS THE FUEL LINE WHICH WAS NOT SEVERED SO I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND I DROVE TO NEARBY FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I WAS ONLY ONE MILE FROM GETTING ON I94 WHEN THE TANK FELL DOWN. FORD HAD NO RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE AND OFFERED NO COMPENSATION, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO DESIGN DETAIL TO PREVENT THE TANK FROM FALLING TO THE ROAD WHEN THE STRAPS FAIL. THIS DESIGN WAS RELEASED IN 1996 SO MANY OWNERS COULD SOON EXPERIENCE THE SAME CORROSION FAILURE THAT LED TO MY INCIDENT. A SERIOUS FIRE OR INJURIES COULD EASILY BE PREVENTED BY STAINLESS STEEL STRAPS OR A FRAME DETAIL THAT PREVENTS THE TANK FROM COMING DOWN TO THE PAVEMENT. THE TOTAL REPAIR INCLUDING A NEW TANK, STRAPS, VALVE, SENSOR AND LINE REPAIR WAS $750. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE IN THE VEHICLE CAB AREA AND WITHIN SECONDS THE FIRE SPREAD THROUGH THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS INVESTIGATING THE FAILURE.THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE TOMS RIVER FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATIVE REPORT NUMBER IS 10-133 AND THE LAKEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT NUMBER IS 10-44389. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

# 5 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF MY 1998 FORD F-150 5.4 LTR ENGINE. RETURNING HOME FROM ALABAMA. I HAD JUST GOTTEN THROUGH CHARLOTTE, NC WHEN I HEARD THE SOUND OF A VERY BAD EXHAUST LEAK. WHEN I STOPPED AND LIFTED THE HOOD I COULD SEE THE COIL PACK BOUNCING UP AND DOWN. I HAD TO PAY A TOW TRUCK OPERATOR $420.00 TO TOW ME HOME. TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON WITH THE 5.4. IT WILL COST ABOUT $300.00 OR MORE TO REPAIR WITH A HELI COIL. (THAT'S IF IT IS REPAIRABLE WITH A HELI COIL). HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE FINAL BILL YET. ALSO, FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE PLUGS WHERE REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2009 BY THE CARLOT GARAGE WHICH I PURCHASED THE TRUCK FROM. *TR

I AM THE UNHAPPY OWNER OF A 1998 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2L V6 ENGINE. IT SLUNG A ROD THIS MORNING AS SOON AS I STARTED IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH AN FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 98 4.2L'S DUE TO FAULTY GASKET. I'VE READ ALOT OF STORY'S ABOUT THE SAME TRUCKS WITH THE SAME ENGINES. THERE IS A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PEOPLE GETTING READY TO SPEND 3 OR 4 GRAND FOR FORD TO REPLACE THE ENGINES. ISN'T FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFECTS THAT THERE TRUCKS HAD COMING OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE. *TR

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HIS FATHER'S 1999 OR 2000 F-150 WAS RUSTING ON THE FRAME AND WAS ABOUT TO RUST IN TWO, A SCREWDRIVER COULD BE STUCK THROUGH THE METAL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK RUSTED AND THE GAS TANK WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND. SO I ASKED HIM TO LOOK AT THE FRAME OF MY 1998 F-150, AND HE DISCOVERED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MAIN CROSSMEMBER OF THE FRAME IS ALMOST RUSTED IN TWO. THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. ONE OF THE BED CROSSMEMBERS IS ALREADY IN TWO, AND TWO OTHERS SHOW SEVERE RUSTING. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT IF THE CROSSMEMBER BREAKS, I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IF I WERE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THIS COULD POSE A SERIOUS THREAT. THE BODY OF MY TRUCK IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IF YOU DID NOT KNOW OF THE FRAME PROBLEMS, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW TO CHECK THESE OUT. I FEEL THAT IF NOTHING ELSE, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THEIR VEHICLES CHECKED OUT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 1998 FORD F150, THE GAS TANK DROPPED OUT OF PLACE AND I DRAGGED IT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FEET BEFORE I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. THE METAL STRAPS SUPPORTING IT RUSTED AND BROKE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TANK AND STRAPS. *TR

04/17/2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:00 AM OUR FORD F-150 XLT WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF IN OUR DRIVEWAY OF A SINGLE DWELLING HOME. WE AND NEIGHBORS HEARD MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS THAT SHOOK OUR HOUSE. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY ENGULFED IN FLAMES SHOOTING UP 12+ FEET. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. WHEN THE FIRE WAS OUT THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE TRUCK WAS GONE, BURNT INTO THE FIBERGLASS TOPPER, BLEW OUT ALL BUT TWO BACK WINDOWS AND MELTED ALL WIRING BACK TO THE REAR SHELL WINDOW. THE ONLY THING THAT REMAINS IS THE BACK HALF OF THE TRUCK AND BACK TIRES. *TR

SPARE TIRE FELL OFF ON HIGHWAY DUE TO RUSTED HANGER CABLE. THE VEHICLE IS A FORD F-150 PICK-UP WITH 105,000 MILES. *TR