1994 FORD F-150 Complaints

CONSUMER WAS CALLING IN REGARD TO FIRES THAT OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN SAME MONTH. FIRST INCIDENT WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE, THEN CAUGHT A FIRE. NO PRIOR WARNING WAS GIVEN THE SECOND TIME. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND ATTORNEY GENERAL.*AK TRANSMISSIION WAS OVERHEATED BOTH TIMES BECAUSE OF THE FIRE. *YH

TWO OF THE GENERAL TIRES SUPPLIED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TREAD DELAMINATION AND FORMED LARGE BULGES IN THE TREAD AREA--ABOUT 12" IN LENGTH X THE TREAD WIDTH AT APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES--WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF ONE ANOTHER--IN MID 1995. BOTH BULGES OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS--65-70 MPH. BOTH OCCURRED ON REAR TIRES. THE TRUCK INCLUDED NO CARGO EXCEPT FOR 2 TO 3 OCCUPANTS. THE TREAD WEAR AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS ABOUT 60-70 PERCENT, AND AT THE TIME I DID NOT BELIEVE SUCH A DEFECT WAS PURSUEABLE AS A WARRANTY ITEM WITH THE MANUFACTURER. BEING SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THESE ORIGINAL TIRES, I THEN REPLACED ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES WITH MICHELINS, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THESE REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED AT OR NEAR RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURES. GIVEN THE RECALLS OF FIRESTONE TIRES SINCE THEN, I NOW SUSPECT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT EXISTED.*AK (TIRESIZE: L235/75R15)

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO CLOCKSPRING MALFUNCTIONING. WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK

THE FIREHAWK TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING, THE CUSTOMER HAD IT REPLACED WITH A WILDERNESS AT TIRE, SOON AFTER THE WILDERNESS AT TIRE WAS REPLACED, CUSTOMER NOTICED A LARGE CRACK AROUND THE SIDEWALL, ALL 3 ORIGNAL TIRES WERE CRACKING (FIREHAWKS)(FIRESTONE FIREHAWK ATX 30X9.50 R15 LT M/S). NLM

AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND SPEED CONTROL FAILED TO WORK. DIAGNOSED AS BROKEN CLOCKSPRING ASSEMBLY. NO WARRANTY AT DEALER. REPAIRS COST $ 230.99. *AK

FRONT FUEL TANK LEAKS JUST ABOVE SEAM LINE APPROX 1AND1/2 INCHES ABOVE SEAM. THE SEAM IS AT AN ANGLE.THE FRONT OF THE TANK IS PITTED. THERE IS A PROTECTIVE COVER ON THE FRONT THAT IS MOLDED TO THE SHAPE OF THE TANK .THERE ARE NO DRAIN HOLES IN THE COVER. IF THE COVER IS PUSHED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SEAM THE WATER WILL STAY ABOVE THE SEAM. THE DESIGN DOES NOT ALLOW MOISTURE TO RUN OFF IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED IN A FOWARD PITCH AS MINE IS AT MY HOME.ALSO IF YOU LOOK IN BETWEEN THE BED AND THE CAB , AT THAT POINT YOU SEE THAT THE TANK SLOPES FOWARD TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO AT THAT POINT YOU SEE THE PROTECTIVE COVER JUST AT THE CAB LINE. HAD THE COVER GONE PAST THE BEDLINE MORE THAN LIKELY THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAPPEN. I HAVE PATCHED THE FRONT TANK BECAUSE OF THE FUMES,BUT I DO NOT USE IT.

ALTERNATOR PIGTAIL PLUG IS NON HEAT RESISTANT THEREFORE SPONTANIOUSLY COMBUSTS. ACCORDING TO AUTO PARTS DEALERS AND DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO BEAR THIS OUT THAT FORD HAS A CONSISTANT PROBLEM WITH THIS PLUG. NAPA AUTO PARTS WILL NOT WARRANTY ALTERNATORS WITHOUT SWITCHING THIS PLUG IN CERTAIN FORDS. SEEMS TO ME THERE IS A SILENT HAZARD HERE. *AK

SINCE THE LAST TIME I FILLED OUT A FORM ON THESE TIRES I NOW HAVE 2 OUT OF 4 TIRES WITH CRACKS AND SPLITS ON THE SIDEWALLS. I AM HOPING THAT THIS WILL HELP IN THE CASE TO FORCE A FULL BLOWN RECALL ON ALL OF THESE TIRES. THE SUMMER MONTHS ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AND IT HAS ALREADY BEEN HOT IN MY AREA. I HAVE TO DRIVE OVER 20 MILES EACH WAY TO WORK ON HILLS AND CURVES AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PEGGY ANTHROP (DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY038 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

CONSUMER NOTICED OIL IN DRIVEWAY. INSPECTED VEHICLE AND NOTICED OIL PAN WAS RUSTED THROUGH. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT REPAIRS MIGHT HAVE BEEN COVERED IF HE HAD RECEIVED HIS REGULAR MAINTENANCE THERE, BUT BECAUSE CONSUMER HAD HIS OIL CHANGED SOMEWHERE ELSE HE WAS ADVISED HE WAS NOT A LOYAL CUSTOMER, THEREFORE HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. *JB

MY QUESTION IS WHY DID THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOY? THE DEALERSHIP REPORTED ON THIS FORM REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING ON THE AIRBAG MAYBE 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR AGO. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS ACCIDENT WAS AT 28 MPH AND LIKE HITTING A STONE WALL WITHOUT BREAKING. MY SON REAR ENDED A NEON HITTING DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF THE TRUCK BUMPER CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK OF THE NEON. THE TRUCK DAMAGE IS THAT THE BUMPER MUST BE REPLACED AS IT BENT AND CRACKED ALONG WITH BENDING THE 1/4" BRACKESTS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE FRAME. THE GRILL ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP COMMENTED THAT IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS NOT ON ITS OPERATING CORRECTLY ALONG WITH 28 MPH COMMENT. WHO'S TO SAY THE BULB IS NOT OUT OR THEY CONNECTED THE WIRES WHEN THE WORK WAS DONE OR IT'S JUST NOT OPERABLE. BEING A LIFE SAVING DEVISE I'M A BIT SHAKEN BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEELING THAT IT WOULD DEPLOY. IS IT POSSIBLE TO CLARIFY IF WHAT THE DEALERSHIP SAID IS CORRECT THAT IT WOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS ACCIDENT WAS AT OR ABOVE 28 MPH? THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT GIVE ME THE IMPRESSION THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT EITHER UNLESS OF COURSE I WAS BILLED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.*AK