1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

CABLE ON SPARE TIRE WENCH CORRODED AND BROKE. SPARE TIRE WAS LOST GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH. DID NOT CAUSE AND ACCIDENT, BUT COULD EASILY KILLED SOMEONE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY THROUGH A MOBILE HOME PARK WHEN MY SPARE TIRE BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS BRACKET AND LANDED ON THE GROUND. THE CABLE BROKE. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED 3 MINUTES EARLIER IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF WHILE I WAS AT A MUCH HIGHER SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. I SAW ONE COMPLAINT ALREADY AND FELT I SHOULD REPORT MY SITUATION AS WELL. *TR

I HAD A 1998 FORD F150 THAT EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA'S ARE NOW HAVING. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE CABLE. AFTER HAVING REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE, THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENED. IT APPEARED THE THROTTLE WOULD STICK OPEN. TRUCK WOULD ACCELERATE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, TURN OF THE ENGINE AND RESTART. I SOLD THE TRUCK LAST YEAR. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A PROBLEM WITH MY TRUCK BUT NOW THAT ALL THIS WITH TOYOTA IS COMING OUT I THOUGHT I SHOULD REPORT THIS. *TR

PULLED MY 1998 F150 4X4 XLT SUPERCREW INTO MY DRIVEWAY, TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND EXITED THE VEHICLE AND ENTERED MY HOUSE. THREE HOURS LATER, I WENT TO GAIN ENTRY TO MY TRUCK AND WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, SMOKE BILLOWED OUT. IT MELTED MY INSTRUMENT PANEL FROM JUST ABOVE STEERING WHEEL TO THE DRIVERS DOOR. A WIRING HARNESS WAS ON FIRE AND BURNT CLEAR TO DRIVER SIDE RUG. ALL THE COATING WAS BURNT OFF THE HARNESS AND WAS IN FLAMES. I BURNT MY FINGERS TRYING TO GET IT OUT. THERE WERE SPARKS COMING FROM IT. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TERMINALS AND GOT THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD F150 4X4 AND THE CABLE THAT SECURES THE SPARE TIRE UNDER THE BED BROKE WHILE DRIVING . I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE TIRE AND THE HOLDER DROPPED TO THE ROAD BEHIND ME. I FEEL IF I HAD BEEN GOING AT 60 OR ANY OTHER SPEED THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED SOME MAJOR DAMAGE TO ANY ONE TRAVELING BEHIND. I HAVE CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AT THEIR CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE ON FEBRUARY 17,2010 TO SEE IF THEY COULD OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE. I AM MORE THAN ABLE TO INSTALL THIS ITEM MY SELF. I LIVE ON MAUI IN A TOWN CALLED HANA AND I AM ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS FROM A DEALER. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER AND THE CABLE THAT BROKE WILL COST ME JUST OVER 100.00 DOLLARS. THAT MAY NOT SEEM TO BE A LOT AT THIS TIME BUT IF THE TIRE HAD COME OFF I MAY HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE. I HAVE NOW RETURNED TO OUR HOME IN CALIFORNIA ,BUT THE VEHICLE IS IN HANA. MAUI I HAVE ALL THE PIECES THAT WERE INVOLVED. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THIS. *TR

NEW SPARK PLUGS WERE INSTALLED AT 70,000 MILES ON MY 1998 FORD F150. A FEW WEEKS LATER A SPARK PLUG (CYLINDER #4) WAS EJECTED FROM ITS THREADS, CAUSING GAS VAPORS TO FILL THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND VEHICLE CABIN. AFTER THE LOSS OF POWER AND THE NEED TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG (THE SPARK PLUG SEEMED TO BE REINSERTED WITHOUT PROBLEMS), IT SEEMED TO RUN FINE UNTIL 5 WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND ANOTHER MISS FIRE WAS RECORDED BY THE CODE READER. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON (CODE READER SHOW CYLINDER #4 MISS FIRE) WITH A LOSS OF POWER. NOW A HELICOIL KIT WILL HAVE TO BE INSTALL AT A COST OVER $117. IF THE HELICOIL KIT DOES NOT WORK, THE VEHICLE MAY HAVE TO BE SOLD FOR AT FRACTION OF WHAT ITS VALUE WOULD BE WITHOUT THE FOREMENTIONED PROBLEMS, OTHERWISE IT COULD BE USED AS MY REGULAR DRIVER- THANKS FORD! *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DOOR LOCKS, AND THE DOOR CHIMES FAILED TO OPERATE WHICH IS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ALSO NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IS NOT SEALED AND WHENEVER IT RAINS WATER SEEPED INTO THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THERE WAS NO RELATED WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

MY 1998 F150, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE DOME AND BOX LIGHT WOULD REMAIN ON AFTER REMOVING THE IGNITION KEY. BY RESEARCHING ON THE NET, I FOUND THE CURE. APPARENTLY THE MAGNETIC CONTACTS IN THE DOOR POSTS WERE DIRTY AND WOULD NOT FUNCTION. USING WINDEX WHICH REMOVED THE WAX AND DIRT, CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. HOPE THIS HELPS OTHERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. THE STARTER WOULD ENGAGE AND SEEM TO RESTART ITSELF AS IF SHE WERE TURNING THE IGNITION. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DOME LIGHTS INSIDE WOULD TURN ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE RADIO COMPARTMENT ALSO MADE A LOUD CLICKING SOUND. WHEN SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, THE HEATER WOULD STILL RUN WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY, BUT THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT WATER ENTERED THROUGH THE FIREWALL. HE SPECULATED THAT THIS COULD BE THE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE (ACCORDING TO SIMILAR VEHICLES HE REPAIRED). SHE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AT A GLASS COMPANY BUT REALIZED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT THE CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC WHO INSTALLED THE WINDSHIELD TOLD HER THAT HE COULD SEE DAYLIGHT WHERE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS LOCATED AND HE BELIEVED THAT WAS THE LOCATION WHERE THE WATER WAS COMING IN. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 174,000. UPDATED 02/1710 *BF UPDATED 02/19/10

I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 FORD F-150 WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND I PULLED OVER TO FIND THE SPARK PUG HAD BLOWN OUT. CYLINDER #3 ORIGINAL PLUGS. *TR