1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

1997 FORD 4.2L F150 - 91,000 MILES VEHICLE PROPERLY MAINTAINED, "BABIED" IT. IT NEVER HAD OIL, COOLANT, OR ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS. STARTED VEHICLE AND HEARD AN ENGINE SOUND "POP", AND NOTICED WHITE SMOKE EMITTING FROM TAILPIPE. THE GAUGES WERE READING ALL NORMAL, AS WELL AS OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVELS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY SHOP, THEY SAID WITHOUT TAKING ENGINE APART IT SOUNDS LIKE A ROD OR BENT CRANKSHAFT. THEY MENTIONED THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD 4.2 ENGINES. IT IS NOW AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALER - THEY HAVE NOT EXPLAINED HOW THIS HAPPENED BUT THAT I NEED AN ENGINE REBUILT. REALLY. THANK YOU FORD FOR STANDING BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT. CHEAPER TO BUY A REBUILT ENGINE? DOES IT HAVE THE ORIGINAL ENGINE GASKETS? THEN I CAN EXPECT TO SPEND ANOTHER $4000,00 IN THREE YEARS OR JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. IF YOU HAVE AN ENGINE PROBLEM WITH THE FORD F150 4.2L JUST DO AN INTERNET SEARCH! WHERE IS THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? *TR

PURCHASED A USED 1997 FORD F-150 TRUCK FROM A PRIVATE ONE OWNER PERSON, THE TRUCK HAD LESS THAN 58,000 ORIGINAL MILES, THIS TRUCK HAS A 4.2 LITER V-6 ENGINE, WHICH WAS WELL MAINTAINED. AFTER DRIVING THE TRUCK FOR LESS THAN 4 MONTHS OF OWNING IT THE ENGINE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A DEFECT IN ENGINE GASKET, TORQUE SEQUENCE AND OTHER SPECIFIC SPECS, HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM FROM FORD MOTOR CO. AS OF YET. THE ENGINE SUFFERED WHAT IS CALLED HYDRAULIC-LOCK AND WHEN THE ENGINE CRANKED UP IT BENT PISTON RODS IN THE MOTOR AND THE PISTON SKIRTS ARE NOW HITTING THE CRANKSHAFT, REQUIRES A TOTAL ENGINE REBUILD OR NEW ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HE NOTICED SMOKING COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY WATER PENETRATING INTO THE ELECTRICAL FUSE BOX. THE FUSE BOX WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER FILED REPORT 0470421440, AND DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,511 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 157, 000. UPDATED 02/17/11*LJ UPDATED 11/30/2011 *LN

GAS TANK FELL OFF 1997 FORD F150 WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING IT. GAS TANK STRAPS HAD RUSTED THROUGH, LUCKY THE TANK DID NOT IGNITE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OVER A BUMP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO TILT TOWARDS THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. WHEN THE CONTACT INSPECTED, HE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE TACK WELDING MARKS ON THE FRAME ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN A FIRE BEGAN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

I HAVE A FORD F 150 PICK UP 1997. THE STRAPS THAT SUPPORT THE FUEL TANK BROKE AND THE TANK FELL ONTO THE ROADWAY. THE TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED OFF THE ROAD, I WAS VERY LUCKY THE TRUCK DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150 XLT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR OVER 18 HOURS AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS DESTROYED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

FUEL TANK STRAP BROKE ON 1997 F150 30-GALLON TANK DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. TANK DROPPED, CAUSING THE FILLER HOSE TO DISCONNECT FROM THE FITTING AT THE TANK. DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WHEN FUEL STARTED POURING ONTO THE PAVEMENT AT THE GAS STATION. LAST FILL-UP WAS A WEEK PRIOR WITH OVER 200 MILES OF DRIVING SINCE, SO STRAP COULD HAVE BEEN BROKEN FOR UP TO A WEEK. WILL REPLACE THE TANK AND STRAPS, WILL RETAIN THE STRAPS FOR 1 MONTH BEFORE DISCARDING. *TR

THE FRONT STRAP SUPPORTING THE FUEL TANK ON MY 1997 F150 FAILED DUE TO CORROSION, BROKE AND ALLOWED THE TANK TO DROP FROM THE FRAME AND DRAG ALONG THE GROUND. THE REAR STRAP WAS STILL INTACT. SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WAS 30 MPH. FUEL WAS POURING OUT OF THE TANK BY THE TIME I STOPPED AND WITHIN 10 MINUTES THE TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY (APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS). A WRECKER WAS CALLED TO PICK UP THE TRUCK AND BROUGHT TO A REPAIR GARAGE. ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR IS $600.00, WHICH INCLUDES THE TOWING FEE. THE OLD PARTS WERE RETAINED AND IN MY POSSESSION. THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO THE ODI FOR ANALYSIS IF DESIRED. *TR