1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL TANK DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FELL ONTO THE GROUND. HE STRAPPED IT BACK ON BECAUSE IT WAS STILL FILLED WITH GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE GASOLINE WAS DRAINED AND THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A NEW TANK AND STRAPS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 106,000.

THE EXHAUST HEADER BOLTS ON MY 1998 F150 PICKUP RUSTED AND FAILED. TO REPLACE THESE $2 STUDS, A LENGTHY REPAIR IS REQUIRED WHERE THE HEADS HAVE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE STUDS THAT HAVE BROKEN FLUSH WITH THE ALUMINUM HEADS HAVE TO BE DRILLED OUT. AN INTERNET SEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM INDICATED THAT THOUSANDS OF FORD VEHICLES WITH THE 5.4 ENGINE AND ALUMINUM HEADS ARE AFFECTED. THE EXHAUST LEAK FUMES COME INTO THE VEHICLE AND ARE A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FIRE. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF REPAIR BILLS REACHING $2000. I'M COLLECTING INFORMATION ON HOW TO REPAIR THIS MYSELF AS I DO NOT HAVE $2000 TO GIVE TO THE DEALER. THIS IS A DESIGN FAILURE THAT SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A RECALL. *TR

SINCE AUG. OF 2008 I'VE HAD FOUR FLATS ALL AT THE VALVE STEM. TIRES WERE REPLACED BY A FORD DEALER IN MAY OF 2007. ONE TIRE WAS DESTROYED,TWO OTHERS HAVE DAMAGE. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 F150 PICKUP WITH A 5.4 ENGINE THAT IS KNOWN TO HAVE A DEFECT IN GETTING THE #4 SPARK PLUG REMOVED. THIS IS A $1200 TO $2200 REPAIR THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE BY FORD NOT THE CONSUMER. THIS PLUG HAS IS SUPPOSE TO BE GOOD FOR A 100K MILES, I HAVE 97K. ALL MECHANICS KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE TO BUY A SPECIAL TOOL TO TRY TO REMOVE THIS PLUG. PROBLEM IS IF IT DOESN'T WORK THEN THEY HAVE TAKE THE ENGINE APART TO DO THIS. THIS IS WERE THE PROBLEM LIES. FORD IS ACTING LIKE IT IS NOT A PROBLEM AND/OR I SHOULD GET OVER IT BECAUSE IT IS A 1998 OUT OF WARRANTY. A LOT OF PEOPLE WON'T KNOW THIS UNTIL THEY REACH 100K MILES AND WANT TO REPLACE THIS PLUG. IN ALL MY YEARS I HAVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF A PROBLEM LIKE THIS ON ANY VEHICLE. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO MAKE THIS A MANDATORY RECALL SO THE CONSUMER DOESN'T KEEP GETTING SCREWED FOR SUCH A HUGE REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT CALLED ABOUT A 1998 FORD F150. THE DRIVER FILLED THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL AND, THE NEXT MORNING WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT OF THE GAS TANK FELL ONTO THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE GAS TANK CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED GAS TO SPILL OVER THE ROAD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER, WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE STRAP HOLDING THE FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT A NEW FUEL TANK AND STRAP WERE NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 93,000. UPDATED 08/12/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO FIRE. UPDATED 08/17/10*JB

I HAVE PEP BOYS (COOPER TIRES) ON MY 1998 F-150 FORD. FUTURA ADVENTURE H/T P265-70R17 AND WITH 55 THOUSAND MILES ON THEM THE RADIAL BELT HAS SLIPPED ON 2 OF THE TORES AND IS CAUSING A VERY RUFF BUMPY RIDE. THE TIRES HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT AND SHOULD HAVE LASTED 70 THOUSAND MILES. WHAT A SHAME THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RECALL FOR BEING DEFECTIVE. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM A FORD DEALER AND THEY PUT ON THE NEW TIRES. I DO NOT HAVE A RECEIPT. THE DESIGN NUMBER IS 9351 ANOTHER NUMBER I TOOK OFF THE TIRE IS 29122-1 AND 1135. *TR

ON FRIDAY 1/23/09 AND AROUND 3PM IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS IN FIRE. THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE IN THE BACK RIGHT AREA IF YOU ARE STANDING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CAR, WHICH APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT W/ DAMAGE TO THE WIRING IN THE AREA AND DESTROYED THE BRAKE FLUID CANISTER. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO REPORT THIS ISSUE AND WAS INFORMED I WOULD HEAR SOMETHING WITHIN 15 BUSINESS DAYS VIA MAIL. IN LATE 2005 OR EARLY 2006 I BROUGHT THE 1998 F-150 TO SAWGRASS FORD IN SUNRISE, FL TO HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL RECALL LOOKED AT. AT THAT TIME I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS FINE AND THEY WOULD CALL ONCE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE IN STOCK. I NEVER RECEIVED A CALL AND UNFORTUNATELY I NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING OF IT AGAIN. WHEN I SPOKE WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THE FIRE THEY FOUND NO RECORD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE RECALL INSPECTION. *TR

I HAVE AN 1998 FORD F-150 ,THE BACK GLASS IS LEAKING WHEN IT RAINS . NOW I HAVE WATER DAMAGE TO MY SEATS AS WELL AS MY ROOF LINER. *TR

PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES APPROXIMATELY JUNE 2006 FROM NTB. ONE YEAR LATER HAD BLOW-OUT AND PURCHASED NEW TIRE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HAD 3 FLAT TIRES AND NTB SAID THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. I BELIEVE THAT THE BLOW-OUT THAT I HAD WAS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE VALVE STEM, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO PROVE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 1998 FORD F-150 IN 2000 FROM CARMAX IN ARLINGTON, TX. I HAVE HAD NO MAJOR PROBLEMS UNTIL NOV. 7TH 2008. I WAS DRIVING AND APPROACHED A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. I ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS MY BRAKES WHEN THE VEHICLE LOCKED UP AND SPUN SIDEWAYS AT THE INTERSECTION. WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE I FOUND THAT MY DRIVERSIDE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD BROKEN LOSE AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CLAMP HAD BROKEN OFF ALLOWING THE ENTIRE DRIVERSIDE DIFFERENTIAL TO FLY OFF OF THE VEHICLE. % MINUTES EARLIER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. IF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. *TR