1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

1998 FORD F150- 66,000MI. DEVELOPED A SERIOUS OIL LEAK FROM THE HEAD. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS COMMON AND FORD IS WELL AWARE OF IT'S RECURRENCE. BESIDES COSTING $2000.00 TO REPAIR, IT IS LEAKING HEAVILY ONTO AN EXHAUST PIPE CAUSING SMOKE AND POTENTIAL FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS THE FIFTH AND SIXTH CYLINDERS. THE REPAIR HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89,250.

I PURCHASED A USED 1998 FORD F150 FROM CAR MAX IN LAS VEGAS. I ALSO PURCHASED CAR MAX'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO JIFFY LUBE FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND DROVE IT HOME, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1 MILE. JIFFY LUBE DID NOT NOTE ANY PROBLEMS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START THE NEXT TIME I WENT TO USE IT. JUMPING IT DID NO GOOD, THE BATTERY WAS NOT LOW. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO CAR MAX IT WAS TOWED ON A FLAT BED TRAILER, SO THE WHEELS NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND. I CALLED CAR MAX THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SAID THEY HAD IT SCHEDULED TO LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY CALLED ME THAT FOLLOWING DAY AND ASKED IF THE TRUCK WAS SMOKING WHEN I LAST DROVE IT. I TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT AND THAT IT DROVE FINE. THEN THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND CONTINUED TO ACT AS THOUGH I HAD CAUSED IT. ON MY NEXT DAY OFF, I RODE MY BICYCLE TO CAR MAX AND CHECKED THE TRUCK'S ODOMETER AGAINST THE MILEAGE JIFFY LUBE WROTE ON MY RECEIPT. THERE WERE 28 MILES PUT ON MY TRUCK SINCE THE OIL CHANGE. CAR MAX WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY BLEW THE MOTOR IN MY TRUCK, BUT DENY IT. MY SON HAD DONE MOST OF THE OIL CHANGES ON THE TRUCK, SO I HAVE NO PROOF OIL CHANGES WERE DONE, SO CAR MAX DENIED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I CALLED FORD AND I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO SUCH ISSUE ON THE TRUCK, EVEN THOUGH FORD CHANGED THE HEAD STARTING WITH LATER 1998 MODELS, DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WITH MY ASKING HOW THEY CAN DENY AN ISSUE, WHEN THEY PUT OUT INFORMATION TO THEIR DEALERS ON STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SERVICING THE F150. SHE ASKED WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO. I TOLD HER I WAS NOT ASKING FORD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR BECAUSE I AM PAYING FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO CONTACT CAR MAX AND TELL THEM THAT THE MOTOR BLOWING UP WAS NOT MY FAULT, SO CAR MAX WOULD COVER IT, AS THEY SHOULD ANYWAY. SHE TOLD ME NO, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE 1997 AND 1998 FORD F150'S. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WHILE PARKED. THE CONTACT LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT FLAMES WERE PRESENT. HE ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A HOSE. WHEN THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED, THEY FINISHED EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE FAILURE. A FIRE AND POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY ASKED FOR THE VIN. THE DEALER THEN CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE DUE TO THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED TO DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY SENT NOTIFICATIONS, BUT THE CONTACT NEVER RESPONDED. THE FIRE DAMAGED THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE CRUISE CONTROL AND FUSE BOXES. THERE WAS ALSO PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 176,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A WIRE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE SWITCH, BUT THE CONTACT STILL HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD START. THE DEALER FINALLY DISCONNECTED THE SWITCH, BUT IT CONTINUES TO TAKE FOUR OR MORE ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS PAID $200 IN REPAIRS. THE FAILURE OCCURS IN BOTH COLD AND HOT WEATHER AND THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE DISCONNECTED WIRE WAS THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 229,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

MY 1998 FORD F-150 FITS THE SUMMARY OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 97V171000. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY IN WITH THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER REASON, INCLUDING THE SPEED CONTROL RECALL. HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT FIX THE GEAR POSITION INDICATOR BECAUSE THEY STATE IT IS NOT A FORD RECALL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE NHTSA SITE INDICATES AS A (RECALL DATE OF 10/07/97) BECAUSE FORD HAS TO MAKE A RECALL NOTICE. MY INDICATOR IS OFF BY ONE (IT SAYS I'M IN 'R' WHEN RALLY IN 'P' AND SO FORTH). 'I UNDERSTAND NOT DOING A MASS RECALL FOR THIS, BUT WHEN A VEHICLE IS IN FOR A MANDATORY RECALL OF THE SPEED CONTROL CATCHING FIRE, ONE WOULD THINK THEY WOULD REPAIR A VEHICLE THAT IS EXPERIENCING ANOTHER KNOWN DEFECT AS INDICATED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN 97V171000. ALSO, IT IS IN FOR DAMAGE RELATED TO THE FUEL TANK, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE REPLACING THE FUELS TANK AND MANY OTHER ITEMS ATTACHED TO IT (I.E. LINES ETC.) THEY DON'T FEEL IT IS WARRANTED TO ADDRESS ANOTHER NHTSA RECALL RELATED TO THE LEAF SPRING POTENTIALLY PUNCTURING THE TANK. THAT IS CAMPAIGN #98V161000. REGARDS, STEVE. *TR

HYDRAULIC BRAKE FAILURE. VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. REAR BRAKE LINES REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. *TR

MY 1998 FORD F-150 ONLY HAD 79,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED. ON 8/10-07, THE COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I ARRIVED HOME. I CHECKED THE COOLANT LEVEL IMMEDIATELY AND THERE WAS NO COOLANT IN THE RESERVOIR. I FILLED THE RESERVOIR AND PLANNED TO TAKE THE TRUCK IN TO THE MECHANIC WHEN HE WAS OPEN DURING THE WEEK. I ONLY DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 20 MILES THAT WEEKEND AND I MONITORED THE COOLANT LEVEL AND TEMPERATURE. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THAT MONDAY MORNING, LOUD KNOCKING CAME FROM THE ENGINE AND WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT I'VE THROWN A ROD AND NEED A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WITH THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF TRUCK. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A TSB REGARDING DEFECTS IN THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE (WHICH WOULD CAUSE A THROWN ROD), BUT CONSUMERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED, ONLY DEALERS. TSB99-20-7 WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED AS AN OWNER? NOW I NEED A NEW ENGINE, BUT I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS REPAIR DONE OR THE ENGINE CHECKED OUT IF I HAD SIMPLY BEEN NOTIFIED BY FORD. WHY WASN'T THERE A RECALL NOTIFICATION, INSTEAD OF A TSB? TO DEALERSHIPS. UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150 LD. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE ALUMINUM RIM BEGAN TO SEPARATE. THE WHEEL LIP RIM DETACHED AND CAUSED A BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO MORE RIMS THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORROSION. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I LEFT MY 1998 FORD F150 PICK-UP TRUCK IN PARKING LOT AT WORK WHILE I WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS. I LEFT ON MONDAY JULY 30. I WAS CALLED TUESDAY NIGHT AROUND 9:00PM AND NOTIFIED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT. PUT OUT FIRE. FIRE REPORT SUSPECTED EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. FIRE WAS PUT OUT, BUT VEHICLE WAS TOTAL LOSS AND TOWED FROM PROPERTY. *TR