1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER MESA A/P TIRES, SIZE P225/70/R16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE COMPLETELY BLEW OUT, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SHE SAFELY MANEUVERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR SIDEWALL WAS SHREDDED. THE INTERIOR AND TREAD ON THE TIRE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. PRIOR TO OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. THE DEALER FROM WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED STATED THAT THEY WERE SAFE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 158,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN HIS PARKING LOT. THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE SATURN VUE NEXT TO HIS VEHICLE WAS BURNED AND DAMAGED. THE EXTERIOR OF THE APARTMENT BUILDING RECEIVED SMOKE AND FIRE DAMAGE. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AND A VIDEO. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) WAS REFERENCED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 197,000.

I HAVE OWNED A 97 FORD F150 XCAB FOR >7 YRS. I KEPT UP ON ALL MAINT & OIL/FLUID CHANGES. I HAVE CARED FOR MY TRUCK AS I HAVE MY OWN KIDS! IT RAN WELL ON FRIDAY NIGHT (4/4/08) THEN ON SATURDAY MORNING HUSB TURNED THE KEY AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO BANG LOUDLY AND SPIT OUT WHITE SMOKE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS OR ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS LEADING UP TO THIS SO I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO LOOK INTO IT. I CAME TO FIND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AND THAT FORD KNEW ALL ABOUT IT! MY TRUCK HAS ONLY 116,000 ORIGINAL MILES IN 10 YEARS! NOT ABUSED. APPARENTLY, FORD ISSUED A RECALL ON A FAULTY GASKET THAT ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE PLUGS/OIL BUT IT WAS NOT A RECALL I WAS OFFERED OR TOLD OF WHEN WE ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE OVER THE YEARS! TODAY I FOUND 2 MORE RECALLS 4 IT ON THEIR SITE (NOT THE GASKET 1) THAT THEY DIDN'T TELL ME OF ON 4/7/08 WHEN ASKED 4 A VIN WHEN CALLING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I ASKED 4 THE PRICE OF A REBUILT ENGINE AS THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T FIX A ROD & QUOTED $5,500. WHEN I ASKED IF IT WAS FOR EVERYTHING, HE REPLIED "NO - PARTS CAN REALLY ADD UP, HONEY"! I TOOK GREAT CARE OF THIS TRUCK! I OPTED TO TOW IT TO ANOTHER ACCREDITED SHOP SINCE THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME A TOTAL PRICE. NOT INCLUDING 2 TOWS & PAYING $150 TO DIAGNOSE I WAS QUOTED A MIN OF $7,300 TO FIX W/REBUILD +/- 12%. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY 4 SOMETHING THAT IS FORDS FAULT? THEY MADE A FAULTY ENGINE & LEFT THOUSANDS OF US TO PAY 4 IT! I CAN EITHER BUY A NEW CAR OR WALK NOW! IM HANDICAPPED W 2 DISABLE ADOPT FOSTER KIDS & HUSB WHO'S A POLICE OFFICER! 1 INCOME/ WE RENT, SO WONT QUAL 4 CASH LOAN! PLEASE SEE THIS: HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-224.HTML WHERE OTHER FORD 4.2 OWNERS NOTED SAME ISSUE & THEIR RESPONSES FM FORD. WE NEED HELP OR DIRECTION ON HOW TO START/JOIN A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THEM TO GET REPAIRS DONE OR $ TO PAY FOR IT! *TR

IN RESPONSE TO FORD'S CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH RECALL. YES, I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF MY VEHICLE AFFECT BY THIS RECALL. BUT HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE WITH THEM TELLING ME THEY HAVE NO PARTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. ALSO, HAVE NOT ALLOWED THEN TO JUST DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE LOW POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN ISSUE. I SPENT MONEY FOR THIS SO I HAVE IT TO USE WHEN NEEDED NOT TO BE DEACTIVATE BECAUSE FORD CANNOT PROVIDE PARTS TO FIX IT. SO AT THIS POINT I HAVE DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO TAKE MATTER IN MY OWN HANDS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I KNOW FORD IS MAKING EFFORT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BUT FEEL IT IS WEAK BY THE FACT THEY SEND YOU A NOTICE AND THEY HAVE NO PARTS. NOT JUST ONCE BUT TWICE. SO I HAVE FOUND AN AFTER MARKET OEM REPLACEMENT PART TO REPLACE THE AFFECTED PART. BUT NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHETHER THIS PART IS A NEWLY DESIGNED PART AND RESOLVES THE RECALL ISSUE. ONE WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD BE BUT ASSUMPTION CAN BE WRONG. THE PUBLISHED TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS RECALL ISSUE IS WEAK AND THE FORD DEALERS ARE ALSO CLUELESS. SO WHAT DOES THE NHTSA HAVE TO OFFER BESIDED THE DOCUMENTED CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE FORD AND NHTSA. THEIR NEEDS TO BE A DOCUMENT FOR THE INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER USES TO DETERMINE WHAT PARTS ARE GOOD OR SUSPECT. BEING AN SAFETY ORGANIZATION, ONE WOULD THINK THE NHTSA WOULD BE ALL OVER THIS AND HAVE THIS WELL DOCUMENTED, PULISHED AND CONTROLLED AND HELP THE INDUSTRY AND CONSUMERS RESOLVE ISSUE LIKE THIS INSISTED OF RELYING ON CORPORATE AMERICA ALONE. CORPORATE AMERICA HAS ONLY ONE INTEREST WHICH IS PROFIT NOT PERSONAL WELL BEING ! REGARDS. *TR

1) DRIVING LOW SPEED RESIDENTIAL 2) MIDDLE LEAF SPRING REAR DRIVER SIDE BROKE, MOVED FORWARD OVER TIME AND SWUNG INTO TIRE SIDE WALL DESTROYING TIRE. RECALL NHTSA # 98V161000 HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN 1998 TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIAL FAILURE. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE OPPOSITE SIDE LEAF SPRING IS BROKEN AND COULD DO THE SAME THING OR PUNCTURE THE FUEL TANK. 3) BOTH REAR LEAF SPRING SETS NEED REPLACEMENT AND LEFT REAR TIRE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #07V336000). AS OF MARCH 25, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE IS VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE DELAY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE VIN APPEARED TO BE INVALID.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150 PICKUP. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN DECEMBER OF 2007. AS OF MARCH 24, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 162,000 AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 4/23/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERS DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL. UPDATED 04/23/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 F150 FORD PICKUP TRUCK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST OF 2007. AS OF MARCH 24, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. UPDATED 4/23/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE TRYING TO GET THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE HE IS INFORMED THERE AREN'T ANY PARTS AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL EACH TIME THE CONSUMER CALLS TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIRS. UPDATED 04/23/08 *TR

NOTICED LOW OIL PRESSURE NOTICE ANTI-FREEZE ALWAYS LOW WITH NO LEAK TO BE FOUND STARTED UP ONE MORNING LOUD CLICKING NOISE COULD BE HEARD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE ENGINE TURNED OVER TWICE, BUT DID NOT START. THE CONTACT LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A PIECE OF METAL ON THE GROUND ALONG WITH AN OIL LEAK. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,843. UPDATED 04/29/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED DUE TO A FUALTY HEAD GASKET. UPDATED