1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

ENGINE LOCKED UP FROM COOLANT FROM INTAKE GASKET LEAK AT 78813 MILES FORDFLEET.COM THERE WAS A RECALL FOR INTAKE GASKET BUT NEVER RECEIVED RECALL 1997 FORD F150 4.2L ENGINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND. HE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND NOTICED FLAMES A FOOT HIGH ABOVE THE HOOD OF HIS VEHICLE. THE FIRE ULTIMATELY SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND PART OF THE BED OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DAMAGED THREE OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED IN THE VICINITY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 215,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BOUNCED OFF THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE SECONDS. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CABLE TO THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER WAS CORRODED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER WAS REPLACED. THERE WERE NO DAMAGES. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT RECEIVED FORD RECALL NOTICE NUMBER 05S28 FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN DECEMBER OF 2007. THE DEALER CONTINUES TO STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND ARE UNSURE AS TO WHEN THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE OF 2008. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

I HAVE A 97 F-150, V-6 4.2L ENGINE PICKUP. I HAVE ALWAYS A COOLANT LEAK COMING FROM SOMEWHERE, BUT LATELY IT HAS GOT WORSE. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS SUBJECT AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF FORD OWNERS WITH THIS SAME VEHICLE AND ENGINE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. LOSS OF COOLANT. INTAKE GASKETS, HEADGASKETS AND TIMING CHAIN COVER GASKETS. THIS IS NOT ONLY A CONSUMER ISSUE BUT A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SEEMS FORD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FORD AND IT WAS STATED THERE WAS NO RECALLS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT WITH A LARGE POPULATION OF FORD OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES SOMETHING WOULD BE DONE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD ITS LEFT TO THE OWNER TO CONDUCT THE REPAIRS WITH A HEAVY FINANCIAL COSTS. IT CAN ONLY BE ASSUMED FORD IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THAT CONSUMERS ARE HAVING. WHY ISN'T ANYTHING BEING DONE? NOT ONLY DO I HAVE THE TIMING CASE LEAK, BUT NOW I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHEN MY ENGINE WILL SEIZE DUE TO INTAKE OR HEADGASKET LEAKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE AND A MAILBOX, BUT WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V171000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 200,000.

THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTED TO THE MASTER CYLINDER (BRAKES). NO DAMAGE WAS DONE DUE TO QUICK REACTION BUT IT LEFT THE BRAKES WITHOUT POWER AND THE TRUCK WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS. THE PROBLEM IS BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO THE "SWITCH FIRE" PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN A WIDE-SPREAD FORD RECALL. THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS A 1997 FORD F-150 4X4. TRUCK WAS PURCHASED FROM LEASE-HOLDER AND FULL WARRANTY WAS TRANSFERRED TO ME. I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL RECALL NOTICES BUT NOT THE ONE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD SIDE GASKET FAILURE. ALLOWS ANTI-FREEZE INTO NUMBER ONE CYLINDER. *TR

HYDROLOCK ON 1997 FORD F-150 V6 4.2 ENGINE. WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE UNTIL THE ENGINE SEIZED AND WAS QUOTED $4500 FOR A NEW REBUILD ENGINE. I WAS CURIOUS OF WHY THE ENGINE WOULD SEIZE AND DID SOME INTERNET SEARCHES ONLY TO FIND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ENGINE YEAR AND BUILD. WHY WAS I NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS PROBLEM IF SO MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED IT, AND WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR IF SYMPTOMS OF THIS CONDITION ARE EVIDENT? *TR

I HAVE A 1997 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2 L ENGINE THAT JUST TURNED 100,000 MILES. I BOUGHT IT SECOND HAND FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP JUNE 1999 WITH ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT. THIS TRUCK WAS METICULOUSLY CARED FOR OVER THE YEARS. AFTER NOTICING THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS DOWN AFTER A A RECENT REFILL I REFILLED IT AGAIN. I DIDN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT TEN DAYS BUT WHEN I WENT TO START IT THE ENGINE MADE A CLUNK AND WOULDN'T CRANK. I SUSPECTED THE BATTERY AFTER A CHARGE YIELDED THE SAME RESULTS. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BUT STILL THE SAME RESULT AND ALSO AFTER REFINISHING LEAD TERMINALS AND STARTER REPLACEMENT. I CHECKED THE OIL FILLER CAP AND THERE WAS A THICK LIGHT BROWN SUBSTANCE I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE ON IT AND ALL THE WAY DOWN AROUND THE INSIDE WALL OF THE FILLER TUBE. I SUSPECTED A LEAK IN THE HEAD GASKET OR ELSEWHERE AND WENT TO THE INTERNET SITES FOR CLARIFICATION. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I REALIZED I WAS FAR FROM BEING THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. AS I SUSPECTED THE COOLANT LEAKS VIA THE LOOSE SEAL OF THE HEAD GASKET INTO ONE OR MORE OF THE CYLINDERS. IT APPEARS THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT AND RECALL THAT FORD NEVER CONVEYED TO ALL THE OWNERS OF THIS MODEL. *TR