1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

DOORS HAVE STRESS CRACKS ON UPPER FRAME,I'VE PAID TO HAVE REPAIRED ONCE,WHEN I APPROACHED DEALER THEY SAID O RECALL ON THAT PROBLEM, WOULD NOT HELP,NOW DOOR SWITCHES KEEP INTERIOR LIGHTS ON TILL IT GOES OFF ON POWER SAVER,DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYS ON WHEN MOISTURE CONDITION/RAIN,SNOW SLEET AND SO ON. *TR

97 F150 4.2 V6. STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AT START UP BUT STOPPED AFTER WARM UP. COUPLE DAYS LATER , I STARTED TRUCK AND ROD BLEW. TOWED IN AND WAS TOLD I NEED ANOTHER MOTOR. HAD REMANUFACTURED MOTOR PUT IN $3500. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. IN 2006, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR RECALL NUMBER 05S28. THE VEHICLE HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,000. UPDATED 01/29/08 *BF UPDATED 01/29/08 *TR

ON OR ABOUT DEC 2006, I BEGAN NOTICING THE ENGINE IN MY TRUCK BEHAVING STRANGELY. IT HAD AROUND 85,000 MILES AT THE TIME. I WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE THE TRUCK REPAIRED DUE TO FINANCIAL REASONS, AND I RARELY DRIVE IT ANYWAY, SO THE TRUCK SAT IN MY GARAGE UNTIL I WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO FACE THE PROBLEM. I KNEW BY THE WAY IT WAS ACTING THAT IT WAS GOING TO COST ALOT. LAST FALL, AUG 2007, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE 4.2L ENGINE THAT HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN MY TRUCK WAS FAULTY BUT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO BUT PAY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

MY 1997 FORD F-150 4.2 L 6 CYLINDER ENGINE HAS BEEN CONSUMING ANTIFREEZE AT A LOW BUT STEADY RATE FOR A COUPLE YEARS....I DID NOT KNOW WHY. NOW I DO THE GASKET HAS A LEAK INTO A CYLINDER AND THE TRUCK HAS A MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEM, THAT WILL REQUIRE OVERHAUL OR REPLACEMENT. FOR SOME TIME I HAVE HAD VERY HARD STARTS WHERE THE ENGINE WILL NOT ROLL OVER WITHOUT DIFFICULTY THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AMONG OTHERS WITH THIS ENGINE. *TR

1997 F-150 XL SB (TRUCK) TWO DAYS AGO, I STARTED THE TRUCK AND NOTICED THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AND THERE WAS A BANGING ON THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVELS..ALL WERE WITHIN THE CORRECT LEVELS..TOOK IT TO A REPUTABLE MECHANICS..TOLD ME THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THESE TRUCKS...HE SAID THAT THE FRONT COVER GASKET HAD BEEN COMPROMISED AND THAT THERE WAS COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE..I FOUND A WEBSITE WHERE THERE WERE 100'S OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS V-6 ENGINE (4.2 L). I AM APPALLED THAT FORD WOULD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN...OH, YES.... I NEVER RECEIVED A TSB REGARDING THIS MATTER..I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 1997 AND I HAVE ONLY 38,891 MILES ON THIS ENGINE....I AM LIVID THAT I HAVE BEEN ROYALLY SCREWED!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 262,200 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 262,264. UPDATED 12/12/07

TRUCK RUNNING GREAT,TURNED ON NEXT DAY LOUD RATTLING WATER OUT THE EXHAUST OIL PRESSURE GONE, INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK, POSSIBLE BENT ROD AND MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. 4.2L MOTOR HAS A KNOW DEFECT THAT FORD DID NOT LET THE PUBLIC KNOW. *TR

FORD F150 WINDSHIELD LEAKS, LEADING TO GEM AND FUSE MODULE FAILURE. RANDOM ELECTRONICS CLICKING AND TURNING THEMSELVES ON DUE TO LEAKING WINDSHIELDS DAMAGING THESE ELECTRONIC MODULES. *TR

I AM NOW HAVING THE WATER LEAK ISSUE INTO THE GEM DUE TO FAULTY WINDSHIELD SEAL. IT IS STARTING TO CAUSE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THE FOLLOWING IS A TSB RELEASED BY FORD: FORD SPECIAL MESSAGE #15773 VARIOUS ELECTRICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING FROM WATER INTRUSION INTO THE GEM/CJB SOME 1997-2002 EXPEDITION AND 1998-2002 NAVIGATOR VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT VARIOUS UNUSUAL ELECTRICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: FRONT OR REAR BLOWER OR EATC STAYING ON WITH KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, RADIO STAYING ON AFTER DOORS OPENED AND KEY OUT OF IGNITION, WIPER CIRCUIT FAILURE CODES, AND MULTIPLE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS WITH 'SHORT TO POWER' OR 'LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE' DTCS. THESE SYMPTOMS MOST OFTEN OCCUR AFTER A RAIN OR SNOW. THIS MAY BE DUE TO GEM/CJB WATER INTRUSION RESULTING FROM A WINDSHIELD WATER LEAK. TO SERVICE, REMOVE THE GEM AND CJB FROM THE VEHICLE, SEPARATE THEM AND INSPECT FOR WATER CONTAMINATION OR CORROSION. IF FOUND IN EITHER COMPONENT, REPLACE BOTH COMPONENTS AND COMPLETELY RESEAL THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY SOUL EXPERIENCING THESE ISSUES. APPARENTLY FORD IS NOT FIXING THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AT THEIR EXPENSE BUT PASSING IT TO THE CUSTOMERS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A FORD ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. PLEASE HELP WITH RESOLVING THIS ISSUE AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE SPENT IN THE THOUSANDS FIXING ISSUES THAT THIS WATER INTRUSION ISSUE HAS CAUSED. *TR