1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

1) ROUGH IDLE, WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST PIPE, FAILURE OF BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, UNEXPLAINED LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. 2) HYDRO-LOCKED ENGINE, UN-REPAIRABLE ENGINE DAMAGE. 3) QUOTED $3500 FOR REBUILT ENGINE, NO ACTION YET TAKEN. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2 V6 I PARKED IT TWO DAYS. LATER I WENT TO CRANK IT (IT WAS LOCKUP) I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID IT WAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS ON THIS MODEL ENGINE AND FORD NEW ABOUT IT BUT WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. ITS SO BAD MY LOCAL JUNK YARDS WILL NOT EVEN CARRY THE 4.2 V6 USED ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE LEAKING HEAD GASKET I AM ON A FIX INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX MY TRUCK THAT I THOUGH WOULD LAST SEVERAL YEARS. *JB

1998 FORD F-150 4.2L HYDROLOCK ISSUE. ANTIFREEZE IN THE #1 CYLINDER. MANUFACTURING DEFECT NOT COVERED BY FORD. ENGINE USELESS UNTIL REPAIRED DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT AT THE FACTORY. NEED TO REPAIR ENGINE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING ON THE VEHICLE BECAME ERRATIC. THE PROBLEM WORSENED RAPIDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SHAFT HAD DETACHED FROM THE GEAR BOX. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 03V196000 ON THE 1997 MODEL YEAR OF THE SAME VEHICLE.

I OWNED AND OPERATED A 1998 FORD F150. THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH IN SEPTEMBER, 2005 AS THE FAULTY SWITCH HAS BEEN LINKED TO FIRES IN F150 TRUCKS. IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, I TOOK MY TRUCK TO A DEALER SO THEY COULD PERFORM THE MODIFICATION TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY DID COMPLETE. IT APPEARS FORD'S FIX IS NOT WORKING. MY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE 6/15/06 AFTER I HAD DRIVEN IT TO WORK. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE FIRE HAS DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. I REQUEST THAT ONE OF YOUR EXPERTS COME OUT AND INSPECT MY TRUCK. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE INFORMATION I HAVE GATHERED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW IF THE FORD'S RECALL AND SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY WORKING OR NOT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE IDLED LOUDLY AND THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS OCCURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON NORMAL ROADS DURING NORMAL BRAKING WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE RETAINING CLIP DUE TO A RECALL NHTSA # 98V192000 CONCERNING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CABLES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

ON A 1998 FORD F-150 2WD PICKUP WITH A 4.2L ENGINE........ INITIAL OVERHEATING DUE TO LOW ENGINE COOLANT. REFILLED COOLANT AND KEPT LEVEL AT APPROPRIATE WORKING LEVEL. FROM A COLD START ONE MORNING HEARD LOUD KNOCKING SOUND FROM ENGINE. BROUGHT IT IN TO GET IT CHECKED BY LOCAL MECHANIC, WHICH ADVISED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. PURCHASED A RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINE AT APPROX 125,000 MILES ON OLD ENGINE. *JB

1-DRIVING ON HIGHWAY-HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CHANGED LANES 2-TIE ROD END SEPARATED, CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL, SWERVED INTO BREAKDOWN LANE 3-TRUCK WAS DELIVERED TO REPAIR STATION, TIE ROD END NEEDED REPLACEMENT **THIS IS THE SECOND TIE ROD THAT HAS FAILED IN THIS TRUCK WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST FAILURE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AS WELL AND WAS ACTUALLY WORSE AT SLOWER SPEED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT 10 MPH, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT FOUND THE FRONT OF THE FUEL TANK ON THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE TWO OF THREE FUEL TANK BANDS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF CORROSION. THIS VEHICLE WAS LOCATED IN A SALT BELT STATE. UPDATED 05/04/06

MY TRUCK HAD A DEFECTIVE MANIFOLD GASKET, THE SAME PROBLEM THAT SO MANY '97 - '98 F-150 OWNERS HAVE HAD. (SEE WEBSITE: HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=224) COOLANT LEAKED INTO MY ENGINE DUE TO FORD'S FAULTY GASKET AND RUINED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, FORCING ME TO SPEND $3400 ON A NEW ENGINE. THE WEBSITE MENTIONED ABOVE HAS HAD OVER 45,000 HITS, WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. FORD IS FLEECING ITS CUSTOMERS. *JB