1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

1998 F150 TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TS THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD MINOR DAMAGE WHEN HE GRAZED THE MEDIAN WALL. *JB UPDATED 03/08/06

1998, FORD, F150, 4.2 LITER V6. @ APPROX. 92,000 MILES. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED. GASKET FAILURE LED TO COOLANT IN NUMBER 4 CYLINDER WHICH CAUSED THE NUMBER 4 PISTON CONNECTING ROD TO BREAK, ALSO DAMAGING THE PISTON. THE DEFECTIVE GASKET, BENT ROD AND PISTON HAD TO BE REPLACED, MULTIPLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLAR REPAIR. NO NOTICE FROM FORD INDICATING POTENTIAL PROBLEM OR THAT ANY PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE (I.E. GASKET REPLACEMENT) MAY HAVE AVOIDED COSTLY ENGINE FAILURE REPAIR -OR- REPLACEMENT. A PRODUCT AND HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCERN IN THE CONTEXT THAT HAD THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, MAY HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AND ACCIDENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED IN A WRITTEN REPORT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE. EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE CONTACT'S HOUSE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATED AND DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. ADDITIONALLY, A PRIVATE FIRE INVESTIGATOR WAS HIRED TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT AND CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AS THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NHTSA #05V388000 CONCERNING THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH PRIOR TO THE FIRE. SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS WERE CONTACTED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REMEDY. THE DEALER'S ASKED THE CONTACT NOT BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY WHEN RECALL PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS NOT DISCONNECTED IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS IN WORKING ORDER. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO FOR UNRELATED PROBLEMS. UPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM

MY 4.2 V-6 IN MY 1998 FORD F-150 FAILED HYDRO LOCKED AFTER IT HAD RAN JUST FINE, LOOKING ONLINE I FOUND MY SELF TO NOT BE ALONE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND SOME QUITE COSTLY REPAIRS, I FOR ONE AM NOT IN THE POSITION TO REPLACE A MOTOR THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE FAILED IN THE FIRST PLACE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED NO PROBLEMS, A RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, #05V388000 ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THEIR VEHICLE ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THEIR LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

AROUND FEB 2002 MY 1998 F-150 BURNED UP WHILE OFF IN MY DRIVEWAY OF MY FLORIDA HOME. I HAD JUST COME IN AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE 3 OR 4 MINUTES BEFORE WHEN I HAD COME OUTSIDE TO OF ALL THINGS USE THE GARDEN HOSE AND LOOKED OVER TO SEE MY THE RIGHT SIDE (WHEN VIEWED FROM T HE FRONT) OF THE HOOD ON FIRE. I TRIED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AS I CALLED 911. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT TO JUST THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED. THE INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE AND WE MOVED ON WITH OUR LIVES. ONLY RECENTLY DID I LEARN OF THE RECALL THAT RELATES TO THE CRUISE CONTROL OF THIS VEHICLE TYPE. I REALIZE THAT AT THIS POINT I PROBABLY HAVE LITTLE RECOURSE AGAINST FORD EXCEPT TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT TAKE NECESSARY ACTION AGAINST THEM. APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO THE WSBTV.COM WEBSITE (ABC IN ATLANTA) FORD KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN 1999 AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED AND I RECEIVED A FRACTION OF THE MONEY I SHOULD HAVE FOR THE TRUCK AND MY BELONGINGS THAT WERE DAMAGED IN THE FIRE. ALSO I BELIEVE THAT MY INSURANCE WENT UP DUE TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *JB

1998, FORD, F150, 4.2 LITER V6. LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD SIDE GASKET FAILED. GASKET FAILURE LED TO COOLANT IN NUMBER 1 CYLINDER. COOLANT IN NUMBER 1 CYLINDER CAUSED THE NUMBER 1 PISTON CONNECTING ROD TO BEND. THE DEFECTIVE GASKET AND BENT ROD ARE CLEANED AND AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW. A TOTAL ENGINE REBUILD WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM

(1) CAR WOULD NOT START ONE MORNING LIKE A DEAD BATTERY. I JUMPED THE CAR AND HEARD A LOUD CLATTERING SOUND FROM ENGINE. (2) LEAKING FRONT COVER AND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS IN A 4.2 L V-6 ENGINES CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. (3) CURRENTLY REPLACING ENGINE.*AK

FORD F150 1998 4WD 4.2L ENGINE 102,0000 MILES - WHEN STARTING TRUCK ENGINE IT WOULD RUN ROUGH THEN SMOOTH OUT. TODAY I HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND. NOW IT DOESN'T START AT ALL. AFTER CHECKING SEVERAL WEB SITES I REALIZED MY TROUBLE IS NOT UNIQUE. LOOKED AROUND THE INTERNET BUT NEVER FOUND A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD RELATING TO THIS ISSUE. FURTHER RESEARCH SEEMS TO IMPLY A MAJOR DEFECT THAT FORD KNEW ABOUT FROM CLOSE TO THE BEGINNING OF MANUFACTURING WHICH THEY NEVER HAVE DONE ANYTHING ABOUT. ACCORDING TO A COUPLE OF WEB FORUM SITES, FORD PUT OUT TWO TECHNICAL BULLETINS TO THEIR SERVICE PEOPLE BUT NOT TO THE END USERS/BUYERS (TSB #99-20-7) (FOLLOW UP TSB #99B209) THAT PRETTY MUCH ADMITTED THERE WAS A FAULT WITH A GASKET AND COULD RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE, AS MINE SEEMS TO HAVE DONE. THE RESOLUTION IS FOR THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO STAND BEHIND THEIR FAULTY MANUFACTURING & FIX THEIR ERRORS. *NM

1998 FORD F-150; FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. TRUCK WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE IGNITION TURNED OFF. FIRE STARTED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEXT TO THE FIREWALL AREA. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SENSOR, BUT IT SAID PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO REPAIR UNTIL AFTER FEBRUARY 2006. FIRE MARSHALL OF CYPRESS CREEK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT WAS AT THE SEEN AND WROTE A REPORT. *NM