1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE AXLE TUBE WAS FRACTURED. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE CV AXLE AND THE AXLE TUBE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

AFTER STOPPING IN DRIVEWAY MY 1997 F150, 4.6 L WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK AND THE GEAR SHIFT SEEMED TO BE LOOSER THAN NORMAL. AS I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO SHIFT INTO PARK A 1 INCH, BRASS, STAR HEAD MACHINED SCREW FELL OUT FROM UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR CAME TO REST BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START IN THIS POSITION, BUT DID START IN NEUTRAL. I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING REVERSE AND DRIVE, BUT ONCE IN GEAR THE TRANSMISSION SOUNDS AND RUNS NORMALLY. THE SAFETY IMPLICATION OF THIS PROBLEM IS THE UNINTENDED MOVEMENT OF THE TRUCK IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT SET OR DEFECTIVE. MY RESEARCH OF THE PROBLEM DISCLOSED TWO RELATED RECALLS OF 1997 FORD VEHICLES; CAMPAIGN NUMBER 97V147000, SEPTEMBER 9, 1997 AND CAMPAIGN NUMBER 97V171000, OCTOBER 7, 1997. BOTH THESE RECALLS INVOLVED SOME FACET OF THE TRANSMISSION LINKAGE BETWEEN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE TRASMISSION HOUSING, JUST AS MINE DID. ON MY TRUCK THERE ARE TWO BOLTS SECURING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER ARM AND SUPPORT TO THE STEERING COLUMN TUBE. THE SHIFT CABLE IS ATTACHED TO THIS ARM. THE TOP BOLT CAME LOOSE AND FELL OUT, WHILE THE SECOND BOLT WAS VERY LOOSE, IN FACT, THE WHOLE ARM WAS READY TO FALL OUT. THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REALIGN THE SELECTOR LEVER ARM AND SUPPORT TO THE SHIFT TUBE AND REINSERT THE TWO SCREWS, AFTER USING A "LOCTITE" COMPOUND. *TR

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE SITTING IN FRONT OF HOME. ALL WIRING IS DESTROYED AND DASHBOARD MELTED. VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN RUNNING FOR AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. HAD NO FIRE INSURANCE ON VEHICLE SO TOOK A COMPLETE LOSS. LATER LEARNED THAT FORD HAD RECALLED THIS MODEL FOR CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. CONTACTED FORD AND THEY CLAIM NO LIABILITY FOR THE FIRE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED. UPDATED 09/05/07. *JB

I OWN A 1997 F-150 FORD PICKUP WITH THE TRITON V8 4.6L ENGINE. AFTER HAVING 10,5000 MILE SCHEDULE SERVICE TO REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AND TUNE UP THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER PLUG BEGAN TO POP-OUT" OF THE BLOCK. SO FAR NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WAS NOT FIXED YET. I KNEW THIS WAS A"COMMON PROBLEM THAT WAS INVESTIGATED BEFORE, BUT I WANTED TO DOCUMENT THAT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, AND FORD NEEDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. I WAS TOLD BY MY FORD DEALERSHIP THAT IF I DROVE WITH NUMBER 4 CYLINDER MISFIRING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IT MAY CAUSE HYDRO LOCK OR FIRE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THAT WAS PRETTY SERIOUS AND SOUNDED LIKE AN ADMISSION FROM FORDS DEALERS THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, AND WAS WORKING TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO I HAVE NO COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DEALER. HOWEVER, JUST BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A FATALITY WITH THIS DEFECT DID NOT MEAN THERE SHOULDN'T BE AN ADMISSION BY FORD OF THE DESIGN DEFECT, AND A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY RIGHT HAND BRAKE AND THE ROTOR SHEARED OFF THE HUB. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH. DURING THIS FAILURE, THE LEFT HAND BRAKE WAS APPLIED AND THE ROTOR FAILED. A MECHANIC HAS REPAIRED THE FAILURE AND FORD STATED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.

1997-F-150 SUPER CAB WITH FACTORY INSTALLED REAR SLIDING WINDOW. THE WINDOW HAS FLOWED WATER/RAIN EVERY TIME. IT SEEMS TO BE COMING IN AROUND THE SEAL WHERE IT MEETS THE CAB OF THE TRUCK. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER 97 F-150 OWNERS AND THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING TO THEIR TRUCKS. ISN'T THERE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE? *AK

I WENT OUTSIDE ONE EARLY MORNING TO START UP MY VEHICLE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE OF MY 1997 FORD F-150 XLT. I TOOK A LOOK AT THE ENGINE; HOWEVER I AM NO MECHANIC. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED BECAUSE OF THE COOLANT LEAKING FROM A GASKET INTO THE CYLINDER CAUSING ONE OF THE RODS TO BEND. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE LIQUID WAS NOT ALLOWING THE ROD TO FULLY COMPRESS BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE CAUSED BY THE LIQUID. NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE TOLD ME THAT THE FORD PICK UPS' ENGINES HAVE THAT PROBLEM AND I WOULD JUST BE WASTING MY MONEY REPAIRING THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. HE ADVISED ME TO SEARCH FOR A REBUILT ENGINE THAT HAD A WARRANTY ON IT. DUE TO THE EXPENSE, MY PICK UP IS SITTING THERE WITH A DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND FORD I HAD PURCHASED BECAUSE I WAS SO PLEASED WITH THE FIRST FORD VEHICLE. HOWEVER AFTER THIS DISAPPOINTMENT, I PURCHASED A NISSAN INSTEAD. I MAKE SURE THAT I TELL ALL MY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES OF THIS EXPERIENCE WITH FORD AND THE UNSATISFACTORY PRODUCT THEY HAVE PUT OUT. NO WONDER THE TOYOTA TUNDRA AND NISSAN TITAN ARE LEAVING FORD BEHIND! "BUILT FORD TOUGH, RIGHT.... *TR

A 1997 FORD F150 PICK UP TRUCK OWNED BY STEVEN QUAGLIATO CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED AND DAMAGED MY VEHICLE CAUSING APPROX $650 WORTH OF DAMAGED TO THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND BUMPER.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE'S HOOD. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ONCE HE SHUT IT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT COOLANT WAS FOUND IN THE CYLINDERS DUE TO A CRACKED HEAD GASKET OR A CRACK IN THE CYLINDER. THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE AND THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY MORE FAILURES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 99,600 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,780.