1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

I BOUGHT A 1997 FORD XL V-6 4X4 FROM NOLLER FORD IN TOPEKA, KS BRAND NEW . I WAS TOLD THIS V-6 ENGINE WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER INVENTED BY FORD. I NOTICED THAT ABOUT EVERY OIL CHANGE I HAD TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT. I CALLED TOPEKA FORD ABOUT THIS APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AFTER I DROVE THE TRUCK--I WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS MOTOR. I TOOK THEIR WORD. MY SON IS IN THE MILITARY AT NELLIS AFB IN LAS VEGAS NEVADA. HE DROVE MY TRUCK THERE AND CALLED ME LAST NIGHT SAYING THE MOTOR LOCKED UP.(IT HAS ABOUT 112,000 MILES ON IT) I CALLED THE LAS VEGAS FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED WITH FERNANDO AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FORD V-6---PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS!!!! I THEN CALLED A FORMER FORD MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM WHAT MY SON COULD DO---HE STATED THAT FORD HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE V-6 AND MOST WAS DUE TO SOME HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT) AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR ENGINES SEIZE UP DUE TO THIS. I HAVE READ SEVERAL WEBSITES WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME COMPLAINT AS I DO---WHY DOESN'T FORD STEP-UP? I HAVE BOUGHT QUITE A FEW FORDS BUT IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE. SOME FORD OWNERS HAVE HAD FORD SEND THEM A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE GASKET ISSUE---WHY HAVEN'T I???? MY SON IS DUE TO BE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ SOON AND HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS TRUCK. HE DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, NOR DO I---FERNANDO WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT FOR $4000 IT COULD BE FIXED, I ASKED HOW HE CAME UP WITH A FIGURE THAT FAST AND HE REFUSED TO ANSWER MY QUESTION----WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU???--THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE ON A REGULAR BASIS!!! *NM

I HAD THE 05S28 FORD RECALL PERFORMED ON MY F150 ON 9/12/05 - THEY DID NOT DISCONNECT MY CRUISE CONTROL TO WAIT FOR THE NEW HARNESS - THEY INSTALLED A BRAKE KIT - AT CHRISTMAS TIME - I WENT HOME TO MINNESOTA AND HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE WAY BACK - WHEN I GOT HOME I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING WITH THE CRUISE IN NORTHERN CLIMATES ICING UP AND IF IT DIDN'T STOP WHEN I WAS HOME IN OKLAHOMA TO CALL THEM BACK - IT DIDN'T DO IT ANYMORE SO I DIDN'T CALL BACK. ON JULY 8TH I WENT TO BROKEN ARROW AND AFTER I SHUT MY TRUCK OFF AND PARKED IT - IT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. ONLY TOOK ABOUT 8 MINUTES TO BURN. EVERYTHING FROM THE CAB BACK WINDOW FORWARD IS BURNED TO A CRISP. THE FIREMAN SAID THEY WERE WRITING IT UP AS ENGINE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. EVERYTHING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IS GONE - THE BATTERY IS COMPLETELY MELTED AWAY - THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MELTED - THERE IS MORE MISSING AND MELTED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE - SO THE FIREMAN SUSPECT IT STARTED THERE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IT MELTED SOME PALLETS OF PVC PIPE THAT WERE STACKED ABOUT 8 FEET FROM WHERE I PARKED THE TRUCK AND THEY FELL OVER ON TOP OF THE TRUCK AND ONE OF THE FIREMEN. THEY GOT HIM OUT AND HE WAS UNINJURED. I LOST MY TRUCK, THE FIREMAN GOT MY TRAILER UNHOOKED WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE, I LOST MOST OF MY TOOLS AND A LOT OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS. POLICE CAME BUT LEFT IT UP TO FIRE DEPARTMENT TO WRITE A REPORT. *JB

1997 FORD F150 4.2 MOTOR FAILURE. I HAVE HAD TO ADD COOLANT A FEW TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAK, KEPT THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 THOUSAND MILES. THE MOTOR THREW A ROD AND ALL THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. I FOUND OUT ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH FORD, AND THEY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB

BROKEN BOLTS TO THE STEERING BOX. NO INCIDENT INVOLVED. STEERING CONTROL BECAME LOOSE. DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM WAS A LOOSE STEERING BOX FROM BOLT FAILURE. ADDITIONAL FAILURES OF REMAINING BOLTS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH ON 15-501 HIGHWAY ON ROUTE TO UNC HOSPITAL. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY TRUCK WENT TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL FOR NO REASON AND MY THEN 4 YR OLD AND I HAD A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED. WE WERE BOTH IN SEAT BELTS. SHE WAS BELTED IN HER CAR SEAT IN THE BACK AND I IN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE UPSIDE DOWN THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED! WE WERE THOUGHT TO BE DEAD AT FIRST UNTIL MY DAUGHTER STARTED CRYING. WE WERE RUSHED TO UNC HOSPITAL IN CHAPEL HILL FOR CUTS AND CONTUSIONS. AT THAT TIME, I HAD NO MAJOR PAIN, BUT NOW, I CAN HARDLY WALK SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE TRUCK LANDED IN THE EMBANKMENT UPSIDE DOWN HANGING TWISTED IN MY SEAT BELT .WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE DIED BUT NOW AFTER 3 YEARS I AM IN CONSTANT LEG, HIP AND BACK PAIN THAT I KNOW WAS DUE TO THIS ACCIDENT. NOW WHAT? MY LEGS GO NUMB ALL THE TIME AND I CANNOT EVEN BEND MY BACK HALF THE TIME DUE TO THIS. *JB

I OWN A 1997 F-150 . I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK FROM A PRIVATE PARTY WHEN IT HAD 52,000 MILES. THE TRUCK NOW HAS ABOUT 90K MILES. ON MAY 16 I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A RAUCOUS NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ON MAY 17TH I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO AUTO SPECIALTIES, AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY IDENTIFIED THE NOISE AS A BENT CONNECTING ROD. THEY DISCOVERED STEAM COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE AND BELIEVE COOLANT SEEPED INTO THE CYLINDER THROUGH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I ASKED HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THEY SAID PROBABLY OVERHEATING. YET, IN THE ENTIRE TIME I OWNED IT, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS NEVER REGISTERED HIGH, NO STEAM AROSE FROM THE ENGINE AREA. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3K MILES. I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED CORRECT FLUID LEVELS. I HAVE NEVER TOWED ANYTHING WITH THIS TRUCK AND NEVER CARRIED ANYTHING MORE THAN A HALF-TON LOAD. I ALWAYS LET IT WARM UP AND DRIVE IT GENTLY WHILE IT IS WARMING UP. IN ADDITION, THE TRUCK SPEED CONTROL DEVICE WAS REPLACED BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALER ON SEPT. 14, 2005. IN THEIR INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE THEY UNCOVERED NO PROBLEMS WITH COOLING OR OVERHEATING. THIS IS THE FIRST FORD I HAVE OWNED, THE FIRST AMERICAN CAR. I HAVE OWNED 1 MITSUBISHI AND 2 TOYOTA PICKUPS WHICH I BOUGHT SECOND HAND. I OWNED THEM UNTIL THEY HAD OVER 125K MILES AND THEY NEEDED NO REPAIRS OTHER THAN NORMAL MAINTENANCE. I HAVE DRIVEN A PRE-OWNED INTEGRA TO OVER 140K MILES WITHOUT PROBLEMS AND A HONDA CIVIC WHICH I DROVE FROM 60K-120K WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST PROBLEM. A TRUCK WITH 90K MILES SHOULD NOT NEED A NEW ENGINE. BY JUST ABOUT ANY MAKER STANDARDS THE ENGINE SHOULD LAST OVER 200K MILES. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH CHARLES WHO SAID FORD WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM, SINCE THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT PART OF A RECALL. SHOULDN'T FORD BE CONCERNED ABOUT A LEMON, EVEN IF IT IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM? I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE, SINCE ITS FAILURE IS PREMATURE. *JB

HEAD GASKET FAILED ON MY 1997 FORD F-150 WITH 4.2 LITER (V6) ENGINE. IT LEAKED INTO CRANKCASE AND THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. IT IS A TOTAL LOSS OF THE ENGINE AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER ENGINE. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE. *JB

NORMAL USE OF 4.2 V6 FORD ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPS TO 0 PSIG AT ENGINE IDLE AFTER TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM MY SELF (25 YEARS AUTO MECHANIC 17 YEARS AVIATION TECH) AND SEARCHING THE WEB FOR OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS I HAVE FOUND THE FIX IS REBUILD OR REPLACE THE ENGINE $2000.00 - $6000.00 FOMOCO SHOULD SHARE IN THIS EXPENSE BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYONE WITH HELP FROM FORD I WILL STATE THAT MANY HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE INJURED MOMENTARILY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THE SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

STARTED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY, LOUD BANG, WHITE SMOKE OUT OF TAILPIPE, AND KNOCKING IN ENGINE. MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE IS RUINED - BEND RODS. ONE OWNER VEHICLE WITH 55,000 MILES.