1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

WHILE PARKED FOR SEVENTY TWO HOURS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. *AK *BF *NM

HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 V6 FORD F-150 PICK UP, REGARDING COOLANT/WATER LOSS, SO HAVE CONTINUALLY DONE COOLANT MAINTENANCE. STARTED THE TRUCK UP LAST SATURDAY 5/7/06 AND THE ENGINE MADE AN AN AWFUL SOUND, AND WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THE TRUCK WAS RUNNING FINE THE DAY BEFORE. MY TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC YESTERDAY, AND THEY SAY THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED, WHICH WILL COST $4,000.00 PLUS. I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FROM F-159 V6 OWNERS, 1997-2000. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPOSSESSED, AS I STILL OWE $4,000 PLUS ON IT. I CANNOT AFFORD THE REBUILT ENGINE REPAIR, AND NOW HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. ALSO, I AM CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING FOR WORK. FORD COMPANY NEEDS TO DO RIGHT BY THEIR CUSTOMERS, AS THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY F-150 OWNERS. A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS CURRENTLY ON-GOING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, ACCORDING TO A CONSUMER WEBSITE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN JOIN THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.

DT: 1998 FORD F-150 CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 2 TO 3 HOURS. ONLY INFORMATION THAT CALLER HAS IS A RECALL ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES ON LATER MODELS. DID CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE NOTHING TO BE DONE. LOST ALL THE THINGS INSIDE THE CAB OF TRUCK, LOSS WAS ESTIMATED BETWEEN $1,200 - $1,500. FIRE DEPARTMENT FILED A REPORT. *AK

I OWN A 1998 FORD F-150 WITH 4.2L ENGINE FOR THE PAST 3 WINTERS I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS THAT WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO RUN AT HIGH RPM. THIS MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BREAK. I RECENTLY FOUND ON THE WEB NHTSA RECALL # 98V007. WHICH SEEMED TO DESCRIBE MY PROBLEM EXACTLY. WHEN I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DELARER, THEY STATED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL

WHEN I STARTED MY 1998 FORD F-150 TODAY, A GREAT DEAL OF NOISE OCCURRED AND FINALLY A ROD SHOT OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF MY TRUCK'S OIL PAN. THE TRUCK HAS ONLY 72,000 MILES ON IT. UPON INVESTIGATION, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 4.2 LITER ENGINE. APPARANTLY FORD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX IT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THE PROBLEM STARTS WITH THE HEAD GASKET GOING BAD PUTTING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE CREATING THE FAILURE. PLEASE HELP OTHERS SO THAT WON'T HAVE TO SHELL OUT $2,500 FOR A NEW ENGINE OR POSSIBLE GET HURT FROM FLYING PARTS!

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE BEING PARKED FOR 5 MINUTES. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THE OWNER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TOP FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WIRE HAD A SHORT. HE DISCONNECTED IT TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE.*AK *BF *NM

I HAVE AN FORD F150 WITH THE 4.2 V6 ENGINE. I HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE WITH OIL CHANGES EVERY 3-5,000 MILES. IN 2001 I NOTICED IT WAS LOSING COOLANT. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HAVE HAD IT CHECKED TWICE SINCE THEN. COMING HOME FROM WORK YESTERDAY, I NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO 0 EVERYTIME I STOPPED AND THE ENGINE IDLED. TOOK IT TO PERSONAL MECHANIC AND HE CALLED FORD DEALERSHIP. HE WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS GETTING READY TO BLOW. THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR AND MINE HAS LASTED MORE THAN MOST. I HAVE SEEN ON THE WEB OTHER F150 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDERS AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE. MINE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GONE OUT BEFORE NOW, BUT I CHANGED THE OIL REALLY WELL. NOW I'M OUT $4,000 TO PUT IN A NEW ENGINE. *NM

1998 FORD F150 [XXX] EXTENDED CAB, 4.2L V6 CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE STARTED APPROXIMATE 45 MINUTES AFTER BEING DRIVEN HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS OFF AND UNATTENDED WHEN THE FIRE STARTED. APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 MONTHS PRIOR THE CRUISE STOPPED WORKING AND I BEGAN TO HAVE INTERMITTENT BLOWING OF FUSE #13. FIRE MARSHALL WILL DOCUMENT THE FIRE ON 4/22/05. STARTING POINT OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN. *NM *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY 1989 F-150 TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM, OUTSIDE MY HOUSE. THE TRUCK WAS UNATTENDED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED APPROXIMATELY 2-4 MINUTES AFTER IGNITION. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO DRIVER'S SIDE, WITHIN 15" - 20" INCHES OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS APPARENTLY THE FUEL FOR THE FLAMES THAT BURNED PLASTIC COMPONENTS. BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS SPOTTED AND EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY, THIS MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOUR ORGANIZATION. FORD VIN [XXX]. *AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)