1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

STARTED VEHICLE AND HEARD A CLANGING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND CHECKED UNDER HOOD FOR SOURCE. HAD A RELATIVE TO START THE TRUCK WHILE I EXAMINED THE ENGINE FOR CAUSE. SHORTLY AFTER 2ND START AND STOP, OIL BEGAN DRIPPING UNDER VEHICLE. HOLES HAD BEEN KNOCKED IN THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OIL PAN. I HAVE THE 4.2L V6 ENGINE IN MY FORD F-150. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE THROWN ROD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT. *AK THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL PLUGS. ACCORDING TO THE CONSUMERS RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO SERVICE MANAGERS, THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THE ALUMINUM HEAD 5.4 L V8 ENGINE. THE YEARS THAT WERE AFFECTED WERE 1997-2002. *SC *JB

WHILE PARKED FOR THIRTEEN HOURS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. *AK

COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE. I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK AT THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND 3 OTHER MECHANICS IN MY AREA. I HAVE A 98 FORD F150 WITH THE V6 4.2L MOTOR. IT HAS 120,000 MILES ON IT NOW AND STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AT 115,000. I HAVE CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3000 TO 4000 MILES AND THE COOLANT EVERY 3 YEARS. I HAVE LOOK INTO INTERNET FORUMS AND NOTICED THAT THERE ARE 100S OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS - MOST WITH FAR LESS MILEAGE. *JB

AT SOME POINT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 1998 FORD F150 PICK-UP STOPPED WORKING. AS I SELDOM USE IT I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG IT WAS OUT. NEXT THE #13 FUSE FAILED. THE REPLACEMENT FUSE FAILED IMMEDIATELY. WITH THIS FAULT I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE TRUCK OUT OF PARK IF STARTED IN PARK. THE ABS LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. TOOK TRUCK TO EARNHARDT'S FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THEY TRACED PROBLEM TO SHORTED BRAKE PRESSURE SAFETY SWITCH AND SPEED CONTROL SERVO. DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE BRAKE SWITCH THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SATURATED WITH BRAKE FLUID. ALL THREE DEFECTIVE PARTS WERE REPLACED. THESE REPAIRS COST $3,100 DOLLARS. THE MECHANIC (KEN TUEFFEL) STATED I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THE TRUCK DID NOT CATCH FIRE. WITH THE RECENT NEWS REPORTS ON THE FORD PICK-UP CRUISE CONTROL BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH CAUSING FIRES I BELIEVE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE SAFETY HAZARD OF THESE SWITCHES FOR YEARS AND OWE ME A REFUND ON THESE REPAIRS.*AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN ALL SUDDEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE ON ITS OWN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT WITHIN THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH.*AK.....*AK

MY 1998 FORD F-150 HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT DOES NOT WORK NOW FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SHORT IN THE TRUCK'S CRUISE CONTROL WIRING, WHICH I READ THE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING IN FORD TRUCKS. MY VIN IS [XXX]. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

EARLY LAST YEAR (2004) MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING ON MY 1998 FORD F-150 4X4 P/U. I CHECKED ALL THE FUSES AND THEY WERE FINE. I USED THE TRUCK WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL FOR THE NEXT 6-8 MONTHS. THEN ONE DAY WHILE AT WORK I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY TRUCK HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED IT WAS ON FIRE AT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH (AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE SWITCH WAS A PRESSURE SWITCH ACTIVATED BY THE BRAKE) SO I CUT THE WIRING TO STOP THE CURRENT FLOW AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. I CAUGHT IT EARLY ENOUGH SO NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE TRUCK. JUST SOME MELTED WIRING THAT I REPLACED. (BEING AN ELECTRICIAN HELPED) I COULD NOT USE THE TRUCK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND TOOK A DAY OFF WORK UNTIL I FOUND A SWITCH AND I REPLACED IT. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. WHEN I WENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP (ANTELOP VALLEY FORD IN LANCASTER, CA) TO GET A REPLACEMENT SWITCH AND EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT TO THEM THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT SWITCH I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND SAID THEY HAD NO REPLACEMENT FOR IT, THEN SAID THEY COULD ORDER IT FOR ME AFTER I SHOWED THEM WHERE IT WAS LOCATED UNDER THE HOOD. THEY NEVER TOLD ME IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THIS SWITCH, THAT UPSETS ME MORE THEN ANYTHING! I WENT TO POWER FORD IN VALENCIA, CA AND THEY HAD A SWITCH IN STOCK THAT I PURCHASED. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE SWITCH THAT I GOT FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE BURNT UP ONE WAS A NON-FAULTY SWITCH? LOW AND BEHOLD, MY CRUISE CONTROL STARTED WORKING AFTER I REPLACED THE BURNT UP SWITCH! THE JULY 15, 2004 INCIDENT DATE IS AN APPROXIMATE DATE.

CATATROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT 52000 MILES. FORD DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO 3.8L ENGINE TSB NOTICE. ON DISASSEMBLY BY PROFESSIONAL GARAGE THEY INDICATED HEAD GASKET FAILURE AS CAUSING THE CONNECTING ROD BEARING TO FAIL, (SIMILAR TO 3.8L FAILURES).*AK