1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2L 6 CYL ENGINE AND I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH COOLANT LEAKING AND WATER PUMP GASKET FAILURES AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL FORD TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAS 90,000 MILES AND I AM PAYING $1200 DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RECTIFIED. FORD HAS ISSUES TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE SINCE 1999 AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO REIMBURSE OR PROTECT THE CONSUMER FROM THIS RECOGNIZED FAILURE. THIS SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL AND REIMBURSEMENT MADE TO OWNERS WHO HAVE PAID TO HAVE THIS CONDITION RECTIFIED. *JB

I OWN A 1997 FORD F-150 PURCHASED IN 2000 FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP. I NEVER RECEIVED THE ONP RECALL ABOUT A FAILURE IN THE FRONT COVER GASKET AND NOW I AM FACING COSTLY REPAIRS. FURTHERMORE THE REPAIRS WERE NEVER CONDUCTED ON MY VEHICLE PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE DESPITE KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL. *NM

FIRE TO MY 3 DAYS PARKED FORD F-150 . LUCKILY WAS NOT PARKED INSIDE THE GARAGE AND WAS IN MY GATED OUTSIDE PARKING. ONLY FRAME IS REMAINING....BAD...*NM

ON THE NIGHT OF JAN. 19, 2006,1:30 AM, WE WERE AWOKEN BY AN EXPLOSION. MY HUSBAND AND I JUMPED UP AND STARTING RUNNING TOWARD THE FRONT DOOR WINDOW AND REALIZED THAT OUR 1997 FORD F150 WAS INFLAMED. MY OTHER VEHICLE WAS PARKED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK, MEANING THAT THE GAS TANK WAS ABOUT 1-2 FEET AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CALLED 911 WHILE RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO PUT CLOTHES ON. MY HUSBAND WAS OUTSIDE WITH A WATER HOSE TRYING TO PUT A HUGE FIRE OUT. WHICH KNOWING IN MY MIND THAT ANY MOMENT WE COULD ALL BLOW UP. BY THIS TIME I HURRIED AND GOT MY 5 MONTH OLD BABY, AND MY OTHER 2 CHILDREN AND RAN OUT OF THE HOUSE. WHILE MY HUSBAND IS STILL TRYING TO HOLD A HUGE FIRE DOWN WITH A HOSE PIPE, I AM WATCHING THE TOP OF MY CARPORT BURN THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVES AND TAKES CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. (GREAT JOB MCFD YOU ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED) AFTER THE FIRE WAS OUT. I THANKED THE LORD FOR MY FAMILY LIVES. THE NEXT DAY I REALIZED THE DAMAGES WE HAD. FIRST,WE HAVE NO TRUCK, OUR CARPORT IS DAMAGED, AND OUR OTHER VEHICLE HAS SOME BURNED DAMAGES. APRX 2 WEEKS LATER FORD HAS GOT IN TOUCH WITH US AND HAS DENIED OUR CLAIM. THEY TOLD US THAT THE TRUCK WAS SO BURNED THAT THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. THANK YOU FORD FOR OUR TIME IN NEED WHEN IT IS NOT OUR FAULT.....PEOPLE GET ON THE COMPUTER AND CHECK FOR RECALLS ON YOUR VEHICLES AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE FORD IN NOT FESSING UP. SINCE THE FIRE WE HAVE LEARNED THAT OUR 1997 FORD EXPEDITION ALSO HAD THE SAME RECALL(SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH) KNOWING THAT THE EXPEDITION HAD THAT SAME RECALL I COULD NOT SLEEP AT NIGHT WITH IT PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY. TRUST AND BELIEVE IT IS NOW SOLD. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER FORD IN MY DRIVE WAY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING UP TO 40 MPH THE ENGINE LEAKS COOLANT INTO THE CYLINDERS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SMOKE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED. HOWEVER, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE PAID FOR THE REPAIRS AT HIS EXPENSE. A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD CAUSED WATER TO ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND PRODUCE STEAM. UPDATED 03/09/06. *JB

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150 WITH THE 4.2 V-6 MOTOR. THE TRUCK HAD 70, 126 MILES WHEN IT SUFFERED HYDROLOCK. I DROVE THE TRUCK ON A WEDNESDAY, AND IT WAS RUNNING FINE. FRIDAY EVENING WHEN I TRIED TO START IT, I THOUGHT THE BATTERY HAD GONE DEAD. I PULLED THE BATTERY OUT AND HAD IT TESTED, AND IT WAS OK. INSTALLED THE BATTERY AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO START THE TRUCK, WHEN I HEARD AN UNUSUAL "KICK BACK." I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK STARTED, BUT THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AND THE SMOKE HAD A SWEET COOLANT SMELL. I PERFORMED SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HYDROLOCK PROBLEMS. I PULLED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE GASKET. I THEN PULLED THE LEFT SIDE HEAD AND FOUND THE NUMBER 4 CONNECTING ROD WAS BENT. I PULL THE MOTOR AND PERFORMED A COMPLETE REBUILD. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CRUISE CONTROL WAS DEACTIVATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A RECALL LETTER THAT WAS RECEIVED. THE NHTSA RECALL, #05V388000 ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE VEHICLE SEED CONTROL. THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

1997 FORD F150 4.2L V-6 WHEN FIRST STARTING ENGINE COLD IT WOULD MISS BAD FOR UP TO 30 SECOND AND THEN WOULD CLEAR UP AND RUN FINE. STARTED LOOSING ANTIFREEZE WITH NO EXTERNAL LEAKAGE, EVENTUALLY ENGINE STEAMED FROM EXHAUST. THE NEXT MORNING I STARTED TRUCK AND THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND I FOUND THAT THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF IMMEDIATELY AND I WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET THE ENGINE TO TURN OVER AGAIN. UPON REMOVING THE ENGINE AND CHECKING THE CONNECTING RODS I FOUND THAT THE NUMBER 1 ROD WAS BENT AND THE BOTTOM OF THE PISTON WAS BROKEN OFF FROM IT HITTING THE CRANK SHAFT. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE ENGINE. *NM

THIS CONCERNS A 1997 F-150 FORD PICKUP WITH A 4.2 L 6 CYLINDER MOTOR. I'VE HAD TO ADD COOLANT TO IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND COULDN'T FIND A LEAK OR ANY IN THE OIL. FIVE DAYS AGO WHILE TRYING TO START IT THE MOTOR GAVE A LOUD BANG AND WHITE SMOKE BOILED OUT. NOW IT KNOCKS LIKE A BENT OR BROKEN ROD AND BLOWS WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. I FOUND A WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET WHERE DOZENS OF PEOPLE WITH TRUCKS HAVING THE SAME MOTOR ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM BETWEEN 76000-110000 MILES. MINE HAS 109,000 MILES AND FROM THE REPORTS, FORD IS TRYING TO PUT ALL OF THIS ON THE DEALERS AND THE DEALERS ARE JUST WANTING TO FIX THE MOTORS @ $600 -$4000 DOLLARS. THE PEOPLE WITH THE PROBLEM SAY THAT IT IS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET AND THAT THEY WERE RECALLED, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED THAT RECALL. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX A MOTOR THAT WAS FAULTY WHEN I BOUGHT THE THING.*AK

#3 SPAKPLUG BLEWOUT OF MY 1997 FORD F-150 WITH 5.4 LITER ENGINE. I HAVE YET TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM . *AK