1999 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE CONTACT. A POLICE/FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH IN FRONT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 208,885.

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED,THE SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN FROM THE HEAD . THE ENGINE SPEWED FUEL OUT OF THE HOLE AND I THOUGHT A FIRE MIGHT OCCUR AT ANY SECOND. MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND MANY MORE WILL. THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE HEAD IS ALUMINUM AND THE SPARK PLUGS ARE STEEL AND ONLY THREAD IN TO 3 OR 4 THREADS. TERRIBLE DESIGN FLAW. *TR

APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO (10/2014) I NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1999 FORD F-150 WERE NOT WORKING. A FEW TIMES ONCE I RETURNED TO HOME I NOTICED THAT WHEN I SHIFTED THE TRUCK INTO PARK, THE HEADLIGHTS CAME ON. IT DID NOT APPEAR TO MATTER IF THE HIGH BEAM OR LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED. I STARTED TO INSPECT THE HEADLIGHT OPERATION AND NOTICED THAT WHEN I TILTED THE STEERING WHEEL TO IT'S LOWEST POSITION, TYPICALLY IT'S OPERATING POSITION, THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. WHEN I TILTED THE WHEEL UP SLIGHTLY TO THE NEXT POSITION, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME ON. TODAY, 10/19/2014 I REMOVED THE TRIM AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN AND NOTICED THAT THERE ARE TWO WIRES THAT HAVE BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM THE WIRING HARNESSES THAT ATTACH TO THE TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY AND SEVERAL CONTACTS THAT ARE LOOSE IN THE UPPER HARNESS. I HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS AND A VIDEO SHOWING THE PARTS THAT ARE LOOSE AND OR BROKEN. BECAUSE THESE BROKEN WIRES AND CONTACTS ARE LOOSE AND AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISK OF A SHORT OR SPARKS THAT THEY COULD CREATE AND WITHOUT FULLY OPERATIONAL HEADLIGHTS, THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE TRUCK AND PURCHASED IT AT AROUND 11,000 MILES. THE STEERING COLUMN HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN APART NOR HAS THE TRIM AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN BEEN REMOVED. THESE WIRES COULD BE SEEN MOVING AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TILTED UP AND DOWN PRIOR TO THE SIGNAL ASSEMBLY BEING REMOVED AS THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED ON AND OFF WITH THE LIGHT SWITCH LEFT IN THE ON POSITION. *TR

RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE FOR FUEL TANK STRAP REPLACEMENT. TOOK TRUCK TO FORD DEALER IN AUBURN MA. DEALER WOULD NOT WORK ON TRUCK DO TO RUSTED FUEL TANK, INSISTED I NEEDED A NEW TANK PRIOR TO FIXING. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO A FORD DEALER IN AYER MA., SAME RESULTS. A BRAND NEW TANK HAS BEEN INSTALLED, MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IN AUBURN, MA. DEALER REFUSE TO INSTALL STRAPS, COMPLAIN ABOUT CONNECTION AREAS WHICH I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH. I MENTION TO DEALER THAT MY NEW TANK IS NOT SECURE AND THIS IS A HAZARD TO MYSELF AND THE PUBLIC. MY TRUCK IS PRIMARILY USED IN WINTER DRIVING AND LOCAL RUNS FOR HOUSE CHORES. MY TRUCK IS BEING USED ON A LIMITED BASES NOW, WINTER IS APPROACHING AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED, PLEASE HELP. *TR

UPON RETURNING HOME FROM WORK ON 9/15/14, A HITCH WIRE WAS NOTICED DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. WHEN I CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK TO TUCK IT BACK UNDER, I NOTICED THE SPARE TIRE WAS GONE AND THE CABLE THAT ONCE HELD IT IN PLACE VIA A RETAINING BRACKET HAD SNAPPED AND WAS FRAYED. THE TIRE AND BRACKET HOLDING THE TIRE WERE BOTH GONE. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOSS UNTIL THAT POINT AND AM HORRIFIED AT THE THOUGHT OF THE ACCIDENT OR INJURY IT COULD HAVE/ MAY HAVE CAUSED, BREAKING FREE SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING. *TR

THE FUEL TANK STRAPS ARE RUSTED SEVERELY, MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR BREAK DOWN. *TR...UPDATED 08/12/15 *BF UPDATED 11/27/2015*JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID HITTING A DEER, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED OFF THE SIDE OF A 20 FOOT HIGH BRIDGE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A MINOR HEAD INJURY AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL FUMES EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE TOLL BOOTH ATTENDANT INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER FLAMES ENGULFED THE DRIVERS SIDE BURNING THE INTERIOR. THE POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSTIC TEST COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH HE HEARD A POPPING SOUND IN THE ENGINE, FOLLOWED BY LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUNDS. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO EXAMINE THE FAILURE AND THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER HAD FRACTURED, THE SPARK PLUG ALSO BLEW OUT OF ITS PROPER POSITION. THE CONTACT TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. BY THE TIME THE CONTACT REACHED THE MECHANIC THE VEHICLE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH A STRONG PERSISTENT ODOR OF USED GASOLINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG DID BLOW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN ALERTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

CABLE THAT HOLDS SPARE TIRE UP UNDER THE TRUCK BED RUSTED AT THE BRACKET AND SPARE TIRE FELL OUT FROM UNDER THE TRUCK, IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT TRUCK WAS NOT GOING ANY FASTER AS THE SPARE COULD HAVE BOUNCED ON THE ROAD AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR