1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

VEHICLE STARTED ROUGH AND RAN POORLY. PARKED OVERNIGHT, NEXT MORNING ENGINE WAS LOCKED UP. WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND FELT LIKE IT WAS JAMMED. FINALLY GOT IT TO START, RUNNING POORLY AND WHITE SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE EXHAUST. HAD VEHICLE TAKEN TO MECHANIC, WHO FOUND OUT THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS THE PROBLEM WHEN HE FOUND THE PLUGS WERE GUNKED UP AND WHITE LIKE VANILLA PUDDING. ENGINE HAD TO BE SENT OUT AND REBUILT. *NM

THE LATCH FOR THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT QUIT WORKING. THERE WAS NO TRAUMA OR ACCIDENTS. IT JUST QUIT LATCHING. *NM

DT: 1997 FORD F150. CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 05V388000. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO TH EFIRE, , AND THEN IT WAS DRIVEN FOR A SHORT TIME. CONSUMER WAS NOT AT HOME, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALREADY THERE PUTTING THE FIRE OUT WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED BACK HOME FROM DINNER. *AK

DT: 1997 F150 FORD SUPER CAB PICKUP TRUCK. THE CRUISE SWITCH CAUGHT THE BRAKE RESERVOIR ON FIRE AND IN TURN, THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE ANY BRAKES. THE CONSUMER OPENED THE HOOD AND THREW AN OLD TOWEL OVER THE FIRE AND SMOTHERED THE FLAMES. HAD THE ROAD SERVICE TOW IT TO THE PLACE WHERE NORMALLY THE SERVICE WAS DONE ON THE TRUCK, AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS WAS A FORD PROBLEM. THEN, IT WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THE DEALERSHIP GAVE CONSUMER THE MANUFACTURER'S NUMBER, CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID A CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE WOULD CALL BACK NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, AND ON MONDAY AFTERNOON THE MANUFACTURER DID CALL AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY WOULD NOT DO REPAIRS FOR FREE. CONSUMER CALLED THE INSURANCE COMPANY, AND THEY WERE GOING TO SEND A FIRE INSPECTOR TO INVESTIGATE THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY SAID THAT THIS WAS FORD'S PROBLEM ALSO. MOREOVER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS GOING TO SEND A CLAIMS ADJUSTER. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE BURNED TWO YEARS AGO ON 10-16-03. SHE WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALL. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL ON 9-26-05 CONCERNING THE SCDS. SHE HAS CONTACTED FORD NUMEROUS TIMES ,AND THEY HAVE NOT CONTACTED HER AT ALL. TODAY WAS THE FIFTH PHONE CALL SHE MADE TO THEM. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN IT BURNED. THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THEY SAID THE FIRE DID ORIGINATE UNDER THE HOOD. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE FIRE AND THEFT INSURANCE AT THAT TIME. SHE CONTACTED FORD, AND THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS NO RECALL, AND URGED HER TO CONTACT HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT E-MAILED PICTURES OF THE TRUCK TO NHTSA IN WASHINGTON, DC IN MAY 05. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN MAY-05 SOMEONE FROM NHTSA CALLED HER, AND IT WAS THEN THAT SHE E-MAILED THEM THE PICTURES. SHE REPORTED OF HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. BUT HER HUSBAND STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO 9-1-03. SHE REPORTED HER HUSBAND WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE TRUCK OUT OF PARK. THE SAME DAY THE TRUCK BURNED.*AK

DT: AFTER DRIVING AND PARKING THE VEHICLE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2005. THE DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED DUE TO THE HEAT. THIS WAS WHAT HAD ALERTED THE CONSUMER TO THE FIRE. WHEN THE FIRE MARSHALL INSPECTED THE FIRE HE SAID IT WAS DUE TO CRUISE CONTROL. THE FIRE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CONSUMER'S HOME AND ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 05S28 ON T SEPTEMBER 23, 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS BEYOND REPAIR. THE CONSUMER WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE 1997 FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED ON 9-24-2005. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FIRE LOOKED LIKE IT STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE ONLY THING LEFT OF THE TRUCK WAS THE REAR END. THE ENTIRE CAB OF THE TRUCK WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS ON THE TRUCK, EVERYTHING WAS WORKING. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT USED IN THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN PARKED FOR FIVE HOURS. THE OWNER WAS GOING TO TAKE PICTURES TODAY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RULED OUT ARSON. FIRE AND POLICE REPORTS WERE TAKEN. . THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD SEND THE COMPLAINT TO THE CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ALSO. FORD TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WOULD SEND THE COMPLAINT OVER TO THEIR LAW DEPARTMENT. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE LEXUS NEXT TO THE TRUCK WAS DAMAGED.*AK

I HAVE A 97 FORD 150 WITH A 4.2 V6 THAT HAS HYDRO LOCKED. I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS TRUCK. I HAVE NOT YET FIXED IT I AM TRYING TO FIND A GOOD PRICE ON A NEW MOTOR. *JB

ON MY 1997 FORD F-150 I NOTICED THAT I HAVE CRACKS ON THE DOORS BY THE WINDOWS, WHILE RESEARCHING THIS I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS TRUCK. WHEN I CALLED FORD SERVICE CENTER FOR HELP THEY TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE DOORS (AT MY COST) AND IF A RECALL COMES OUT I WOULD GET MY MONEY BACK. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE CRACKS AT "F150ONLINE.COM" AND IT SEEMS THAT FORD HAS REPLACED SOME DOORS BUT MOST (AND THEIR ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS) ARE NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF. CAN YOU HELP? *NM

DEFECTIVE ENGINE. 1997 F150 V6 4.2 L, 73000 MILES AND A ROD IS KNOCKING. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AT FORD. *JB