1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

9-1-05, 8:00 AM, SHERRI ADAMS PARKED THE 1997 F-150 AT L-3 COMMUNICATIONS, GREENVILLE TX. THE TRUCK REMAINED PARKED AND LOCKED ALL DAY. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:20 PM SECURITY NOTIFIED SHERRI THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. PARTIAL FIRE DEPART REPORT BELOW. 9-6-05 INSURANCE FIRE INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS CAUSE OF FIRE. 9-7-05 INSURANCE ADJUSTER DETERMINED THE TRUCK WAS A TOTAL LOSS. 9-8-05 ADAMS CONTACTED FORD TO REPORT INCIDENT. TO DATE, HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY FORD. FIRE DEPART INCIDENT REPORT: DATE: 09-01-05 INCIDENT: 05-09-001 DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT: ON THURSDAY, 09-01-05, AT 1709 HOURS, SECURITY NOTIFIED FIRE CONTROL OF A VEHICLE FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT FOR BUILDING 180. FIRE CONTROL RESPONDED WITH FIREFIGHTER HOPSON IN #7 FOLLOWED BY LT. TURNER IN #8. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT SOUTH OF BUILDING 180 NEXT TO THE FENCE AT MCCULLOUGH BLVD., JUST EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF AVE. D. SECURITY WAS IN PLACE AND ASSISTED. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE THERE WAS HEAVY SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD AND WINDSHIELD AREA OF A 1997 FORD F-150 XLT PICK-UP (TX LICENSE # 56Y YHI), BELONGING TO TIM AND SHERRI ADAMS. NEITHER OF THE OWNERS WERE PRESENT OR LOCATED BEFORE FIRE CONTROL CLEARED THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED AND THE LEFT SIDE GLASS WAS SHATTERED TO GAIN ACCESS. FIRE WAS PRESENT IN THE HOOD COMPARTMENT AND UNDER THE DASH ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE HANDLINE OF #7 WAS USED TO KNOCK DOWN THE FIRE AND THEN TO COOL DOWN THE AREA. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED HEAVY DAMAGE IN BOTH AREAS. THERE WAS A VEHICLE PARKED EAST OF THE TRUCK WITHIN 3 FEET BUT IT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. PERSONS UNKNOWN NOTIFIED GREENVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH RESPONDED WITH AN ENGINE COMPANY. THE FIRE WAS OUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED. FIRE CONTROL REMAINED IN THE AREA FOR COOL DOWN, UNTIL 1740 HOURS. APPROXIMATELY 70 ?? 80 GALLONS OF WATER AND A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF FOAM WAS USED IN THE EXTINGUISHES THE FIRE. *JB

MY 1997 FORD PICKUP BURNED UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON MAY 29TH. NO KEYS WERE IN THE IGNITION. IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 10 HOURS. *JB

WITHIN 1/2 HOUR OF TRUCK TURNED OFF, FIRE ERUPTED, CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. LUCKILY I WAS CLOSE BY AND HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK, I PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE THE TRUCK WENT TOTALLY UP IN FLAMES. *JB EXTENSIVE REPAIRS WERE MADE TO GET THE TRUCK BACK UP AND RUNNING. I SPENT ALMOST $3,000.00. I TRIED TO CONTACT FORD SEVERAL TIMES, BUT GOT THE RUN AROUND, AND THEY JUST DUSTED ME, TELLING ME IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT, NO RECALLS, NO DEFECTS. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS SAME TYPE OF FIRE HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER'S OTHER 3 TRUCKS, F-150'S, JUST A WEEK PRIOR TO MINE IGNITING. *JB

DT: ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 THE CALLER SAID PARKED VEHICLE AND 41/2 HOURS LATER IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE FIRE HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. A TREE WAS DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. NOTHING ELSE WAS DAMAGED. DEALER GAVE CALLER THE MANUFACTURER'S TELEPHONE NUMBER. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD REPORT IT AND GET BACK TO HIM. *AK

1. DRIVING 5 MPH ALONG SMOOTH DIRT LANE 2. RUSTED BRAKE LINE RUPTURED, CAUSING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE 3. TOWED TRUCK TO MECHANIC FOR BRAKE LINE REPLACEMENT, OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. *JB

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150 THIS TRUCK WAS THE MOST DEPENDABLE AUTOMOBILE I HAVE EVER OWNED UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2005. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ALMOST 12 HOURS WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED UP. IT APPEARED TO BE SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL FIRE.*JB

I HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 97 F150 A LOT OF PEOPLE DO. I HAVE 4.2 V6 THAT LOCKED UP ON ME A FEW MONTHS AGO. I HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MOTOR FOR A COOLANT GASKET BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ONE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND EVEN THE ONES THAT GOT CHANGE WENT BAD ANYWAY. PLEASE HELP MAKE FORD OWN UP TO THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT AND REPLACE THESE MOTORS. THANK YOU. *JB

1997 MODEL YEAR FORD F-150 ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE IS A V-8, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND JUST OVER 85,000 MILES. IT IS A WORK TRUCK DRIVEN DAILY, ABOUT 200 MILES PER WEEK. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH EITHER THE CRUISE CONTROL OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. AT ABOUT 8:15 ON THE EVENING OF AUG. 25TH I RETURNED HOME AND PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY ABOUT SIX FEET FROM THE GARAGE DOOR. I WENT TO BED AT 10:30 P.M. MY NEIGHBOR RETURNED TO HIS HOME AT 12:05 A.M. HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD AND WITNESSED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IGNITE INTO A BALL OF FLAMES. HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND USED MY GARDEN HOSE TO WET DOWN MY GARAGE DOOR THEREBY PREVENTING MY HOUSE FROM CATCHING FIRE. I WAS FINALLY AWAKEN AROUND 12:30A.M. BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE TRUCK WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, THE INSULATION HAD MELTED FROM THE INSIDE OF MY GARAGE DOOR, THE GARAGE DOOR WINDOWS HAD CRACKED FROM THE HEAT, THE TRIM MELTED, AND THE GUTTERS ABOVE THE GARAGE WARPED. IF NOT FOR THE QUICK THINKING OF OUR NEIGHBOR WE COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES. OUR BEDROOMS ARE LOCATED TO THE REAR OF THE HOUSE AND THE GARAGE IS AT THE FRONT, BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THERE WAS A FIRE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO LATE. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON HIS 1997 FORD F150 WENT OUT. THEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO GET THE BRAKE LIGHTS FIXED THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IT WAS SMOKING WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS. THIS HAPPENED ON 9-17-04. HE DISCONNECTED THE SWITCH. HE BOUGHT A NEW SWITCH AND INSTALLED IT, AND NEVER HAD ANY MORE TROUBLE. HE WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT SO NHTSA WOULD BE AWARE THAT THE 1997 FORD -F150 HAD A BAD CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH . HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL HE HAD HEARD IT ON THE NEWS THAT THE 2000 YEAR MODELS HAD A DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. *AK *JB UPDATED 03/29/06

DT: 1997 FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. A NEIGHBOR ALERTED THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A FIRE AT ABOUT 2:45 AM. THE NEIGHBOR SAID THAT THERE WAS A SOUND LIKE A SHOTGUN BLAST. THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME BECAUSE THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE CONSUMER'S HOUSE AND THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTALED. IT BURNED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TOOL BOX. THERE WAS EXCESSIVE DAMAGE. FIRE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED SMOKE INHALATION, AND WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CONSUMER E-MAILED FORD AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO CONTACT HIM, AND NO ONE DID. THERE WAS AN ONGOING INSURANCE CLAIM. THERE WAS MASSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. *AK *SC