2001 FORD F-150 Complaints

FOR A FEW MONTHS AFTER TUNING UP MY FORD F-150 WITH THE 4.8 V-8, MY TRUCK STARTED BLOWING SPARK PLUGS OUT OF THE MOTOR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF FORD AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE. I DID MY OWN RESEARCH AND FOUND INSTANCES OF PEOPLE RUNNING OFF THE ROAD AFTER THEIR PLUG SHOT THROUGH THEIR HOOD AND SCARED THEM. *JB

WINDSHIELD LEAK ON 2001 F150 HAS LEAKED INTO GEM MODULE AND FUSE BOX. NOW IN SHOP FOR SECOND TIME FORD DEALER WILL NOW REPLACE WINDSHIELD AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. FIRST TRIP TO SHOP THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY. I PAID FOR THAT AND THE TOWING CHARGE. A BIT OF INTERNET SEARCHING LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. ODI HAS LOOKED INTO THIS BEFORE. *JB

I WENT FISHING ONE EARLY MORNING AND I STOPPED FOR GAS AND NOTICED THAT MY LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I NORMALLY KEEP THE SWITCH IN THE AUTO-DETECT MODE. I SWITCHED TO OFF AND THEY STILL WOULD NOT TURN OFF. AFTER GETTING TO THE DOCK, I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR AND LOCKED IT. MY F-150'S HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF. THE SWITCH WOULD NOT WORK, NOR DID LOCKING THE VEHICLE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. I EXPECTED THE BATTERY SAVER WOULD ACTIVATE TO TURN OFF THE EXTERIOR LAMPS. IT ALSO FAILED. THE BATTERY DIED AND I HAD TO BE TOWED INTO THE DEALER. DEALER STATES IT WAS A WIRING HARNESS (#12, #160 AND #161) THAT SHORTED A RELAY AND KILLED THE BATTERY. THE PARTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. PARTS AND LABOR WERE $612. *NM

2001 F-150 CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN CARPORT. *TS WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IT ALSO CAUGHT A PORTION OF THE CONSUMER'S HOME ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED FROM UNDER THE CARPORT WHERE IT TOTALLY BURNED. THE FIRE INSPECTED INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL WHICH HAD BEEN RECALLED. THE CONSUMER'S NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THROUGH A LIGHT, AND MAKING A LEFT TURN UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT HEARD A POP COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER PULLING OVER TO INSPECT UNDER THE HOOD, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE THIRD SPARK PLUG HAD POPPED OUT OF PLACE FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALER VIA REFERENCE FROM THE WARRANTY COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED BY THE DEALER, AWAITING THE RESULTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DENIED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE RECALL LIST AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT NOTICED CONSUMER COMPLAINTS VIA WEBSITE SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS THE VEHICLE HAD. ONE SIMILAR COMPLAINT WAS ODI #10033248.

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, NOT RUNNING. I HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE ONLY...DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANY REASON I WOULD REPORT IT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. TRUCK WAS DESTROYED...LUCKILY MY BROTHER AWOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SAW THE TRUCK ON FIRE. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED LESS THAN A FOOT AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. MY BROTHER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITHOUT GETTING HURT. I CONSIDERED IT A MIRACLE NO ONE WAS HURT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR SIX HOURS IN THE DRIVEWAY NEXT TO A RESIDENCE, IT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. AN ADDITIONAL VEHICLE PARKED NEXT TO THE TRUCK AND PART OF THE CONTACT'S HOUSE WAS ALSO DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND VERIFIED THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED A RECALL NOTICE WAS NEVER RECEIVED. UPDATED 10/17/2006 - *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM, WHILE TRAVELING NORTH ON I-81 NEAR WINCHESTER, VA AT 65 MPH IN A 2001 FORD F-150, THE LEFT REAR TIRE SUSTAINED TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE. VEHICLE YAWED ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC, BUT WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND DID NOT ROLL OVER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE TIRE WAS B.F. GOODRICH MODEL RADIAL LONG TRAIL T/A P235/70R16 AND WAS AN ORIGINAL TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. IT HAD OVER 0.2 OF AN INCH OF TREAD REMAINING AFTER 50,000 MILES. VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL, SIDE PANEL, AND SUPPORTS. THE REMAINING FOUR TIRES (INCLUDING SPARE) ARE BEING REPLACED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED ON VARIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PROVIDED AN INCORRECT DIGITAL DISPLAY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND EXPRESSED THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD HANDLE THE CASE ONCE A CLAIM WAS SUMMITTED. ON 09/08/06, THE CONTACT FOUND THE RECALL INFORMATION ON THE FORD FIRES WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #05V388000 (FORD RECALL #05S28) PERTAINING TO THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.