1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

I HAVE A 1997 F150 WITH A 4.2L V6 ENGINE. I HAD A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED A YEAR AGO WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL FROM FORD MOTOR ON. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE THE SAME ADDRESS AS TO WHEN I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK. SINCE THE GASKET WAS REPLACED, SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I STARTED HAVING OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS. NOW I AM STARTING TO HEAR A KNOCK. TALKING TO MY MECHANIC, HE SAID IT WAS A ROD AND BEARINGS. I PULLED UP THE RECALL # 99-20-7 WHICH EXPLAINS THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL LIKE FORD SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES THAT THIS HAS CAUSED. BY THE WAY THIS TRUCK ONLY HAS 46,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT!! HAVE TALKED TO NUMEROUS PEOPLE IN FORUMS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY SAY NO LUCK OUT OF FORD. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THIS RESOLVED? HAD A MECHANIC AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND SAID SAME THING. HOW COULD WE GO ABOUT GETTING A LAWYER TO START A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? YOUR HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. BY THE WAY, I DID GET A RECALL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO CATCH FIRE. WHY DIDN'T I GET THE OTHER ONES? *NM

DT: THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS BURNING. THE CONSUMER COULD SMELL SMOKE WHILE WALKING PAST THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE SMOKE BEFORE THE SWITCH ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE BY DISCONNECTED THE WIRE LEADING TO THE SWITCH.*AK *NM

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 1 HOUR A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. *AK *JB

PARKED THE VEHICLE ABOUT 1:15 AT ABOUT 1:43 THE VEHICLE WAS REPORTED ON FIRE. PRIOR TO THE FIRE A FUSE HAD BLOWN MULTIPLE TIMES THAT PREVENTED GETTING OUT OF PARK. AFTER FIRST FUSE CHANGE IT LASTED A COUPLE OF WEEKS THEN IT BLEW AGAIN. THE FUSES THAT WERE USED WERE THE PROPER SIZE. THE OWNER CALLED FORD TO FIGURE OUT WHY COULD NOT GET OUT OF PARK. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT USED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSURED BY STATE FARM AND WAS INVESTIGATED. OWNER HAS POST FIRE PICTURES AND WILL SEND.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. ON JULY 27, 2005 THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE STARTED ON DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE CHIEF HAD NOT COME UP WITH A REPORT, BUT HE ASSUMED IT WAS ELECTRICAL. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR A TOTAL OF THREE HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT. . THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMAL BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. *AK

DT: CONSUMER OWNED A 1997 FORD F150. IT HAD A BLOWN GASKET. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS TURNED ON THERE WAS AN EXTREME KNOCKING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP; THEY STATED THAT THE ROD WAS BENT. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRUCK HAD LESS THAN 87,000 MILES. *AK

DT: ON JULY 2 2005 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE THROTTLE CABLE BROKE. THE OWNER WAS COMING DOWN A TWO LANE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE ACCELERATOR WASN'T BEING PUSHED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WASN'T ON, AND THE VEHICLE WAS SPEEDING ON ITS OWN. THE CONSUMER ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE, WHILE GOING 50-55 MPH. AFTER ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE TRUCK TOOK ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE TO COME A STOP. THE VEHICLE FINALLY HIT AN OAK TREE AND STOPPED AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE OWNER'S WIFE WAS INJURED WITH UPPER NECK AND BACK. INJURIES. THE OWNER''S DAUGHTER WAS BRUISED ON THE FACE. THE VEHICLE DIDN'T COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLES. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STICKING BEFORE. FORD REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALLS ABOUT THIS. THE OWNER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE OWNER HAS TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AND THROTTLE CABLE. INSURANCE WILL PAY FOR REPAIRS TO THE BODY. ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE CRASH, THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THAT WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE REPAIR. AT THIS TIME OWNER IS WAITING FOR THE REPAIR WORK TO BE COMPLETED. OWNER STATED THAT DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING. *JB

1997 FORD F150 CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD NEAR THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES, HE WAS TOLD HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH (BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH) ON MY 1997 FORD F-150 OVER HEATED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER SITTING FOR 3 HOURS IN THE PARKING LOT AT MY WORK. NO SERIOUS DAMAGE TO TRUCK. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPAIR. I WAS AWARE OF A RECALL FOR THE 2000-2001 F-150'S WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL, HOWEVER FORD ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 1997 MODELS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED . IF THIS FIRE HAD NOT BEEN NOTICED BY ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS I MIGHT HAVE LOSTED THE TRUCK. THIS COSTED ME AROUND $170 WITH TOWING AND I FEEL FORD IS AWARE THEY HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING FOR SAFETY AND AT FORDS EXPENSE.

DT: A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE HAD AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, WHICH ALLOWED WATER I TO LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE RODS, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO FAIL AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST TO FIX IT BEFORE THE PROBLEM BEGAN WA S $800. CONSUMER'S BOSS HAD PROBLEMS WITH HIS FLEET OF VEHICLES, AND NOTIFIED CONSUMER OF THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS A FABRICATED DEFECT OR A DESIGN FLAW. AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO RECALL, BUT OWNER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WON'T RECALL VEHICLE SINCE THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.*AK