1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

I BOUGHT A 1998 F-150, 3 YEARS AGO. THE ENGINE BLEW UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING. MY WIFE DROVE IT TO WORK, IT RAN FINE. SHE STARTS IT UP TO COME HOME, AND THE ENGINE WAS KNOCKING LOUD. SHE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. THE 4.2 ENGINE IS A LEMON, AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ FROM NUMEROUS PEOPLE, AND HEARD FROM MANY FRIENDS IS THAT THESE ENGINES ARE JUNK, AND FORD KNOWS THEY ARE. A FRIEND OF MINE WARNED ME ABOUT THESE ENGINES, HE HAD TO HAVE HIS REPLACED 3 TIMES WITHIN 3 YEARS. 3 TIMES HIS ENGINE BLEW UP.. THESE THINGS ARE JUNK!!!!I THINK FORD NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THESE ENGINES, OR REFUND US OUR MONEY BACK ON THE PURCHASE PRICE. I AM VERY UNSATISFIED. *LA

STEERING COMPONENTS THAT BROKE SUDDENLY CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *LA

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP MY VEHICLE(1998 FORD F-150 4 X 4 6 CYL) I THOUGHT I WAS HUNG UP ON SOMETHING AS THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF RESISTANCE IN DOING SO. WHEN I GOT OUT TO CHECK FOR OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE ROADWAY, I WAS HORRIFIED TO SEE THAT BOTH OF MY FRONT TIRES WERE FACING EACH OTHER (TOED IN). AFTER MUCH ADO, AND MANY MEN STOPPING TO SEE WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS, I LEARNED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD HAD LET GO WITHOUT ANY WARNING! WITH ONLY 60,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK, EVERYONE TOLD ME TO INVESTIGATE WHY THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE IT SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD USED TO HAVE A GREASED FITTING HOLDING THE TIERODS AND HAS SWITCHED TO A NYLON FITTING THAT IS NON-GREASABLE TO SAVE MONEY>.... I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WAS VERY SICK TO MY STOMACH TO THINK THAT MY TIE ROD COULD HAVE LET GO WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN FACING THE POSSIBILITY OF DISASTEROUS CONSEQUENCES. THAT DID NOT GIVE ME A WARM AND FUZZY FEELING. I BOUGHT THIS PICK-UP BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS SAFER DRIVING A BIG VEHICLE. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT SOME SMALL LITTLE NYLON PART WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS COMPROMISING MY ABILITY TO STEER MY VEHICLE. WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM?? MY GARAGE TELLS ME THEY HAVE SEEN PLENTY!*AK

CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF THE CAR PORT WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK

1998 FORD 150 LARIAT TRUCK OUTSIDE MIRRORS DISCOLORED RENDERING THEM USELESS. YOU CAN BARELY SEE IN THEM DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THEM. THE MIRROR TYPE HAS THE TURN SIGNAL BUILT IN BEHIND THE MIRROR. FORD REPLACED THEM ONCE AND NOW SAYS THAT THEY NO LONGER MAKE THAT TYPE BECAUSE OF THEIR DEFECTIVE NATURE BUT WILL NOT OR HAS NOT OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE. THEIR NEWER VERSION HAS THE TURN SIGNAL BUILT ON THE OUTER PERIMETER OF THE MIRROR BODY INSTEAD OF BEHIND THE MIRROR GLASS. *LA

INNER TIE-ROD JOINT BROKE WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE. VEHICLE DROVE FINE UP TO THAT POINT. STEERING COMPONENT INSPECTION TWO MONTHS PRIOR DID NOT INDICATE ANY NEEDED REPAIRS. *LA

I HAVE A 1998 F150 I BOUGHT NEW. I HAVE BEEN A FORD PERSON FOR MANY YEARS BUT WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER FORD UNTIL THE PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR AND TRANSMISSIONS ARE CORRECTED. AT 72,000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. ($2,200), AT 92,000 MILES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, IDLING WAS ROUGH BUT DROVE FINE. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC HE SAID TUNE-UP WOULD CORRECT IT. $400 LATER, STILL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND IDLE ROUGH. IT JUST STOPPED AND WOULDN'T START BACK UP. I'M HAVING TO REPLACE THE BLOCK ECT.. HAVING TO CONTINUE TO PAY A NICE VEHICLE PAYMENT EACH MONTH AND INSURANCE AND STILL NOT HAVING A VEHICLE TO DRIVE IS RIDICULOUS. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH FORD!! KL. *LA

CONSUMER HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND A PIECE OF METAL FELL OFF ONTO THE GROUND. CONSUMER PICKED IT UP, TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MECHANIC WHO STATED THE LEAF SPRING FAILED. *AK *TS *JB

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER BALL JOINT BROKE, CAUSING THE TIE RODS TO SHOOT THROUGH THE RIM. IMMEDIATELY THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. *AK

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE STARTER AND/OR IGNITION IN MY 1998 F-150 FORD TRUCK. BEACH FORD IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC HAS REPLACED THE STARTER ABOUT 7 TIMES AND TODAY THE TRUCK LEFT ME STRANDED. *LA