1997 FORD F-150 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT OPERATING WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE DEALER WAS CONTACT WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000. UPDATED 12/5/12 *CN THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE BLEW A ROD THROUGH THE OIL PAN. AS A RESULT, THE MOTOR CRATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIRS THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURERER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

THE F150 FUEL TANK IS PRONE TO SEVERE AND DANGEROUS RUST AT THE BASE OF THE FILLER NECK. SO SEVERE THAT IT WILL RUST THROUGH CAUSING THE FUEL TO SPILL PROFUSELY THROUGH THE CRACKED NECK. I AM SURE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW BECAUSE AFTER CHECKING THE SALVAGE YARDS TO TRY AND REPLACE THE PART I DISCOVERED THAT IT'S NOT A REMOVABLE PART OF THE TANK AND THAT ALL THE TANKS I CHECKED HAD THE SAME CRACKED RUSTED AREA. MEANING THAT IF THE F150'S ARE STILL ON THE ROAD THEY WILL EVENTUALLY SUFFER THIS DANGEROUS FUEL LEAKAGE. *TR

STOPPED TO FILL UP GAS TANK AND AS PUMPING THE GAS STARTED LEAKING OUT OF THE FILLER NECK TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. *TR *JS

1997 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN CONCERNING SAFETY RECALL 11V385000 REGARDING FUEL TANKS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WERE REPLACED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2011. PRIOR TO THE REPLACEMENT, THE CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS FUELING HIS TANK. AFTER THE STRAPS WERE REPLACED, HE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FUEL LEAKING ON THE GROUND AFTER FILLING THE TANK. THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER. AN INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACK ON THE FILLER NECK ON THE TANK. THE DEALER STATED THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE AS THEY ONLY REPLACED THE STRAPS. THE HOSE CLAMPS, FUEL TANK AND FILLER SPOUT WERE RUSTED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT SMELLED AN ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED ONE OF THE REAR FUEL TANK STRAPS FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO PARTIALLY DETACH. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING); HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 246,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FRAME FRACTURED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE BROKEN AND THE VEHICLE LOST BRAKING ABILITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS RUST AND CORROSION ON THE SURFACE OF THE FRAME, BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF CRACKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED SINCE THE DRIVER WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 205,000.

4.2L F150 HAD A SLOW LOSS OF COOLANT AND NOT BEING NOTIFIED THAT THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHICH COULD LEAD TO ENGINE DESTRUCTION, I WOULD SIMPLY ADD MORE COOLANT. THIS CONDITION RESULTED IN COMPLETE HYDRO LOCK AND DESTROYING #5 ROD BEARING. WHILE I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLES OF 1997 VINTAGE I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND AT ALL FORD NOT ADVISING CONSUMERS OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLES BEFORE THEY SPEND 4K$ IN REBUILDING AND INSTALLING THIS LONG BLOCK AND FINDING OUT THEY HAD SQUANDERED THEIR MONEY ON TRYING TO RESURRECT A DEAD HORSE WITH 86069 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE CORROSION LOCKED REAR WHEELS (RIMS LOCKED TO HUBS) FOR BALANCING AND ROTATING, WHILE VEHICLE WAS SUPPORTED ON HYDRAULIC LIFT, THE MAIN REAR BRAKE LINE FAILED. VEHICLE WAS OPERATED IN SOUTH CENTRAL NY STATE FOR 10 YEARS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN MECHANICALLY INOPERATIVE SINCE THAT TIME, THOUGH NUMEROUS NEW PARTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE VISIBLY CORRODED BRAKE LINE FAILED DURING ATTEMPTS TO "COAX" THE CORROSION LOCKED RIMS FROM THE WHEELS BY APPLYING LATERAL (90 DEGREE) PRESSURE TO THE SIDES OF THE PICKUP'S BED, WHILE THE TIRES WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE GARAGE FLOOR BUT WITH THE VEHICLE STILL SUPPORTED BY THE LIFT. POINT OF FAILURE WAS JUST IN FRONT AND ABOVE THE REAR AXLE. THIS WAS VEHICLE'S 2ND BRAKE LINE IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR, THE FIRST HAVING OCCURRED ON THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE JUST BEHIND THE CALIPER/WHEEL CYLINDER.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM TOWN WHEN ALL THE BALL BEARINGS FELL OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SWAY FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, IT WAS CONTROLLABLE AT THE LOW SPEED I WAS GOING BUT THANK GOD I WASN'T ON AN INTERSTATE OR HIGHWAY AT A HIGHER SPEED I COULD HAVE RUN OFF THE ROAD OR WORSE HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION ! THE TRUCK HAS NOT LEFT MY PROPERTY SINCE BUT I STILL HAVE TO KEEP FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE AND TAGGED FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES AND A LIEN FROM MY BANK ON IT,I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE STARTER ON IT EIGHT (8) TIMES THE PARTS ARE VERY CHEAP BUT IT HAS AN AIRBAG AND MY LOCAL FORD DEALER GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF 200.00 TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE TWO SIX AND SEVEN DOLLAR BEARINGS. WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED SINCE THE BALL BEARINGS ARE VERY TINY AND ARE HARD TO SEE AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED MY TRUCK JUST SITS THERE ALL THIS TIME BECAUSE IM AFRAID OF SOMEONE GETTING HURT SERIOUSLY OR KILLED BECAUSE IM AFRAID OF LOSING CONTROL ON THE STEERING. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING SINCE I WAS SIXTEEN AND WAS A BIG TRUCK DRIVER FROM 1979 TO 1996 TILL I BECAME ILL BUT I WOULD NEVER DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH STEERING PROBLEMS, THANK YOU *TR