1998 FORD F-150 Complaints

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LOW LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE RECIEVED FROM F IRESTONE. AS A TRUCK DRIVER I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THE SIGHT,SOUND, AND FEEL OF TIRE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE STEEL BELTS...A TIRE LITERALY COMING APART AT THE SEAMS!! FIRESTONE SHOULD BE HEKS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL OF THEIR TIRE FAILURES!!*AK (DOT NUMBER: W208IPT497 TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)

TIRE FAILED UNDER NORMAL USE CONDITIONS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NO ROAD HAZARD NOTED BEFORE FAILURE. SIDEWALL BLOWOUT INCLUDED TEARING OF RUBBER OUTWARD TOWARD TREAD. NO LOSS OF CONTROL NOTED. NO TREAD SEPARATION NOTED. NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. FIRESTONE WILL NOT PRORATE TIRE FOR REPLACEMENT. WILL BE REPLACING ALL 4 TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND DUE TO PERSONNAL EXPERIENCE WITH FAILRES OF TWO P235/70R15'S ON PREVIOUS VEHICLE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

WHEN CAR WAS SHIFTING IT BANGED DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR, LIKE IT WAS DOWN SHIFFTING WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK TO DEALER 3 TIMES, AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK WHEN VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTS FROM HIGH GEAR TO LOWER GEAR TRANSMISSION SUPS AND BANGS. *YH

OCTOBER 2000 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON IMMEDIATELY AFTER REFUELING. OCCURED ON SATURDAY, CHECKED OWNERS MANUAL, "OK TO DRIVE, HAVE DEALER CHECK". TOOK TRUCK TO TOWN EAST FORD MONDAY, FORD CHARGED APPROX. $279.00 AND HERTZ APPROX. 70 FOR RENTAL. FORD STATED "SOMEONE DISCONNECTED YOUR MAF SENSOR". THAT IS NOT TRUE! ALSO THEY DID NOT COVER UNDER WARRENTY BUMPER TO BUMPER OR EXTENDED OR RENTAL VEHICLE. I THINK SENSOR DISCONNECTED SELF IF THAT IS WHAT INDEED HAPPENED. APPROX 1 YR. AGO THE BLINKERS, AIR CONDITIONER WOULD NOT WORK AT RANDOM. DON'T KNOW IF BRAKE LIGHTS OR BLINKERS WERE VISIBLY WORKING FROM OUTSIDE TRUCK BECAUSE IT WOULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. RETURNED TO FORD. SAID CAN FIX IT IF CANT FIND IT, ARE YOU SURE YOU DIDN'T HIT A BUMP, BRING IT BACK IF/WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. RETURNED AGAIN BECAUSE PROBLEM CONTINUED. HAD TO GET UGLY WITH THE SERVICE PEOPLE. I TOLD FORD TO KEEP IT, DRIVE IT UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FOUND. THEY DID AND SAID THERE WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION UNDER DASH. WARRANTY COVERED. I KNOW THIS TRUCK IS UNPREDICTABLE NOW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REPORT THAT IN MARCH 2000 MY 33 YR OLD BROTHER WAS KILLED WHILE ON THE JOB FOR S&P UTILITIES, I BELIEVE NOW THAT THE TRUCK MAY HAVE STALLED ON THE RAILROAD TRACK HE WAS KILLED ON BECAUSE HE HAD OFTEN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE F150 1998 BOGGING DOWN AND STALLING. I ALSO THINK NOW S&P IS AWARE SINCE THEY HAD PEOPLE OBTAIN ALL OF THE MISSING PARTS FROM THE TRUCK AS SOON AS THEY COULD. HIS NAME IS JOHN CLOUD JR OF MESQUITE TEXAS. HE LEFT 3 KIDS AND WIFE.

CONSUMER HAS A 1998, FORD F150. LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH. ORIGINAL TIRES ON VEHICLE, TIRE SIZE P235/70R16 DOT# W2081PT357. FIRESTONE CUSTOMER ASSISTANT RECOMMENDED THAT CONSUMER PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE.*AK *SLC

BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSANGER'S DOORS HAVE SHEET METAL FAILURE NEXT TO THE LOWER REAR CORNER OF THE WINDOW. CRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH LONG AND APPEARS TO BE GROWING. DEALER SAYS FORD KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE BUT IS NOT COVERING IT.

THE DEALERSHIP IS CALLING THE TORSION BAR A "WEAR AND TEAR ITEM" THEREFORE IT IS CONSIDERED A WARRANTY ITEM AND NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. FOR MY TRUCK, WHICH IS USED AS A COMMUTER VEHICLE, HAS THE "OFF-ROAD PACKAGE" AND HAS SEEN A NON-PAVED ROAD ALL OF 5 TIMES, I FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS ITEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER SOME SORT OF WARRANTY OR RECALL. I HAVE SEARCHED THE NHTSA DATABASE AND SEEN NUMEROUS (36) CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME TYPE OF FAILURE. I COULD UNDERSTAND THE TORSION BAR FAILURE (MAYBE) IF THE TRUCK WERE USED ON A DAILY BASIS FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES OR IF I EXCEEDED THE RECOMMENDED USES OF THE VEHICLE, BUT I HAVE NOT. THE TRUCK IS AT LESS THAN HALF ITS EXPECTED LIFE AND YET ONE OF THE MAIN SUSPENSION COMPONENTS HAD FAILED. THIS BAR REPLACED THE COIL SPRINGS ON THE PAST GENERATION OF TRUCKS. HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF COIL SPRINGS SNAPPING? I ALSO FIND IT RATHER TROUBLESOME THAT FORD HAS RECENTLY BEEN ACCUSED OF TURNING THE OTHER WAY WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE WITH ITS VEHICLES. IS THIS GOING TO BECOME ANOTHER FIRESTONE RECALL SCENARIO OR WILL FORD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS ENGINEERING/MANUFACTURING MISTAKES? IM STARTING TO WONDER WHAT BUILT FORD TOUGH ACTUALLY MEANS.*AK

ENGINE HAS KNOCK AT COLD START UP AND GOES AWAY AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP. I HAD CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL DEALER IN CA. WHENTHIS STARTED OVER A YEAR AGO AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I HAVE CONTACTED A FORD DEALER HEAR IN ATLANTA AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO BULLETINS OFFER ANY REASON OR ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. I HAVE TALK WITH A FEW OF THE WORKERS AT THE ATLANTA FORD PLANT AND ONE OF THEM HAVE THE SAME MAKE, YEAR, MODEL AND ENGINE AS I DO. HE STATED THAT THE PLANT IN KANSAS AND WINDSOR IN CANADA HAVE SAID THAT THIER WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADS ON THIS ENGINE. WHY IS IT THAT I CAN FIND OUT THIS INFORMATION AND THE DEALERS DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON THIS. I LIKE MY TRUCK AND WISH TO FIX THE PROBLEM , BUT CAN'T GET AN ANSWER FROM FORD. IF YOU CAN GIVE ME ANY HELP I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT SIDEWALL (DOT NUMBER: W2081PT427 TIRESIZE: P235 70R16)

TWO OF MY FIRESTONE TIRES HAVE CRACKS IN BETWEEN THE TREAD. WITH WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH FIRESTONE AND FORD THIS MAKE ME FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. MOST OF THE TIRES ALL AROUND MY SIZE HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH WHICH MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE. I HAVE CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND THEY HAVE ACTED LIKE THEY COULD CARE LESS, BUT I THINK THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE DEALT WITH BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. I TAKE CARE OF MY VEHICLE LIKE IT IS MY CHILD AND FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN THAT ISNT MY FAULT AND FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO ACT AS THEY DO DOESNT MAKE ME FEEL TO WELL. HOW SHOULD I DEAL WITH THIS? (TIRESIZE: P25570R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P25570R16 )