1997 FORD F-250 Complaints

ON DECEMBER 4, 2004, I TOOK MY TRUCK ON ABOUT A 600 MILE TRIP. DURING THE TRIP I TRIED THE CRUISE CONTROL, WHICH WORKED ABOUT 5 MONTHS EARLIER & FOUND IT TO BE NONFUNCTIONAL. THE NEXT DAY, I FOUND MYSELF IN A POSITION THAT REQUIRED ENGAGING THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE, HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I PARKED THE TRUCK THAT EVENING & HAD NOT TOUCHED IT IN THE FOLLOWING MONTH AND A HALF. ON DECEMBER 10, 2004 MY WIFE CANCELED THE INSURANCE SINCE MY PLAN WAS TO LEAVE IT PARKED UNTIL SPRING OR I COULD AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. THEN ON JANUARY 26, 2005 @ 05:00 AM, MY WIFE WOKE ME UP SAYING THAT MY TRUCK HAD JUST EXPLODED. I WENT OUTSIDE & SAW THE FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AT THAT TIME THE MAIN CONCENTRATION OF THE FIRE WAS ON THE DRIVER?S SIDE. I NOTIFIED FORD, TO WHICH THEIR REPLY WAS SORRY FOR YOUR INCONVENIENCE BUT THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON YOUR VEHICLE & IT IS ALSO OUT OF WARRANTY.*AK

FIRE SPEED CONTROL ON MASTER CYLINDER FORD F250 1997 VIN#[XXX]DROVE TO WORK 2 MILES,PARKED TRUCK IN LOT, 5 MIN LATER HEARD POP THEN FIRE PUT OUT QUICKLY, BUT TRUCK HAS MAJOR FIRE DAMAGE. *JB *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL FIRE IN STEERING WHEEL. THE WIRE WAS TOO SMALL FOR AMPS. *BF THE CONSUMER DISCONNECTED THE WIRE. *NM

WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAUSE HAD YET TO BEEN DETERMINED. VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, DAMAGING FUSE BOXES AND WIRING HARNESS. ESTIMATED DAMAGE $3.000. NO INJURIES REPORTED.. *JB.......*AK

I HAVE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS HAD SPARK PLUGS COME FLYING OUT OF THE HEAD OF MY TRUCK. I HAVE ASKED AROUND AND HEARD THAT ON MOST FORD TRUCKS AND ECONOLINE VANS ARE BLOWING THESE OUT ON THE REGULAR. I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT IT IS DUE TO THE ALUMINUM HEADS HAVING ONLY 4 WEAK THREADS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE TO ME AND CAN COST ANYWHERE FROM 200 TO 1700 DOLLARS TO FIX DEPENDING ON HOW SEVERE THINGS ARE. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS SUBJECT AS I AM SURE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WOULD. *AK

WHIEL THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR A FEW DAYS, A MECHANIC NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. AS THE BRAKE FLUID RESEVOIR MELTED BRAKE FLUID IT MADE THE FIRE BIGGER. NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FIRE. NO AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT. PHOTOS AND INVESTIGATION REPORT MAILED TO BRUCE YORK. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 2 DAYS AND A FIRE WAS STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE HORN WAS HEARD BLOWING WHEN THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THERE WERE NO AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT. THERE WAS TRAVEL TRAILER WIRING THAT WAS ON THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS INSURED BY UNITRIN 800-777-4342 JL RAUSIN. *AK

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE SHREDDED AND CAME APART WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. THE TIRE STARTED BOUNCING. THIS ALMOST CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND STEER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE. FIRESTONE WAS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST.*AK

I OWN A 1997 FORD F250 TRUCK. ON THE BELOW LISTED DATE, WHILE DRIVING AT 0430 HRS IN THE MORNING ON A TWO LANE ROADWAY, THE THIRD SPARK PLUG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. I LOOKED UP INFORMATION ON INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING WITHOUT WARNING OR FAULT OF THE DRIVERS/OWNERS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS JUST HAPPENED TODAY AND I HAVE NOT CONTACTED ANY REPAIR SERVICE YET. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND FORD HAS NOT RECOGNIZED THE DESIGN FAULT. I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY DUE TO THE LACK OF ENGINE POWER FROM THIS PROBLEM. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DONE NOTHING TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION NOT TO MENTION UNWARRANTED COST TO VEHICLE OWNERS THAT COULD POSSIBLY PREVENT THIS IF IT WAS KNOWN. IT IS PERTANANT THAT SOMEONE OR SOME ORGANIZATION WITH STANDING AND POWER DEAL WITH THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY ON THIS ISSUE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *JB