1989 FORD F150 Complaints

WHEN STARTING THE TRUCK, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND ACTUATOR BROKE. THE BROKEN PIECES FROM THE ACTUATOR VIBRATED DOWN INTO THE STEERING COLUMN, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHILE THE TRUCK WAS MOVING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER WILL BE REPAIRING THE TRUCK HIMSELF.PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

IF RUNNING WITH BOTH TANKS FULL, AND WOULD SWITCH TO THE REAR TANK, FUEL OVERFLOWS IN FRONT TANK. A MALFUNCTION CHECK VALVE WITHIN THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY CAUSES A PORTION OF THE UNUSED FUEL FROM ONE TANK TO BE RETURNED TO THE SECOND TANK. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE CAPACITY OF THE SECOND TANK CAN BE EXCEEDED, CAUSING FUEL SPILLAGE. *AK

I OWN A 1989 FORD F-150 PICKUP WITH DUAL GAS TANKS. IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR I NOTICED FUEL COMING FROM MY FRONT FUEL CAP WHILE DRIVING. I PULLED OVER AND RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE CAP AND FUEL CONTINUED TO SPILL OUT. AFTER THE PRESSURE WAS RELEASED I FIGURED THAT IT WAS EXPANSION DUE TO THE HEAT THAT DAY. THEN LAST SUNDAY I NOTICED IT AGAIN. THE DAY WAS MUCH COOLER AND I SUSPECTED I HAD A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR PLACE TO BE INSPECTED. THE REPAIR CENTER INFORMED ME THAT FORD HAD A RECALL IN 1991 FOR FORD F -150S PRODUCED FROM 3-1-89 TO 1-31-91. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 91S39. THE PROBLEM NOTED IN THE RECALL IS AS FOLLOWS: " ON SOME OF THESE TRUCKS, INTERNAL FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE/DUAL FUNCTION RERVOIR MAY RESULT IN THE RETURNING OF FUEL TO THE TANK NOT IN USE. SHOULD THIS OCCUR, FUEL MAY OVERFLOW FROM THE FULE TANK FILLER CAP. FUEL SPILLAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, PRESENTS THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE FIRE." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPINING WITH MY TRUCK. YET WHEN I CONTACTED FORD TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HONOR THE RECALL, THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO THE PRODUCTION DATE OF MY TRUCK. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER TRUCK OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER.

1. TIRE ROD ENDS - HAD NO GREASE FITTINGS AND WORE OUT TOO SOON. 2. PAINT - STARTED TO PEEL OFF OF THE ROOF AND BEGAN TO RUST WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. FORD WAS CONTACTED AND REFUSED TO REPAINT THE VEHICLE. WE PAID OUT OF POCKET $400.00 TO REPAIR THE PAINT ON THE UPPER HALF OF THE TRUCK BODY.

STARTED VEHICLE. ENGINE WENT INTO FAST RUNNING SPEED WITH STARTER RUNNING ALSO. COULD NOT STOP THE ENGINE FROM RUNNING. TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND NOTHING HAPPENED. ENGINE KEEP RUNNING AT HIGH SPEED. A VERY TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. PUT CLUTCH IN ALL THE WAY AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. IT STOPPED. THEN WHEN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH WITH THE KEY OFF THE STARTER STARTED UP AGAIN BY ITSELF. THE ENGINE AGAIN RUNNING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I DID THIS 3 MORE TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF 4. I THEN SMELLED RAW GAS. IT FINIALLY STOPPED. I CALLED PURVIS FORD IN FREDERICKSBURG. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. I CALLED A WRECKER COMPANY AND THE TRUCK WAS SENT TO THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I DO BUSINESS.

DUAL FUEL TANK OVERFLOWED, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *ML

A SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS HAS CAUSED THE HORN TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WORE THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS AND SHORTED OUT THE HORN/SPEED CONTROL/CIGARETTE LIGHTER CIRCUIT. SHORT LOCATED AND REPAIRED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. *AK *ML

WHEN DRIVING AT 55MPH CONSUMER PUT CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 55 MPH AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED. CONSUMER HAD TO PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES, AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. THEN CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL, AND VEHICLE STILL WOULDN'T STOP. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO STOP. *AK

QUESTIONNAIRE DOES NOT ALLOW THE COMPLETE CHRONOLOGY OF THE FOUR INSTANCES THAT I HAVE HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE ON LONG GRADES: TWO IN 1996 AND THE MOST RECENT AT 11000 FEET ELEV. ABOVE SILVERTON, CO ON 9/19/98. HDAVE HAD BRAKE LINES BLED. HAVE CHANGED TO HIGH TEMP BRAKE FLUID (DOT 6) AND HAVE QUERIED A GRAND JUNCTION FORD DEALER. TWO OF THE FOUR INSTANCES HAVE BEEN SOLO AND TWO HAVE BEEN WHILE PULLING A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. SEVERAL INSTANCES REQUIRED PUTTING THE HUBS IN, AND PROCEEDING DOWN SWITCH-BACKED HILLS IN LOW RANGE -- OCCASIONALLY USING THE "PARKING BRAKE" AND PUMPING THE PEDAL TO BRING IT BACK UP OFF THE FLOOR. SURE WOULD APPRECIATE SOME HELP FROM SOMEBODY! FAILURES OCCUR IN BOTH HOT AND COLD WEATHER. EXCEPT ON THE LONG, DECENTS BRAKES ARE "FINE".

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE RADIUS ARM BRACKET BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. THE BRACKET APPEARS TO HAVE RUSTED BADLY BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML