NHTSA Complaint #10331996 — 1998 FORD F-150

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HIS FATHER'S 1999 OR 2000 F-150 WAS RUSTING ON THE FRAME AND WAS ABOUT TO RUST IN TWO, A SCREWDRIVER COULD BE STUCK THROUGH THE METAL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK RUSTED AND THE GAS TANK WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND. SO I ASKED HIM TO LOOK AT THE FRAME OF MY 1998 F-150, AND HE DISCOVERED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MAIN CROSSMEMBER OF THE FRAME IS ALMOST RUSTED IN TWO. THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. ONE OF THE BED CROSSMEMBERS IS ALREADY IN TWO, AND TWO OTHERS SHOW SEVERE RUSTING. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT IF THE CROSSMEMBER BREAKS, I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IF I WERE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THIS COULD POSE A SERIOUS THREAT. THE BODY OF MY TRUCK IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IF YOU DID NOT KNOW OF THE FRAME PROBLEMS, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW TO CHECK THESE OUT. I FEEL THAT IF NOTHING ELSE, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THEIR VEHICLES CHECKED OUT. *TR