NHTSA Complaint #10648523 — 1998 FORD F-150

IN 2012, I REPLACED MY GAS TANK BECAUSE SEVERE CORROSION HAD EATEN NUMEROUS SMALL HOLES INTO THE TOP OF THE TANK SO IT COULD NOT BE FILLED OVER 3/4TH WITHOUT LEAKING. FLAKES OF RUST WERE FALLING ONTO THE TOP OF THE TANK FROM THE FRAME X-MEMBER CAUSING THESE HOLES. THE FRAME X-MEMBER WAS NOT ADDRESSED AND THE NEW GAS TANK BEGAN TO LEAK WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF OF REPLACEMENT. THE ENGINE WAS JUST RECENTLY TUNED UP BY A FORD DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY VIBRATING. WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THIS TUNE UP, THE ENGINE LOST FULL POWER WITH FINDING OF GROSSLY CONTAMINATED FUEL. THE 2 YEAR OLD TANK WAS PULLED AND THE TOP OF THE TANK WAS REVEALED TO BE METALLIC SWISS CHEESE EQUIVALENT, THIS TIME WITH NUMEROUS VERY LARGE HOLES THAT RAIN WAS EASILY PENETRATING INTO THE TANK VIA THE CAB-BED SPACE OPENING. THE X-MEMBER FRAME SUPPORT WAS CORRODED IN HALF. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX IT AND I PAID FOR A SECOND NEW TANK AND FUEL PUMP($350 WITH SHIPPING TO HI), POR 15 COATED THE TOP OF THE NEW TANK MYSELF, AND PAID A LOCAL BODY SHOP$1042.00 TO PULL THE X-MEMBER AND REPLACE IT WITH A USED PART AS FORD NO LONGER STOCKS (LIKELY RUSTED TO BITS IN THEIR WAREHOUSE). THE NEW TANK AND USED X-MEMBER ARE NOW INSTALLED AND AWAITING AN ENGINE MECHANIC TO ADDRESS WHY THE ENGINE WON'T START UP DESPITE NEW TANK/FRESH FUEL/PUMP/FILTER. LIKELY ANOTHER $500 TO CLEAN FUEL INJECTION/ENGINE BRINGING 2 YEAR TOTAL FOR ROTTED X-MEMBER AND TWO GAS TANKS TO WELL OVER $3000. PERUSING YOUR DATA BASE, THE FRAME RUST ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING THEME PARTICULARLY FOR THE 1997 YEAR MODEL. MY ASSESSMENT IS THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY ROTTEN IN 1998 F150 FRAME COMPONENTS AND OR CORROSION PROTECTIONS USED. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T FIX THE TANK UNTIL YOU FIX THE X-MEMBER PROBLEM FIRST AND FORD F150 FRAMES/CORROSION PROTECTIONS CIRCA 1998 ARE GETTING A BAD REPUTATION WHICH IS LIKELY DESERVED. *TR