NHTSA Complaint #749939 — 1998 FORD F-150

AROUND 1 AUGUST 2001 I WAS TALKING WITH SOME FRIENDS AT WORK, DURING THE CONVERSATION DEFECTS IN THE DOOR DESIGN OF THE NEW FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCK CAME UP. I HAD PURCHASED AN F-150 SUPER CAB IN APRIL 2001 AND HADNT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DEFECT. MY FRIENDS STATED THAT THE DOOR ON THE NEW F-150S WERENT DESIGNED PROPERLY FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR AND WOULD START TO DEVELOP CRACKS. THEY SAID THAT IF I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FORD WOULD PAY TO REPAIR THE CRACKS. I CHECKED MY TRUCK AND I NOTICED A CRACK AT THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF MY DRIVERS DOOR NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW. I WENT TO CROWNE FORD IN WARRENSBURG, MO 660-747-7111, ON 6 AUG 01 AND SPOKE WITH MR. CHRIS MARTEN HE INFORMED THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT FORD DIRECTLY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN APRIL 2001 THE WARRANTY ON MY TRUCK EXPIRED IN FEBRUARY 2001. AFTER ARRIVING AT HOME I CALLED FORD ON 6 AUG 01 AT 11:45AM AT 800-392-3673 AND SPOKE WITH MARK, EMPLOYEE # 2547. MARK INFORMED ME THAT FORD WOULD NOT REPAIR THE DEFECT SINCE THE 3/36-WARRANTY PERIOD HAD EXPIRED. (NOTE) WHAT I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED IS THAT FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT SINCE 1997. THE DEFECT WAS CORRECTED IN THE 2000-YEAR MODELS BUT MANY CUSTOMERS WHO DISCOVERED CRACKS AND BROUGHT THEIR TRUCKS IN FOR REPAIR PRIOR TO 2000 HAD NEW DOORS INSTALLED WITH THE SAME DEFECT IN THEM. FORD HAS EVEN SENT OUT A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO THEIR DEALERS, ARTICLE # 01-2-6 BUT FAILED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DEFECT. FORD WOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS ONLY IF THE CUSTOMER BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH FORD NOT INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT KNOWN DEFECTS WITH THEIR VEHICLES UNTIL AFTER SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSB CAN HELP RESOLVE THIS DEFECT FOR ALL FORD F-150 OWNERS AND MYSELF. *AK