1998 FORD E SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I HAVE NOT HAD AN "INCIDENT" WITH MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION, BUT I AM SCARED SENSELESS HAVING READ THE MANY REPORTS BY OWNERS WHO HAVE. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AGES 3 AND 7 WHO RIDE DAILY IN OUR FAMILY VEHICHLE. I AM URGING YOU TO CONSIDER A MANDATORY RECALL ON EXPEDITIONS WITH SIMILAR CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS TO THE 2000 MODELS. PLEASE DON'T ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO SUFFER OR DIE.

TIRE TREAD SEPARATION OF FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S LT 225 75 R/16 MS LOAD RANGE E TUBELESS RADIAL 2 STEEL PLY TIRE. ON 1999 WINNEBAGO MINNIE MOTORHOME (FORD V10 - E SUPERDUTY SERIES) WITH 9,400 MILES. WE LIMPED THE VEHICLE INTO NEAREST GAS STATION WITH STEEL BELT SHOWING ON TIRES. NO APPARENT ROAD DAMAGE TO TIRE. THE TREAD JUST SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. TIRES WERE CHECKED AT DEALERSHIP TWO DAYS PRIOR TO TRIP FOR PROPER AIR PRESSURE AND WEAR PRIOR TO LEAVING ON TRIP. EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE. WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND CONTACT FIRESTONE DIRECTLY REGARDING THIS MATTER AND SEE IF THEY WILL ASSIST.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 FORD DIESEL VAN THAT I HAVE JUST PURCHASE ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THE FORMER OWNER GAVE ME A CLUE OF A PROBLEM THAT I DIDN'T PICK ON WHEN I BOUGHT IT. HE SAID DON'T FILL THE TANK FULL OR THE FUEL WILL OVERFLOW. WELL IT DOES OVERFLOW FULL OR NOT BUT WORST WITH A FULL TANK. FORD AND THE NHTSA HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR POSSIBLE CRACKING OF FUEL TANKS IN VAN'S LIKE MINE. THE RECALL WAS FOR 1997 THRU 2001 ECONOLINE_VAN'S. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP IN CHARLESTON SC BUT THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT IT AND TOLD ME THAT NO RECALL WAS EVER MADE ON MY VAN. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. BUT A RECALL WAS MADE ON JUNE 29, 2000. THE FUEL TANK DOES NOT APPEAR TO LEAK WHILE STOPPED EVEN IF THE MOTOR IS RUNNING AND I HAVE LET IT RUN FOR MORE THAN A HOUR. IT LEAKS VERY BAD WHILE UNDERWAY. THE WIRING HARNESS THAT RUNS BY THE FUEL TANK AND JUST UNDERNEATH IT IS FULL OF DIESEL FUEL. I OPEN UP THE HARNESS PLASTIC COVER AND DRAIN THE FUEL FROM IT BUT IT WILL FILL UP AGAIN AS SOON AS I DRIVE THE VAN. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TRIED TO PIN POINT THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO SO. I CLEAN THE TANK BUT THE FUEL WILL REAPPEAR WITH NO VISIBLE SOURCE OF LEAK. THIS HAS GOT ME SCARED AND SINCE FORD WILL NOT LOOK AT IT UNLESS I AGREE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AND I AM AT LOST AS TO WHAT TO DO NOW. I FEEL THAT THIS PROBLEM IS JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER VAN'S THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY REPAIRED OR INSTALL INSULATORS TO PROTECT THE TANK FROM CRACKING IF IT IS NOT LEAKING. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD LOOK AT THE VAN AND FIXED AT THEIR EXPENSE IF THE TANK IS INDEED CRACK LIKE I SUSPECT. I FOUND THAT A RECALL # 01V114000 WAS MADE ON MARCH 30, 2001 FOR POSSIBLE FUEL TANK CRACKING IN 1998 E350 VAN'S. I ALSO FOUND THAT NHTSA HAD ALSO ISSUE A TSB #15113 FOR 1998 FORD E350 VANS FOR POSSIBLE FUEL FILL VALVE SEALING CONDITION. I THINK RECALLS ARE MORE IMPORTANT ANYWAY AND CAN BE VERIFIED.

THE INSIDE PASSENGER SIDE DUEL TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH.*AK CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE FROM THE TIRES AND 15 MINUTES LATER THE ENTIRE TREAD BLEW OFF THE TIRE. IT DAMAGED THE WIRING, FRAME AND BODY. THIS WAS NOT A RECALLED TIRE. CONSUMER NO LONGER TRUST THE REMAINING TIRES, FORD OR FIRESTONE. *PH *JB

I OWN A 1998 COACHMAN MOTORHOME, CLASS C WITH STEELTEX RADIAL R4S LT225/75R16 M/S TIRES ON IT. WHILE TRAVELING UP I64 HEADED TOWARD CROZET, VA. FROM MY HOME IN MECHANICSVILLE, VA. I EXPERIENCED TIRE PROBLEMS. WHILE DRIVING ALONG AROUND 62 MILES PER HOUR I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE BUMPING WHICH FELT LIKE A TIRE PROBLEM AND AFTER PULLING OVER AND INSPECTING THE TIRES DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT REAR OUTSIDE TIRE WAS THE PROBLEM. AFTER CALLING GOOD SAMS ROAD SERVICE AND GETTING THE TIRE CHANGED THE TIRE LOOKED AS IF THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE AND WAS COMING APART. THESE TIRES ONLY HAD ROUGHLY 16,800 MILES ON THEM AT THE TIME. THE SPARE HAD NEVER BEEN USED AND STILL HAD THE STICKER ON IT SO I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON MY TRIP. I SENT AN EMAIL TO FIRESTONES WEB SITE AND TO THIS DAY HAVEN'T HEARD A WORD ABOUT THE TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE LOAD RANGE 'E' TIRES AND HAD 80 LBS. OF AIR IN EACH BECAUSE I CHECK THEM BEFORE TAKING ANY TRIPS. I'VE GOT ANOTHER TIRE ON THE FRONT OF MY RV THAT IS WEARING ODD ALSO. NORMALLY WHEN A TIRE IS UNDER INFLATED IT WEARS THE OUTSIDE TREADS DOWN AND IF OVER INFLATED IT WEARS THE CENTER TREAD OR TREADS DOWN. THIS TIRE IS WEARING DOWN ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH TREAD. ISN'T THIS ODD? THE FIRST, THIRD AND FIFTH TREAD LOOK OKAY. I'D HATE TO THINK MORE OF THESE TIRES DOING THE SAME THING AND POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY OR DAMMING THE NEXT TIME. WE WERE FORTUNATE THIS TIME. THANK YOU. *NLM