1997 FORD F-150 Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

97 F150 WITH 130K ENGINE GASKET BLEW. THIS ENGINE HAD A RECALL ON ENGINE AND TIMING COVER GASKETS, AND WHEN I TYPED MY VIN NUMBER IN ON THE FORD SITE, THEY SAID I HAD NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS. I ASKED FORD FOR THE NAME OF THE DEALER WHO LIED AND SAID THEY DID THE WORK AND ONLY GOT PAID FOR IT, AND FORD SAID THEY HAD NO INFO. I GOT THE SHAFT, AND IT COST 5K TO GET ENGINE REBUILT MYSELF. *TR

I HAVE A 1997 F-150 4.6 V8 WITH APPROX 270,XXX MILES ON IT. AROUND THREE YEARS AGO I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL RADIATOR AT AROUND 190,XXX MILES, SEEMED FAIR THAT'S A DECENT LIFE I THOUGHT FOR A RADIATOR. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. SINCE THEN I AM NOW NEED OF MY FOURTH RADIATOR, THE LAST RADIATOR WAS REPLACED IN JAN 2008. MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND FORD CUSTOMER CARE FOLKS ARE SAYING THAT THE PART IS OUT OF THEIR 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. ALL REPAIRS FOR THIS VEHICLE HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AT THIS DEALER FOR THE PAST FIVE OR SO YEARS. MY CONTENTION IS THAT CLEARLY THESE PARTS ARE SUSPECT AND THE REPAIR AND FAILURE HISTORY SEEMS TO SUPPORT THIS. *TR

I RECENTLY NOTICED A LOSS OF COOLANT AND FOAMY ENGINE OIL. I FOUND AN ONLINE FORUM EXPLAINING THIS AS A PROBLEM CALLED HYDROLOCKED.FORD HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1999 AN HAS ISSUED A TSB 99-20-7 AND ONP 99B29.WHY HAS FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOT BEEN HELD FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ? *TR

1997 FORD F150 4.2 V6 OIL PRESSURE FALLS TO ZERO AFTER WARM UP... WITH WARNING. I WAS DECEPTIVELY SOLD THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT WARRANTEE JUST LAST MONTH. MY TRUCK HAS ONLY 66K MILES AND NOW I DISCOVER A BIG ONGOING PROBLEM... JUST BY PLACING THIS TOP LINE IN ANY SEACH ENGINE YOU'LL REACH... HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=224 THAT IS 400 HITS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH LEADS TO ENGINE FAILURE. EVEN IF ITS REPAIRED PRIOR TO FAILURE.

1997 FORD 150, 144,000 MILES. ENGINE KNOCKS AND IS LOOSING COOLANT. AFTER DOING RESEARCH JUST FOUND OUT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 4.2L V6 ENGINE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL FROM FORD STATING A PROBLEM WITH THE MANIFOLD GASKET. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *NM

1997 F150 4.2L V6 60K MILES WATER IN CYLINDER WARPED ROD. ENGINE NO GOOD. CANT AFFORD TO SPEND 5K DOLLARS TO TRY TO REPAIR ENGINE. *NM

COOLANT LEAK. *NM

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2L 6 CYL ENGINE AND I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH COOLANT LEAKING AND WATER PUMP GASKET FAILURES AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL FORD TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAS 90,000 MILES AND I AM PAYING $1200 DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RECTIFIED. FORD HAS ISSUES TSB'S ON THIS ISSUE SINCE 1999 AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO REIMBURSE OR PROTECT THE CONSUMER FROM THIS RECOGNIZED FAILURE. THIS SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL RECALL AND REIMBURSEMENT MADE TO OWNERS WHO HAVE PAID TO HAVE THIS CONDITION RECTIFIED. *JB

LOSS OF COOLANT IN 4.2 L. V-6 ENGINE. FORD F-150 PICK-UP TRUCK.

GASKET FAILED ON 4.2 LITER FORD ENGINE, CAUSING A ROD TO BREAK. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE GASKET RECALL IN 1999. IT'S GOING TO COST ME $3000 TO FIX. FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THIS. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS JUST LIKE MINE OUT THERE.*AK

I HAD PURCHASED A USED FOR F-150 FOR THE DEALER IT WENT THROUGH INSPECTION AND WAS WORKING VERY WELL. HOWEVER AFTER ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF USE IT STARTED TO LOOSE COOLANT, BUT DOT VISIBLY. IT WOULD RUN HOT , I WOULD ADD COOLANT AND CONTINUE. THEN IN APRIL OF 2005 THE ENGINE LOCKED UP AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE ENGINE HAD HYDROLOCKED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. *NM

RECALL ON FORD TRUCK THAT I DID NOT RECIEVE, WHICH MY HAVE SAVED ME FROM GETTING A NEW ENGINE. RECALL#99B29. *NM

(1)FORD 1997 4.2 L V6, SLOW COOLANT LEAK/GASKET LEAK RESULTING IN INTERNAL TERMINAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. (2) REPLACING LOST COOLANT EVERY SO OFTEN IS NOT UNHEARD OF FOR A COMMON HIGH MILE ENGINE BUT BY DOING SO, THE PROBLEM IS GRADUALY GETTING WORSE UNTIL THE ENGINE LOCKS UP! (3)THE FIX IS THOUSANDS OF UPSET CONSUMERS SPENDING HARD EARNED DOLLARS REPLACING A FACTORY DEFECTIVE MOTOR WITH ANOTHER FACTORY DEFECTIVE MOTOR AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE! THANKS FORD! FOUND THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON AFTER RESEARCHING THE WEB. PLEASE HELP! SINCERLY, EX-FORD FAN

MY '97 FORD F150 4.2L V6 FAILED IN MY DRIVEWAY UPON STARTING THREE WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING IT. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION, I HEARD LOUD KNOCKING AND BANGING COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND I SHUT IT DOWN. I FOUND OIL POURING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE. UPON INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE # 2 CONNECTING ROD WAS SHATTERED WHICH TOOK OUT THE OIL PAN, THE OIL PICK UP TUBE, AND BENT THE CRANK SHAFT. REMOVED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND FOUND COOLANT IN THE REAR PORT OF THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD.

WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF A RECALL99B29 FOR A TIMING COVER/WATER PUMP GASKET ON MY 1997 FORD F-150 [XXX]. IN NOVEMBER 2004 I WAS LOSING COOLANT AND TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND HE GAVE ME AN EST. OF $1500.00. AT THAT TIME I COULDN'T AFFORD IT. I HAD IT REPAIRED AT A RELIABLE REPAIR SHOP FOR $800.00. I HAD JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FROM A CO-WORKER WHO ALSO HAS A VEHICLE MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. I FEEL THAT SHOULD BE DUE REBURSTMENT OF THE REPAIRS FOR THAT FACT I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RE-CALL.THEIR RECORDS WILL SHOW THAT OTHER RECALLS I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR THE REPAIRS. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT! *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150. I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I REPLACED IT WITH AN ENGINE FROM A 2000 MODEL. ONE YEAR LATER I'M HAVEING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE NEW ENGINE. WHILE RESOVLING THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING I LEARNED SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT TSB #99-20-7 WAS ISSUED BY FORD. IT DESCRIBES MY PROBLEMS IN DETAIL. I CAUGHT IT MUCH EARLIER THIS TIME AND WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY 2000 ENGINE. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESONSIBILITY AND FIX THE ISSUES RELATED TO THEIR TSB #99-20-7. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS THE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ISSUE IS NOT WIDE SPREAD. THE ISSUE IS OFTEN MIS-DIAGNOSED AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, WHICH IS TWICE THE COST TO FIX. SO CONSUMERS ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR FORDS COVER-UP. A WEB SITE...

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

COOLANT WAS ADDED TO THE VEHICLE, AND WITHIN TWENTY MINUTES THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE ROUGHLY. DRIVER SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WOULD NOT RESTART IT. DEALER FOUND THAT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET. *AK

MY 1997 FORD F150 WITH 4.2L V-6 MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO CYLINDERS. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, AT COLD START THE COOLANT IN THE CYLINDERS CAUSED PISTONS/ROD TO BREAK AND ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN LOUD KNOCKING AND POURING WHITE SMOKE OUT OF EXHAUST. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AND HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN HARD. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP SAYS THE LOCAL MACHINE SHOP THEY USE FOR REBUILDS HAS SEEN AT LEAST 24 OF THESE ENGINES SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2003! ESTIMATES TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THIS ENGINE RANGE FROM $2,000 TO $4,000. WE HAVE NOT YET DECIDED WHAT TO DO - SCARED TO GET NEW ENGINE FROM FORD BECAUSE SAME PROBLEM MAY STILL BE PRESENT.*AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH THE WATER PUMP AS STATED IN RECALL 00 V 094 000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION AND MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB

A TIE ROD FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE FRONT ENGINE SEAL AND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN AND ANTIFREEZE LEAK. SOME OF THE VEHICLES LIGHTS (DOME LIGHT AND DASH LIGHT) STAYED ON ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. *AK *NLM

NO SUMMARY. DT

THIS LEAK HAS POSSIBLY DAMAGED MY ENGINE IT WAS A FORD DESIGN FLAW WHAT CAN I DO? I ATTEMPTED TO SEND YOU THIS REPORT ON 12/07/02 BUT IT WAS NOT COMPLETE WAS THE MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT BACK TO MY E-MAIL. THEREFORE, I AM SENDING THIS TO YOU AGAIN I UNDERSTAND THAT A RECALL NUMBER 99B29 HAS BEEN PLACED BY FORD BUT IT DOES NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM. WHAT CAN I DO? PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD AND LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO HERE! DT

THIS TRUCK SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE FORD RECALL 99B29. AFTER CONTACTING FORD. THEY REFUSE TO EXTEND THE RECALL. IT IS MY BELIEF, THAT THE RECALL WAS TOO NARROW IN SCOPE AND SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ALL 1997 FORD F-150 TRUCKS. MANY OTHER FORD OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM (LEAKING GASKET WHICH IN TURN PERMITS THE COOLANT TO LEAK ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE, THEREBY DAMAGING THE ENGINE). THE 1997 FORD F-150 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE NEW MODEL DESIGN AND APPARENTLY FORD IS NOT STEPPING UP TO HELP THEIR CUSTOMERS. MY RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WITH THE 1997 F-150 WHEN THE TRUCK HAS REACHED 60,000-70,000 MILES AND AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THE FORD DEALERS AS WELL AS CORPORATE HAS KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM AND ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS RECALL WAS NOT BROAD ENOUGH TO COVER THE MANY TRUCKS THAT HAVE ENCOUNTERED...

2/01 VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO LITHIA FORD IN CONCORD TO DIAGNOSE OVER HEATING. COOLING SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AND STATED C.S. WAS HOLDING AT THAT TIME, TORE DOWN MOTOR, FOUND BAD BEARINGS, OIL PAN MILKY, HEAD GASKET BAD. REPLACED W/4.2 ENGINE WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER AN EXT WARRANTY, OTHER RECOMMENDED FIX CLUTCH DISC THROW OUT BEARINGS. 11/2000, PWR STEERING HOSE BAD, REPLACED,10/01 CK ENG LIT ONE,, IDLE AIR CNTROL VALVE REPLACED,6/02 OVERHEARING, NEW THERMO,COOLNT FLSH, OIL CHANGE, NEW BRAKES RECOMMENDED, DONE.9/4/02, OVERHEATING AGAIN, RECOMMENDED NEW RADIATOR/WATER PUMP, INQIRED ON PCV MODIFICATION RECALL, THEY WILL REPLACE.*AK

TIMING GASKET FAILURE FOLLOWED BY ENGINE FAILURE. GOOD RUNNING TRUCK BROUGHT TO FIRESTONE SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR OF WATER LEAK. TIMING GASKET AND WATER PUMP REPLACED. WATER PUMP WAS NOT LEAKING, BUT HAD 100K MILES. AFTER LEAK REPAIR SEVERE HESITATION NOTED ON ACCELERATION FROM STOP. WHILE RETURNING TO FIRESTONE OIL PRESSURE DROP AT RED LIGHT AFTER PASSING OTHER VEHICLE. CAM SHAFT SENSOR NOW BAD AND CHANGED; HESITATION FIXED, PRESSURE OK. DROVE < 5 MILES; ACCELERATED ONTO INTERSTATE & DROVE 4 MI. AT 1ST STOP AFTER EXITING INTERSTATE OIL PRESSURE DROP. RETURNED TO FIRESTONE. NOW I NEED A NEW ENGINE--$3000!

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OFF OF HOUSE AND COOLANT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM ENGINE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NO SUMMARY

COOLANT LEAKS THROUGH TIMING CHAIN COVER; WIPERS COME ON UNEXPECTANTLY WHILE IN OFF POSITION.

FIRST NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK WAS HESITATING AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE EASILY. TOOK TO A FRIEND OF OURS WHO OPENED UP A NEW AUTO SHOP AND HE CHANGED THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH COOLANT. HE THEN PULLED UP TSB FROM THE INTERNET REGARDING ENGINE CONTAMINATION, ARTICLE NO. 99-20-7. HE ENCOURAGED US TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY COULD FURTHER DIAGNOSE AND HOOK UP TO THEIR DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES, AS OUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND HE WASN'T SET UP TO READ THE COMPUTER. WE DROVE THE TRUCK, WITH BRAND NEW OIL, 4 MILES TO OUR HOUSE, PARKED AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO COME AND TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE HAD PURCHED THE VEHICLE. WE ALSO SAVED A SAMPLE OF THE CONTAMINATED OIL IN AN OLD WINDEX BOTTLE AND SENT IT TO THE DEALER. IT SAT FOR THREE DAYS WITH NO...

WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE RUNS HOT. WHEN POURING COOLANT IN TO IT, VEHICLE LEAKS. TO VEHICLE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW FUEL FILLER TUBE CRACKED, CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, AND VEHICLE OVERHEATED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK