1997 FORD F-150 Fuelpropulsion System Problems

I filled the fuel tank and let the vehicle set in my drive over night. In the morning as I was approaching the vehicle in preparation to drive to work, I smelled a strong odor of gasoline. I looked under the vehicle and saw a wet spot about 3 feet in diameter. The wet spot was gasoline. As i was investigating the leak, I noticed the front fuel tank retaining band rusted in two and fuel tank hanging low. Further investigation revealed there was a leak from the fuel pump access seal and hose connecting the filler neck to the tank. I had just driven the vehicle 130 miles the day before filling the fuel tank. If it hadn't been for the leaking fuel, I would have not have discovered that the tank was only secured by one badly rusted retaining band and would have continued to operate the vehicle...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT TO REAR FUEL STRAPS FRACTURED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE FUEL LINES AND FUEL TANK TO FRACTURE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUEL STRAPS, FUEL LINES, AND FUEL TANK DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS INCLUDED. THE DEALER (REINEKE FORD LINCOLN OF LIMA, 419-223-3673, 1360 GREELY CHAPEL RD, LIMA, OH 45804) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, INDICATING THAT THE CONTACT WELDED THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR FUEL STRAP. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION TO PERFORM THE RECALL...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, FUEL LEAKED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 258,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS FAILED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE STATE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

FUEL TANK STRAPS BROKE AND FUEL TANK FELL TO THE GROUND WHILE IN MOTION AT SLOW SPEED. FUEL FILLER NECK CRACKED AND FUEL CONNECTION AND FUEL PUMP DO NOT WORK. VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE AND TEMPORARILY SUPPORTED BY STRAPS. ON MY OWN I DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 1997-2004 FORD TRUCKS AND CONTACTED FORD WHO INFORMED, TO MY DISBELIEF, THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. FORD COULD OFFER ME NO HELP.

FUEL TANK STRAPS ARE UNDER RECALL FOR RUST AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED TO HAVE THE FUEL TANK TO START TO LEAK. THE WHOLE FUEL TANK IS RUSTED UP AND IS DANGEROUS. FORD WILL NOT REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. THERE IS A DANGER THAT THE FUEL WILL CATCH ON FIRE AND WILL BE HAZARD TO THE DRIVER AS WELL AS OTHER MOTORISTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE CONTACT SMELLED FUEL AND NOTICE A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRAPS HAD BEEN REPLACED AND THE FUEL TANK HAD A PINHOLE FRACTURE, WHICH WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED (45 MPH), NO ABNORMAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS PRESENT. LOUD BANG NOISE CAME FROM WITHIN ENGINE BAY, AND TRUCK BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND STUMBLE VERY BADLY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND PRECEDED TO FLASH, PUT TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND ROLLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE TRUCK WAS SHUT OFF. EXCESSIVE FUEL WAS FOUND ON TOP OF THE ENGINE AT THE THIRD CYLINDER FROM THE FRONT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE (4.6L V8 ENGINE). SPARK PLUG WAS SEPARATED FROM THE WIRE AND LYING ON TOP OF ENGINE. SPARK PLUG BOOT WAS MELTED AND SMOKING SUGGESTING IT WAS PREVIOUSLY BURNING. SPARK PLUG WAS %100 COVERED BY BURNT SOOTY MATERIAL. *TR

CONTACTED RECALL HOTLINE AND THEY STATED MULTIPLE LETTERS WERE SENT OUT FOR THIS PROGRAM SO THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RELATED DAMAGES. I RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE OCTOBER 2014 AND TOOK TRUCK TO GET RECALL FIXED WITHIN 2 MONTHS FROM WHEN I GOT A NOTICE OF RECALL . *TR

HAD FUEL TANK STRAP RECALL DONE ON 3/16/2015 ON MY 1997 FORD F150. PICKED TRUCK UP FROM DEALER ON 3/20/2015 AND TOOK IT TO MY HOME AND PARKED IT BY THE HOUSE. I LEFT MY HOUSE WITH MY OTHER CAR FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AND WHEN I RETURNED HOME I COULD SMELL A STRONG ODOR A GAS. UPON INSPECTION OF MY TRUCK I FOUND GAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK AT THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAD THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MY TRUCK WAS FINE WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL AND NOW AFTER THE RECALL THE TANK IS LEAKING BECAUSE THE OLD STRAPS CORRODED AND DAMAGED THE TANK. TRUCK GOES IN FOR SAFETY RECALL AND COMES BACK UNDRIVABLE BECAUSE OF A FIRE SAFETY ISSUE ( LEAKING FUEL TANK ) HOW CAN THIS BE ACCEPTABLE...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAPS FRACTURED. TWO YEARS PRIOR, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 11/20/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS GAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RUBBER PORTION OF THE GAS LINE CONNECTED TO DUCT BILL CLIP FITTING ROTTED AWAY. UPDATED 5/4/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK REAR STRAP CORRODED AND SEPARATED FROM THE GAS TANK. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE ALSO FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 197,000.

THE F150 FUEL TANK IS PRONE TO SEVERE AND DANGEROUS RUST AT THE BASE OF THE FILLER NECK. SO SEVERE THAT IT WILL RUST THROUGH CAUSING THE FUEL TO SPILL PROFUSELY THROUGH THE CRACKED NECK. I AM SURE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW BECAUSE AFTER CHECKING THE SALVAGE YARDS TO TRY AND REPLACE THE PART I DISCOVERED THAT IT'S NOT A REMOVABLE PART OF THE TANK AND THAT ALL THE TANKS I CHECKED HAD THE SAME CRACKED RUSTED AREA. MEANING THAT IF THE F150'S ARE STILL ON THE ROAD THEY WILL EVENTUALLY SUFFER THIS DANGEROUS FUEL LEAKAGE. *TR

STOPPED TO FILL UP GAS TANK AND AS PUMPING THE GAS STARTED LEAKING OUT OF THE FILLER NECK TO THE TOP OF THE TANK. *TR *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT SMELLED AN ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED ONE OF THE REAR FUEL TANK STRAPS FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO PARTIALLY DETACH. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING); HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 246,000.