2003 FORD F-150 Fuelpropulsion System Problems

I purchased this F150 in November, 2023. The only code shown was a lean code, P0171. I removed the bed first to begin my inspection. Upon removing the original fuel tank, I discovered a gash in the top of the tank,about 1/8" wide by 3" long. It should have set a code like a missing gas cap would, but there was none. The gash appeared to be several years old due to the rust pitting. I believe the gash was a result of the cross member rubbing against the tank. The previous owner did not mention the defect. Fuel would have spilled out if the tank was completely filled. I did not find any service alerts for this though they may exist. The truck currently has 225k miles.

FUEL TANK SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, RESULTING IN FUEL SPILL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATED SINCE THE DAY OF PURCHASE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE CAR PORT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED AS WELL AS DAMAGED THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT CONTACTED A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THEM OF A RECALL FOR THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06E056000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CONTACT STATED THE VIN HAD NOT SHOWN TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 203,000. *BF *DL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE DEALER (LYNCH FORD CHEVROLET INC, 410 US-30, MT VERNON, IA 52314, 319-895-8500) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS FOR THE RECALL REMEDY WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

I DROVE THE TRUCK ABOUT 90 MILES SUNDAY JULY 29. PARKED THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF MY HOME WENT INSIDE AND ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER HEARD AN EXPLOSION. WENT OUT FRONT AND FOUND MY TRUCK ENGINE COMPARTMENT FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE WAS SO HOT IT MELTED ENGINEER PARTS AND THE HOOD. I HAD CHECKED THE OIL, COOLANT AND TRANS PRIOR TO MAKING THE TRIP. THERE WERE NO LEAKS OF ANY TYPE. HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH FULE OR OIL LEAKS.

GAS TANK IS LEAKING. JUST READ THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT

IN MARCH OF 2014, MY FUEL TANK STRAPS BROKE DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND MY FUEL TANK FELL TO THE ROAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I PAID TO HAVE IT REPAIRED THAT SAME MONTH BUT I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS IN A FORD RECALL, CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11S21. I TOOK THE BILL TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, PER THE FORD RECALL INSTRUCTIONS, BUT THEY DENIED MY CLAIM BECAUSE I NO LONGER OWN THE VEHICLE; IT WAS TOTALED IN 2015

THE FUEL TANK STRAP HAS BROKEN DUE TO CORROSION. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL ON THIS ISSUE FOR SIMILAR VEHICLES FROM FORD, BUT FORD STATED MINE IS NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.

TRANS WENT OUT A MONTH AFTER INTAKE CRACK HAD TO BE REPLACE ALMOST $1,650 TOGETHER ALSO BALL JOINTS AND TIEROD ENDS NO GOOD SHOCK NO GOOD BRAKE ARE FALLING AND REAR END IS GRINDING THIS TRUCK SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN SOLD HELP AND THERE'S "MORE".

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAP FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL TANK WAS PUNCTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PUNCTURED FUEL TANK WAS A FIRE HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. IN ADDITION, THE STRAPS THAT HELD UP THE FUEL TANK HAD EXCESSIVE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK FAILED. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A POPPING NOISE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST ONTO THE SHOULDER, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK SEPARATED FROM THE STRAP DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FUEL TANK STRAP FRACTURED AND THE FUEL TANK DROP TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT BOTH FUEL TANK STRAPS FRACTURED DUE TO CORROSION AND AS A RESULT, THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN MADE THE CONTACT AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK WITH MY WIFE & SON, WE HEARD A LOUD POP, LIKE A GUN SHOT, THEN MY TRUCK STARTED TO RUN REAL ROUGH, I FOUND A COIL, & A SPARK PLUG HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE, BECAUSE OF THE FUEL BUILD UP & THE SPARK FROM THE TRUCK STILL RUNNING WE ARE LUCKY THAT THE TRUCK DID NOT CATCH FIRE.

GAS TANK STRAPS CORRODED/BROKE CAUSING THE TANK TO DROP AND LEAK. EXCESSIVE RUST AT BOTTOMS OF ALL FOUR DOORS. *TR

ANOTHER CRACKED PASSENGER SIDE MANIFOLD ON REGULARLY SERVICED VEHICLE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD ISSUE RECALL OR PROVIDE "GOODWILL" BASED ON THE NUMBER OF FAILED COMPONENTS BEING REPORTED BY FORD OWNERS. *TR

MY 2003, FORD F-150 BLEW A SPARK PLUG FOR THE FOURTH TIME YESTERDAY. EACH TIME A DIFFERENT PLUG. I WAS HEADING TO CHURCH AND "POP". WE WERE JUST GETTING ON THE ON RAMP WHEN IT HAPPEN. FOUR TIME NOW AND EACH TIME I HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT AND IT'S SITTING IN MY YARD... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE WHEN IT WAS NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL GASOLINE FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION NEAR THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE GASOLINE TANK WAS LEAKING. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE VEHICLE IF THE GASOLINE TANK WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

USED 2003 FORD F150 I ORDERED A $100. NY INSPECTION, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THIS TRUCK HAD A PROBLEM, THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RECALL HIS RECORDS SHOWED ON PAPER THAT IT WAS DONE, BUT UPON A PHYSICAL INSPECTION IT WAS NOT DONE, ONLY SOME MAKE SHIFT WIRES TO HOLD UP THE GAS TANK THE SERVICE ADVISOR GAVE THE WIRES TO ME TO SHOW YOU HE CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER IN MASSACHUSETTS THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY SINCE THEY HAD CLOSED THE CASE MY SERVICE ADVISOR THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD CALL 'FORD SPECIAL ASSISTANCE HE SAID THEY DENIED THE ASSISTANCE AFTER THE CALL HE INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR NEW STRAPS AND THE INSTALLATION LABOR AND TAXES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURE IS RESPONSIBLE TO CARE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THROUGH THEIR DEALERS. ESPECIALLY GAS TANK STRAPS!!...