1997 FORD F SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHILE DRIVEING AT 60 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD CRASH FROM THE LEFT REAR THEN A GRINDING POP FROM THE LEFT REAR ALL WHILE THE REAR END OF MY TRUCK FELT LIKE IT WAS FISH TAILING ON ICE OR LIKE SOME ONE HUGE WAS SHAKEING IT FROM SIDE TO SIDE I ALMOST LOST IT INTO A FIELD I WAS SO SUPRISED I GOT STOPPED TO LOOK THE LEFT REAR SHACKLE CUT LOOSE BECAUSE IT WAS ALMOST ALL DOTTED AWAY THE LOWER SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDES ARE MISS ALIGNED BY 2 INCHES EACH AND THE SPRING END IS NOW PEEKING THRU THE BED THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW BY MY BEST FRIENDS DAD AND WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF KEPT IN THE GARAGE AND NOT USED TO TOW OR HAUL BUT IT IS RUSTING AWAY SO BADLY THAT THE EXHAUST BOLTS HAVE ROTTED AWAY ON BOTH SIDES AND WILL COST 1500 TO FIX ALOT OF THAT IS THE COST TO GET THE BOLTS OUT OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THEY SAY BUILT FORD TOUGH BUT THEY REALY MEEN FORD BUILT IT AND IF U GET IT WET TOUGH ITS GONA ROT AWAY !

THE TRUCK WAS PARKED IN A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT. A FEW MINUTES LATER SOMEONE SAID THAT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL IN 10 MINUTES. FOUR OFF DUTY FIREMEN WERE THERE AND COULD NOT PUT THE FLAMES OUT. NEAR BY FIRE STATION WAS CALLED. ITS RESPONSE WAS WITH IN A FEW MINUTES. TRUCK WAS TOTALED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STARTED SURGING UP AND DOWN IN SPEED ERRATICALLY. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE SPEED CONTROL, BUT FINALLY TOOK IT OUT OF CRUISE FOR GOOD. THE SPEEDOMETER STILL WAS SURGING UP AND DOWN BETWEEN 4 AND 10 MPH DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT MY SPEED WAS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF FOR A DAY, IT RAN FINE UNTIL I RAN IT ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 40 MILES, THEN IT DID THE SAME ERRATIC SPEED CHANGES. *TR

WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN 2001, THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 82K MILES. I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME STARTING AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT START. AT FIRST THE DEALER THOUGHT IT WAS THE STARTER AND THEY REPLACED IT. THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO PEPBOYS TO GET THE STARTER REPLACED. WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR A MASS OF GRAY SMOKE COME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. TWO DAYS LATER THE ENGINE FROZE. SINCE I HAD A WARRANTY AGREEMENT I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER, THEY STATED IT HAD HYDROLOCKED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE WARRANTY COMPANY SENT OUT A SHORT BLOCK AND FORD COMPLETED THE REST OF THE REPAIRS. AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, MY DAUGHTER WAS USING MY TRUCK AND SHE DROVE IT TO MY HOUSE AND PARKED IT OUT FRONT. IT SAT FOR 2 WEEKS, WHEN I WENT TO START IT, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. REPLACE THE BATTERY AND IT STILL WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AT THAT TIME THE STARTER SMOKED AND TOOK THE TRUCK TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE STARTER. HE TRIED TO TURN IT OVER AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. HE STATED THEY TRIED USING A TORQUE WRENCH AND STILL COULD NOT TURN THE MOTOR. THE MECHANIC RECOMMENDED THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO MY HOME. AFTER READING THE INFO ABOUT ANOTHER TRUCK HYDROLOCKING, I DECIDED TO CHECK TO SEE IF MY TRUCK HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN I PULLED THE PLUGS, I HAD COOLANT DRAIN FROM THE #3 CYLINDER AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF COOLANT LEAK FROM #5 CYLINDER. PREPARING TO REPLACE THE LOWER AND UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. *TR

RECALL CORRECTION TURNS TO EXPLOSION DANGER! FORD ISSUED RECALL #11 S 21 ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS. BEST FORD OF NASHUA PERFORMED THE SERVICE TO INSTALL NEW STRAPS ON OCTOBER 7, 2011. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RECALL WORK, A VEHICLE REPORT ON BEST FORD LETTERHEAD WAS PROVIDED SHOWING ALL SYSTEMS WERE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. ON OCTOBER 21, 2011, DURING A REGULAR OIL CHANGE THE SERVICE PERSON ADVISED ME THAT MY FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED IT TO BEST FORD ON OCTOBER 21, 2011 TO WHICH THEY REFUSED TO CORRECT THE LEAK. THEY INSISTED THAT FORD WOULD NOT COVER ANY OTHER REPAIRS. I INFORMED THE BEST FORD SERVICE MANAGER THAT FAULT WAS THEIRS AND DID FILE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT. I HAVE RETURNED TO BEST FORD ON THREE ADDITIONAL OCCASIONS AND SENT NOT LESS THAN FIVE EMAILS TO REQUEST A FACE TO FACE MEETING. THEY HAVE IN EACH CASE REFUSED TO FIX THE LEAK CAUSED AS A RESULT OF THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. COMPLAINTS HAVE ALSO BEEN SENT TO FORD MOTOR CO (CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE CEO) AND THEY HAVE LIKEWISE REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUEL TANK STRAP MAY HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, HOWEVER, MY VERY MAINTAINED F150 IS NOW A PRESENT DANGER OF EXPLOSION. *TR