2001 FORD LARIAT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY 2001 FORD F-150 PICKUP TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE LAST NIGHT AT 5PM ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 2014. WE HAD ONLY DRIVEN IT ONE MILE THAT DAY TO OUR CHURCH, HAD PARKED IT AT ABOUT 4:45PM AND WENT INTO CHURCH. BEFORE 5PM WE WERE NOTIFIED TO COME OUTSIDE. I WENT OUT TO DISCOVER THAT MY TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. A POLICEWOMAN WAS THERE BEFORE ME, PROBABLY FROM THE DETAIL THAT DIRECTS CHURCH TRAFFIC. SHE PREVENTED ME (ANYONE) FROM APPROACHING THE VEHICLE. SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD ALERTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE EXPLOSIONS WHEN THE TIRES POPPED AND, I ASSUME, THE WHEN AIR CONDITIONER VENTED ITS GAS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED AND THE FIREMEN ROLLED OUT A HOSE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, BUT NOT BEFORE MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HAD OCCURRED. THE HOOD APPARENTLY MELTED AWAY GIVING THEM ACCESS TO SPRAY THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE RADIATOR HAD ALSO BEEN MELTED AWAY. THEY ALSO OPENED THE CABIN AREA WITH MY KEY AND SPRAYED IT TO PUT OUT ANY POSSIBLE FIRE THERE. A WHILE LATER A FIRE INVESTIGATOR ARRIVED AND HE LOOKED OVER THE RESULT. HE TOOK OUR INFORMATION AND SAID HIS REPORT WHO BE COMPLETED WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. ONE OF THE FIREMEN REPORTED HE HAD WORKED AT FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPT. IN THE PAST AND SAID THEY REPLACED A LARGE NUMBER OF CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES MOUNTED ON THE BRAKE CYLINDER BECAUSE OF A RECALL TO RECTIFY A DEFECT CAUSING SPONTANEOUS FIRES. MAYBE THIS WAS THE CAUSE. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK, USED, 1 YEAR AGO AND IT PASSED VEHICLE INSPECTION THE DAY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. *TR

TRAVELING APROX. 65 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ODOMETER WENT BLANK FOLLOWED BY THE RADIO AND THE COMPASS & OA TEMP FADING TO BLACK. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE BATTERY GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO A MINUTE AFTER THAT ALL THE OTHER GAUGES (SPEEDOMETER,TACHOMETER,WATER TEMP, OIL ) WENT TO ZERO LIKE THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND WAS NOT MOVING. THE CRUISE DROPPED OUT ENGINE STILL RUNNING PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THE ENGINE STARTED TO BOG THEN ALL THE INSTRUMENTS CAME BACK ON AND READING NORMAL. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN 200 MILE TRIP. *JS

WE STARTED UP THE TRUCK, SMELLED SMOKE AND WE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. OPEN THE HOOD AND WE SAW THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER ON FIRE, WE QUICKLY PUT IT OUT WITH WATER. *TR

DESPITE PARTICULARLY GOOD CARE FOR MY FORD F-150 LARIAT, INCLUDING CLEANING AND WAXING BY HAND WITH NO HARSH CHEMICALS, THE ROOF ON THE CAB IS DEFECTIVE. INSTEAD OF IT BEING A FLAT, EVEN SURFACE WHERE WATER CAN ROLL OFF, THE ROOF TOP HAS SEVERAL CHANNELS THAT END UP COLLECTING WATER. OVER THE YEARS THIS HAS LED TO BUBBLING OF THE PAINT AND ULTIMATELY RUST SO SEVERE SEVERAL OF THE CHANNELS ARE NOW PERFORATED (HAVE HOLE IN THEM) ALLOWING WATER TO SEEP INTO THE CAB AND FLOOD THE FLOOR OF THE TRUCK. BUBBLING OF PAINT AND OTHER AREAS OF RUST SPOTS HAVE ALSO APPEARED LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THE PAINT JOB OR THE METAL USED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE WAS CONTAMINATED CREATING ELECTROLYSIS BETWEEN DIFFERENT METALS. *TR

DESPITE PARTICULARLY GOOD CARE FOR MY FORD F-150 LARIAT, INCLUDING CLEANING AND WAXING BY HAND WITH NO HARSH CHEMICALS, THE ROOF ON THE CAB IS DEFECTIVE. INSTEAD OF IT BEING A FLAT, EVEN SURFACE WHERE WATER CAN ROLL OFF, THE ROOF TOP HAS SEVERAL CHANNELS THAT END UP COLLECTING WATER. OVER THE YEARS THIS HAS LED TO BUBBLING OF THE PAINT AND ULTIMATELY RUST SO SEVERE SEVERAL OF THE CHANNELS ARE NOW PERFORATED (HAVE HOLE IN THEM) ALLOWING WATER TO SEEP INTO THE CAB AND FLOOD THE FLOOR OF THE TRUCK. BUBBLING OF PAINT AND OTHER AREAS OF RUST SPOTS HAVE ALSO APPEARED LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THE PAINT JOB OR THE METAL USED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE WAS CONTAMINATED CREATING ELECTROLYSIS BETWEEN DIFFERENT METALS. *TR