1997 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT)

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF ENGINE AND DESTROYED COIL PACK RIPPING THE THREADS OUT OF THE HEAD. *TR

Mileage: 180,000

OUR MECHANIC NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE STRAPS AT THE REAR OF THE GAS TANK WAS MISSING, AND WHEN FILLING UP OUR 1997 FORD F150, THE TANK WAS GETTING CLOSE TO BEING FILLED, GAS STARTED SPEWING OUT OF THE FILL TUBE. WE LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND NOTICED THAT THE FILL TUBE HAD SHIFTED DUE TO THE REAR STRAP BEING BROKEN. *TR

Mileage: 163,500

1997 FORD F-150 . THE GAS TANK STRAPS HAVE BEGUN TO ROT AND HAVE CHAFFED THE GAS TANK TO THE POINT THERE ARE SOME GAS VAPORS ESCAPING. NOT A FULL BLOWN LEAK AT THIS POINT. I WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING TO AVOID FIRE/EXPLOSION. *TR

Mileage: 159,000

ONE GAS TANK STRAP BROKE ON MY 97 FORD F150 A FEW MONTHS LATER THE OTHER ONE BROKE. I DROPPED AND DRAGGED THE GAS TANK WHICH BEGAN TO LEAK. I DON'T DRIVE THAT VEHICLE TOO MUCH. I WAS VERY LUCKY THERE WAS NO FIRE OR EXPLOSION. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY 1997 FORD F150 LOCK UP. WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES GRADUALLY OVERHEAT FROM A FAILURE OF THE CALIPERS TO RETURN TO THEIR NON-BRAKING POSITION. I HAVE REPLACED THE RUBBER BRAKE LINES, REPLACED THE DISK BRAKE PADS. TURNED THE ROTORS, LUBRICATED THE SLIDING PORTIONS OF THE CALIPERS WITH HIGH-TEMPERATURE GREASE AND TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE BRAKES COMPUTER CHECKED AND REPAIRED. NEVER-THE-LESS, THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO LOCK UP DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS PRESENTS AN EXTREME SAFETY RISK. WHEN DRIVING TO A SAFE LOCATION TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO COOL DOWN, THE VEHICLE LOSES MOST OF IT'S BRAKING ABILITY AND I HAVE SUFFERED TIRE FAILURE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP IN THE BRAKES WHICH TRANSFERS IT'S HEAT INTO THE WHEEL CAUSING TIRE FAILURE. ALSO, THE ENGINE HAS TO WORK IN AN UNSAFE TEMPERATURE AREA IN ORDER TO DRIVE TO SUCH A SAFE LOCATION. THIS AFFECTS THE GAS MILEAGE, ENGINE RELIABILITY AND ENDURANCE, WHILE PRESENTING, Y

Mileage: 50,000

THE FRONT BRAKES ON MY 1997 FORD F150 LOCK UP. WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES GRADUALLY OVERHEAT FROM A FAILURE OF THE CALIPERS TO RETURN TO THEIR NON-BRAKING POSITION. I HAVE REPLACED THE RUBBER BRAKE LINES, REPLACED THE DISK BRAKE PADS. TURNED THE ROTORS, LUBRICATED THE SLIDING PORTIONS OF THE CALIPERS WITH HIGH-TEMPERATURE GREASE AND TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE BRAKES COMPUTER CHECKED AND REPAIRED. NEVER-THE-LESS, THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO LOCK UP DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS PRESENTS AN EXTREME SAFETY RISK. WHEN DRIVING TO A SAFE LOCATION TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO COOL DOWN, THE VEHICLE LOSES MOST OF IT'S BRAKING ABILITY AND I HAVE SUFFERED TIRE FAILURE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP IN THE BRAKES WHICH TRANSFERS IT'S HEAT INTO THE WHEEL CAUSING TIRE FAILURE. ALSO, THE ENGINE HAS TO WORK IN AN UNSAFE TEMPERATURE AREA IN ORDER TO DRIVE TO SUCH A SAFE LOCATION. THIS AFFECTS THE GAS MILEAGE, ENGINE RELIABILITY AND ENDURANCE, WHILE PRESENTING, Y

Mileage: 50,000

V6 4.2L ENGINE: GASKET FAILURE CAUSING WATER/FLUID FILL UP THE CYLINDER WHICH CAUSES THE ROD TO BLOW.*AK

THE TRUCK STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, WHICH WOULD COME AND GO. THESE PROBLEMS BECAME MORE SEVERE AND NUMEROUS AS TIME WENT BY. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THE WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON AND THEN THINGS LIKE THE RADIO COMING ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND NO ONE HAD THE KEY EVEN IN. IT WOULD ALSO SHIFT INTO 4-WHEEL FOR NO REASON. THESE WOULD ONLY HAPPEN ONCE IN A WHILE. THEN ONE DAY WHEN I WENT TO GO TO WORK I OPENED THE DOOR AND EVERYTHING CAME ON JUST OPENING THE DOOR. I GOT IN AND PUT THE KEY IN AND TRIED TO START THE TRUCK BUT THERE WAS NOTHING. I THEN NOTICED THE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS BURNING AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK OUT THE KEY. I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND ASK IF THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY IMMEDIATELY REPLIED THAT THESE TRUCKS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD LEAKING ON THE GEM MODULE AND FUSE BOX. WHEN I TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT THEY SAID THE STARTER, SOLENOID, AND FUSE HAD ALL BURNED UP. THE FUSE BOX ALSO HAD BURNED AT SEVERAL FUSE LOCATIONS AND H

Mileage: 164,745

UPON STARTING ONE MORNING, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD BANGING NOISE. HAD THE ENGINE INSPECTED AND FOUND THAT AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD FAILED. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

Mileage: 120,611

I USED TO BE A PROUD OWNER OF A 1997 FORD F150 4.2 LITER V6. THAT WAS UNTIL TODAY WHEN MY ENGINE HYDROLOCKED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE TRUCK NOW HAS 164000 MILES ON IT, HOWEVER, THE FIRST TIME HAPPENED AT APPROX. 110000 MILES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE V6 ENGINES, AND THAT FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING DO TO THE "HIGH" MILES. I REPLACED THE ENGINE WITH A COMPLETE NEW SHORT BOCK,AND THE RECOMMENDED BY FORD 4MM HEAD GASKETS INSTEAD OF THE 3MM THAT THEY ORIGINALLY INSTALLED. THIS ENGINE LASTED ANOTHER APPROX 20000 MILES BEFORE IT HYDROLOCKED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE WARRANTY FROM THE ENGINE SUPPLIER...THANKFULLY. NOW, HOWEVER THERE ISN'T ANYTHING TO DO BUT REPLACE THE ENGINE AGAIN. IT'S NOT WORTH MUCH AS A RUNNING VEHICLE DO TO IT'S AGE, BUT AS A NON-RUNNING ONE IT'S REALLY WORTHLESS. I JUST HOPE THE SOMEDAY FORD WILL BE PRESSURED INTO MAKING SOME KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND

Mileage: 110,000

OWN A 1997 FORD F150 THAT CAUGHT FIRE AS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH

Mileage: 63,505

MY 1997 FORD F-150 TRUCK WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVE WAY IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE, AND NO LIGHTS WERE ON. I STEPED OUT THE FRONT DOOR OF MY HOUSE, AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I LOOKED OVER AT MY TRUCK, AND SAW FLAMES IN THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL, AND SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD SIDE AND BACK EDGES. I GOT THE FIRE EXTENGUISHER FROM THE HOUSE, SHOT UP IN THE WHEEL WELL, THEN OPENED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE REST OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE SEEMED TO START IN THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AREA, AND I BELIEVE AS A RESULT OF A DEFECT IN THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THE MASTER CYLINDER IS DESTROYED,AN EVAPORATIVE EMMISSION CONTROL VALVE AND SOLENOID ARE DESTROYED, AND SOME WIRING HARNESSES HAVE BEEN BURNT.THE REAR ANTI LOCK BRAKE CONTROL VALVE IS DAMAGED. THE LEFT COWL COVER AND HOOD SEAL MELTED, AS DID THE LEFT INNER WHEEL WELL.I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE TRUCK AT THIS TIME.

Mileage: 147,000

DOOR HAS CRACKED DRIVERS SIDE BOTTOM CORNER OF WIDOW MOLDING

Mileage: 92,303

I HAD JUST ARRIVED BACK IN LAKELAND FL FROM A TRIP TO THE EAST COAST. I STOPPED AT A STORE TO BUY A FEW THINGS AND WHEN I CAME OUT AND STARTED MY 5.4 LITER F- 250 LIGHT DUTY TRUCK IT BLEW A SPARK PLUG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT WAS THE SECOND PLUG FROM THE REAR. MY TRUCK IS A 1997 FORD WITH 100500 APPROXIMATELY MILES ON IT. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM FOR REPAIR. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF TRITON ENGINES BLOWING SPARK PLUGS. I HAPPENED TO KNOW A PERSON THAT WORKED IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ACCORDING TO THAT INDIVIDUAL IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM NORMALLY REQUIRING A NEW HEAD AT A COST OF AROUND $3000 BUT SOME COULD BE REPAIRED BY LNSTALLING A NEW PLUG IF I WAS LUCKY. HOWEVER FORD WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW PLUG REPAIR. UPON GOING ONLINE I FOUND OUT THAT ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVEING THE SAME PROBLEM AND FORD IS DONING LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT IT. I FOUND THAT PRIOR TO THE PLUG BLOWING MOST PEOPLE WERE HEARING A KN

Mileage: 100,500

COMPUTER CONTINUES TO GIVE ACODE OF MISFIRE ON NUM 5 CYLINDER. TOOK TO 3 FORD DEALERSHIPS; ALL THEY DID WAS INSTALL NEW SPARK PLUG, PROBLEM PERSISTS. BEEN INVESTIGATING AND TRYING DIFFERENT INDEPNDENT SHOP FO REPAIR *AK

Mileage: 12,000

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH MY 1997 F150 4X4 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP. THE MIDDLE, RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING BROKE AND WAS EJECTED WITH GREAT FORCE FROM UNDER THE TRUCK. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND I REMEMBER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD IN AUGUST 1998 DETAILING THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, EARNHARDT FORD, ON OCTOBER 10, 1998, AND THE DEALER INSTALLED CLIPS ON THE FRONT PORTION OF BOTH SPRINGS. I RETRIEVED THE EJECTED PIECE OF THE BROKEN SPRING FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND I NOTICED THAT THE BREAK WAS RUSTY. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN IN ARIZONA OR NEVADA SINCE NEW, SO TO ME THIS INDICATES THAT THE SPRING PROBABLY HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME. ALSO JUST PRIOR TO THE SPRING EJECTING, I HAD BEEN INVOLVED A VERY MINOR REAR END COLLISION (THE CAR THAT HIT ME ONLY BROKE MY HITCH COVER). I THEORIZE THAT SOMEHOW THE FORCE OF THE CAR HITTING THE BACK OF MY TRUCK MUST HAVE REPOSITIONED THE BROKEN SPRING IN SUCH A WAY THAT PLACED STRESS ON THE FRONT RETAINI

Mileage: 87,000