2003 FORD F-150

2003 ford f150 king ranch 4x4 pickup all four doors are rotting out on the bottom. *dt 2/20/10 the consumer was informed the drain holes or weep holes were plugged probably from rust and road material thus trapping water inside the doors causing them to rust out. when the consumer looked at the weep holes, they were not clogged up, but plugged with factory installed plugs the consumer stated the plugs should have been removed before the sale of the vehicle. . *jb updated 04/06/10.*jb

Consumer complained about a tire defect. these tires came with the purchase of the vehicle. ameritrac p255/70r16. the tread came completely off the tire but the tire never went flat. vehicle began to pull to the left and spun into a wall. the vehicle was going about 50 mph when it hit the wall and the air bags failed to deploy. provide further details.

I was involved in accident. this was a head on accident. i own a 2003 f-150 super crew. on 02-21-05 i was involved in an accident where i hit a mini van in the passenger side. the front end of my truck was heavily damaged. the estimated speed was 35-40 mph with no braking. the air bag's never deployed. the air bags in the mini van deployed but not in my vehicle. rescue personel could not believe that the air bags did not deploy with the amount of damage done. *ak

Front driver seat moves on its own while driving with no warning or touching controls and no problem with fuses etc. when trying to use controls they do not always work until your driving or in drive with foot on brakes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the rear driver side and passenger side doors failed to open from inside and outside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the door cables needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin and failure mileage were unknown.

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.

Was driving along at 35 mph going straight on a city street. a spark plug was ejected from the engine head. this could create a fire hazard.

2003 f150 paint on the hood is showing aluminum rust oxidation. requiring a new hood.

Horn cruise control not working started when driving down the road in town

Both rear door latches have failed to operate. cannot open either rear door. this happened in the parking lot where i live. i am handy caped and cannot get access to my rolater which in the back seat area. i need this equipment to help me walk. has there been other reports of this malfunction? is this a recall item? will ford mfg repair this defect?

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. when the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal had not seized. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000. 06/01/17updated *lj *as

Drove to our cabin in upper wisconsin and the psf tire the middle of it blow out. it had probable a 4 inch cut from when it blue. the tires are less then a year old with 3,600 miles on them. the tires won't cheap but there junk and this will be the last time i buy good year of any type.

I was traveling 285-west in decatur, ga., around 3:30 pm eastern time, when i was in a a multi-car accident. i was in the lane closest to the grass, when a dodge ram four door truck hit my f-150 super crew cab 2003. the driver hit my driver side backdoor, and then he hit me again on the driver side front bumper, and spun me off the road into a wooded area with large trees and a ravine. i then had a head on collision with a large tree. i called on the name jesus three times, then my truck turned 180 degrees and that turned me around going into the ravine backwards. i felt myself come out of my seat with my seat belt on. my bench seat went into recline, then my head went backwards, then forward. my airbag did not deploy. i did research, when i noticed a website called "wekeepitsafe". the database shows 144,000 ford f-150 2003's recalled for failure of airbag deployment due to a malfunction in the steering wheel column. i called ford's motor head quarters. the first number was (313)323-9100, then i was transferred to 1-866-436-7332. i spoke with a rep by the name of mel, and he gave me a choice of monetary compensation or a truck. i declined, due to the fact that i was heavily medicated with hydrocodone for head, neck, and shoulder pain. i suffer from excruciating head aches, stabbing pain in my ear, and numbness/tingling/and pain in my back and legs. i have scheduled an appointment with an orthopaedic specialist, because my primary care physician is unable to assist. my case number is: #cas10200415. i am fond of ford pickup super crew cabs. i have a picture showing the airbag.and the picture proves that the airbag light indicator shows that it is working, if you look on the right side lower corner other picture by the gear shift. i spoke with mel at 11:24 am eastern time.

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.

Tl* the contact's boyfriend owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the ignition coils and all spark plugs would blow out inside of the engine which would cause the vehicle to stall as the check engine light would appear on the dashboard. the contact stated that she has had the ignition coils and sparks plugs replaced on four separate occasions all by independent mechanics however, the failure persisted. the contact also called three separate dealers but was unable to reach a service representative. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vin was not under recall. she was referred to nhtsa for assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Fuel tank separated from vehicle while driving on highway, resulting in fuel spill.

Hi my 2012 jeep i was driving home from work and suddenly my truck lost of power. and truck shot down completely. had to have my truck to my house. i am thinking there might be a alternator/electrical problem. i checked my vin on the recall please can call me on my number and how to proceed this manner thank you *tr

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".

The spark plug ejected from my engine and cylinder head. and apparently this is a common issue with ford truck engines. seems to me it should be a defect or a recall. that should not happen it could be dangerous. i thought my vehicles engine had exploded. and the cost of this could be outrageous.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving various speeds, the wiring harness burned. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that there were un-remedied recalls on the vehicle, and the wiring harness failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Spark plug 2nd closest to the passenger blew out.

On november 01,2020 i was involved in a vehicle rollover in my ford f150 2003 which the airbags did not deploy. airbag light was on and seatbelt locked i was entertaining intersection and almost through it when another vehicle ran the stop light causing me to rollover one in half times. airbag did not deploy and seat almost detached from cab.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while the key was in the ignition switch, the vehicle failed to shift gear as designed. the contact had to shift the gear from park to neutral and back into park then neutral again for the vehicle to resume normal operation and turn on. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 86,341.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that after parking the vehicle from driving, the vehicle began to smoke from the driver's side of the vehicle. the contact stated that shortly after the vehicle caught on fire under the hood on the driver's side. the fire department came to put out the fire and filed a police report. the vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. the contact had contacted the dealership (sam pack's five star ford address: 1635 s interstate 35e, carrollton, tx 75006 phone: (972) 446-5027) who informed that there was no recall on their vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 240,000.

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 owned a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle was included nhtsa campaign number: 05v017000 (vehicle speed control) and a repair appointment was scheduled with the local dealer. the contact stated that he was not informed by the dealer that the defective part could have been disconnected from the vehicle to avoid a fire which was stated in the recall remedy. the contact stated after his girlfriend parked the vehicle, about four and a half hours later the vehicle unexpectedly was engulfed in flames from the engine. the fire department was called and extinguished the flames. a fire department report was filed. the contact stated that two other vehicles were damaged by the fire. the dealer was notified of the incident and canceled a scheduled appointment however the manufacturer was not made aware of the incident. the fire department deemed the vehicle a total loss. the failure mileage was 196,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford f150. while driving 55 mph the vehicle slid on black ice causing the vehicle to collide with the guard rail several times. the contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated prior to the collision. the airbags did not deploy in the vehicle. the contact stated that he suffered whiplash and bruised muscles that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle to his place of employment however, the he drive slowly as the vehicle was shaking. the vehicle was towed 2 days later by the insurance company and deemed a total loss. the contact was unaware of the air bags failure was diagnosed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was available. the failure mileage was 116,807.

Nothing has really happened but both anti lock brake wires keep rubbing on the rims and whering through i have replaced both sides twice

One general grabber stx, from walmart, on front of f150 base model truck shredded on highway. following day the other front tire of same year and model of tire shredded. they shredded at 49,189 mies, 3yrs of use, still under tire manufacturers warranty. dot: a30khm580816 and a30khm581316. i suspect the model of tire can't handle the load of the front of the truck. whereas the exact same models of tires and same dot numbers on the rear are still running on the truck with 2900 miles more. the set of these four tires were all installed on the same date.

One general grabber stx, from walmart, on front of f150 base model truck shredded on highway. following day the other front tire of same year and model of tire shredded. they shredded at 49,189 mies, 3yrs of use, still under tire manufacturers warranty. dot: a30khm580816 and a30khm581316. i suspect the model of tire can't handle the load of the front of the truck. whereas the exact same models of tires and same dot numbers on the rear are still running on the truck with 2900 miles more. the set of these four tires were all installed on the same date.

La guagua estando estacionada en la marquesina apagada. se encendiÓ por el lado del chofer en motor cerca de los frenos.

Brake pedal became spongy at first but then went clear to the floor when attempting to stop. the vehicle stops but with very long reaction time. the master cylinder was replaced with a new unit...but the problem persisted. abs unit was then replaced with salvage unit...problem still persists.

Requestng ford be made to issue a recall for exhaust manifold holes and cracking issues. this issue is known and the are multiple forums online where people are talking about having this issue. when the manifold leaks, the risk is there that exhaust fumes can get into the driving compartment and asphyxiate the people in the car. it is an expensive repair for an issue for should have resolved long ago.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact's sister smelled smoke coming their bedroom window. the contact went outside and noticed that the vehicle caught on fire. the fire started from the driver side. the contact extinguished the fire with their water hose. no police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was not totaled however the front hood and passenger side was melted. the vehicle was not drivable. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised to take the vehicle to henson ford (581 1-45, madisonville, tx 77864). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 200,020.

Driving a 2003 ford f-150, lariat, super crew, going approximately 40 mph and accelerating, on the on-ramp entrance to ca state route 108, from standard road in sonora, ca, on july-3-2019, the wheels locked and their was a loss of steering. the time was approximately 11 am, road was dry, fair skies, no debris or obstacles on roadway. the road was in good condition. one week earlier replaced all tires at big o tires, sonora, ca; the wheel alignment was corrected at that time. the on-ramp was curving normally to the right, providing access to the westward bound traffic lane. when the wheels locked the vehicle spun to right, but turning the steering wheel to left, into the spin had no effect on the spin-out. the pick-up turned 180 degrees, and then rolled down the embankment on the inside of the on-ramp curve, the north-side of the on-ramp. i was injured, ems required i be flown by helicopter to the memorial hospital in modesto, ca. the ca highway patrol investigated the accident, and persumable took a witness statement from the truck driver who was following me as we entered the on-ramp. the witness, who had immediately ran down the embankment to render assistance, said he had never seen anything like it before, the wheel just come off. being incapacitated from the rollover wreck, i did not get the name of the witness, but the investigating office must have. the accident report is not available as of this report writing.

Gas tank strap broke was this a recall on this vehicle?

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal and it traveled to the floorboard. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact also stated that the failure occurred every day for approximately a week. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic. the approximate failure mileage was 178,157.

I had a catostrophic sidewall failure of a goodyear wrangler duratrac tire (mdw8 b11v 4110) that had only 2140 miles on it. the tire failed at 35 mph but had to be driven about 100 feet to remove it safely from the roadway. i have a picture of the result if needed. had this happened on the interstate the result would have been significant.

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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle decelerated and the engine revved. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to mathews ford newark (500 hebron rd, newark, oh 43056, (740) 522-2181) where it was diagnosed that the clutch assembly unit failed and needed replacement. the clutch assembly was replaced, but the failure recurred five times. after each failure, the clutch assembly unit was replaced by the same dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 31,950. *js *js

Gas tank is leaking. just read there was a recall on it

My son was driving down the main street in our town going the speed limit, crossed over the railroad crossing and both airbags deployed even though there had been no collision or impact other than the small bump of the railroad crossing. thankfully, it did not cause him to lose control of the vehicle. the impact of the airbag did slightly injure his wrist, he did not seek medical treatment. the horn blew continuously until he unhooked it. however the truck was fully drivable immediately, so he called us asking what to do and we had him drive it home. there was no wreck or any kind of impact that should have made the airbags deploy. the truck is in the same working order that it was previously except for both front airbags are deployed. the airbags have never been tampered with that we are aware of. we are not the original owners of the truck, however. this incident was reported to our insurance company.

After a rainstorm and while driving, my windshield wipers stopped working, my radio/cd player started turning off and on, my panel light dimmed, and i heard a clicking noise under my driver side dash board. there was also a clicking noise coming from the engine. while stationary and key out of the ignition, i noticed water on the driver side floor, and when i looked under i could see drops of water sliding off i believe my emergency bake and brake pedal, and an ongoing clicking sound under the steering wheel. i left my truck in driveway overnight, and the next morning my battery was dead. i had aaa tow come and replace battery that afternoon. the next morning the battery was dead again. aaa came and checked the starter and alternator, all were fine. as they recharged battery there was a weird noise heard in the engine area. i drove it to a mechanic with ford truck experience. he stated the gem and fuse box were wet and attributed it to water leakage coming from the windshield weather stripping trim which was common in fords vehicles. he recommended replacing gem, fuse box, and windshield trim. this water/electrical problem happens every year after a rainstorm. i never thought a vehicle in good condition could have outside water leaks getting inside and onto the fuse box and gem module. the mechanic told me it can become very dangerous for the gem and fuse box to fail because it controls everything in the truck. the gem and fuse box should be protected from outside elements. when water is introduced to these modules, it makes the whole system go wacky and can cause serious and possibly dangerous situations. ford needs to acknowledge that this is a manufacture defect and fix and/or reimburse us consumers on the cost of fixing it

Gas pedal is sticking. truck speeds up, only way to stop is shift to neutral.happened on highway and i shifted to neutral and hit pedal several times to get back to idle

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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while the vehicle was stationary, the rear driver's side door would not open when prompted. cloninger ford (511 jake alexander blvd s, salisbury, north carolina 28147) was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall on the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 46,000. *tt *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 35 mph, the contact heard an abnormal sound from the engine and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lifters failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the mechanic even signed off for the vehicle to pass state inspection. after retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning indicator illuminated again and the abnormal sound returned. the local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 247,000.

September 05, 2017 3:49pm when approching the cape cod ma bridge, my 20 year old daughters ford f-150 suddenely accerelated when the cruse control was off. she reached speeds exceding 80mph and the brakes where useless. she had to shift out of drive and shut the engine off whille weaving in and out of traffic to regain control. had she been in any heaver traffic or on the bridge she and maybe others would have been very severly injured!!! this seems to be a well known issue yet ford and my local ford dealer know nothing about it (strange) the recall for this issue just is not for her f-150. when i spoke to both ford and my local dealer. this is a life and death issue. (cricketts from ford)

Cpsc:i have a 2003 ford 6 cylinder truck and it has nearly gotten us killed a number of times!i've checked to see if there is a recall and can't find one and i called the ford dealership in covington louisiana and was told that there is nothing they could do. i sent emails to the ford motor company and never get a response. *bf the consumer stated the vehicle would accelerate rapidly and unintentionally. in order to slow the vehicle down the driver had to shift to neutral, which was becoming difficult. the dealer and manufacturer were notified and did not offer any assistance. updated 08/31/2017*js

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

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 70 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. as a result, the contact crashed into a tree. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained injuries to the head, neck, shoulder, both legs, and lower back that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing lot. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. updated 09/08/16*lj *tr

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 owned a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the air conditioner was defective. when the contact activated the air conditioning system and placed it on high, a popping noise emitted and smoke released from the vents. moments later, flames emitted from the vent area. the contact and driver were uninjured. the fire department extinguished the fire. the manufacturer was notified. the vin was not available. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 168,000.

Vehicle caught on fire while parked in driveway. had not been run in over a week. completely burned up and caused damaged home. vehicle burned had several explosions and burned at a high temp until it was extinguished by fire fighters.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and there was an abnormal odor of smoke. the contact stated that suddenly the vehicle engulfed into flames. the fire department was notified and was able to extinguish the fire. a fire report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Seat belt wont lock most times. has been like this for over 10 years. both back doors wont open. if truck catches fire you wont be able to get out. doors opened then one day the were stuck, this is a hazerd if you are sitting in the back and need to get out fast.

Pulling into a parking space in front of a medical clinic, going maybe 5 -8 mph and i had the brake depressed and suddenly the vehicle lunged forward at full throttle and hit a building--you can see the skid mark in the first picture. i ended up hitting a building and when it got stopped the tires just kept spinning until i shut it off. the air bags did not deploy, myself and my grandchildren were hurt. major building damage as well. mileage at time this happened 140,000

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.

Driving up a hill at highway speed i heard a loud bang and a clunk and the truck started shaking. i was quite startled. i pulled over immediately, shut it off, and found the spark plug had ejected from cylinder number 6. not being far from home, i attempted to drive it the rest of the way on less busy roads, but i had to pull over again when i started smelling a strong gasoline smell. i was able to disconnect the fuel injector and drive it the rest of the way home, but i feel there was a danger of an accident when the incident happened due to the sudden loss of power in traffic on a hill, and then a danger of a fire when i had tried to continue driving it with the fuel injector active.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 20 mph, the brake pedal traveled to the floor when it was depressed and failed to stop the vehicle. the contact coasted to the side of the road and stopped the vehicle. the contact discovered that there was fluid leaking from underneath the front of the vehicle. the contact also noticed that the end of a flexible hose had excessive rust and was fractured where it was connected to the brake caliper. the contact was able to slowly drive the vehicle to his residence. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

I was pulling out of my rd onto wolf pen , my dog tried to get on my lap, he made me total my truck as soon as , i hit the driver airbag tried to deploy but it cought fire and the guy that stopped told me to get out my truck was on fire !! i've had bad neck problems and back problems, i don't appreciate how ford motor company ?! treated me !!!!!!

Purchased vehicle in7/2003. rear small door (so called "suicide door") on passenger side broke in 11/2012. would not open or close from inside or outside. had two latches replaced at walker ford in clearwater, fl also in 11/2012 at a cost of $615.59. same door broke again in 9/2015. took truck back to walker ford . they offered to repair it again for about $500 and stated the latches they replaced in 11/2012 had "deteriorated from non-use"!. i declined the repair offer as it is clear to me that the latches are inadequate and/or of defected manufacture. it is my position that these rear door latch problems are a huge safety issue if there is a situation of water immersion, fire, smoke, fumes, etc. in such an event, any rear seat passenger would be trapped. i am asking you to consider an immediate recall to replace these latches.

Very bad tread wear on front outside edge. looked like alignment problem since tires still have 80% of tread. tech at alignment shop said the alignment was ok and showed me where the tread had started to separate from the casing. tech advised to replace tires very soon. tire size not on recall list so it looks like i am stuck with replacing a bum set of tires

Second time same spark plug housing has failed to hold spark plug and ejected it from engine along with raw fuel almost igniting engine compartment.

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.

Driving down highway and exiting onto my exit, the truck started to run rough and eventually shut off. i had to wait about 1hour for the truck to cool off before it would start again. while waiting for the truck to cool off, i changed the fuel filter. today, 6/3/15, i can start the truck up and let it run for about a half an hour and shut it off and it will not start back. i wait another half an hour and it will start right up. i can't effort to take it to the shop and pay $50 to $100 for them not to be able to tell me what is wrong or how to fix it.

2003 ford f-150 lariat supercab it was raining, i got in the truck, water was dripping inside through the center area in the ceiling where the compass is. there are wires up there, so water is not good. i climbed up and looked at the roof outside, and discovered rust on every one of the channels on the roof, one completely rusted through and the rest partially rusted through. aside from the negative effect on the appearance, this is a problem because: 1. water dripping into the wiring could cause a short which could lead to a fire 2. rust-through on the roof could cause the metal to break off at highway speeds and injure someone 3. decreased structural integrity of the roof could decrease safety in the event of a rollover 4. rust in the area attaching the windshield could cause the windshield to fail or fly off 5. water leaking into the roof caused mold, which is a breathing hazard the problem was caused by the defective design - the channels collected water with no way for it to drain, so the water pooled and caused rust, both in the ends of the channels and along the rim of the windshields. the older models were smooth on top so the problem didn't exist. newer models have fins sticking up rather than indentations, so ford clearly realized there was a problem and changed the design. ford did not respond when i contacted them about this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle would not accelerate. the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the failure recurred twice. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the spark plug detached and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 148,000.

As we started the truck, we heard a loud pop and then the engine was running rough. i could smell gas burning not in a good way, so we turned off the engine and popped the hood. there was gasoline running under the truck, and gasoline coming from the exhaust. a passerby informed us that the f-150 with triton engine is notorious for blowing spark plugs and proceeded to point out which spark plug had blown. i researched this issue when i arrived home after our truck was towed to a mechanic, and discovered that just about every f-150 owner goes through this. why is this not a defect that ford is being required to fix? do people have to die before a defective part is taken care of? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150 equipped with capitol precision trac ii tires, size: 255/70r16. while the vehicle was in park, the tread from both front tires separated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the tread separated from both front tires and that the tires needed to be replaced. the tires were not replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the tires were included in nhtsa campaign number: 14t013000. the vin was unavailable. the vehicle failure mileage was 119,000. the tire failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at 50 mph and caused the contact to lose control. as a result, the contact crashed the vehicle into a median wall and the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained head and eye injuries that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 195,000.

A spark plug blew out, another plug blew out 3 days later. it cost almost $2000 to fix and there is no guarantee that the rest won't blow out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving during rainy weather conditions, the instrument panel failed intermittently. in addition, the four wheel drive and the windshield wipers activated independently. the contact stated that the battery needed to be disconnected and then reconnected in order for the vehicle to resume normal operation. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the battery and the keys were replaced, but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Gas tank straps corroded/broke causing the tank to drop and leak. excessive rust at bottoms of all four doors. *tr

I had no problems with this vehicle until december 2013 when i discovered that i could not open the right side rear door. in november 2014 the same thing happened to the left rear door. i obtained a repair estimate from a local ford dealer and was informed it would cost $700.00 per door to have the problem fixed. (broken cables inside door) the service manager informed me that he had a 2004 f-150 and the same thing happened to his vehicle. i also spoke to two (2) other persons who had the same problem wit their 2003 f-150's. in case of an accident i think this problem could cause deaths since any passengers riding in the rear seats would not be able to exit through the rear doors. i contacted the ford motor company and was told no recalls had been issued for this problem. *tr

My rear diff is making a loud noise at 50 to 55 miles an hour on my 2003 ford 150. the rear diff is on the recall list, but the ford dealership will not honor the recall because i have a salvage title. in no way was my vehicle diff compromised in connection to the salvage title. it is simply defective and makes a loud noise. im wondering if it is safe to drive due to the loud noise. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 10 mph, the air bags inadvertently deployed and the horn began to continuously sound. the driver and passenger side air bags deployed and then the driver side air bag ignited into flames. the contact ejected the battery to stop the horn from sounding. the contact did not sustain any injuries. a police report was filed. the dealer was shown pictures of the failure and they stated that the air bag should not have ignited into flames. the flames burned the wires that applied to the horn, which is what caused the horn to continuously sound. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. mailed out 01/13/15*lj updated 02/02/15*lj updated 9/7/2017*cn

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

Hood paint bubbling as though there is rust. hood is aluminum! repaint is necessary. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the fuel tank straps were rusted and corroded. the dealer stated that the straps needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v385000 (fuel system, gasoline). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,000.

Air bag recall. *tr

My 2003 f-150 v8, 4.6l 2wd truck received water damage to the gem (generic electronic module) causing the windshield wipers to stop working while driving to work on a foggy/dew morning after a rainstorm. the water damage was due to a leak on the loose windshield that caused water to run directly to the fusebox & gem that controls all electronics in the vehicle. after looking seeking an answer for this problem, i found that at lease a hundred others have had the same windshield leak in the '97-'03 f series vehicles. the gem could and has caused vehicles to shut off and on and have lights go off and on at a random time if it received water damage. it is very dangerous and needs to be fixed immediately. the windshield is a common problem and many others have suffered from the same problem as me. thank you for your time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that exhaust fumes were present inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the manifold was leaking. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

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. while attempting to slow the vehicle down, it suddenly accelerated without warning. the contact depressed the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was pending diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 26,381.

While driving at 65 - 70 mph on i-95, the spark plug on the #2 cylinder blew out. #2 cylinder is 2nd plug from front of engine on the passenger side. loud noise and lost power. *tr

My family and i were sitting in a drive through picking up a pizza. can we went to pull forward and it started looking really bad .. did some research and felt all the plugs and found that number four plug blew out of the head! it cost us 500 for fix and now another one is starting to go!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle accelerated without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 143,000.

Vehicle lost all power (in dry climate), including steering, and brakes at approximately 50mph. came to a stop using the emergency brake. had two near misses while attempting to come to a stop. vehicle had to be towed as the ecm (engine control module) was no good. had prior misfires in engine, which ford had diagnosed as a bad head valve. after rebuilding the heads, the problem continued (while under use in dry climate). incident occurred, at which point the vehicle had become disabled. 2nd ford dealership diagnosed as "electrical problems" which had allegedly caused the vehicle's ecm (engine control module) to short out. no more than 500 miles and/or 3 days after replacement of the ecm and fixing of unspecified "electrical problems" (and in moist climate), vehicle would have periodic misfires which would on occasion be so severe so as to drop all gauges on dash to their "off" positions, but with the engine still running (under stress from supposed misfire which would shake the entire truck). on two later occasions, while idling at a stop light the vehicle would repeat the same condition as with the initial incident, where the vehicle would completely shut-off, with exception that on the repeat occasions, the ecm was still functional and i was able to restart the vehicle. a 3rd ford dealership was unable to diagnose exact problem but suggested replacement of coils followed by wiring as a possible fix to the misfire. i removed the vehicle to a dry climate and replaced all plugs, coils, and boots for testing. vehicle successfully functioned under dry, moist, and snowy climates afterwards. continues in operation and is currently at +/- 155,000 miles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that whenever the steering wheel was adjusted, the turn signals and brake lights would fail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the multi function switch was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 21,184 and the current mileage was 86,000. updated 05/27/14*lj updated 8/17/17*cn

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.

While traveling south bound on interstate 81 at christiansburg va. my gas tank fell off of the vehicle due to defective straps rusting into and letting it fall causing gasoline to leak on roadway and almost causing a fire. the gas tank struck the roadway and the grinding caused the tank to leak and the spillage. i had to have the vehicle towed to a local repair shop and have purchased a used gas tank and ordered new straps. i have written ford an e mail, asking them to help with this problem. *tr

As i was driving home, my engine began making a loud noise & running badly. upon inspection of the motor, i found the spark plug had blown out of the #3 cylinder, breaking the coil pack in the process. i do not believe this is a normal occurrence. i have checked on-line to see if this has happened to other f-150 owners, and found out it is fairly common. what can be done to get ford to help with this problem? *tr

2003 ford f150. consumer writes in regards to vehicle brake issues. *smd the consumer stated when he came to a stop, with his foot on the brake, the vehicle rolled forward. the dealer replaced the hydraulic control unit. also, the exhaust manifold was cracked.

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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle was being inspected when it was found that the rear suspension was rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer advised that that the rear leaf spring, shackle and mount were rusted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. the vin was unavailable.

Without warning, the brake pedal went to the floor while towing a 6000lb trailer. stopped for dinner - all felt normal. upon finishing dinner and returning to my truck, i put my foot on the brake and shifted from park to drive when suddenly the brake pedal went to the floor. i tried several more times and each time the brake pedal went to the floor. inspection of the vehicle showed that the brake line leading to the rear brakes had rotted through from the outside. this vehicle is meticulously maintained and has never been used near salt water, or to launch boats. my mechanic has advised me that rotting brake lines is a common problem. with that knowledge, i am dismayed and disappointed to find out that ford does not offer any type of replacement lines. *tr

I purchased this vehicle for my son 3 years ago. on monday evening, june 17th, he was going around a curve, at approximately 35 mph when both air bags deployed for no reason. the vehicle has never been wrecked and there is no damage, or no reason for this to have happened. i contacted ford motor company and was told, "his truck vin is not listed in the previous recalls, so we cannot offer any assistance. it is past warranty." i was quite taken aback by the fact that the vehicle not being under warranty was a reason for such a dangerous thing to happen! someone could have been killed had he been on the interstate, etc. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, she heard a loud explosion from under the hood. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated that the spark plug detached from the coil and would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 133,000. *tr

The fuse # 29 in the inside cab fuse box has blown twice. the first time is unknown the second time within 10 days of replacing the second fuse. this fuse controls the transmission overdrive, the auto-lamp and belt minder functions of the truck. i have seen on other web pages the same problem we are experiencing. *tr

Rims are rusting at the bead because water sits in there when it rains. the metal has rusted through and air bubbles occur when water is in there. three of four rims are "bubbling" from this failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he heard a vibrating noise from beneath the vehicle. upon further inspection, he noticed that a clamp holding the exhaust system had rusted and had became partially detached. the contact personally replaced the clamp. the failure and current mileage was 135,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150 equipped with bf goodrich long trail t/a tires. the contact stated that all four tires had severe cracks and were dry rotted in the tread and sidewalls. the store at which the tires were bought was contacted and stated that they nor the manufacturer were responsible for the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage on the tires was 38,000 and the vehicle failure mileage 150,000. the vin was unavailable.

On a return trip from columbus ohio to new orleans la, a spark plug ejected from #3 cylinder, passenger side second from the front. engine stalled but was able to be restarted. smell of fuel was very prevalent. no other apparent damage to any other systems on the engine. plug was the original factory installed plug and had not been touched by any mechanic since the truck was new. brought to the dealer. after a $700 repair bill, they tried a helicoil, but this failed after just 1 use of the truck on the highway. . a $28,000 truck should be able to keep its spark plugs in the heads. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the spark plug was blown on the number four cylinder. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who replaced the spark plugs at a cost to the contact. the failure recurred after the repairs. the vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the contact was awaiting a second spark plug replacement. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that there was no failure, offering no assistance. the failure mileage was 140,000.

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 €œford 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!! and also it seems logical that the recall is to the vehicle, not the customer. in this case their records are saying that it was done and then finding that it is not. the service advisor made his attempts to get it done through ford, but could not. this is most reprehensible, and crooked on someone part, the other dealer and now ford. the other dealer did get paid for something they did not do, and now ford will not take care of this. the advisor gave me the customer service # to €œfomoco€. the fomoco agent then told me that, it was between the dealerships and he assured me that they would handle the matter. when i called back the service manager he said my hands are tied, the other dealer would not reopen the case and ford special assistance would not back any thing up. if i wanted to pass the emission and safety inspection and register my truck i would have to pay the bill i have been given the run-around thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while traveling 70 mph, the accelerator pedal seized causing the vehicle to erroneously accelerate. the contact was able to slow the vehicle down and continued to his destination. the vehicle was not taken for inspection or repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the issue. the failure and current mileages were 125,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that according to the fire department the cruise control malfunctioned causing a short and the vehicle was completely burned. no injuries were reported. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who filed a complaint and stated that they would contact him at a later date. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileage was 270,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that both rear doors locked and would not open. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the failure and current mileage was 61,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that the lug nuts on all four wheels were corroded which prevented the socket and the wrench to remove the lug nuts. the dealer and the manufacturer was notified who offered no other assistance. the failure mileage was 147,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle became stuck in snow when the 4-wheel drive failed to work properly. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 24,000.

Spark plug ejected from the cylinder upon routine vehicle starting. vehicle was warm when started. once the spark plug ejected i noticed the smell of gasoline and smoke. a small fire was easily extinguished however could have been severe. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal abnormally into the floorboard. the contact continued to apply pressure to the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics. the mechanic stated that the abs hydraulic control unit would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. updated 7/12/12 *cn the informed the consumer, the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. the consumer then went to get a second opinion, and the mechanic informed him, hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced.

My ford f 150 frame and spring holders are rusting bad, i'm afraid the springs may fall off or the frame may break while i'm driving. it's just a matter of time before this happens. the body of the truck has no rust, i'm the original owner and only have 62,000 miles on it. just wondering it other people are having the same problem im having with my frame and what my opptions are. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the brake pedal slightly moved towards the floor upon engaging. there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the abs hydraulic control unit would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

My 2003 f150 had the straps holding the gas tank snapped while traveling down the interstate at 65 mph, i could see flames on the road from the fuel leaking when the tank hit the highway. once i stopped the truck, i found the gas tank had fallen off and was dragging the ground leaking fuel everywhere, i had 20 gallons of fuel leak out so i had to call the bristol, va fire dept. to come clean up the fuel spill, there was no damage to the truck other than the fuel tank and the straps that i know of needing to be replaced. the local ford dealer tells me that ford has a recall on this in areas of the country, but not in virginia. the ford recall says it is only in areas that use road sale (high corrosion) areas such as kentucky and west virginia, i live in virginia near the kentucky boarder ( within 20 miles) i feel the recall needs to be expanded to virginia the ford dealer told me they have seen other issues like this in their shop. this recall needs to be expanded quickly i was blessed that the sparks from the tank dragging the ground did not result in an explosion and fire that could have led to serious injury or possibly my death or even someone else being injured this is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. *jb

Was heavy rain outside then my truck started blowing the horn, heater was turning on and off, lights going on and off by them selves. figured its part of the issue with the windshield issue ford knows about since 2002. the notice was *ford special message #15773 which covered a few vehicles but has expanded to cover other vehicles. last year, i was on the highway during heavy rain and all the sudden, all power went off, windshield wipers stopped working, radio was going funny, heat was turning on and off, it was difficult to drive. that only lasted for a few seconds but made it where i got off the highway, made it back to my house then brought it to ford to find out the issue. i opted not to have the work done at that time for the mechanic said its okay for the time being. but corrosion was starting and i needed to have the windshield fixed before the issue at hand could be fixed, because if i didn't, it just would cause the issues a few years down the road again. looking through, i see you have a lot of "electrical issues" being brought up, and all of them from what i have seen look to be caused by the same issue, mind you that this issue is known from vehicles 1998 - 2003, possibly into the 2004. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the rear passenger door could not be opened from the interior or exterior. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer took a complaint and might assist with the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 41,000. updated 7/12/12 *cn updated 07/18/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v385000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting). the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was advised that the fuel tank was also corroded, but that failure was not addressed in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 57,000.

Spark plug blew out of the aluminum head of the engine, which i hear is a common problem. when is the recall coming out? if this is a wide spread problem, i personaly know of two other people whom this has happened too and its all over the internet, then ford needs to take some initiative and fix it! we consumers are what makes ford their money and if this is not fixed for us i will no longer be a ford consumer. i am sure others feel the same way. ford made a mistake, we all do, now fix it. *tr

I started up my truck on lunch and heard a bang than it sounded like a popcorn machine i call ford in londonderry nh to see what was wrong and they told me it was the spark plug coming out of the heads, they was common im not the only one this happened to friend had 7 out of 8 spark plugs shoot out for his f 250. and for the sounds of it there has been alot more!! i cant believe that ford hasn't had a recall on this problem. people could get hurt if it started a fire under a hood. *tr

2003 ford f-150. claims adjuster sent correspondence on behalf of consumer who lost his vehicle due to a fire in which an investigation revealed was a direct result of what was believed to be the cruise deactivation switch *tgw

Sept 2011 - receive recall notice advising fuel straps rust prematurely. 31 oct 2011 - discover gas tank leak. take truck to dealer (1) day early for work. take pictures, fuel tank appears to be in good shape. leak is directly under rusted tank strap. contact with strap appears to have rusted through tank. 01 nov. 2011 - call with dealer. dealer did not advise of leak. i had to request confirmation. service tech checked with mechanic who advises that replacing strap will probably make leak worse. dealer would have replaced straps and returned truck to consumer with leaking gas tank and not advised? dealer advises ford will not replace tank. 01 nov. 2010 - call to ford customer relationship center. 1-800-392-3673. confirmed ford will not replace tank. approx. cost $400. *tr

My 2003 ford f-150 was subject to recall to replace the gas tank mounting straps which are known to corrode and fail. the fuel tank on the truck had significant rust under one of the straps, resulting in a leak in the area under the strap. when i brought the truck in for the recall work i notified the service department that the tank was leaking under the strap. i was told as long as the tank was leaking as a result of the strap failure and not leaking at a seam or elsewhere on the tank, ford would replace the tank. i was later notified that ford denied the tank replacement due to the fact that it was already leaking. i was told that if the result occurred as a result of the repair then ford would replace the tank at no cost to me but since it was already leaking, they wouldn't take responsibility for the tank repair, only the replacement of the straps. as a result, i replaced the tank at my own expense. the fuel tank that was removed from this truck was in very good condition with the exception of the rust under the fuel tank strap. there was no leakage at any of the seams or anywhere else on the tank. the failure of the tank, in my opinion, is a direct result of the corrosion of the straps. ford has acknowledged this as a problem but will only repair tanks (at their expense) that begin leaking during the course of the repair. i feel that this is a severe safety issue that ford is aware of and therefore the current recall for fuel tank straps should immediately be expanded to include the inspection of tanks and the free replacement of any tank showing corrosion in the vicinity of the failed straps. *tr

Rear brake line corroded through leaking brake fluid on the ground under the vehicle rendering the brakes inop. fortunately it didn't occur while driving. this shouldn't happen on a vehicle that was only 7 years old and less than 90,000 miles, to me this is a significant safety issue. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle from the windshield, causing damage to the gem modular. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised that the gem modular and the windshield had to be replaced. the windshield primer had become loose allowing water to leak into the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

Sept 17th 2011. sat. night about 10:00pm i was driving my 2003 ford f-150 truck east. i was going about 45-50mph on a straight country road when a loud sound went off and the airbags deployed and the truck came to a screeching stop. i was able to keep the truck on the road as it came to a complete stop. i and a passenger were wearing seatbelts and were able to get out of the truck. it was full of smoke and the horn was blaring , we opened the hood and disabled the horn put on the emergency flashers. the truck would not move. couldn't get it in or out of gear, its a standard. i called my insurance co. and we had my truck towed from there to a friends house. both of us were pretty shakened and had hurt necks and backs and i hurt my hand. my friend got hurt the worst and is still seeing doctors for his neck injuries. i am okay but sore and haven't gone to the doctors. my insurance won't cover the damage it caused inside the cab or have airbags re-installed. i have full coverage! the air bags just deployed on their own. out of the blue. gives me a whole new perspective about air bags,they may save your live or take your life! they are scary, smell bad, ruin your car and have to be replaced along with a brain before the truck will run. the truck is still disabled today. i feel it was a defect in the airbag sensors or the airbags themselves! and it should be covered by either my insurance or the ford motor company. it's a safety feature and should be covered by one of the two! i had the truck for 4 years and nothing had ever happened like that before. its never been hit in the front and i was just driving along. on a straight road and boom. the airbags deployed and the truck came to a sudden stop. it was traumatizing to say the least! *kb

Spark plug blown out of the cylinder head. this is the 5th separate cylinder this has happened to in the 3 years i have owned this truck. *kb

I have a ford f150 and within the last 4 months i have had 3 ignition coils/spark plugs go up in it. i called ford and they told me it has been a problem and to hold onto my receipts in case there is a recall in the future. while i was at our local ford dealership getting my truck worked on they also told me they have had a lot of fl50s coming in with the same problem do you know if there will be a recall on the f150 ignition coils/spark plugs ? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that a spark plug failed, causing gasoline to blow into the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the number one spark plug had failed. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 76,000.

I have a ford f150 and within the last 4 months i have had 3 ignition coils go up in it i called ford and they told me it has been a problem and to hold onto my receipts incase there is a recall in the future while i was at our local ford dealership getting my truck worked on they also told me they have had a lot of fl50s coming in with the same problem do you know if there will be a recall on the f150 ignition coils ? thank you for your time. *tr

I looked under my 2003 ford f150 and saw something hanging down. it turns out that one of my gas tank straps broke. i see by looking on the internet that this is a common problem . i have ordered a new set from advanced auto parts and i should have them on tomorrow. *tr

Ford f150 gas tank straps failed causing full tank of gas to fall from under truck while driving down highway. *tr

Driving approx 25 mph on a side street when a thud was heard. stopped vehicle to find gas tank on ground and gas straps broken. gas tank was punctured by falling on the road. two tank straps were found to be rusted through. ford f150 xl truck from 2003. *tr *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that while making a right turn, the turn signal would not activate until the steering wheel was raised into a higher position. as a result, the vehicle was nearly involved in a crash after the contact almost lost control while turning. the contact also stated that the wiring in the signal lever was not connected to the steering column whenever the column was shifted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated there were no related recalls. the failure mileage was 145,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the driver was driving at an unknown speed when the accelerator pedal became stuck in a partially depressed position. the vehicle began to surge forward until shifted into neutral and stopped. the contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the plastic cover used to protect the throttle was jammed, causing the failure. the plastic cover was removed and the failure did not recur. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the failure mileage was 78,000. .updated 09/19/11 *bf the consumers son was able to throw the gear shift into neutral and pulled over to the side of the road with the engine still accelerating. he shut the vehicle off. the consumer stated when he arrived on the scene, he started the vehicle again and the engine was still in the accelerated position. the consumer pushed on the accelerator hard a couple of times and managed to stop it from accelerating. upon inspection, the throttle cable had come loose and wedged itself in such a way that the throttle could not return to its normal position. updated 09/30/11*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. while the vehicle was parked the contact stated the horn began to blow on its own and black smoke began to escape from the windows. the fire also began near the fuse box. the contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. a fire report was filed. the insurance company had not concluded there investigation regarding the cause of the fire. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. while the vehicle was parked with a half tank of gasoline in it when the fuel tank suddenly detached from the vehicle. the dealer was notified. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 98,807. the approximate failure mileage was unknown. updated 08/31/2011 *ln

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph when the fuel tank detached from the vehicle and the contact drove over the tank. the contact discovered that one of the straps had fractured and was completely rusted. approximately one fourth a tank of fuel spilled onto the highway. the vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic and they advised him that he needed to replace the tank and straps. in addition, the vehicle would need body repairs from the contact driving over the fuel tank. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 141,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the fuel tank started leaking fuel while he was driving approximately 55 mph. the contact noticed the straps were rusted and caused a hole to open in the fuel tank. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be repaired. the failure mileage was 96,404.

Gas tank strap on 2003 f-150 xlt 4x4 broke due to excessive rust causing the tank to fall and rattle on skid plate. bought new straps from local auto supply and replaced both of them since the second strap was close to breaking also. *tr

Fuel tank strap rusted through and failed. *tr

Strap holding my gas tank on my 2003 ford 150 rusted thru and broke it was noticed by one of my fellow employees fortunately before the other strap broke. i went to the ford dealer in my area and had it repaired asking if there was a recall or reported problems with this and they said no. i was charged $195 to repair it. *tr

I saw on the news that you are investigating rusted out fuel tank straps on the ford f 150 pickup truck, model years 1997 - 2001. i want to tell you that the rear strap failed on my 2003 f 150 last year. i paid to have the straps replaced. the new straps were ford parts and were stainless steel, unlike the originals. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph she began to hear the vehicle dragging an object under it. the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed the fuel tank was partially detached from the vehicle. the contact stated one of the straps which held the fuel tank in place was fractured. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the failure had not been diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 112,000.

Driving on i-95 in florida, when i experienced a violent shaking of the truck. the truck swerved side to side almost resulting in a crash. i was able to control the truck and bring it to the side of the road. i discovered that my driver side rear tire had the tread separated from the tire. it was cooper tire discoverer h/t 265/70r17. so far, cooper took my information and is going to send paperwork on the damage to the truck. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that all of the interior lights would continue to illuminate even when the vehicle was shut off. the failure began to recur intermittently. the contact also stated the vehicle would also intermittently stall while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was told there was a leak within the door panels and windshield. due to the leak, water was getting inside of the vehicle and causing a short circuit in the wiring system. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 150,000. updated 05/13/11 *bf

I was driving to work in my 2003 f 150 and heard a kind of tapping noise and strong vibrations coming from engine.. pulled over and had truck towed to my house... as a friend of mine is a mechanic he came over and had me start the truck... as i did so the #3 spark plug shot out of the engine and bounced off the hood.... i started to research online and found hundreds of reports about the ford f150's doing this exact same thing and the majority of the problems seem to come from the #3 plug... several people have spent 100's of dollars to upgrade at the dealerships... only 3 thread on my head and all trucks now have 7 threads... why did ford change it? must have known about this lil problem....*tr

I bought a 2003 ford f150 with a 4.6l triton v8 engine , while driving it started making a popping noise, like a mini backfire. i took it to an auto repair shop, and they found the coil pack on the #3 cylinder was melted. they replaced the coil pack, and we drove down the road to test drive the truck, within 2 miles the popping noise returned, but even louder this time. we got it limped back to the shop, and had to let it cool down overnight, so the mechanic could investigate the problem. he had a time getting the melted "brand new" coil pack out of the spark plug recess in the engine head, and an equally difficult time getting the spark plug itself out of the hole. apparently the plug had come loose in the short threaded aluminum head, then the coil pack melted around the plug sealing it in place , and the engine burnt a hole the size of a pencil right through the aluminum head next to the spark plug hole. the coil pack was still putting out spark, but not to the plug, as the boot that held it on the plug was gone, it was just sparking against the sides of the recess in the head. the mechanic said it was lucky not to have either caught fire or blown up, i guess that is lucky, but at the same time not so nice for me with the repairs starting at $2600 to replace the heads on the same engine, or put in a used engine if we can find one for $3900, or put in a remanufactured engine for $5200, that has supposedly has addressed the issue with these ford engines blowing out spark plugs. ford says there isn't an issue, but they've created a fix for the problem that doesn't exist?? what to do now with my worthless pile of metal sitting in my driveway , i can't afford to fix? built ford tough ?? after doing some research on the internet, simply google "ford triton spark plug blowout" , and you'll find there are thousands and thousands of folks like me dealing with this issue , and ford continues to deny it's a problem, why? *tr

The vehicle began accelerating on its own (> 75 mph). cruise control was not on. the break was effective at mitigating increasing speed until the vehicle could be stopped safely on the side of hwy 85s. distance traveled with uncontrollable acceleration was approximately 2.5 miles. prior to stopping and turning the engine off, an attempt to put the engine in neutral while speeding was fruitless -- the engine raced to maximum rpm when put in neutral. for fear i would blow the engine, i put the transmission back into "drive" and continued tamping on my breaks to control my speed. heavy breaking was utilized once i was in safe place to pull off the road and turn off the engine. i attempted to re-start the engine multiple times, each time with the same result - - the engine red-lined at maximum rpms. i contacted aaa for roadside service. the truck was towed to a raleigh ford dealer. the ford dealer started the vehicle and the engine red-lined at maximum rpms. they turned the engine off and inspected the engine. they found a plastic cover for the throttle assembly had come loose and lodged itself in such a way as to put tension on the throttle cable/lever. a safety clip that holds the cover in place was missing. they re-secured the cover with a different type of safety connector, and then re-started the vehicle. the vehicle's engine was normal. the ford dealer representative indicated he had seen this before on a mustang, but not of f-150. the ford dealer representative tried to down-play the significance of the incident -- as if it was "no big deal". they did not open a service work order to document the issue or repair. the told me there was "no charge" for the service.

On my 2003 ford f-150 xlt regular cab, short wide bed pick-up i noticed a few months ago that the abs brake light came on and stayed for a short period then went off again. this happened a few times. sometimes when i would shut off the engine the abs brake light would go out and not reappear again for a few days to weeks. approximately 2 weeks ago the abs brake light on the dash came on again and this time it stayed on. this time i also noted that after i turned the ignition switch off i could still hear what appeared to be the sound of small electric motor continuously running under the hood. i opened the hood and determined the noise was originating from the abs brake control module. i felt the module and it was warm. i phoned the local ford dealer and was told that sometimes if the battery is disconnected the module will reset itself. i disconnected the battery for a moment then reconnected it and the abs brake module light on the dash went off so i assumed it had reset itself and was now ok. i continued to drive the truck for approx 1 1/2 weeks with no trouble then suddenly the abs light on the dash again came on. as before when i shut off the engine the noise under the hood of a small electric motor running was again heard. the abs control module was hot to the touch and a hot smell was noted also. i visited the local ford dealer and the service manager stated the abs control module needed replaced at a price of somewhere around $700.00 up to possibly $1200.00 since when the abs control module goes bad then the hydraulic portion of this system is likely also bad. the truck only has 68500 miles, looks like new, and has been treated extremely gently since i purchased it new in 2003. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 55 mph the steering wheel became loose and easily turned the vehicle to the left. once the vehicle began steering towards the left the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. within a few seconds, the failure ceased and the contact was able to drive normally. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 03v349000 (steering:gear box:shaft pitman). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 85,000.

Nothing caused this failure other than factory defect. i problem i have had is the sparkplug blow out of my vehicles cylinders it has happened on 3 separate occasions. leaving me stranded. also all 3 times i have had to buy new spark coils and spark plugs, this last time it ruined the treads in the block costing over $800 to repair. i do have the old parts *tr

Left dealership after lo-jack installation. entered traffic lane and began lightly braking for approaching signal. i felt two forward surges and then increasingly rapid acceleration. i checked rear view mirror and then pressed on brakes with the sound of the racing turbo charged engine filling the cab. i then moved the gear out of drive and in my haste saw i had it between reverse and park. i brought it back to neutral and then the sound subsided. the entire acceleration incident lasted less than 10 seconds. the truck was immediately returned to dealership and then reported incident to the manufacturer.

My ford f150 super crew has a recurring problem in that it continuously blows a certain 5 amp fuse. this fuse disables the automatic lights, the automatic door locks and the overdrive system. i took the truck to the local ford dealership. they replaced the fuse and charged me $52.50. they did not fix anything. i found an identical complaint on your website from nov 30, 2008.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150 4wd. the contact was driving approximately 2 mph in inclement weather when the contact drove over snow and the vehicle began to spin uncontrollably. the contact then engaged the accelerated and noticed that the vehicle was in four wheel drive but the four wheel drive would not activate. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 72,000 and the current mileage was 72,200.

I recently purchased a 2003 ford f 150, triton v8 from a local reputable dealer. it is in for repairs due to engine concerns. in researching the triton v8 i find that i am not alone and there is a concern with blowing spark plugs out of the engine head. i want to document my problem at this point so if the need to legally seek repairs i have a paper trail. at this point i am told that the repair will be $550.00, but in reading other consumer complaints i see that most began the same way. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150 4x4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the fwd engagement gear would not shift into place when driving in icy conditions. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that he would need to replace the actuator for the gear shift. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 51,000. updated 02/09/11*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. updated 05/06/11

Vehicle was parked and not in use. owner returned home while away with his son to find that vehicle fire was extinguished by local fire department. the extent of fire was the front engine area. vehicle was used night before without any incident.

I was driving 65 mph. i heard a pop. the original manufacturers spark plug shot out of the engine. it completely ripped the threads out with it. upon doing research online, this appears to have happened to hundreds of people once their ford hits 100,000 miles. my 2003 ford f150 v8 4.6l has 103,000 miles on it. *tr

I have a 2003 f150 that has 135k miles. i have had the truck serviced regularly and have had no major issues until today. i am in the navy and was driving into work for duty when my spark plug was ejected from my engine. the explosion was so great that it broke the coil pack in three pieces and when i pulled over in investigate the noise i turned on the engine with the hood open to see the spark coil across the port where the plug had been and it was sparking (it's a wonder that it didn't catch the vapors on fire fron the cylinder) the plug also severed one of the vaccuume hoses in the engine compartment. i contacted the ford dealership in town and the mechaninc told me that was normal for trucks over 100k miles, and that they would 'start popping out like popcorn'. this seems outragous! i tried to fix it myself but now am having to concede to letting ford do the work since they have the replacement kit ( "because this always happens" - their own words). there is a potential that this could cause an engine fire! please force ford to do a recall. *tr

2003 ford f150 burns while driving down highway - total loss - starts in engine. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150 pickup. the contact stated that the location of the seat belt was poorly designed and was placed in an awkward position. he was rear ended by another vehicle at the traffic light causing the seat belt holding mechanism to jam in his side and tighten around his shoulders and lap. this caused injuries to his right leg, right hip and lower back. the manufacturer was contacted and informed him that they were sorry for his lost and he should have his lawyer contact them. the failure mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150 pickup. the contact stated the vehicle was parked with the engine off when it caught on fire. the contact had parked the vehicle five minutes prior to the failure. the fire department was called to assist and advised that the fire originated from the cruise control mechanism. a fire department report was available. the contact stated that part of the utility building, the carport that the vehicle was parked in, all of its contents and the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileages were 88,000. updated 11/15/10. *lj updated 11/19/10.*lj updated 11/26/10

There were no events leading up to the incident. driving 10-20 mph the first times and 25-35 the second. 2 spark plugs ejected out of the engine twice in 4 days 1st time we took it to the mechanic and it was replaced 2nd time took it to the mechanic and it was replaced. *tr

Coming home to va from ohio we were going through the mountains and had to keep flooring the truck. the spark plugs acted like they were fouling and the truck sputtered home. we came home and our mechanic said we blew out or ejected two spark plugs on our triton 4.6l 2003 pick up truck. he said it would have to be repaired by ford and it would probably cost about $900. we found out this is a recurring problem on the new non-plug wires trucks using a series of coil, over plug coil connectors specifically on the triton ford truck motors. why hasn't nhtsa contacted ford. we smelled gas the whole way home; about 500 miles after it happened. if the gas fumes ignited it would have burned my truck up but could have hurt my wife and three grandchildren riding with us. [xxx] i bought the mechanic eight sparkplugs *$6.99 each, then eight coiled/sleeves $52 each and a new coil unit $163, he is having a company heliarc-coils to repair the sparkplug seats. this is a very poor design, and had i known this when we bought the truck, we wouldn't have. i sent ford motor a customer service complaint as well. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Ford f150 2003, 5.4 engine. the spark plug issue has just bitten me, now i have a 10,000 dollar peice of steel in my driveway because i am not paying 5400 and some change to fix a problem that should be recalled, the plug gettting hit by the piston or shooting out of the hole can be very dangerous by allowing fuel to come in contact with hot engine or electrical spark therefore starting a fire, this problem has been an ongoing issue and yet nothing is done i think a recall should be placed for the issue. before someone gets killed. *tr

Ford f-150 spark plug blow out, common in f-150's. *tr

Fuel tank fell off vehicle as a result of rusted mounting is a one owner well maintained ford f150 purchased new in 2003 and mileage is only 100,222. new straps were located and installed 6/29/2010 and old straps were labeled and kept. *tr

Passenger window regulator failure on 2003(2004 body style) f150 lariat. regulator failed on road trip in 95 plus degree weather in eastern nc on june 26, 2010. this is the second one. *tr

I had my 2003 ford f-150 shoot spark plugs out of the headers i don"t know why but this ids the 3rd time it has happened and if it would be possible to start a recall on the headers to change them to a 8 thread instead of 4. *tr

Blow out of spark plug on 2003 ford f-150 4.6l triton v8. *tr

2003 ford f-150 crew cab , 4.6 triton engine. spark plug blew while on highway. normal driving with no load in truck. no warning before failure. the truck has just over 100,000 miles. *tr

I have a 2003 ford f150, with a 5.4l engine. i found out that my windshield is leaking and seeping water onto my gem/cjb and making it so in rain my windshield wipers shut off, my heater blower to stay on or go on when the key is not in the ignition, and has drained my battery. here is a copy of the notice ford sent to there dealerships in 2004, *ford special message #15773 various electrical conditions resulting from water intrusion into the gem/cjb some 1997-2002 expedition and 1998-2002 navigator vehicles may exhibit various unusual electrical conditions, including but not limited to: front or rear blower or eatc staying on with key out of the ignition, radio staying on after doors opened and key out of ignition, wiper circuit failure codes, and multiple system warning lights with 'short to power' or 'low battery voltage' dtcs. these symptoms most often occur after a rain or snow. this may be due to gem/cjb water intrusion resulting from a windshield water leak. to service, remove the gem and cjb from the vehicle, separate them and inspect for water contamination or corrosion. if found in either component, replace both components and completely reseal the windshield. effective date: 04/05/2002 so this is a known issue and they are charging between $900 - $1500+ for repairs and then on top of that charging for the windshield to be replaced. the hazards of this potentially shorting out and having a fire is a risk that i think should be addressed for the safety of the consumers. having my windshield wipers stop on me in heavy rain on the highway almost caused me to get into a potential accident. *tr

My son was driving home and the throttle stuck, the brakes did nothing. he had to throw the vehicle in park. *tr

The brake line from cab area to rear wheel on my 2003 ford f150 corroded and emptied the master cyclinder of brake fluid. it is significant to note that no other brakelines or connections showed simiilar corrosion- more like you would expect on a 7 year old vehicle. it is my opinion that the corrosion is a materials problem and may be a reoccurring problem in other vehicle of this type. i also noted excessive scaling of the front wheel hubs and stearing arms of the same vehicle. this i believe is the result of inferior parts- i have never seen this level of deterioation of vehicle components like this. whether this is a safety problem or not i don't know. please accept this information as a couple of data points on this vehicle. i just felt it was necessary to advise nhtsa of the situation.

Normal driving when the spark plug blew out of the motor leaving me and my kids stranded still trying to correct problem this is the second time repair bill approximately $3000. *dt

I own a ford f150 with a triton v8 engine. one of the spark plugs blew out of the engine on 2/25/10 while i was driving on a highway. i had the truck towed to a local repair shop. after looking at the problem they sent me to a ford dealer. the dealer has told me it is a $1000 fix and that it was possibly due to the person who replaced the plugs for me. *tr

2003 ford f150 king ranch 4x4 pickup all four doors are rotting out on the bottom. *dt 2/20/10 the consumer was informed the drain holes or weep holes were plugged probably from rust and road material thus trapping water inside the doors causing them to rust out. when the consumer looked at the weep holes, they were not clogged up, but plugged with factory installed plugs the consumer stated the plugs should have been removed before the sale of the vehicle. . *jb updated 04/06/10.*jb

2003 ford f150 5.4l #3 spark plug blew out of engine's head and stripped out all threads. insert was put in to replace damaged threads at a cost of $500 from ford dealership. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. while driving approximately 30 mph when the road was slippery and attempting to shift into four wheel drive, it failed to engage. the dealer located the failure and stated that the front shift fork and the sub shift fork needed to be replaced. the contact was responsible for paying $ 1,009 to have the front and sub shift forks replaced. he contacted the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer didn"t take a report or offer any assistance with the repair. the failure mileage was 66,879 and the current mileage was 66,921.

While i was accelerating and entering onto interstate 80 at a speed of 50mph i heard a loud pop and lost power. the engine continued to run but with a great loss of power. i continued to drive at a moderate speed until i could get to a monroe service center approx. 20 miles. the #7 plug for the second time blew out of the head. the repair cost this time was $294.38 and the engine light is still on. it's been eight months since i had it repaired the first time. the #7 cylinder is now misfiring even though the plug has been replaced. mileage to date is 200,892. *tr

Windshield leaks and is frying my electrical system. 2003 f150. i have read numerous articles on ford needing to fix these issues. *tr

I had been driving my truck for about ten minutes and as i was driving on the freeway the engine spark plug blew. i got my truck to start up and drove a short distance before this occurred again. this repeated until i managed to get to my home which was about two miles away when the problem first occurred. then i called venus, a towing and repair shop, to have my truck towed from my house to their shop. the towing service cost $80.00. when the problem was diagnosed they called me and told me what happened. they fixed my truck and charged $250.00. *tr

On april 20, 2009, spark plug #7 blowout while accelerating from a traffic light. approx. speed 25 to 35 mph. engine lost compression, damaged the ignition coil, but i was able to make it to a firestone repair garage within 10 miles. the spark plug #7 was replaced with the heli coil and the ignition coil damage was also replaced. total cost of labor and parts was $352.81. *tr

I purchased new tires and rims in 05/2006. these tires and rims are only used from may through october. on september 26, 2009 i had a tire lose air on the interstate. i pulled over as rapidly as possible. upon examination i found the valve stem to be cause of the tire failure,upon further examination i found the other wheels had valve stems that were cracking in the same manner as the valve stem that failed. i had the valve stems replacedin the three tires that didn't fail but was unable to on the tire that went flat because of sidewall damage to that tire. at this time i found out there had been a recall on valve stems. after further investigation i found out my valve stems are not part of the recall. the recall involves valve stems manufactured for dill or tech international between 07/2006 and 11/ 2006. the valve stems i have are tr 413 manufactured by argo winsoonshanghai. i have two of the valve stems and the damaged tire. *tr

1. normal operation, no indication of problem 2. spark plug blew out of the engine as my wife parked the vehicle in our driveway; 1st of 2 occurrences; repaired with helicoiled plug. approx $400 repair expense. i'm now told that a bulletin was issued advising not to use this repair method. having trouble verifying if that is fact or fiction. *tr

1. normal operation 2. spark plugs are blown out of the engine head; this is the second occurrence; engine failure. had the occurrence been 200 miles earlier, i would have been in the middle of peak traffic conditions on i405 near bellvue washington state, heavy rain with poor visibility - consequences would have been dire. 3. ford acknowledges that they know of the problem. the service manager at the local dealership indicated that they have had a "ton" of these repair jobs. at $400+ per occurrence, i question why they haven't done anything to protect the consumer? why no notification of the problem. i'm told there have been service advisory's issued, but shops and service counters share none of this with me. now that my vehicle is 5 yrs old with 129k miles, what will the frequency of this problem be. as the f150 fleet ages, how many more occurrence will there be prior to food issuing a solution? i'm told by dealerships that the spark plug seat only consists of a few thread to hold the spark plug in. plugs do not have a seat ring (compression ring) to assist in the plug to stay seated. as the plug loosens, blow by occurs and eventually blowing the plug out through the treads in the engine head. i've never heard of such a problem, let alone having this occur to my twice. parts houses had concurred that the problem is prevalent and they laugh about it. who is going to laugh when this known unsafe engineering flaw causes death or injury? their repair has not resolved the problem, nor did they give up this information without me first seeking factual information. the public is being deceived! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. he stated that while driving 10 mph, the indicator for the four wheel drive failed. as a consequence he briefly lost control of the vehicle, which increased his risk for a vehicle crash. he is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 55,400. the current mileage was 55,792.

I had a sparkplug blow out on my 03 f150.....which at first sounded like a noisy lifter. i took it in for repairs at the ford dealer and it cost me $1180.00 to install a heli coil. *tr

A wreck on constitution ave washington d.c. , has caused the hard , stiff plastic of seat belt buckle clip that fastens into the lock to keep you buckled in to go into my right front hip . it's position seems to be wrong to me . and to the great cause of such pain in my life to the suffering of my whole life .i have sharp severe pain from it's contact area on my hip . my spine and back have this sever disability that leaves me feeling like i'm tearing into two parts in my back .shock of pain severity is real. this pain was caused by thrown against this hard plastic buckle when the driver drove into my vehicle at 20 mph or more . which twisted me in the seat and aligned the buckle on my hip bone which smashed that area hard and left me severely injured and out of work for a long time and still suffering five years later and disturbed by lawyers and insurance settlements process to handle this matter . my vehicle is a 2003 ford f-150 crew cab. the seat buckle engaging lock sticks up out of the seat and sticks up in the air . and this leaves the very hard plastic also of clip there up in the air and depending on how your are wrecked and sitting in the seat at that moment depends on how your body hits that seat belt buckle clip and lock. i got well enough to get back to some normalcy . and did call ford motor co. which said sorry to hear that and told me they could not assist me further with any injury claim and said i needed to contact another lawyer . i feel i need to file because my case can't get to this issue fast enough to help public warned of it's hazard . *tr

The spark plug in me ford f-150 5.4ltr engine blew out of the #2 cylinder. all engine rebuilding shops and repair centers say this is common in fords. they finished my sentence when describing the problem. please enact a recall on this problem. as i read this is an issue. cost me 500.00 dollars to fix and i worry about the other 7 plugs...$3,500 to repair. *tr

I have a 2003 f150 v8 5.4 l and i was driving down the road and i heard a pop, and i checked my engine and noticed the ignition coil was loose and the spark plug was attached to the ignition coil, so now the threads in the head are stripped and i cannot drive my vehicle!! this is a huge problem and i am very disappointed that because not enough people have complained that this is not recall issue it should be!!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that the driver's side seat belts would not retract on the vehicle. he was able to buckle the seat belts into the locking mechanism, but it failed to provide restraint. he was concerned that the seat belts would not operate in the event of a crash. the failure and current mileages were less than 57,000.

While traveling @ 65 miles per hour down a highway, the number 3 spark plug & coil blew out from the head causing damage to the coil & spark plug itself. our 2003 ford f150 supercrew lariot pick-up truck, which is in excellent condition, had to be towed. this is the first time this has happened to our vehicle. the local ford dealership recommended a quick fix of a spark plug insert after the plug hole was retapped while stating several times that there was no guarantee that this would work. another option was to replace the heads costing approximately $2500. the dealership also advised us that they were aware of this problem & has seen it happen on a variety of ford vehicles. we're extremely lucky that our vehicle didn't catch fire, as the coil that blew hit the fuel rail, which is held in place by two 8mm bolts. this experience is extremely frustrating & concerning to us as if we spend money going the route of the insert, it may last for one trip down the road & give out. it's disappointing that ford isn't standing by their product & fixing it appropriately. this is a well known problem that brings with it severe safety issues. we will not be purchasing a ford vehicle in the future.

The spark plug on my 2003 ford f-150 was ejected from the engine. the truck has 42,000 miles on it. there was a huge bang from the engine, and the gas vapors flooded the cab. luckily i was able to navigate to the side of the road and my family was not injured. this problem appears to be well-documented online, and i will be following up to see where the nhtsa is on this issue. *tr

Blowing out spark plugs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact observed a defect with the tire socket wrench. the wrench was equipped within the vehicle to assist with tire repairs; however, it was too small to loosen the lug nuts that secured the spare tire. the contact was unable to remove the spare tire from the vehicle in order to check the air pressure level. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the failure and current mileages were 53,000. updated 04/24/09.*jb

Differential rear end factory defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that the four wheel drive worked sporadically in inclement weather conditions. the dealer replaced the vacuum switch, but the failure recurred several days later. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they replaced the vacuum diaphragm motor assembly and the shifting fork control. after the repair, there had been no further occurrences. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure mileage was 69,300 and current mileage was 70,000. updated 3/11/09 *cn updated 03/13/09. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 75 mph, the dashboard caught fire. the contact heard a sizzling noise every time the indicator was used. she extinguished the fire with a cup of tea and drove the vehicle to her residence. the current and failure mileages were 58,000.

Similar to other complaint, i discovered that my 4 wheel drive was not engaging when i turn it on using the switch on the dash. my independent excellent mechanic (i would never use the ford dealer here) found that a wire on the transmission case had been simply disconnected. he reconnected it - no charge. works fine. p.s. i test the operation every couple of weeks now to make sure it is working just in case i need it. *tr

While driving in a snowstorm the shifting fork on the front differential broke disengaging the 4 wheel drive which caused me to loose control. i have found out today that this has happened to several people i know and that ford has redesigned this shifting fork. i believe this should be a recall. if anyone had been next to me when the fork broke there would have been an accident. *tr

My 2003 ford f150 truck has a recurring problem in that it continuously blows a certain 5 amp fuse. i was told by a technician at the ford authorized service where i have my service work done that he has seen about 10 of these cases. the problem is a cowl leak that allows water on an electronic module located under the dash. the fuse will blow predictably 2 to 3 days after a rain or wash. the safety consequences are: 1. the blown fuse disables the feature that automatically turns on the headlights & taillights thereby becoming an accident risk particularly when the driver has become accustomed to the automatic control of the lights; 2. the blown fuse disables the feature that automatically locks all of the vehicles doors when the transmission is shifted into drive thereby exposing the occupants to carjacking and other personal dangers; 3. the blown fuse disables the pushbutton control for shifting the transmission into and out of overdrive which could pose a hazard in snow and ice conditions or driving in mountainous terrain. based on these indisputable safety hazards the manufacturer should be required to recall all vehicles subject to this condition and repair/replace as necessary to eliminate the possibility of these hazards. *tr

My 2003 ford f-150 with 5.4 triton engine spit out the number 3 spark plug. this is the second time this has happened to the same plug. ford customer relations refused to even discuss the matter with me, saying there was no problem with its product! *tr

Anti-lock brake failure - failure of electronic hydraulic control unit while braking a few weeks ago i was driving on a highway at about 65-70 mph when a car on the side of the road started to pull onto the highway. i was only about 200 feet away from the car so i slammed on my brakes - it seemed like the car was going to stop pulling out so i let go of the brakes for a second but then the other drive did pull right in front of me and i slammed on the brakes again. the second time the abs light came on, the rear wheels locked up and the car began to fishtail. only because there wasn't any oncoming traffic was a collision avoided. the light never turned off, and the brakes behave erratically. a friend is a mechanic who used a snap-on solus diagnostic tool which shows the abs dhcu sees the car moving at 3-4 mph while parked, the system off, but when you drive the car it applies the abs system while slowing below about 5mph under normal driving (like approaching a stop light) increasing the stopping distance considerably. the module does not respond to reset attempts, and repair is by replacement only. the car is a special production ford f150 lightning, with a dhcu specific to the lightning edition. replacement of the module is about $700 plus labor. the vehicle only has 16,000 miles on it, about 15,500 when the incident occurred. *tr

I bought a used 2003 ford f150 in august 2007. within the first 2 months the gem module was replaced as there exists a design flaw with the seating of the windshield on the seal. as i am driving down the road on a rainy day, the blower fan is going, the windows are going up and down, and the electrical components are all freaking out. as i pull over and remove my key from the truck, the problem does not stop. and now the truck won't restart. again, the gem module. which ford will not replace along with the leaky windshield seal. because they claim there exists no problem of the behalf of the manufacturer. see: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-f-150/taa9dvmdg7ro706ei#lastpost. i am afraid that even if i were to pay to have the gem module replaced (again) and the windshield resealed (again) that i will be driving all of my children down the road when the truck just decides to electronically fail in such a way that it causes a serious accident. perhaps this design flaw should be an issue for immediate recall. *tr

On 10/1/08 i was coming out of a parking lot and heard a loud popping sound. loss of power and ran rough . it was almost dark so i could not see what was wrong so i drove it the two miles home, along the side of the road. next morning i took the truck to holder ford in lakeport, california and they said i had blown out the rear plug on the passenger side of the engine. they repaired it for $715.00 and i got it back on monday 10/6/08. again on 10/11/08 saturday the same plug blew out. this time i was in the fast lane of the freeway in san rafael heading for san francisco. the truck lost power and every time i backed off the gas the engine died. i fought with the truck to get it started and keep it running to get it across three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic to an off ramp. when i stopped and raised the hood i saw it was the same plug that was just repaired. i called holder ford and they said service was closed and there was nothing they could do for me until monday. i drove the car to a toyota dealer only to find the ford dealer had gone out of business there so i called a tow truck and rented a car. i was 150 miles from holder ford and my towing would only allow 100 miles. besides this blown spark plug almost causing an accident it cost me $400.00 for the tow and i don't know how much for a rental car. now i find out there are only three threads in the head to hold the plugs in, and the heads are aluminum. the truck is a 2003 ford f150 lightning 5.4 triton v8 with 70,000 miles. *tr

In april 2008 the battery was dead on the truck. battery was replaced and truck still would not start. after we were finally able to get the truck started it was taken to the local dealer where it remained for 2-3 weeks. service department determined that the cluster ($700.00) was bad and replaced it. (we have since been told by other mechanics, if the cluster was bad we would not have been able to start the truck, so why was it replaced.) the truck was brought back home and the next time it rained the battery was again dead. again truck was taken to the dealer service department. this time they determined that it was leaking around the window gasket ($100) and replaced this. 2 months later another rain and again a dead vehicle. truck was again taken to the dealer where it remained another 2 weeks. after several phone calls and complaints it was determined that they did not know what was wrong with the vehicle and needed to call the main technicians. we still have no idea what is wrong with the vehicle and keep it in the garage. truck can't be driven if there is any hint of rain because we don't want to end up stranded. we live in a small community and this is the second truck, same model and year, that we know of in our area that is having this same problem. obviously there is some issue with the electrical systems in these vehicles as it does not appear to be limited to a few. this truck only has 37, 000 miles on it and is a complete waste to have unless we lived in the desert. i think all ford owners need to ban together and sue ford for aggravation and non functional vehicles. never again will i waste my time buying a ford vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. rust was found at the bottom of all four doors on the vehicle. the dealer advised the contact to call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 58,000. updated 10/14/08. *lj updated 10/16/08. *jb

Cng regulator leaking compressed natural gas into engine compartment. *tr

Cng regulator was leaking compressed natural gas into the engine compartment. *tr

Cng regulator leaking compresssed natual gas into engine compartment. *tr

Traveling at 40mph. hit at the front right fender. shearing off tire at ball joints... causing truck to slam down on the ground and slide at least 75 feet on the frame.. no air bag deployed. i was injured and think if the airbag would have come out maybe my injuries wouldn't have occurred. *tr

My 2003 ford f150 supercrewcab fx4 4x4, was in four wheel drive as i proceeded to enter highway 39 from my drive. the vehicle kicked out of four wheel drive with the roads being wet which caused my truck's back tires to spin out. my truck then fishtailed as it threw itself into a ditch. the problem with it popping in and out of four wheel drive is a common problem. it happens every time that i use it. i have not taken it to a dealer yet, but have read several forums online that talk about the same problem.

1.cruise control use. 2.occurs intermittantly while driving. 3. ford refused. my symptom, model, and year of vehicle is included on ford recall update of 6/26/08 as fire hazard but because my vin is not listed ford refuses even to examine my vehicle under the recall. http://www.ford.com/dynamic/metatags/article-detail/223_important_notice_voluntary_recall_update. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. while driving 40 mph the driver lost control of the vehicle and rear-ended another vehicle. the airbags in her vehicle deployed immediately; however, as it deflated all of the particles inside the airbag exploded. the driver was startled by the air bag failure. the contact is aware of the risk involved during the air bag explosion. updated 09/15/08 *bf updated 09/22/08. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the vehicle has continental sport lt/suv tires, size lt235/85r16. while driving 65 mph, the tread from the rear driver's side separated from the tire. the failure damaged the wheel well on the vehicle. that same day, the contact noticed that the tire was wobbling. the tire has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the dot number was unknown. the vehicle current and failure mileages were 122,000 and the tire failure mileage was 10,000.

I own a 2003 ford f-150 fx4 with an off road package. i have rarely taken this vehicle off road. leaf springs bands were moving off of leaf springs. they were replaced once, the bands continued to move, i was told that this was normal and there was no need for concern. at this time my vehicle was still under warranty. the last time i took in for repair the leaf springs were broken, because the bands holding them together had come off completely. i was told that this was no longer a warranty item and that i would be charged for repair. i feel that there should have been a recall on this item, my leaf springs were replaced twice because of faulty manufacturing. the pin holding the leaf springs together were made of plastic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the vehicle has goodyear wrangler tires, size p235/70r16. the contact stated that the sidewalls of all five (including spare) tires were defective. they looked as if someone had taken a knife and cut around the tires. he took the vehicle in for a tire rotation and oil change, which is when the defective tires were discovered. initially, the manufacturer was going to replace the tires; however, the contact was not so certain at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 61,000.

While driving home from work my wife had a spark plug blow out of the engine, fortunately the 2003 ford f150 supercrew pickup truck didn't catch on fire, i drove the vehicle another 15 miles to the mechanic not knowing what is wrong , i thought the it was just a bad exhaust leak but i found out the next morning the grim news that in fact the spark plug was the problem, i was told the repair would run between 700.00 to 2,000.00, shocked by the cost of repair and the problem of which i have never heard of i went online to check it out. to my surprise i found this is a major problem with the ford triton engines, so i thought ford would do the right thing i called ford and explained my problem, only to be told that it was my problem and ford wouldn't do anything for me. i know i'm not the only person that has had this problem, in fact if you do any research online you will see that hundreds and perhaps thousands of people have had this problem, i would hope that maybe you can help me and the other people that have had this problem, thanks in advance tim walsh *tr

On 5/5/2005, we purchased a 2003 ford f150 heritage edition 4x4. it had only 10,000 miles on it. on june 5, 2005, just one month after purchase, i returned home from my aunt's house. about 5 minutes later, the truck was on fire. the truck was totaled and released to the insurance company. at the time, we were told 2003 fords were not included in the recall and now they are. *tr

Water leaked into the cab trough the windshield and shorted out the gem module and corroded the fuse box. no leak was evident before the short out of various electrical systems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 35 mph, the accelerator pedal locked and the vehicle accelerated to 65 mph. the contact applied the brakes, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. the contact injured her right foot in an attempt to release the locked accelerator pedal. the pedal unlocked itself after 10 minutes and made a pinging noise. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 85,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. in an attempt to drive the vehicle, the four wheel drive failed to engage. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they determined that the shift fork failed and needed to be replaced. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 55,661 and failure mileage was 55,650.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. while the vehicle was parked, the contact smelled gasoline and noticed it dripping from the fuel line. he called the dealer and they provided some information about the failure, but did not mention the gasoline recall for that year, make, and model vehicle. the vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. the current mileage was 22,875 and failure mileage was 22,850. the fuel line/hose was defective. updated

Paint is spider webbing all over the vehicle. all over the hood and top. also starting on front quarter panels. color is black. always been garaged. i wash and wax regularly. *tr

The multi-function switch on my 2003 ford f-150 harley davidson is faulty. it fails intermittently causing the left turn signal to not function at all. it affects the hazard flashers as well. it works only intermittently and then fails again. i have had no accidents and the vehicle had only about 48,000 miles when the failure started. i have almost been rear-ended several times due to the left turn signal failing. *tr

We have a 2003 f150 supercrew with 39,000 miles. while washing the truck in january 2008, we noticed that all 4 doors are rusting/bubbling on the bottom of the doors. this truck is garaged and frequently washed in the winter to avoid this problem. *tr

Spark plug blew out stripping threads. *tr

I was at a complete stop in a construction zone, when my brake pedal went completely to the floor (gave out) this causing me not to be able to figure out what happened fast enough before i ended up rearending the car in front of me and that was pushed into another car. the vehicle was towed, still under warranty new master brake cylinder was installed. *cn

When driving steering wheel was very loose. steering gear was separating and was replaced at the dealer. trying to find out why my vehicle was not covered under recall nhtsa campaign #03v349000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 50 mph in snowy conditions, the electronic 4-wheel drive disengaged and shifted into 2-wheel drive without warning. as a result, the rear end of the vehicle fishtailed. the instrument panel indicated that the 4-wheel drive was activated. the dealer stated that they would install a new shift fork kit made with different material. as of december 13, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 53,000.

Steering gear failure. the vehicle had a large amount of play in the steering wheel. at times loss of steering would occur and you could end up in the next lane. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact crashed into the front passenger side of another vehicle. the vehicle was completely destroyed and none of the air bags deployed. two people were injured and a police report was filed. prior to the crash, he never noticed any air bag warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer and the contact is also filing a lawsuit against ford. he is no longer in possession of the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 90,000. updated 03-05-08 *bf

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the contact stated that the rear right passenger side seat belt buckle has failed. the dealer would not repair the defect under warranty or without a charge of $150. the manufacturer stated that the failure was not recorded and they would not be able to assist. the current mileage was 95,000 and failure mileage was approximately 15,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb updated 12/12/07.*jb

Recently, the headlights, fog lights, dash lights, auto light functions, door locks, exc., all began perform erratically; including the dash lights going out while driving at night! the next day i went great lakes ford in ludington, mi. as soon as i mentioned one of the symptoms, the tech immediately knew the problem: he told me that the oem adhesive on the windshield had failed causing water to leak down behind the dash and directly onto the gem module and fuse panel. he said he has seen this problem over and over with this year f150 and had probably fixed more than 100 over the last year or two. the local windshield shop, duneside auto glass; the owner told me that they have done more than 25 windshields this year at great lakes ford for this exact same problem. i check the ford websites and also found that there is a tsb listed for this problem. the cost of the repair was $1200 which included $500 in parts for the box asy, module and new light switch,$351 in labor and $325 for a new windshield plus taxes. how can there not be a recall for this? if the problem is that prevalent at a northwestern michigan ford dealer, it has to be everywhere else in the country. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. the interior turn signal switch and the exterior turn signals failed intermittently. the dealer stated that there was a shortage in the wires. updated 11/14/07

I received a notice in the mail that my vehicle has a recall on part of the cruise control mechanism. this can cause an under the hood fire and needs a replacement part/fuse installed. the part will not be in until march 2008! *tr

Tread came off, total failure, explosive consequences: two fender braces ripped off, the right rear fender damaged substantially, and the right rear taillight smashed from the tire tread hitting the inside if the fender well. another tire just afterwards had to be replaced when because it was making a ...rump-rump sound. suspect tire tread separation in both instances. *jb

Paint peeling. *tr

Truck speeds-up wide open after cranking and going from park to reverse or drive!! this is the second time i've filed a complaint with nhtsa -the first time was on 5/30/07. since the last filing my f150 truck has had a "speed-up occasion" three times in aug. '07 and three times in oct. '07 the last time being on oct. 16, '07. sooner or later these speed ups will cause an accident!! *jb see also odi 10192039 *dsy

Spark plug blew out of the engine, stripping all the threads in the cylinder head. *tr

In between oil changes, the sender assembly in my ford f150 failed to send a message to the gauge that the engine was overheating. because of that failure, both head gaskets were blown allowing water to go inside the engine. the sender assembly was not working so it did not send a signal to the oil gauge that the pressure was low. this caused a complete engine failure. cost to replace the engine was $5,405.12 + 20 days of a rent car $672. all of this out of my pocket and ford refuses to reimburse me as does the dealership who did the repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked in his garage. the vehicle had been driven approximately 10 hours earlier. the insurance investigator was unable to determine where the fire originated or locate any defective parts that may have caused the failure. the engine compartment was damaged, however, the most extensive damage was on the driver side of the vehicle. ford was notified and refused to take responsibility for the fire. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 12,000. updated 3/5/08 *cn the consumer stated all 3 investigators stated the fire was a defect in the truck. fire dept and insurance report. updated 03/04/08 *tr

Faulty cruise control on 2003 ford f150. situation: driving at steady state; press cruise-control 'on' switch; horn chirps; cruise control engages with-out pressing the 'set' button and begins to accelerate vehicle. brake pedal de-activation switch dis-engages cruise control only temporarily. cruise control re-activates on it's own when foot is removed from brake pedal, and begins to accelerate again. the 'off' switch on the steering wheel successfully disengages the cruise control. this problem first occurred ~march 2007, but was unable to duplicate at the dealer. problem re-surfaced on 8/5/07, and seems to be consistent now. no accident occurred, but the potential is there. no parts have been replaced at this point; no repair has been done. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the contact was involved in a crash. the air bags failed to deploy. ford agreed to test his air bags to determine if they were defective. the contacts wife sustained muscle trauma and bruising to her back, neck, sternum, and legs from the seat belts and impact of the crash. she also suffered hemorrhaging striking her legs below the instrument panel. the vehicle was destroyed. the doors and the entire front end of the vehicle were damaged and the engine was knocked completely off the motor mount. a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 80,000. the consumer provided multiple pictures of the vehicle. the consumer stated the manufacturer is investigation why the air bags did not deploy and test them at their own expense. the consumer stated wife received a phone call the would test the air bags but had to have the vehicle towed at their expense to a location and the consumer further stated is still waiting to hear from the manufacturer. updated 08/23/07 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. on november 6, 2006, the vehicle's coil pack failed. the contact stated that before it failed, the vehicle was running extremely rough and the check engine light illuminated. in december of 2006, she took the vehicle to the dealer because the engine light illuminated again, a second coil pack failed, and there was a hole in the cv boot. the second coil pack was replaced and the contact was told that the cv boot had been repaired. upon returning home, she discovered that the cv boot had only been turned on the other side and was not replaced. in addition to the first cv boot not being repaired, the other axle boot has detached completely off the shaft. the vin, purchase date, and engine size were unknown. the current mileage is 55,000 and failure mileage was 49,000.

On occasions when pressing brake petal, the engine will speed up wide open causing the back wheel to actually to spin the back tires while holding the break petal down hard! very dangerous!! first time this happen the truck was only a couple months old. i took the truck back to dealer, and they reprogrammed the computer. i have had several occasion of it happening again but not as serious until only recently! last time i took the truck back to the dealer, may 14, 2007, i left it with them for a week. i went back and picked up the truck, and the dealer said they could not find any the wrong. i took the truck and in one and one half week later the fast acceleration happen again!!! *tr see also odi 10205846 *dsy.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 30 mph the contact's vehicle struck the side of another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. the front end of the contact's vehicle was damaged and the vehicle was towed. a police report was taken, and the contact has pictures.*ak

I purchased a used 2003 f-150 with 38,000 miles on it aproximately 6 months ago. i started noticing an oil leak in december but could not locate where it came from. after trying to add stop leak to seal it, i finally brought it to the dealer. with 49,000 miles on it, the front gasket and left head gasket were bad. this seems a little premature for a failure of this type.

2003 ford f150 4x4. a heavy snow storm hit northeast on 3/16/07. i had my pregnant wife and three year old son in truck coming back from a doctors appointment. the four wheel drive did not engage. we were stuck for a long period of time. i did some research and this seems to be a common event with the fords and there shift on the fly 4x4 system. i called ford and they said they were aware of the on going problem but told me it was my problem. there were no recalls for the system and again stated "it was my problem!" there are many documented occurences yet nothing has been corrected. truck is going in for repair on friday and mechanic stated it is approx $500 to repair. the vacuum soleniod and vacuum lines need to be replaced. ford was also aware of the vacuum problem when i spoke with them. very frustrating and dangerous with a family relying on a 4x4 when needed.

Engine light turns on, intake mnanifold gasket needs to be replaced on a 2003 v6 4.2l engine in a ford f150. *ak

Tl*- the contact stated that while backing out of the driveway the 2003 ford f150 with 15000 failure mileage with his foot on the brake he put the vehicle into drive and it accelerated to 35 mph and struck a tree. the driver then shut the vehicle off and put it into park. the vehicle was towed to a body shop with extensive damage. the cause of the acceleration has not been determined. *ak updated 03/30/07. *jb

My vehicle is a 2003 f150 xl. i awoke this morning to find the cab of my truck full of smoke and the smell of burning plastic. i noticed a trail of smoke originating from the steering column. i immediately disconnected the battery and removed the dashboard around the steering column. i found exposed wiring and melted components leading into the high-beam selector lever. *nm

While braking the vehicle jerks as if the abs engages and releases continuously the dealership could not find anything wrong. the emergency brake cable broke complete off, cable and covering. after replacing the emergency brake cable i stepped on emergency brake when i parked, heard a pop and later while driving the vehicle the rear left wheel would grab making a grinding sound and slowing the vehicle. was able to get to a garage where it was discovered that the emergency brake pads had broken off and were binding the braking system. *jb

This is the second occurance that i have had a oil seal or gasket on the engine after driving 80 +mile per hour. i had my truck less than three years. i have also noticed it vibrate when reaching the speed mentioned. *nm

While driving i began to downshift but was unable. the stick was real loose and i could not find the gears. the analogy (it was like a broken arm it just wobbled) this was scary not knowing how to get my truck (ford explorer,sport trac) in gear. i manipulated the shift and finally got it to first and parked it. the shift had to be moved way right or way left to accomplish this process of gear changing. guessing what gear your in is not what i want while driving. took it to the pattchetts ford service department. i was informed that the bolts that held the shift in place had worked there way loose and that ."it was a common occurrence"ronnie, service manager stated. ronnie stated that was also common for the short stick mustangs. this is real unsafe for anyone who has this occurrence happen to them. *nm

On 11-21-06, one of our employees, was accelerating onto the freeway and realized that the throttle linkage on his 2003 ford f150 was stuck. he had to put the f150 in neutral and pull over to safely stop (the engine was racing until he turned it off). he found that there is a plastic, two-piece cover around the throttle linkage that had come unsnapped on its underside and had apparently caused the problem. he replaced the cover. this problem has the potential to be a severe, perhaps fatal, defect. *jb

While driving to work, my f-150, 5.4 liter engine blew out a spark plug. the repair cost is in excess of $4000. the affected aluminum cylinder needs to be replaced. the manufacture does not cover the routine tightening / inspection of spark plugs during the periodic 30k, 60k services even though they (the dealer) knows that there is a design problem with this particular engine. the design problem stems from a minimum amount of threads to hold the spark plug in place. the 5.4 liter engine is a powerful engine that necessitates a thicker and longer well to torque and hold the spark plugs in place. the internet is filled complaints made by ford consumers that have experienced this same type of problems on ford engines. *nm

On sept 31 all was well. the temperature dropped down to 40+ degree's that night. well much to my surprise i went to get in my 03 f150 to go to the store, and the rear glass was all shattered. nothing hit, nothing around it. the temp only got up to 78 today oct.1-2006. we have had stranger weather then this why would the glass just shatter like that. there has to be some defect in the glass to do that?i live off a budget and can not afford to pay for replacing the glass. so what can be done to help me replace the rear glass,i sure can't drive to work with no rear glass. my 03 f150 is still under factory warranty. so please help me replace the glass. *nm

10/10/06 7:20 pm i was sitting at a red light with my daughter in my ford f150 2003 truck, when it began sudden acceleration. i placed both feet on the brake, and pushed the brake down as far as it would go to try and hold the truck in place. i could feel the brake pedal jumping under my feet as the truck was trying to move forward. i didn't think the brakes were going to hold the truck in place. i could hear the trucks motor racing louder and louder from inside the cab with all the windows up. the trucks rpm registered a 5. keeping both feet on the brake i put the truck in park and turned the engine off. i feel very lucky no one was injured. i called the ford house in the nearest town and reported the incident to see if they could fix the problem. they advised me they have never had a report of this nature regarding ford vehicles. i have since done research regarding this matter and their vehicles appear to be in litigation in which ford has been required to disclose documents that reveal the breadth of the problem. (defects in the design of the electronic speed control ("cruise control"). "the report i read states almost no ford vehicle is exempt!" in addition there are prior consumer complaints with the 2003 ford f150 in regards to the same experience that i had. i do not know if this is the problem with my truck, but the experiences appear to be the same. i plan to follow up by taking my truck to the ford house i called with my complaint along with copies of the report i found, "ford: sudden unintended acceleration & stuck throttles, and recent filed consumer complaints. hopeful someone will listen. *jb

Drove my truck home from work yesterday and at 30 mph my engine blew a spark plug. the estimate for repair is $3000+. i researched on line and found out this is a known problem. i contacted ford at their customer service department in dearborn, mi and they refuse to pay for the costs of this known issue. *jb

While driving f-150 4x4, accelerator/throttle stuck and caused me to crash into an embankment and even after crash, was still stuck and kept trying to go wide open. *jb

Just had my 2003 f150 5.4l fixed after the #3 spark plug blew out. new plugs and heads cost me $4000.00. the heads are the updated version ford now has. the original were 3 threads, allowing for the plugs to blow out before the 100,000 plug replacement. they now have 7 threads. ford needs to recall and repay us. *jb

My spark plug blew out of my 2003 ford f150 5.4 l this week. ford wants 3800.00 to repair the problem. the head and plugs. i hear alot of this happening. why has it not been recalled. i cant afford to have my truck fixed. now what? who looks out for the little guy now? *nm

Vehicle type - 2003 ford f-150 (harley-davidson edition) issue also affects other year models of the same truck. 1) no known events - part seems to have broken easily under normal use and normal driving conditions. 2) the part that has failed is a fog lamp bracket. when the bracket fails (it is made of brittle plastic), the fog lamp assembly will fall to the ground in front of either the left or right front tires. this can cause a loss of vehicle control when the truck tire impacts the fog lamp assembly. 3) ford will not replace the part - they disagree that it is a safety hazard. there are several reports of these parts failing online in different user forums. *nm

I am one of the thousands of ford owners who have had spark plugs blown out of the cylinder heads while driving. this is a major disgrace that you all will continue to let fmc lie and steel from its customers and deny that there is a problem with there engines. please do the right thing and make ford stand up for their mistakes. *nm

2003 f150 truck bed caught on fire. *ts *jb the truck burned to the frame. *nm

Driving in my back yard, testing new snow tires, speed aprox. 25 mph, hit 10" deep hole, broke axle, directly behind brake disc, rear wheel on the drivers side, pictures available. had to replace axle. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the entire front windshield glass slipped out of place without any prior warning. although the windshield glass became dislodged from the molding, the glass did not crack or break. the glass rested between the hood slit and the glass molding. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the service department contacted a glass company in reference to the issue. the glass company inspected the vehicle and reinstalled the windshield glass with new glue around the windshield molding. updated 3/17/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that while driving on dry freeway roads, the accelerator failed to respond when it was pressed. the engine revolutions per minute rose, but the vehicle speed did not go beyond 25 mph. the vehicle has been taken to a service dealer five times, each time with a different part being replaced to try to correct the problem. the dealer has not managed to correct this issue.

Ameristar tires!! are they good tires? my opinion is no, no, no! i have 16,000 miles of granny-like driving on my 2003 ford f-150, with the original ameristar tires provided stock on my truck. we don't get that much rain in california but every time it does rain i notice that i have to drive even more cautiously than i ever have. i slide all over the place even when the tires were brand new. well today i merged onto the freeway at approximately 55 mph, while everyone else was passing me in there little tiny cars at 75 mph. i hit a puddle and that's all she wrote. i slid across 4 lanes and smashed into the center divide. this is just another example of car manufacturers and just about everyone else cutting corners to save a buck and risking the lives of children, mine was in the car, and consumers. i have already read that ameristar tires are falling apart anyway and ford should rectify the situation and replace those garbage tires with something better. now, after i have just about killed myself and my daughter, i have come to the conclusion that something needs to be done about this situation. please help!!! i have to pay for the damage done to my truck and my higher insurance rates because of a cheap product. "aw he's probably a bad driver." you say, well i have driven thousands of miles in trucks in rainy, snowy weather and have never had any problems with hydroplaning. get rid of your ameristar tires right away if you live in rainy areas. *jb

Truck was parked overnight (no problems). next morning, i started the truck. it sounded like a lawnmower trying to start with a loud "popping" noise. smelt raw gas vapors coming from the top of the engine. took to ford to fix. they quoted me $3200 repair job by replacing a cylinder head. i refused and took to a (farther away) trustworthy mechanic to put a thread insert into spark plug hole and use a helicoi for approx $400. ford refused to do thread insert repair, and wanted to sell me same part that broke in the first place. *nm

Dt: the contact stated the brakes were defective. the first time had to have the front rotors changed due to an accumulation of rust. the second time had to the rotors and pads replaced on the rear because of rust. this last time the dealership urged the contact he had to have the front rotors and pads changed due to rust on the rotors. *ak

Dt: the contact stated windshield leaked. as a result of the leak the vehicle suffered electrical damage. the instrument panel malfunctioned. when he took the vehicle for service the mechanic discovered the problem. the windshield was being repaired along with the electrical system. he has been in contact with ford, and they offered no free solution. *ak

2003 f-150 with 5.4l triton engine. 54k miles, experiencing right cylinder head gasket leak. ford has tsb 02227 concerning this issue. truck had 36k warranty. the costly repairs are not covered by ford. i believe there should be a recall on this defect in which the parts and labor is covered. i have researched with other owners on the internet who have had the same problems with their vehicles. i also believe there maybe a safety issue since the leaking oil drips onto the exhaust manifolds and catalytic converters which may cause a fire. please look into this issue. thanks. *nm

2004 expedition eddie bauer with 45k miles windshield bubbled making viewing difficult and driving dangerous. this started small and then went on to involve most of the windshield in little over a week. dealer replaced windshield for $150.00. windshield definitely defective and dangerous needs reporting. *jb

With only 23000 miles on my 2003 f150 supercrew 4x4, my transmission had what they called an "internal failure"... transmission had to be completely rebuilt. *nm

I was driving down the road at 50-55 mph and my 4x wheel drive kicked on without me engaging it, then by itself again it turned off. the next night i was turning a corner and it did it again, it went on and off by itself. my boyfriend did not believe it and then an hour later he was driving and i did it again. i took it the dealer days later and they couldn't find out what it was . they said they tried to provoke it but they couldn't find out why and how it was happening. *jb

Dt: on 7-9-05 the contact's son was involved in a car accident on the highway. he was driving a 2003 ford f-150. he hit a guard rail and went into a ditch about 100 yards and hit an overpass sign post made of cement. the truck burst into flames. the coroner said that the fire caused the death of the contact's son. she said that he did not have a broken bone. the fire department and the police department. were notified. the fire department did not have an investigation as to the cause of the fire. the contact reported that she did not know if her son had any previous problems with the truck prior to the accident. the truck was totaled.*ak

2003 ford f150 parked in driveway with no keys in truck. heard loud pop noise from parking brake. truck rolled back across street and into a house. body shop was suppose to have sent to service dept. to ck out but didn't. service dept has no record of getting truck from body shop. we traded truck in after repairs. we didn't trust it and no one could give us an answer. ins. had to pay for house and our truck damages. *jb

Dt: the owner took the truck to the dealership becuase of the brakes. there was a problem with the brakes when going about 50 mph. the brakes were replaced, but problem recurred. last week when the consumer drove a rental car he noticed that the brakes were working well. *ak

My ford f150 truck caught fire today while parked outside a residential house. the fire department came and extinguished the fire. the truck is undrivable and will be towed tomorrow. the fire was from a faulty cruise control device.

After hearing an annoying whistle and/or wind sound in our 2003 ford f150 super crew fx4 truck found that the windshield was not attached to the upper part of the car (we could see daylilght). we took it to a body shop the next day where they discovered that the windshield was not attached by any sealant, it was being held in by the molding only. a auto glass company was called and they discovered that the poly that is suppose to be on the windshield was on the rubber molding.

On an average of once a month, the transmission will not come out of park and the truck has to be pushed from the front with another vehicle to get the transmission to release. *nm

I purchased an 2003 f-150 stx 4x4 in july of 2003. less than 1 year later the air conditioner had to be replaced. stopped working with no noticable problems. in the next 12 months the gear box has been replaced twice, i called our local dealer and told them the transmission was shifting harder than usual. took it in and they couldn't duplicate or correct the problem. it continued, and less than 6 months goes by and i am sitting at a red light downtown louisville ky and the light turns green i pushed the accelerator and the truck goes backwards! thank god no one was behind me! after 15 minutes i finally get the truck to the side of the street and call ford roadside asstistance. that was a joke in itself. finally 4 hours later the truck is towed to our local dealer and they call the next day and say it is the transmission. duh! i told them that months ago. they "fix" it and it still is not right. i have even taken it to another dealer and i have contacted ford. the second dealer could not find a problem, so far all i get is, yes, it does shift really hard but we can't get a code to see what is wrong with it! i am still paying for the truck and it is now under the "extended warranty" this is completely wrong! no one should pay $36000 for a truck and have this much go wrong with it! any help would be appreciated.

Dt: the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. contact received recall on campaign id number 03v349000 concerning steering gear box. while driving home on june 22, 2005, and after just pulling his boat trailer steering malfunctioned just as stated in the recall. he contacted ford dealership, and they stated that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. the steering gear box was replaced twice. *ak

Dt: while driving the interstate at 65 mph rear passenger tire sidewall blew out. had a big bubble and it blew out the side. the tire was so hot one couldn't touch it. temperature outside was 92 degrees. tire was just rotated at 32,800 miles at ford. the actual mileage on tire was 33,210. *ak

Dt: own a 2003 ford f150 with 11,000 miles. there is a heat shield over the muffler that was falling down. took vehicle to the dealer, and as instructed by ford, was to remove the heat shield entirely. feels this is dangerous without the heat shield which is not on the vehicle right now. dealer ordered a new heat shield because the old one was deteriorating. ford ordered not to replace the heat shield as per engineering since it was no longer needed. *ak leaking rear seal, pan and gasket were also replaced. *tt *nm

The vehicle shook to the point that it became hard to control it. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer on five occasions, and dealer stated there was nothing that they could do to repair the vehicle. manufacturer offered consumer additional warranty.*ak

I own a 2003 f-150 super crew truck, i just went to get the vehicle state inspection (4/23/2005). the vehicle has 40k miles and has been serviced according to manufactures recommendation. the vehicle failed inspection due to both the front lower ball joints. the service guy advised me that they have seen numerous problems with this on the ford truck. the vehicle is used mostly for going back and forth to work via the highway. for a 2 year old vehicle and to have both lower ball joints have this problem at the same time seems strange. in order to get it passed i have to replace the ball joints as i was told this is not covered under warranty or recall. *jb

Consumer complained about a tire defect. these tires came with the purchase of the vehicle. ameritrac p255/70r16. the tread came completely off the tire but the tire never went flat. vehicle began to pull to the left and spun into a wall. the vehicle was going about 50 mph when it hit the wall and the air bags failed to deploy. provide further details.

2003 ford f150 rolled backwards while parked resulting in the vehicle colliding into a building.*mr the consumer stated the ignition was off. *jb

2003, ford f150 with less 20,000 miles on it. when the trailer is hooked to the truck it will not stop. the anti lock brakes made a noise. took vehicle to purchase dealer twice, and dealer said nothing was wrong. took vehicle to another dealer, and they said the same thing. *ak *nm

While driving 55 mph the front hubs locked. as a result, the vehicle disengaged out of 4-wheel drive without warning. *ak

Transmission line cracked on my 2003 ford 150 super crew. trasmisssion began to shift erratically leading to total transmission failure at around 36,000 miles.*ak

Took my 2003 f150 xl 4x4 to get a front end alignment the technecian told me he could not do the alignment due to the upper and lower ball joints were bad (worn out) i took me truck to the nearest ford dealership and was instructed that i voided my warranty when i put on a bigger tire. the original size was a 255/70/16 and i put on 235/85/16 on the original rim. i have 35500 miles on my truck. i feel that this is another way that the dealership and the manufacturer gets away with ripping customers off. *ak

The wheel drive quits working while travling down the road. it also will not lock in when sitting. the light on the dash indicates that the hubs are locked in but its not working. i currently have it a the ford dealer getting it fixed and it is not under warrenty. the dealership confirmed there is a probklem with this model and has many other complaints but will not cover the cost. they told me that i should lock in the hubs often to keep the seals lubercatd and that its the owners problem fo rnot doing this. it would have been nice of them to tell me when i bought the truck that this was requried to be done on a regular basis. i have not had this problem with my other ford trucks.*ak

I have a 2003 ford f150 my 4wheeldrive stopped working , but the dash indicator said it was ingaged. this makes for a very unsafe operating condition. because you do not drive the vehicle the same if the 4x4 is working.i brought it to the local ford dealer and they repaired it . this apparently was a common problem. the part# f75z*3n139*kt which cost$133.98 and the labor was $302.00. this part is very cheaply made and will probably break again. the tech told me there is no way to prevent this from happening again. this part is a safety hazard. i hope that you investigate this matter. i have looked on ford links and websites and have seen numerous comments of this problem. please if you can help me, it would be appriciated. i kept the old parts, the material they use on the fork won`t hold up to the conditions in the front differential. *ak

On 2/11/05, my 2003 ford f150 caught on fire after it was parked my job-site for two hours, and the fire also destroied a sienna van parked nearby.*ak

I was involved in accident. this was a head on accident. i own a 2003 f-150 super crew. on 02-21-05 i was involved in an accident where i hit a mini van in the passenger side. the front end of my truck was heavily damaged. the estimated speed was 35-40 mph with no braking. the air bag's never deployed. the air bags in the mini van deployed but not in my vehicle. rescue personel could not believe that the air bags did not deploy with the amount of damage done. *ak

While the vehicle was parked, it caught on fire on it's own. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was towed to a garage. the cause has not been determined at this time. please provide further details. *jb

While the vehicle was parked, a fire started under the hood. the vehicle was totaled. the cause was not determined. *jb *tt

I have a 2003 ford f150 pickup, v6, 5-speed manual transmission. my warranty expired at 36,000 miles and my clutch slave cylinder failed at 37,000 miles. after contacting the dealership and telling them about the problem and asking them if they would cover the part since it had failed prematurely, and they answered "no". i took it to a private shop and had the slave cylinder replaced. the day after i got it back i periodically heard strange noises coming from the transmission. i took it back into the shop that replaced my slave cylinder. upon observation they found nothing. after driving it for two more days the problem was extremely evident by the noises that were constant whenever i shifted as well as in neutral. i took it to a reputable transmission shop and told the shop that i wanted to be there when the transmission was opened up. i was present when they opened up the transmission. as they pulled the transmission apart, they found mangled thin metal debris, some pieces as large as my thumbnail. after taking the entire transmission apart and inspecting all bearings and all other parts, they found that the pieces were a foreign material to the transmission. they did not come from any part of the transmission. one of these pieces found its way between the gears on the counter shaft and broke one of the teeth, explaining the noise. so, in short, we are currently having the transmission rebuilt at a cost of $1800.00 on a vehicle with only 37,000 miles on it. *nm

2003 ford f-150 4x4. after only a few hours in 4x4 mode, truck no longer engages into 4x4 mode, creating hazardous condition as people expect this to work and truck is very prone to getting stuck in road or leaving the road without this feature (as all such trucks are relatively very light in the rear). owners of 4x4 vehicles expect this feature to work as advertised and failure can create serious safety issues. from short investigation - speaking to ford mechanics and visiting ford-trucks.com, this is a very common problem. this is a serious safety issue for reasons given above - after personally getting stuck in a public road, and very nearly several times, the truck is no longer used whenever there is any chance of snowy conditions (i am in the north-east). i strongly believe this to be a design defect - the fork which engages the front axles has a plastic end which breaks or falls off after a short period of time. i request that this be investigated and if found to be a design related issue, which i believe it clearly is, that ford be required to fix these vehicles without cost to the owner and provide an extended warranty for this issue. also note that i have taken the truck to 2 ford dealers with the same diagnosis, both quoted 6-7 hours of labor when it clearly takes half or less of this time (again, please see the ford-trucks.com/forum). i believe ford is using this known issue to purposely over charging customers for a known design defect. thank you for your consideration of this safety issue. *ak

In light of the recall of the 2000 model of the ford f-150 pickups for engine fires associated with the cruise control switch, i would like to ask that nhtsa and ford to look at a possible simular problem with the 2003 model of f-150's. a few months ago i had my cruise control on and after about 15 min the brake light illuminated in the dash cluster. when i disengaged the cruise control with the off button the light went out. i had the ford dealership in conroe check it out and they could not duplicate it or find a problem. now i am very concern that my f-150 may also catch on fire like the 2000 yr models.*ak

While driving vehicle caught on fire. the cause of this is fire was undetermined.*ak

In may, 2004 i was traveling out of state with my mother and mother in law and friend when we began experiencing problems with the front tires on my truck. after finding a garage that was open, we were shocked to find out that the lugs: nuts on both front wheels had loosened to the point of almost falling off. the garage corrected the problem temporarily, and then i contacted my local dealership where i purchased the vehicle. giving that the vehicle had only 17,000 miles i felt like some sort of restitution was in order for the time and trouble i had undergone. after much argument, i was able to get the wheels replaced, but never quite felt safe in this vehicle. in november, 2004, while getting ready to leave for church, my husband attempted to start the same vehicle and the engine began experiencing trouble. we had it towed to the nearest dealership and were shocked to learn that the engine had blown up in this truck. it only had 25,500 miles on it. i was forced to upgrade to a newer vehicle and incurred more payments with this newer vehicle. i have made many complaints to ford motor company, but to no avail. i feel like i am due some sort of restitution for the vehicle that i had to trade. i had made 15 payments on this vehicle and really had no choice. the answer i received from the dealership was that no one would offer me a trade in on a vehicle with a blown engine. i disagree. the time and trouble that i have had to undergo is worth something. teresa limbaugh. *ak

While driving down hill in the rain, the rear wheels suddenly locked. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and the cause was determined to be a failure with the rack and pinion and the drive shaft. recently, the consumer has experienced the same problem. *jb

Seat belts retracted and became inoperable. took vehicle to the dealer. however, the problem had not been resolved. *ak

While driving at 45 mph, suddenly the right rear axle broke and snapped off. this resulted in the right rear tire flying off followed by the driver losing control of the truck and impacting a ditch . the driver sustained minor bruises. *jb the engineer stated that the axle flew off on impact even though the tire flew off prior to impact. *sc

While driving in inclement weather, the windshield wipers would come on and go off intermittently. the dealer was aware of the intermittent problem. the mechanic informed the driver that the windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced. please fill in additional information. *jb

While driving,the vehicle stalled. the consumer was able to restart the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. *jb

As noted by another complaint: howling noise in rear differential. rear differential replaced once. noise continues. i called ford motor company and they told me there was a design flaw that only affects certain vehicles but they are working on the problem. i asked...when could i expect it to be solved. the answer was...it might never be solved. they replaced some gears in the differential, but the problem has started again. they refuse to put in a new differential saying that it would be "cost prohibitive".*ak

Bought a brand new 2003 f150 super crew in december of 2002. it now has 22,000 miles on it and the bottom inside of all four doors are rusting and bubbling out. will bring into dealer to see what is the problem and have it fixed with some guarantee it wouldn't happen again. *jb

2003 ford f150. the consumer had a tire blow out with bf goodrich tire equipment. *mr there was a blowout on the passenger right side rear. the consumer requested reimbursed. *sc *jb

Complained of dashboard vibration at time vehicle was being serviced. ford service technician determined that the drive shaft needed replacement. the drive shaft is being replaced under warranty as the vehicle only has 16,500 miles. the service technician also advised that vehicle needed alignment. i am curious if the drive shaft problem and the vibration contributed to the tires being out of alignment. *jb

While driving 25 mph, in inclement weather the vehicle skidded. the driver lost control of the vehicle and hitting a ditch,lost control and was overturned. both frontal air bags deployed. however, the passenger seat belt failed to restrain consumer. this caused the passenger to eject out of the passenger door window tied the seat belt around the passenger's right arm and attaching her to the truck. two passengers and the driver sustained major injuries and were transported to the hospital. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the cause has not been determined at this time. *bf

Consumer complained that vehicle was using a lot of oil. it used a quart of oil every 3000 miles. vehicle had no grease fittings on the tie rod ends nor on the steering. this made them squeak. subsequently without the grease fittings these parts will drop out . consumer took vehicle to dealer, and dealer told him that it would take about a couple of hours to repair vehicle. but when consumer called back he was told that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were on back order. it would take about 2-3 weeks to get them. consumer insisted vehicle was making a lot of noise, and consumer was afraid something will happen.*ak

Rear ended while driving at 48 mph. dealership replaced the rack and pinion steering twice along with the carrier. three visits to the dealership and problem recurred. *ak

The consumer feels, "that the position of the power window switch poses a safety risk. a child or an animal can activate the switch just by sticking their head out of the window." the consumer's dog was able to engage the switch and almost crushed his head in the window. *la the window on the drivers side was discontinued in the 2003 model. *sc *jb

Howling noise in rear differential. rear differential replaced twice. noise continues. ford now refuses to repair rear differential because of complete overhaul twice. ford now says noise is "characteristic" of this vehicle. this is not true as i have driven other identical vehicles without the noise. noise goes away after repairs are made for about 6000 miles. *ak

The rear end suspension is going out per the dealership. vehicle makes a loud humming noise at 50 mph. on 2 separate occasions, while driving on the interstate on a smooth surface road, vehicle made a loud clung noise that felt like the suspension dropped. dealership has serviced the vehicle 3 times for this issue, and replaced the bearings and other suspension components. a factory engineer also inspected vehicle for this problem and indicated that there' was no solution this issue, and to extend the warranty. *ak

Tires were showing wear on outer edges at 4,000 miles. i rotated at that time. they continued to show wear. had truck aligned at 12,000 but it really wasn't out of alignment. ford says that is normal and we are turning too much and that is what is causing the wear. *jb

While driving at 10 mph the consumer felt a vibration in the front end on the vehicle. the consumer examined the vehicle and found that the lug nuts had backed off of the screws. the dealer claims no responsibility for the malfunction. *nm

2003 ford f-150 super crew, howling/whining noise from rear differential during accelleration. noise only occurres between the speed of 40mph and 60mph, most noticable at 50 mph.*ak so far defect has not caused operational failure. problem has been brought to attention of the ford dealership who sold me the truck. first attempt to repair resulted in no work performed, noise considered acceptable by ford specs. second repair attempt (after writing to dealership) reslulted in service manager diagnosing a ring and pinion gear problem. they replaced the ring and pinion gear 3/30/2004. problem reoccured after 4 weeks, additional attempt to repair resulted in originial conclusion that noise was acceptable per ford specs. inconsistent pattern of repair with problem still existing.

Pinging noise coming from engine, have taken vehicle in twice with no resolve. bought truck new in jan 03, have 29,000mi on it. first they replaced the maf still heard noise, then second try they reprogramed the computer. service manager stated it might be coming from fuel injectors. sound heard on acceleration at all speeds greater under load.*ak

I have been having a problem with rear-seat seatbelt extenders. the extender provided by our dealer is number f58z-16611c22-a. the problem is that the receptacle on the extender will not latch onto the seat belt unless the extender receptacle is at room temperature or above. we have been trying to get this problem resolved for several months. the parts and service folks at friendly ford of monroe, michigan claim that nothing can be done about it because, according to ford motor company, there is no other extender available. they have reordered the extenders several times, thinking that maybe they were defective, but we still have the problem. we have to warm up the extenders in order to get them to work, and even then they will not latch 100 percent of the time. i have also contacted the ford motor company and they have also told me that nothing can be done. *la

While the vehicle was parked with the brake depressed, the front wheels began to turned which caused the vehicle to roll down a driveway. during this incident a baby was injured. the cause of the problem has yet to be determined. please provide any additional information. *nm

2003 ford 150 ext cab 4x4 truck was being driven at approximately 40 mph with a light load. as the truck was shifted from 3rd to 4th the drive line broken in half and began pounding the undercarriage of the vehicle damaging the fuel tank and exhaust sytem. the driver claims the clutch was non responsive and there was a strong smell of burned clutch has the vehicle was stopped. ford rep is claiming damage is the result of abuse and/or prior damage to the driveline based on photographs supplied by dealership (the ford rep did not physically inspect). the dealership has no opinion of why the failure occurred and has claimed to have never seen such a failure. i do not feel that there is documentation to support ford's position and they are simply attempting to avoid a warranty claim. of even deeper concern is the possibility that other f150's could experiance the same failure which could result in injuries and/or loss of life. *ak

I purchased my ford f150 on december 29, 2002 from sunrise ford in north hollywood, california. i returned it in march 2003 because there was an odd clunking, grinding and whining sound when it was driven. i was told that they could not find anything wrong with it. then i took it back one more time in april of 2003 and they still could not find anything wrong. in may 2003, i moved to arizona and on may 9, 2003 i took it to berge ford located mesa, arizona. they tested the vehicle and could not find anything wrong. even though they previously mentioned that it could be the rear end that has the problem. i took it in again on september 17, 2003 to berge ford and they found several items wrong with the truck. although they fixed the items listed on the service ticket, the truck is not fixed. this vehicle obviously has a problem. i would not waste my time leaving work to deal with such issues if the issues did not exist. it took four times to locate a problem and it is still not fixed. i took the car to berge ford on may 26, 2004 again. this time they replaced the air flow valve. i again took the vehicle in on june 1, 2004 and they couldn't find anything wrong again. i believe that this vehicle is truly a lemon and i am hoping that ford can work with me on these issues. i was told i do not qualify for the lemon law because of my mileage, but the problems started before i was over the mileage limit. it is frustrating to deal with these issues for over a year. if there were not any problems then why would i have returned the truck 3 months after i bought it? i would love to trade it in, but i do not want to lose again by being upside down. i spoke with a gentleman at berge ford and he said that there is a possibility that ford might be able to buy the truck back and that is exactly what i need them to do at this point. thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. *ak

I purchased a left over 2003 ford f-150 pickup truck at condit ford in newton, new jersey. i picked up the vehicle on friday evening may 28, 2004 on sunday morning at 8:00 when i bent down to pick up a piece of paper in my driveway i noticed that the under side of the rear bumper is rusted from several scratches, i walked around the truck and noticed several paint and body defects as follows: rear bumper has several scratches and rust, tow hook is rusted, the left rear fender has cracked/rippled fiberglass in the section that is near the bumper, the left door has raised paint blemish and dent, the right door on the inside by the door latch is missing paint, the right rear cab door is defective - it bows out on the bottom of the door. when i called the dealership the sales manager stated that i must have caused the damage. i mentioned that who crawls under a new truck to see if the bumper is damaged and rusted and that with an all white truck it is more difficult to immediately detect damages. and that when a consumer buys a new vehicle it is expected that the new vehicle is new and not damaged. *ak

Purchased the 2003 f-150used from hertz rental at 22,00o miles. within 2000 miles, a grating sound began to occur periodically. basically, after you are at a stop or complete a turn, the truck will make this grinding sound as you accelerate. it lasts for a second or so and sounds and feels like you ran over a cattle guard. it does it sometimes and not others. also, the truck will sometimes drop its idle to 100 while stopped and almost die. also the air conditioning makes a loud groaning type while when you first turn it on. you have to turn the truck off and back on to make it stop. ive had the vehicle 3 months and its been in the shop 8 times. each time they tell me they cant find a problem. i dont beleive this considering theres many others on here with the same problems. ive called customer assitance and they just say go to the dealer. its got 30,000 miles on it. my warranty time is running out. i cant sell it because id have to take a loss on it. ford has hung me out to dry. please please help. my wife and i cannot afford this kind of financial hit. i dont expect a new truck, i just want my truck fixed so i can trust it.*ak

While driving at 70 mph and trying to avoid a merging vehicle consumer attempted to slow down the vehicle but brakes were not responding properly. the brake pedal went to the floor, and the emergency brakes were employed to stop the vehicle. the dealer has possession of the vehicle awaiting an examination. *ak the service dealer determined that the master cylinder failed and caused the complete brake failure. *sc

While parked vehicle came out of gear and rolled down the hill into a ditch. *ak

My complaint pertains to an accident that i was involved in on july 29, 2003. i had a frontal collision with another car in an intersection. the other car ran a red light, but the fact is, my right front corner of my bumper hit her left front side at her left front tire and did considerable amount of damage to both vehicles. i have a f150 4x4 supercrew, the other car was a olds' 98 regency full size car. my approximate speed was between 20 to 25 mph, i had just came from another intersection and had not reached the speed limit quite yet. after hitting this car my truck traveled another 20 to 30 yards before hitting a 2 pipe hand/guard rail. the corner post placed a nice v dead center in my bumper. the hood was buckled, both front quarter panels damaged and jammed back into the doors. my air bag did not deploy nor did my seat belts lock in position to prevent myself from hitting the steering wheel with my chest. the truck was repaired by a reliable collision center approved by my insurance company, state farm insurance. i had notified ford of the air bag and seat belt not working as i was lead to believe it should and was instructed to take my truck to the dealership where i purchased it and have the systems checked out. dealership test results showed systems all working properly. i contacted ford again and asked just what it takes to initiate these devices to work. the customer service person read to me what it would take for these to work. i told her that is exactly what i was telling her had happened in the wreck. at this point i have no confidence in my truck and worry that they will not work the next time if ever needed again or if they will even deploy for no reason while i'm driving down the road. i just don't know where to go with this to gain confidence in my truck. i just purchased this truck in april and will take a bad beating if i trade it off now (because it has been damaged in a crash) since i?ll never be able to trade it in or sell it.

Drive train wine between 47 mph and 55 mph in my 2003 f-150 supper crew. the ford dealer replaced the rear drive shaft but the problem still existed. dealer called ford and ford said because i have a sliding rear window, tonneau cover and 3.73 rear end gearing these items are causing the wine. the ford dealer said that if tried to run this problem through warranty again ford would deny it. the dealer also said i should take this problem to another dealer.*ak

Odor of gasoline, caught on fire. an investigator determined that the fire originated in the engine compartment and had ignited from gasoline vapors. it was determined that the fuel rail had cracked, causing the fuel leak.*ak

Rear axle whine noise at 45 to 50mph & 67 to 72 mph. loud & getting louder. ford dealers all over the area said ford knows of noise but has no fix. said they were told ford would not spend money to fix because they were not making much as a company now. two repars on rear end & still noisy, engineer had dealer put 125 wt grease in rear axle to try & quiet noise down. no good> lost fuel economy also. i need help getting repaired or getting a buy back from ford.

While driving at any speed the brakes system warning light came on and off on it's own.. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *nm the dealer replaced the vss and found open circuit in wiring connector. the dealer also added brake fluid because it was low. *nm

On 2 separate occasions when the consumer pressed the brake pedal it failed to stop the vehicle immediately. the consumer had to press the brake pedal 3 more times to stop vehicle. the dealership indicated that this always happened when the brake parts get wet. *ak *sc *jb

While driving 25-40 mph front of the vehicle shook. vehicle had been to the dealer twenty times, and mechanic could not determine the cause of the problem. *ak

When making slow turns in my 2003 ford f-150 supercrew (only 42,000 miles on the truck), the truck has a vibration. went to a ford service technician, and they could not diagnose the problem, they suggested to re-pack the clutch packs, which was done. vibration still occuring 1 week later. according to other's who also own ford vehicles, this seems to be a huge problem that ford states is normal wear and stating its a problem we have to live with. *ak

While the vehicle was parked on the driveway it caught on fire. flames and smoke came under the dashboard. *ak

Vehicle was involved in rear end collision. driver's side seat belt unfastened, and the seat back collapsed. the dealer had been contacted. *ak

I have a 2003 f-150 supercrew that i purchased september 2, 2003. in october 2003 when the odometer was changing from 999 miles the vehicle seemed to have an electrical short and the dash lights flashed for a couple seconds. then the odometer changed to 2000 miles skipping the 1000 mile mark and began to miss as if it was going to stop running but it never stopped. the check engine light never came on and the vehicle continues to misfire. i have had the vehicle checked by the ford dealership where i purchased it on six visits. they have found cylinder 1, 2, and 3 misfires and replaced the boots and coils to those cylinders. but it still misses when i come to a stop with the engine in drive or at idle and the check engine light has never come on. the serviceman at the dealership and i when on a test drive with a monitor checking the firing of the spark plugs and the cylinders were showing as much as a 60 % voltage drop.the computer has showed several codes on the cylinders and codes that are not suppose to be even on this vehicle. this truck has been serviced by dealer six times, but they have been unable to diagnose or correct the problem. *jb

While driving 45 mph vehicle vibrated. vibration increased radically at 55 to 70 mph. vehicle was serviced, and technician determined rear end was too light. *ak

While parked rear window shattered into pieces without warning. *ak

Consumer complained about an electrical system problem. inside lights would not go out once the door was closed. alarm system did not work, and side reflector lights did not come on. the door ajar light stayed on. *ak door ajar light stayed on for about 20 to 25 minutes before they go off. doors won't lock when they're supposed to. dealer said that they can't locate the problem with inside lights. however, dealer made repair on horn and replaced fuse for alarm horn. *la

The four-wheel drive would not operate properly. the vehicle was taken to a dealer that replaced the parts with parts from another vehicle of the same make, model, and model year. those parts failed the same day of repair. please provide any additional information. *nm

Dateline nbc, dec. 19th, 2003, reported that the insurance institute for highway safety gave the ford f150 the lowest rating for the 40 mph off center collision in 2001 injury to front pasengers would be serious to critical. i cannot find any data from nhtsa regarding this crash test. my truck is a ford f150 super crew 4x4. i am very concerned and wish to obtain further information regarding this test.*ak

While driving at 30 mph, vehicle was involved in a rear end collision . then, it collided with a utility pole and erupted into flames. consumer sustained cracked ribs and was hospitalized. police arrived on the scene. *ak *la

Consumer experienced wheel bearing failure. (nar) *ph *cb

Excessive exhaust noise when warming up and cooling down such as loud popping noise. *jb

The truck's speedometer was not visible because of the light color used. as a result the driver is unable to determined the vehicle's speed. *nm

Ford f150 2003 truck. *la

On a cold start up vehicle knocks every morning. has been to ford dealer 5 times. they have told me numerous things, like use heavier weight oil, no problem, we hear it but not sure what it is, we hear it common engine noise. problem still exists. first time i took it in was 4/2003, and vehicle is at dealer now again. *cb

Vehicle doesn't come equipped with a rear defogger system. as a result, driver is unable to see out the rear in rainy or snowy weather. *ak

1 bought a 2003 f150 extended cab. the transmission is always loud, sluggish when it does shift and slips all together. *la

At highway speed vehicle goes into low 4-wheel drive. *ak

Within a few thousand miles of purchase, we began noticing a sporadic grating noise from the rear end. more distubing is the hard shifting between 1st and 2nd gears that is also sporadic. the shifting problem happens on long trips of 150 miles or more. it will usually happen about once a day but of course we never know when. the grating noise is less frequent and can happen anytime. our vehicle is currently at the dealership for a fourth visit for these problems. ford has not been able to replicate the grating and hard shifting which makes sense but at the same time we are stuck with a vehicle that has not provided new truck performance. since the problem has become more frequent, it will probably lead to transmission failure once it is out of warranty. i have considered selling it but that would be unethical since the next person would eventually experience the same problems. ford needs to step up and replace the transmission. there is one other similar complaint in the data base. *la

The 4 wheel drive failed to disengage. the truck has been serviced by several dealerships for this issue. they all gave different solutions to solve the problem, but none of the solutions related to what was in the owner's manual. *ph the vehicle did not disengage or shift out of 4x4 into 4x2 under a load or in a bind. the brakes pushed to the drivers side and a made noise, and the a/c didn't switch from defrost to vent due to the radio and bezel vacuum to the a/c system. the a/c selector switch was replaced. *sc *jb

Having a problem with transmission slipping or not changing gear correctly. plus a noise or vibration grinding. during this time as well. very upset. i have taken the vehicle to the ford dealership but they cannot duplicate the problem while there. ford said they will not fix until duplicated. i am very upset have taken to dealer four times. *nlm

A vibration at 38-42. delaer has rotated and balanced tires twice in 5600 miles and told me i need to balance and rotate more often because my tires are cupping. the vibration has not gone away. the dealer then stated that i needed to get ford to replace my general tires with michelins. i am still waiting for ford to tell the dealer what to do.*ak

While driving the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. *ak

Heard unusual noise coming from the rear-end of my 2003 ford f-150 supercrew the noise starts at 90 mph. is this an on going problem? please look into it. *ak

When driving for approximately 1/2 hour shoulder/lap belts would tighten up and applied pressure to the chest area. driver removed the shoulder belt to relieve chest pressure.*ak

Recently, consume bought 2003, harley davidson, f150 in may of 2003. it idled roughly on occasion at which time it fluctuated. it idled at 800 rpms, then dipped down to 400 rpms. felt like it was about to die, then surged back up to 900 rpms, and so forth. at times while driving it hesitated at constant speed. *ak

I had a severe blow out of a factory tire at low speed on a cold tire. the tire had approximately 6000 miles and had not been low on air. i have kept the damaged tire for inspection by qualified person. *la

My '03 f150 fx4 4x4 has what i suspect to be an ignition problem that the local dealership service department cannot duplicate or diagnose. i have had the truck since july 03 and it has been to the dealer twice. once without a "service engine soon" light and i was told they could not work the truck due to warranty issues without the light. then in november the light illuminated and i took the truck in for the light and the four wheel drive inoperable. the four wheel drive was fixed by replacing the front differential, right side axle housing, shifting fork and gears. but the ignition problem was just as illusive with the light and the code. now i still have the problem of the truck dying out as usual and my fuel economy is degrading. the truck will die out and recover causing the truck to buck severely, possibly causing the 4x4 problems mentioned earlier. it is at its worst at 1450 rpm or 59 mph. once 1500 rpms are exceeded the problem is gone. i can also accelerate through it without experiencing any problem. just steady-state operation without any load and it will die out repeatedly. *la

While traveling at 75 mph driver's side and passenger's side air bags inadvertently deployed. driver temporarily lost control, and was able to regain control without causing an accident. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer stated warranty expired. *ak

Hollow knocking noise in the 5.4 engine most noticeable when cold. ford and the dealer tell me to put up with it because it is normal. something about piston clearances or slap. i did not pay $30,000.00 + for a new vehicle to listen to it knock in the mornings when i start it up. ford is aware of this noise in the 5.4 and i would like someone to look into this because they are not willing to do anything about it. *la

2003 f-150 supercrew xlt 4wd noise present in front-end. especially when backing out of driveway sounds like an idler arm or steering linkage (tie rods) also noise in steering gear/pitman arm. result is loose steering espcially while at high speeds. loose steering is present even at lower speeds and vehicle tracks road in an unusual fashion. have discussed with ford service dept on 4 occasions. they have been unable to provide a remedy. they tell me its characteristic of the vehicle. *la

Intermittently the shift indicator won't engage from park to drive. dealer inspected several times and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak

While driving approximately 40 mph consumer's vehicle hit another vehicle head on. upon impact, front air bags failed to deploy. there were no injuries or emergency room treatment. vehicle towed to dealer, and mechanic could not locate cause of non deployment.*ak

Ford's decision to discontinue installing the door courtesy lights. *ph. the consumer stated the courtesy lights provided better visibility when stepping into the vehicle and exiting the vehicle and the lights also warned approaching traffic of the hazard of an open door. *jb

Heard unusual noise coming from the rear-end of my 2003 ford f-150 supercrew 4x2. the dealer notified me that driveshaft was being replaced. is this an on going problem? please look into it. *la

Brand new ford f150 crew cab lariat bought and at 2000 miles and 2 weeks all lugs and nuts loose with wheels wobbling and in danger of falling off. *la

I have a 2003 f-150 supercrew 5.4l 2x4, from day one, a hollow knocking noise is heard at idle most noticeable when in gear at idle, or low rpm. i have had it into ford several times and nothing has been done. we even started another truck on the lot (same year, engine ect.) and the noise was not found on the other truck. the service manager states he does hear the noise but ford does not know what it is therefore they cannot fix it so no attempt has been made to find or repair it (my truck has not been on the rack even once). please advise as to what i can do to resolve this problem. *la

Steering wheel shaft bearings were loose, and had back and forth movement.*ak

While driving at normal speed consumer's vehicle was involved in a front collision and neither of the air bags deployed, and driver's seat belt did not hold the driver. no air bag warning light appeared prior to collision. *ak

My brake fluid appears black as coffee at 14,000 miles in seven months. is this premature degradation? the brakes work ok and local ford dealer says this color is normal. everything i read about brake fluid says it should stay amber colored. vin #[xxx] have other f150's pickups had brake failures? should i be concerned? thank you, [xxx]. *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have many problems with my 2003 ford f150 from engine noises to transmission leaking and slipping. my vehicle has been in twice now and nobody at fords or their engineers seem to know what is wrong. fords does not know what to do. i would greatly appreciate if someone could look into this matter because no one should have this many problems with a brand new $30,000 vehicle.*ak

I was wiping the interior of my truck and cut myself on a sharp edge. the item that cut me was a badge/logo which is affixed to a soft cover on the center console of my truck. my truck is a 2003 ford f-150 harley davison edition. i would not normally complain about a bump or bruise i would get working on a vehicle. this decorative badge on the console is so sharp that it cut through the towel i was wiping with and then into my finger. this badge is in an area where people would normally contact the vehicle to open the console, and it is very unsafe. *jb

2003 ford f-150 king ranch "howl". nar 07/28/2003.*mr driveline vibration. dealer notified. *cb

I have a 2003 supercharged harley truck,the concern is that all eight spark plugs were dark red in color and vehicle was missing horribly under a load with the a/c on or off.there was no check engine light,and vehicle fuel economy dipped to 11mpg on highway.it almost felt like a torque converter going south.the vehicle gets sunoco ultra 94 only and is babied.the vehicle only has 7k on it.p.s iam also the foreman at a large ford dealer.i hae never seen this before,unless high octane additives were used.what caused this.no one at ford knows. i am very dissatisfied with my 44k truck*ak

While traveling about 50mph on the highway and without prior warning driver side rear wheel fell off. *ak

On ford harley davidson edition f-150 pickups, the brake pedal is stainless steel with rubber strips for traction. while they are very nice looking, they have a serious design flaw. these strips tear off very easily and quickly leaving a polished, stainless steel brake pedal. this is very slippery, especially when the least bit wet. it presents a serious safety hazard - foot sliding off while stopping, while sitting at a traffic light, etc. my truck had the problem at 2100 miles, replaced the pedals at 5000 miles and the new pedals were tearing again with a week. i am a member of the harley truck club (www.nhtoc.com) and the problem is widespread.*ak

While driving 55 mph on the interstate rear driver side wheel came off. driver managed to get vehicle off the road without incident. *ak

Consumer states that vehicle makes a very loud "whining" noise when driving. sounds as if driving an 18-wheeler truck. the truck has been serviced by dealer several times, but they have been unable to diagnose or correct problem.*ak

My friend bought a 2003 f-150 super-crew and after 4 month the dome light fuse blew. he took it back to the dealer and the tested the vehicle and found no problems with the electrical system. what they did to rectify the problem was" put a new fuse in it and said try this and come back if the fuse blows again." well the fuse blew again and is at the dealer again. *nlm

Front passenger tire came off. dealer was contacted and stated that it was the drivers fault because he did not rotate the tires at 5000 miles. therefore they won't cover the damages.*ak

When the brakes were depressed, the pedal went all the way to the floor and the consumer's foot accidentally hit the gas pedal which caused the vehicle to accelerate. *ak *ts *jb

When the consumer started the vehicle the gas pedal went to the floor. the vehicle also experienced sudden acceleration. *nlm *cb *jb ea04006 has ifs

Purchased new ford harley pickup. loud noise in rear, shop could not identify. rear axle broke in curve and rear wheel on driver side was several yards from where truck finally ran off road and overturned. total loss. *nlm

A noise was heard under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealership which could not determine the problem at that time. the noise was heard again. the vehicle was taken to the dealership which replaced the timing belt tensioner and the oil pump. please provide details. *ak

The vehicles left front wheel broke while exiting the highway at 45 mph. this caused the vehicle to collapse to the ground and run into a wall. *nlm

On, march 21, 2003 i purchased a new 2003 ford f-150 xlt. we were driving back home from the dealership at 65 mph when we started down a small hill, the trucks front end started shaking and vibrating pretty bad, and didn't stop shaking and vibrating until i came to a stop. i pulled onto a side street and stopped. i looked for a problem and could see nothing wrong. put the truck in drive and continued my way home, the problem had now stopped. on april 1, 2003 i was driving on the east-west expressway in orlando, at about 65 mph when i started down another small hill, the truck started shaking/vibrating violently, i pressed on the brake pedal and it only made it worse. i had to wrestle for control of the truck until i got it to the shoulder. again the shaking/vibrating didn't stop until the truck came to a complete stop.. i'm very lucky the road wasn't wet, i'd have been dead for sure. put the truck back in drive and the problem was gone again. my truck is now at rolling hills ford service dept. in clermont florida. dealer just called me back saying they cannot duplicate problem. which means they didn't even look for the problem. i really don't want to risk serious injury or death until ford can find the problem. please help. *nlm

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the air bags failed to deploy.*jb

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the air bags failed to deploy, consumer was informed by the manufacturer, the force was not strong enough for the air bags to deploy. 8jb

We own several ford f-150 trucks. in the last 3 months we had four separate problems with the rear axles. one truck the axle broke and the wheel came completely off. another truck the axle was destroyed and had to be replaced. the last truck is brand new with less than 2000 miles and experienced the same problem yesterday. *jb

Has been into the dealership on numerous occassions, since december 2002. a new seat belt was ordered "twice". the second one ordered was due to the technician not being comfortable with it. january 20, 2003 while driving at 65 mph, had to come to a panic stop, seat belt on driver's side did not lock. a ford motor co. engineer now states that the seat belt is working as designed. if a seat belt does not lock during a panic stop from such a high rate of speed, why do we have seat belts? on january 31, 03 coming home from the engineer inspection, we were not comfortable with the inspection. all we were told is that the seat belt is performing as designed. we, at 45 mph, depressed the brakes as like we were doing a panic stop, neither driver's side nor passenger side seat belt locked. will still test the issue. some times the belt will lock, sometimes not. we are concerned and feel we have had information regarding the seat belts and our safety concealled from us. very hard to work with the dealership.

We purchased a 2003 ford f150 supercrew fx4 in october of 2002. on december 2,2002 this vehicle lost control of it's brakes and acceleration pedal. it was picked up that day and taken to the dealership to be fixed. it is still to this day at the dealership. we have not had possession of it since. they have repeatedly tried to fix it but we unable, until 01-22-03 when we were told it was fixed. but even so we are not given a guarantee by the dealership that it is. they do not feel safe with it on the road also. we are in the process of acting on the lemon law with ford. at first,we were told that the egr valve was the problem , it litteraly let moisture into the throttle body which formed ice, and they have pictures of this, which made the vehicle lose control of the brakes and the throttle to stick wide open. i have been told that there has been further complaints against moisture in throttle bodys of the same trucks but not to the extent of ours. also there is complaints of the gas pedal sticking but ford is telling people that it is thier floor mat creating the problem. i really feel this should be looked into before someone gets hurt or killed. it is not a good feeling when you are driving on icy curves and hills and the speed keeps increasing on its own and the brakes dont work! the only way i stopped it was by throwing it in park,thank god it was in 4 wheel drive, this probably ruined the transmission, but it was the least of my concerns at the moment. i had a car coming towards me and one following behind me, thank god no one was hurt. please check into this.

Consumer states while driving the vehicle the gas pedal would get stuck the vehicle would pick up speed.consumer states the brake pedal also did not slow vehicle down. dealer notified. ts

The windshield wiper blade doesn't reach out enough in order for the consumer to see. please provide additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. ph *ts

Had noticed fuel had leaked on garage floor. vehicle was filled earlier. brought directly from factory, new. checked under vehicle and noticed a patch plate was welded onto fuel tank. took vehicle back to dealership and mechanic refuse to repair leakage. indicated a stone had hit bottom of tank. mr

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.

2003 f150 4,2 engine, upper and lower intake manifold gaskets failure, started leaking at 75,200 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. while driving 25 mph, the front hub assembly snapped and caused the contact to crash into a parked vehicle. the vehicle veered to the right and the passenger side tire was found underneath the vehicle. there were no warning indicator lights present. a police report was filed. the mechanic stated that the hub assembly spindle snapped and the repair cost would be $5,200. the vehicle is currently being repaired with a used hub assembly per his insurance company's request. the current and failure mileages were 68,000.

While driving 65 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy.as a result, due to the severe body damage, vehicle wad totaled. *ak

One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).if one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.if both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.if either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.when the tank drops, it remains attached to the vehicle only by the fuel filler hose and/or supply lines, or in rare instances, by the skid plate, if present.in some cases the weight of the tank sufficiently strained the hoses and fittings and caused separation and subsequent fuel leaks from those connections.the fire hazard created by leaking gasoline is increased by the possible presence of sparks created by the metal tank being dragged along the road.corrosion of the straps appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to road deicers, frequently road salt, used to treat snow or ice covered roads.states in which large quantities of deicers are applied to roads during the winter season ("salt belt states") account for the predominant portion of strap failures.vehicles in these salt belt states are prone to experience corrosion related failures more frequently and earlier in a vehicle’s life cycle.ford reports approximately 97 percent of reports it received relating to strap failure involve vehicles that were operated in these high corrosion areas, and 95 percent of the reports to nhtsa involved such vehicles.approximately one-third of f-150 u.s. production was sold in salt belt states.odi has included in the above counts reports it has received from consumers and reports it has received from ford in which either the complaint involved confirmed strap corrosion or odi's assessment of available information suggests corrosion caused the reported problem.among the incidents reported to nhtsa, 441 involved one or both straps failing due to corrosion, 353 involved the fuel tank dropping and/or dragging on the ground, and 180 involved fuel leakage.odi has received four reports of strap failure in which the leaking fuel ignited but self-extinguished, and one incident in which fire destroyed the vehicle and injured its driver.ford reported the same injury incident and three other unique fire incidents, including two in which the leaking fuel ignited and fire destroyed the vehicle.there were no injuries associated with the three unique ford incidents.ford has agreed to conduct a recall to repair the subject vehicles.the recall will cover vehicles that were originally sold or are currently registered in salt belt states (regardless of vehicle age).the vehiclesincluded in the recall are those subject vehicles that are, or have ever been, registered in connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, or the district of columbia.ford's recall action appears to adequately address the problem at this time.the above vehicle population (1,340,349) includes subject vehicles originally delivered or sold in salt belt states.odi does not know the current or historical locations of all subject vehicles.according to ford approximately 73% of the recall population is currently registered (a 27% attrition rate).ford is also recalling certain my 1997-1999 f-250 vehicles (under 8,500 gvwr), and my2002-2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles for the same condition, resulting in an estimated 1.1 million total vehicles covered by the recall (see safety recall 11v-385 for further details).

The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, discussions with complainants and field and technical data provided by ford.the subject vehicles are 1/2 ton pickup trucks and are natural gas vehicles (ngv) that are fueled by gasoline or compressed natural gas.the agency has received reports alleging improper operation of the natural gas fuel pressure regulator allowing release of excess amounts of natural gas into the engine compartment.ford reports that the regulator contains an over pressure relief valve that will vent natural gas should the pressure exceed a set threshold.the complaint reports and data reviewed by the agency indicate that an improperly operating pressure regulator can result in an overpressure condition and activate the regulator pressure relief valve.the released natural gas is directed through a vent hose that discharges the natural gas in the vicinity of the right front wheel house and away from the engine compartment's extremely hot areas/surfaces.owners are normally aware of this problem by the presence of an illuminated warning light inside the vehicle, odor of natural gas or the sound of venting gas.when the operator turns the engine off, the natural gas supply tank solenoid will close and the regulator will not release natural gas.at vehicle restart, the solenoid valve will remain closed to prevent leakage and the vehicle will only operate in the gasoline mode.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, discussions with complainants and field and technical data provided by ford.the subject vehicles are 1/2 ton pickup trucks and are natural gas vehicles (ngv) that are fueled by gasoline or compressed natural gas.the agency has received reports alleging improper operation of the natural gas fuel pressure regulator allowing release of excess amounts of natural gas into the engine compartment.ford reports that the regulator contains an over pressure relief valve that will vent natural gas should the pressure exceed a set threshold.the complaint reports and data reviewed by the agency indicate that an improperly operating pressure regulator can result in an overpressure condition and activate the regulator pressure relief valve.the released natural gas is directed through a vent hose that discharges the natural gas in the vicinity of the right front wheel house and away from the engine compartment's extremely hot areas/surfaces.owners are normally aware of this problem by the presence of an illuminated warning light inside the vehicle, odor of natural gas or the sound of venting gas.when the operator turns the engine off, the natural gas supply tank solenoid will close and the regulator will not release natural gas.at vehicle restart, the solenoid valve will remain closed to prevent leakage and the vehicle will only operate in the gasoline mode.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, discussions with complainants and field and technical data provided by ford.the subject vehicles are 1/2 ton pickup trucks and are natural gas vehicles (ngv) that are fueled by gasoline or compressed natural gas.the agency has received reports alleging improper operation of the natural gas fuel pressure regulator allowing release of excess amounts of natural gas into the engine compartment.ford reports that the regulator contains an over pressure relief valve that will vent natural gas should the pressure exceed a set threshold.the complaint reports and data reviewed by the agency indicate that an improperly operating pressure regulator can result in an overpressure condition and activate the regulator pressure relief valve.the released natural gas is directed through a vent hose that discharges the natural gas in the vicinity of the right front wheel house and away from the engine compartment's extremely hot areas/surfaces.owners are normally aware of this problem by the presence of an illuminated warning light inside the vehicle, odor of natural gas or the sound of venting gas.when the operator turns the engine off, the natural gas supply tank solenoid will close and the regulator will not release natural gas.at vehicle restart, the solenoid valve will remain closed to prevent leakage and the vehicle will only operate in the gasoline mode.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi¿s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi¿s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that nhtsa would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa¿s limited resources to best accomplish the agency¿s safety mission, the petition is denied.

One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).if one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.if both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.if either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.when the tank drops, it remains attached to the vehicle only by the fuel filler hose and/or supply lines, or in rare instances, by the skid plate, if present.in some cases the weight of the tank sufficiently strained the hoses and fittings and caused separation and subsequent fuel leaks from those connections.the fire hazard created by leaking gasoline is increased by the possible presence of sparks created by the metal tank being dragged along the road.corrosion of the straps appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to road deicers, frequently road salt, used to treat snow or ice covered roads.states in which large quantities of deicers are applied to roads during the winter season ("salt belt states") account for the predominant portion of strap failures.vehicles in these salt belt states are prone to experience corrosion related failures more frequently and earlier in a vehicle’s life cycle.ford reports approximately 97 percent of reports it received relating to strap failure involve vehicles that were operated in these high corrosion areas, and 95 percent of the reports to nhtsa involved such vehicles.approximately one-third of f-150 u.s. production was sold in salt belt states.odi has included in the above counts reports it has received from consumers and reports it has received from ford in which either the complaint involved confirmed strap corrosion or odi's assessment of available information suggests corrosion caused the reported problem.among the incidents reported to nhtsa, 441 involved one or both straps failing due to corrosion, 353 involved the fuel tank dropping and/or dragging on the ground, and 180 involved fuel leakage.odi has received four reports of strap failure in which the leaking fuel ignited but self-extinguished, and one incident in which fire destroyed the vehicle and injured its driver.ford reported the same injury incident and three other unique fire incidents, including two in which the leaking fuel ignited and fire destroyed the vehicle.there were no injuries associated with the three unique ford incidents.ford has agreed to conduct a recall to repair the subject vehicles.the recall will cover vehicles that were originally sold or are currently registered in salt belt states (regardless of vehicle age).the vehiclesincluded in the recall are those subject vehicles that are, or have ever been, registered in connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, or the district of columbia.ford's recall action appears to adequately address the problem at this time.the above vehicle population (1,340,349) includes subject vehicles originally delivered or sold in salt belt states.odi does not know the current or historical locations of all subject vehicles.according to ford approximately 73% of the recall population is currently registered (a 27% attrition rate).ford is also recalling certain my 1997-1999 f-250 vehicles (under 8,500 gvwr), and my2002-2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles for the same condition, resulting in an estimated 1.1 million total vehicles covered by the recall (see safety recall 11v-385 for further details).

The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, discussions with complainants and field and technical data provided by ford.the subject vehicles are 1/2 ton pickup trucks and are natural gas vehicles (ngv) that are fueled by gasoline or compressed natural gas.the agency has received reports alleging improper operation of the natural gas fuel pressure regulator allowing release of excess amounts of natural gas into the engine compartment.ford reports that the regulator contains an over pressure relief valve that will vent natural gas should the pressure exceed a set threshold.the complaint reports and data reviewed by the agency indicate that an improperly operating pressure regulator can result in an overpressure condition and activate the regulator pressure relief valve.the released natural gas is directed through a vent hose that discharges the natural gas in the vicinity of the right front wheel house and away from the engine compartment's extremely hot areas/surfaces.owners are normally aware of this problem by the presence of an illuminated warning light inside the vehicle, odor of natural gas or the sound of venting gas.when the operator turns the engine off, the natural gas supply tank solenoid will close and the regulator will not release natural gas.at vehicle restart, the solenoid valve will remain closed to prevent leakage and the vehicle will only operate in the gasoline mode.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi¿s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi¿s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that nhtsa would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa¿s limited resources to best accomplish the agency¿s safety mission, the petition is denied.

One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).if one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.if both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.if either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.when the tank drops, it remains attached to the vehicle only by the fuel filler hose and/or supply lines, or in rare instances, by the skid plate, if present.in some cases the weight of the tank sufficiently strained the hoses and fittings and caused separation and subsequent fuel leaks from those connections.the fire hazard created by leaking gasoline is increased by the possible presence of sparks created by the metal tank being dragged along the road.corrosion of the straps appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to road deicers, frequently road salt, used to treat snow or ice covered roads.states in which large quantities of deicers are applied to roads during the winter season ("salt belt states") account for the predominant portion of strap failures.vehicles in these salt belt states are prone to experience corrosion related failures more frequently and earlier in a vehicle’s life cycle.ford reports approximately 97 percent of reports it received relating to strap failure involve vehicles that were operated in these high corrosion areas, and 95 percent of the reports to nhtsa involved such vehicles.approximately one-third of f-150 u.s. production was sold in salt belt states.odi has included in the above counts reports it has received from consumers and reports it has received from ford in which either the complaint involved confirmed strap corrosion or odi's assessment of available information suggests corrosion caused the reported problem.among the incidents reported to nhtsa, 441 involved one or both straps failing due to corrosion, 353 involved the fuel tank dropping and/or dragging on the ground, and 180 involved fuel leakage.odi has received four reports of strap failure in which the leaking fuel ignited but self-extinguished, and one incident in which fire destroyed the vehicle and injured its driver.ford reported the same injury incident and three other unique fire incidents, including two in which the leaking fuel ignited and fire destroyed the vehicle.there were no injuries associated with the three unique ford incidents.ford has agreed to conduct a recall to repair the subject vehicles.the recall will cover vehicles that were originally sold or are currently registered in salt belt states (regardless of vehicle age).the vehiclesincluded in the recall are those subject vehicles that are, or have ever been, registered in connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, or the district of columbia.ford's recall action appears to adequately address the problem at this time.the above vehicle population (1,340,349) includes subject vehicles originally delivered or sold in salt belt states.odi does not know the current or historical locations of all subject vehicles.according to ford approximately 73% of the recall population is currently registered (a 27% attrition rate).ford is also recalling certain my 1997-1999 f-250 vehicles (under 8,500 gvwr), and my2002-2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles for the same condition, resulting in an estimated 1.1 million total vehicles covered by the recall (see safety recall 11v-385 for further details).

One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).if one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.if both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.if either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.when the tank drops, it remains attached to the vehicle only by the fuel filler hose and/or supply lines, or in rare instances, by the skid plate, if present.in some cases the weight of the tank sufficiently strained the hoses and fittings and caused separation and subsequent fuel leaks from those connections.the fire hazard created by leaking gasoline is increased by the possible presence of sparks created by the metal tank being dragged along the road.corrosion of the straps appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to road deicers, frequently road salt, used to treat snow or ice covered roads.states in which large quantities of deicers are applied to roads during the winter season ("salt belt states") account for the predominant portion of strap failures.vehicles in these salt belt states are prone to experience corrosion related failures more frequently and earlier in a vehicle’s life cycle.ford reports approximately 97 percent of reports it received relating to strap failure involve vehicles that were operated in these high corrosion areas, and 95 percent of the reports to nhtsa involved such vehicles.approximately one-third of f-150 u.s. production was sold in salt belt states.odi has included in the above counts reports it has received from consumers and reports it has received from ford in which either the complaint involved confirmed strap corrosion or odi's assessment of available information suggests corrosion caused the reported problem.among the incidents reported to nhtsa, 441 involved one or both straps failing due to corrosion, 353 involved the fuel tank dropping and/or dragging on the ground, and 180 involved fuel leakage.odi has received four reports of strap failure in which the leaking fuel ignited but self-extinguished, and one incident in which fire destroyed the vehicle and injured its driver.ford reported the same injury incident and three other unique fire incidents, including two in which the leaking fuel ignited and fire destroyed the vehicle.there were no injuries associated with the three unique ford incidents.ford has agreed to conduct a recall to repair the subject vehicles.the recall will cover vehicles that were originally sold or are currently registered in salt belt states (regardless of vehicle age).the vehiclesincluded in the recall are those subject vehicles that are, or have ever been, registered in connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, or the district of columbia.ford's recall action appears to adequately address the problem at this time.the above vehicle population (1,340,349) includes subject vehicles originally delivered or sold in salt belt states.odi does not know the current or historical locations of all subject vehicles.according to ford approximately 73% of the recall population is currently registered (a 27% attrition rate).ford is also recalling certain my 1997-1999 f-250 vehicles (under 8,500 gvwr), and my2002-2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles for the same condition, resulting in an estimated 1.1 million total vehicles covered by the recall (see safety recall 11v-385 for further details).

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi¿s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi¿s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that nhtsa would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa¿s limited resources to best accomplish the agency¿s safety mission, the petition is denied.