Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||||
| 01111 | 01/22/2001 | 618084 | Some vehicles may exhibit a water leak around the rear (sliding) window. *tt | 04/03/2001 | |
| 98113 | 01/19/1998 | 605574 | Subject pertaining to red rust stains on the edges of the bumper center vent and fog lamp openings. *tt | 07/12/1999 | |
| 9747 | 02/17/1997 | 51689 | Frame- rivet replacement with bolts- service tips. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 983573 | 01/08/1998 | 607841 | Some vehicles may exhibit cab vibration. *tt | 10/13/1999 | |
| 12601 | 03/01/1999 | 605323 | Experiencing whistling noise coming from the front of the vehicle at highway speeds. *tt | 06/08/1999 | |
| 982323 | 11/23/1998 | 603930 | Information regarding replacement and / or repairs on any lock component. *yc | 03/11/1999 | |
| 9833 | 02/16/1998 | 600587 | Service tips for surface defect removal without repainting. *yc | 05/27/1998 | |
| 9831 | 02/16/1998 | 600585 | Repairs to vinyl covered surfaces. *yc | 05/27/1998 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS | |||||
| 996876 | 08/01/1999 | 608807 | Information pertaining to conditions with red staining (spots) on the front bumper wing ends. *tt | 12/06/1999 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||||
| 01182 | 09/17/2001 | 625674 | Some vehicles may experience a cosmetic crack in the outer door panel at the lower rear corner of window opening.*jb | 11/30/2001 | |
| 99-8-15 | 05/03/1999 | 606419 | Subject regarding door trim panel replacement - service tip. *tt | 01/05/2001 | |
| 98-4717 | 09/01/1998 | 607127 | Vehicles exhibit cracks in door sheet metal at lower rear of the window opening near belt molding. *ak | 11/02/2000 | |
| 985029 | 11/01/1998 | 613071 | Some vehicles may exhibit cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the window opening near the belt molding. *tt | 08/02/2000 | |
| 12071 | 11/01/1998 | 613046 | Some vehicles may exhibit cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the window opening near the belt molding. *mjs | 06/16/2000 | |
| 98163 | 08/17/1998 | 6090873 | Locks failed. yd | 03/31/2000 | |
| 99242 | 11/15/1999 | 6090184 | Information on replacing and / or repairing malfunctioning (door, ignition and decklid) locks. *tt | 03/09/2000 | |
| 996754 | 08/01/1999 | 608461 | This online bulletin addresses concerns with cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the window opening near the belt molding. *tt | 12/02/1999 | |
| BC0950960927 | 09/27/1997 | 50790 | Technicians are experiencing difficulty removing door trim panels. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| BC0697961023 | 10/23/1996 | 50369 | Windnoise concerns in the right door a-pillar area of the supercab. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| BC0765961016 | 10/16/1996 | 50401 | Information on diagnosing wind noise & water leaks at the lower passenger door area & 3rd door. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - TRUNK LID | |||||
| 7821 | 01/01/2000 | 7821 | 612212 | Cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the window opening near the belt molding. | 06/07/2000 |
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||||
| 0014 | 01/10/2000 | 612202 | Vehicles may experience inner fender well- dented or dinged from stones being thrown into wheelwell. *mjs | 06/06/2000 | |
| BC2385970501 | 05/01/1997 | 52825 | F series flareside when equipped with the cab step, will not have mud flaps. *tw | 09/12/1997 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 03/16/2003 | 92000 | 4 | |
| Rear sliding window leak, resealed multiple times to no avail.... leaks both from where frame attaches to body and from cracks in window frame itself, both left and right sides at top. window frame requires replacement with newer manufactured unit (different design from newer model year). *nlm | |||
| 2 | 09/11/1997 | ||
| Vehicle experiencing premature structural cracks on both driver and passenger doors, located on the right hand side of the window frame. *mjs | |||
| 04/01/1997 | |||
| As my girlfriend was getting into my truck she hit her head on the hand hold bar on the pax side of my truck today. she fell out of the truck to the payment. it was several mins before she could get up. she was hurt very bad. i've also hit my head on this hand hold bar. i want this reported to ford to pad it more or remove it from all trucks! | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| While washing the vehicle she saw a dark spot she thought it was dirt. there are cracks in the metal of the vehicle. the cracks are going toward the window and door. nlm | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| Sheet metal has a crack consistent with other 97-98 f150 models. *ak | |||
| Arm rest in the center of the bench seat does not lock in the down position, as it does in the up and locked position. this arm rest also has a recessed cup holder. passengers gaining entry into the back seat via the third door, place their hand on the back of the arm rest for support, the arm rest folds upward and anything in the cup holder is catapulted into the back seat. ford corrected this problem in the 98 and newer models, but won't correct it for this 97 truck. | |||
| 11/13/1999 | 05/01/1996 | ||
| I'm not sure when these cracks started, but looking at ford web site i see that this common occurrence on this model. and athe small crack just gets bigger. contacted a ford dealer they said they prbeble wiil not cover under warrenty. and this cracking is normal? pay 29000.00 for vehicle and cracking body parts are normal? *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 1000 | 10/01/1996 | |
| Problem: the center console armrest in the front bench seat does not lock when it is in the down position for use. this armrest contains a single, recessed cup holder located in the front of the armrest when it is in the down position. any cup containing a liquid, such as hot coffee, can be propelled into the back seat and cause potential severe injury to a passenger. *ak | |||
| 03/28/1997 | |||
| Center arm rest malfucntioned. | |||
| 07/25/1998 | 06/07/1998 | ||
| Center console/arm holder/cup holder does not lock in down position which causes any drink which might be in the cupholder to be thrown into the back seat with minimal effort. also, while climbing into the truck via the 3rd door it is not uncommon for this armrest to be used as a hand hold which at a critical moment gives way, and causes a person entering the cab to fall in between the seats. | |||
| 07/10/1998 | |||
| There is grass/wheat and weeds that pack in tightly between the transmission crossmember and exhaust manifold crossover, catches on fire. the sparks in the field, causing the field to catch on fire. tucker ford had tried to contact ford. dealer/manufacturer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 04/15/1998 | 1 | ||
| Consumer was driving approximately 65mph when he smelled a burning scent. then heard a bang and ran over the object. the object that fell off was a wheel well schroud of the front passenger's side. *ak | |||
| 09/28/1997 | |||
| Armrests fail to lock down. | |||
| Center arm rest/console locks in the upright position, but does not lock in the downright position. | |||
| 06/30/1996 | 06/02/1997 | ||
| Center arm rest/storage console does not lock in the down position. therefore, drinks placed in integral cup holder can be launched into back seat if someone places weight on the rear portion of the arm rest. | |||
| 1 | 10/14/1996 | ||
| Front seat center arm rest does not lock in the down position. on several ocacasions, back sea tpassenger's have inadvertently leaned on back of arm rest, causing it to suddenly move in an upright position. when this occurs, the back seat passengers lose their balance when the arm rest collapses. | |||
| 04/30/1997 | |||
| The center console arm rest does not lock in the down position. | |||
| 04/08/1997 | |||
| Console between 60/40 bench is poorly designed, locks in up position. *ak | |||
| 04/20/1995 | 0 | ||
| Center armrest doesn't lock in down position, causing any drink in cup holder to be launched easily. *dsh | |||
| 02/19/1996 | |||
| Front fender was damaged while driving truck home from dealer, please explain. tt | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS | |||
| 12/01/1997 | |||
| Rear window has a leak on the passenger side of the sliding window that has been sent back to the shop several time for repairs. its on oing ! the window has been replaced w/ frame three times , but the truck has been in shop several times prior to and after the windows have been replaced. it would last a short time and would then start leaking all over again. ** presently still leaking **. # 2 . engine has a knock during start up. sounds more like a diesel ! both issues have been present since 14,000 miles or so. this truck has had several problems. to mention a few ; rear bumper rusting out, door & shift nobs breaking , body paint peeling, rattle in floor gear shift ( still present ), ** now the air conditioning is not working **. i like the truck, but would rather have one with out all the problems ! | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 02/20/2003 | 89000 | 100 | |
| Doors have stress cracks on upper frame,i've paid to have repaired once,when i approached dealer they said o recall on that problem, would not help,now door switches keep interior lights on till it goes off on power saver,door ajar light stays on when moisture condition/rain,snow sleet and so on. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2000 | 3 | ||
| Loss of anti-freeze or coolant both doors starting to crack rear sliding window leaking. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 80000 | 1 | |
| On the 1997 ford f-150 both the driver door and passenger door are comming apart, and i have seen this on other ford f150's of the same year, its were the door meets the window frame,. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 1 | 06/27/2003 | |
| Crack in driver's door at corner of window approx. 3/4 inches long.*ak | |||
| 09/02/2004 | 68000 | 1 | 06/12/1997 |
| I have the same problem indicated in service bulletin number: 996754 with my 1997 ford f150 on the drivers side door only. even though the crack is not yet visible on the passengers side door removal of the belt moulding will most likely reveal the crack (ford engineering design fault) is present. i'm the original owner and even the though vehicle is out of warrenty ford should be held responsible for the full cost of the repairs to fix their engineering problems.*ak | |||
| 09/24/2003 | 71000 | 1 | 08/15/2003 |
| I own a 1997 ford f150 that is developing a crack in the door on the drivers side at the lower rear corner of the window, apparently this is a common problem and i am concerned that it may make my vehicle less safe in a side collision. *la | |||
| 10/06/2001 | 52000 | 2 | 10/01/2001 |
| Both driver and passenger doors have about a 1/4 inch crack in them just aft of the window lower corner. for some reason these cracks were fixed on fleet trucks but not personal trucks. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 1 | 08/24/2002 | |
| Driver and passenger doors have stress cracks located at the lower rear section of the windows next to the window molding. currently these cracks are approximately 1/4 inch long. i believe these cracks could be a safety issue if the vehicle were involved in a collision. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| There is a crack in the driver and passenger side door where the window starts. *ak | |||
| 03/21/2003 | |||
| The driver and passenger doors cracked. *nlm | |||
| 01/01/2003 | |||
| The vehicle has stress fractures on both the driver and passenger doors located approximately 2-3 inches above the window base. *nlm | |||
| 01/31/2003 | 1 | 12/04/2000 | |
| Crack in drivers side door sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt molding.service bulletin number: 996754 bulletin sequence number: 845 date of bulletin: 9908 nhtsa item number: sb608461 | |||
| 12/11/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| Engine front cover gasket failed in line with recall 99b29. ford does not include my truck, built 04/97 in recall campaign 99b29 indicating the original recall has been inadequate. dt | |||
| 09/15/2002 | 11/01/2001 | ||
| Ford knows about the problems with cracking doors and will not fix them. there are many people that have the same problem. mr | |||
| 06/01/2002 | |||
| Consumer states the driver and passenger door frames are cracking down the center below the window. mr | |||
| 09/23/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that without warning the two front doors will stick and it will be hard to open for the consumer to enter or exit the vehicle. dealer notified. mr | |||
| 06/10/2002 | |||
| Driver and passenger doors have 1/2 inch cracks in metal near the windows.*ak | |||
| 05/15/2002 | |||
| There is a 1/4 inch crack in outside driver door near door handle. crack is increasing from opening and closing. dealer was not contacted. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 4 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| The vehicles door cracked four times, and the consumer wants the manufacturer to fix the problem. *yh | |||
| 05/10/2002 | |||
| Driver's side door stress factor 2 inches above window is cracked and can break at anytime, and could cause major injuries.*ak | |||
| 03/27/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states the driver side and passenger side door are beginning to crack , manufacturer has been aware of problem and has a recall on the problem however consumer does not fall under recall. nlm | |||
| 2 | 03/01/1998 | ||
| Ford has redesined the outer door shell because they are aware of the problem it seems to be a common problem so i think that ford should recall the outer door schells on the 1997 f-150. *ak | |||
| 2 | 09/01/1999 | ||
| Doors develope a crack near the window, on corner where door handle is. i had repair made at the dealer, which were experimental according to the body shop manager. driver door re-cracked after the repair, months after the repair. again a welding repair was made. now the passanger door has started cracking again. i feel the welding fix is not the answer, and the manufacturer needs to replace the door skins with a newly designed part.*ak | |||
| Driver side and passenger side door panel is cracking. manufacturer and dealer is aware of door fracture; however, structure of door for a 1997 is no longer being made.*ak | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1997 | ||
| Crack in door as reported by many others. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2000 | |||
| Driver's and passenger's doors have cracks in frame near backside of window. cracks are hidden by rubber around window.*ak | |||
| 1 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| There is a crack forming in the sheet metal of the drivers side door just below the window on the right.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 01/01/1999 | |
| Door is cracking and progressing every day i use the vehicle. soon, it will result in injury to passenger or other people on the road. dealership refuses to look at vehicel and follow ford's suggested resolve on this issue.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2001 | |||
| Stress cracks inside of frame of driver's side door and passenger's side door. also, abs braking system isn't operable, and brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 2 | 09/01/1996 | ||
| Driver and passenger door skins are cracked at lower corner of windows (stress cracks - poor stamping) dealer est. repair to cost me $790.00 cost not covered by ford due to mileage . *ak | |||
| 2 | |||
| Door metal cracks just behind drivers windows; both doors. *ak | |||
| 11/20/2000 | 03/01/1998 | ||
| Door has crack(rip) on lower right. rightside door appears to may have a crack starting also. *ak | |||
| 07/27/2000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| The door skin is cracking at the bottom of the window rearward. it is visible from outside and goes under the rubber trim to the edge of window frame. i have contacted ford quality care, and a ford dealership here in wichita. no help in getting it fixed. i'm not sure if this will eventually lead to a more major failure of the door or could be unsafe in a side impact collision. the door seems to flex at the point of the crack when rolling window up and down.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Door is cracked where window and door comes together. *ak | |||
| 4 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| The vehicles door cracked four times, and the consumer wants the manufacturer to fix the problem. *yh | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/31/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| 3/8 stress crack lower rear of door window. looks like window flexing door. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| Driver and passenger door frames are cracking under window. dealership has examined vehicle, and stated that vehicle was no longer under warranty. please provide any additional information / attachments / photographs.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 08/29/2001 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle has stress cracks around door on outside door window. cracks said to be caused by slamming the door. consumer has not contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 08/08/2001 | |||
| Both doors are showing cracks a few inches at bottom of window opening. cracks are horizontal and near metal surrounding the window.*ak | |||
| 07/16/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| Both doors are showing cracks near bottom of window where rubber stripping is located. manufacturer knows of problem due to having a technical service bulletin listed. vehicle not under warranty for free repairs.*ak *slc | |||
| 07/04/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| There is a crack in door frame that begins from window weather strip and it goes all the way to the side. contacted dealer, and the dealer is not willing to do anything.*ak consumer states dealer is willing, but not the manufacturer. *slc | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Crack in door on drivers side near window. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1998 | 2 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Both doors are developing cracks above door handles aft of power window frame. ford won't fix because truck is off warranty. *ak | |||
| 05/29/2001 | 1 | 10/29/1999 | |
| Driver door has a 3/8 inch horizontal crack in metal right behind the window.*ak the vehicle had a design flaw. the consumer believes there were many other owners of this make of vehicle experiencing the same problem. *yh | |||
| 02/25/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Both front doors are developing cracks approximately 8-9 inches above handle areas. dealer was notified, and informed that vehicle was out of its warranty. *ak both right door shell and left door shell were repaired. the vinyl stripping was out and replaced. the consumer was seeking the manufacturer to pay repair cost because the door had design flaw. *yh | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 3 | 03/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| The doors failed in several times for repairs, should be repaired at the dealers cost. nlm | |||
| Consumer stated door ajar light stays on even though doors are completely shut and locked. dealer cannot determine cause. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 03/20/2001 | 1 | ||
| Driver's side door is cracking right below window *ak consumer states cracking seems to be happening on all ford f150 including 2 door and 3 door years 1996-1998 consumer states he has seen over 75 truks in his area with this problem. *jb | |||
| 04/04/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| There is a 1/4 door crack on the driver side door located on the rear portion of the door where the belt molding ends. what brought this to my attention was a numerous amount of people writing in to the www.f150online.com website who have experienced the same problem. i checked out my vehicle and sure enough i had the same problem. a co-worker of mine has the same year ford f150 and he checked his vehicle and there was also about a 1/4 door crack on his driver side door. i contacted ford but have not yet received a response. i called numerous local dealers who would not confirm they ford is aware of this issue though one shop said it would fix it by welding it as long as the vehicle is still under warantee. seems odd that 75% of all 1997 to 1999 ford f150 owners are experiencing the same problem. request investigation into this issue and that ford initiate a recall program to fix this issue.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Three inches from window door is starting to crack. has not contacted dealer.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Three inches from window metal is cracking on both sides of vheicle.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| There is a crack developing on lower corner of drivers side door. please provide any additional information/attachments/photographs.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 1 | 01/10/1998 | |
| Driver's and passenger's door will not align correctly when closing it. this results in door remaining open, which keeps dome light on, draining battery. *ak the door switches for both doors were replaced. *yh | |||
| 03/29/2001 | 0 | ||
| While driving could feel wind coming through door. found that door is not closing completely, and rubber at door is not secured as it should.*ak | |||
| 1 | 03/01/2001 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 03/12/2001 | |||
| Doors are beginning to crack next to window and going horizontally towards edge of door. manufacturer has been contacted, but was of no assistance. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| Doors are cracking near back corners where windows meet. they do not close properly due to cracks.*ak | |||
| 02/25/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Ford difficult with door crack issue but will re-skin doors - shift interlock repaired 2 days after warranty at my cost!*ak | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | 04/11/1997 | |
| Cracks have developed on outside driver's door 2 inches from window frame, cause unknown. *ak it appears the door has stress cracks. *yh | |||
| 01/13/2001 | 12/01/1999 | ||
| 1/4 inch crack on drivers side door in sheet metal just above curved belt molding. obvious manufactures defect. for needs to honor fix costs in full.*ak | |||
| 01/23/2001 | |||
| Both doors have developed stress cracks around back of door window. dealer and manufacturer were aware, and will agree to do a 60/40 coverage. no money was available because no recall has been issued. it seemed to be a design flaw. ford has known about this for a year. consumer became aware of problem while getting vehicle painted. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Door is cracking. crack started at the base of the driver's window, rear side. *ak | |||
| Both front doors exhibit cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt molding on the rear side of the windows. the cracks appear to be getting larger with rust forming along the cracked edges. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Driver's side and the passenger's side door where window meets bottom of door has cracked, consumer has noticed the same cracks on other vehicle models. consumer has contacted the dealer.*ak *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| The door on the truck has cracks, dealership refuses to do anything about cracks.*et | |||
| 09/05/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| There is a crack in the driver's side door running approx 1 in length from the window edging.contacted dealer who admitted that ford was aware of the problem but was unwilling to replace the door under warranty which is active until 05/2001. *ak | |||
| 2 | 10/01/1997 | ||
| On both passenger and driver side doors, a crack was noticed above the door handles and on the side of the windows. the cracks are 1/4 inch long. a friend had heard of this and i checked my truck and sure enough, i have cracks. i searched the internet to see if others experienced this. low and behold many many truck owners of 97 and 98 f-150s have this. sheet metal stress is especially concerning on any vehicle. when on a door it is a safety issue. if the sheet metal cannot handle bumps and road contours without cracking how can it be of much use in a traffic accident? these are structural and design flaws that should be fixed on vehicles that cannot stay together through normal driving situations. ford needs to fix this at no cost as a recall item. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| There are structural cracks on driver's and passenger's side doors. dealer has inspected vehicle.*ak | |||
| 05/30/1999 | 04/01/1999 | ||
| Both doors developed cracks in the outer body panels at the lower back side of window . i was told by dealer that it was a manufacturing defect that he could not fix properly with out a substantial cost to me. | |||
| 05/20/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/15/1999 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| Structural crack in door around window. this may lead to door lock failure since the door is now thumping a little on opening. | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| The driver's side door near the lower rear corner of the window is cracking. i went to a dealership and they told me that they have seen a lot of f150s doing the same thing but they can't do anything for me because my truck was out of warranty. *ak | |||
| Driver's side door exterior sheet metal is cracking and separating around the bottom of the window, crack is about one inch. consumer has contacted dealer. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 09/10/2000 | 10/01/1999 | ||
| On both left & right doors there is a small crack or split in the in the sheet metal located to the back side & just above the lower portion of the window. *ak | |||
| 08/15/2000 | 2 | 08/01/2000 | |
| I spoke with ford and my ford dealer both acknowledge the problem but have the opion that the problem is mine since i bought he truck used. it seems that this a bigger problem than ford will admit to. a survey of local lots by myself shows 60% of the f150's to exhibit the same cracks. how long will it take for the crack to propagate accross the entire door? what protection does the door offer in a roll over if is is cracked into two pieces? i think it is resonable to expect ford to step up and fix a problem they know about.*ak | |||
| 09/09/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1999 | |
| I have cracks in my doors, both driver and passenger side. they are about a 1/4 inch above the bottom of the window opening, and they are almost a half an inch long, and they are cracked all the way through the doors. i was advised to report this to the ntsa, but as far as i can tell it is not a life-threatening issue. i was wondering if you had any information about these cracks, because it is a pretty common problem among f150s, almost 70% since 1997 have them, and we want to know if there is any way that we can get these fixed if we have no warranty left or if we bought the truck used. thank you. | |||
| 08/20/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Driver side door has formed a crack in the metal around the window frame in right lower corner. is the frame work secure? dealer would not do anything due to vehicle being out of warranty. | |||
| 09/09/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1999 | |
| I have cracks in my doors, both driver and passenger side. they are about a 1/4 inch above the bottom of the window opening, and they are almost a half an inch long, and they are cracked all the way through the doors. i was advised to report this to the ntsa, but as far as i can tell it is not a life-threatening issue. i was wondering if you had any information about these cracks, because it is a pretty common problem among f150s, almost 70% since 1997 have them, and we want to know if there is any way that we can get these fixed if we have no warranty left or if we bought the truck used. thank you. | |||
| 08/20/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Driver side door has formed a crack in the metal around the window frame in right lower corner. is the frame work secure? dealer would not do anything due to vehicle being out of warranty. | |||
| 1 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| Both sides of doors are begining to crack from 3 inches up. cracks appear from the bottom of the windows, and are a quarter of inch long. cause is unknown. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Doors on my f-150 are cracked. ford knows thier is a problem with thousands perhaps many more f-150s doors cracking but if your out of warranty refuse to do anything about it .shouldnt be just a warranty issue ,it is a design flaw in my opinion.it is cracking on the outer skin of the doors(both doors in my case). ford basically told me to bad.will someday be a major safety concern when crack gets large enough to weaken door. | |||
| 2 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| Both driver and passengers doors have cracked. i took it to the dealer which welded them. a couple of months later the drivers door recracked this time the door was replaced. but it is just a matter of time till it recracks due to the design. i feel ford should be required to do a permanent repair.each time i have had it in thay have had to keep it for about a week. *ak | |||
| 03/22/1999 | 2 | 03/01/1999 | |
| Im not happy with doors cracking and paint cracking i get no help cause imout of warranty. *ak | |||
| 07/23/2000 | 3 | 03/22/1999 | |
| Consumer noticed a 1/2 inch crack on the outside door of the driver & passenger side. metal was shearing. delear said that it was out of warranty & they had to have permission from ford. *ak also the transmission failed. *yh | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| Crack in the drivers &pass doors in the bottom rear corner by the window in center were it curves. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1998 | |
| The 2 main doors on my truck have a crack in the metal around the lower section of the window area. this crack apears to be caused by stress. i feel that this crack will continue to grow which will weaken the overall strenght of the door. i have spoken with ford and they are stating that this is caused by me shutting the door. also the will only cover 50% of cost. i feel this is a design flaw and they are responsible. i have been watching for this problem in othe ford truvcks of this time frame and have noticed about 2-3 out of 4 have this problem. | |||
| 06/05/2000 | |||
| While driving both side doors rattle and shake. the plate that is inside the door has no adjustments. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1997 | |||
| Rear window has a leak on the passenger side of the sliding window that has been sent back to the shop several time for repairs. its on oing ! the window has been replaced w/ frame three times , but the truck has been in shop several times prior to and after the windows have been replaced. it would last a short time and would then start leaking all over again. ** presently still leaking **. # 2 . engine has a knock during start up. sounds more like a diesel ! both issues have been present since 14,000 miles or so. this truck has had several problems. to mention a few ; rear bumper rusting out, door & shift nobs breaking , body paint peeling, rattle in floor gear shift ( still present ), ** now the air conditioning is not working **. i like the truck, but would rather have one with out all the problems ! | |||
| 05/15/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Crack in driver's side door. failure point is lower right corner of window, near rubber molding. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 2 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Outside door was cracking in half below the window seal as if it were about to break away. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 01/15/2000 | 2 | ||
| Both passenger doors have structural cracks on doors. this defect was caused by using no support on the doors while in the assembly line. as the cracks get bigger the door frame will lose its integrety and if i'm ever involved in any accidents my family and i will probably be hurt or kill seriously. i contacted ford company and the will replace the doors but not mine because my warranty ran out. i feel this is not fair because it is a major manufacturing defect that should of been corrected along time ago. i i'm not the only one with this problem. if you go to these site you will see what i'm talking about..www.netwiz.net/~ctbaker/problems/. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| There is a crack in the driver-side door that is coming from the inside of the frame next to the window and is stretching down the side of the door towards the rear of the truck. i have contacted smith ford and ford motor company more than 10 times each. they each want to tell me to call the other. the crack is going to begin rusting soon. i am afraid that the driver side window may shatter as a result of this crack. i have seen several other trucks with the same crack. on some of these trucks, the crack is folding in on itself. it puts more pressure against the window. it is my fear that this will happen to my truck while i am driving down the road and the window will shatter. any help you provide would be greatly appreciated. thanks. *ak | |||
| 05/07/2000 | 2 | 06/01/1996 | |
| After hearing about ford trucks having problems with the door metal splitting asked dealer where to look? dealer showed me the area and stated he had not seen any reg. cab pickups with this problem, only ext. cabs. after leaving dealership, i double checked area and found that the door skin on both doors, are splitting / tearing. after finding mine, this makes apprx. 35 vehicles with the same problem that i myself have heard of. affected area is apprx. 8 - 12 inches above the door handels. | |||
| 2 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| Complained of door cracks to dealer, and they said it's on alot of trucks, and if they replace the door, it will just happen again. i want it fixed. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Small stress crack in door skin at back edge of door window frame. *ak | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| After reading postings on www.f150online.com i looked at my own truck and found a small crack in the sheet metal on the drivers door. the crack is located next to the drivers window in the lower right corner. this is defenitly a defect and ford needs to address the problem! | |||
| 09/01/1997 | |||
| Left door exhibits a crack in the door sheet metal. this crack is increasing in length this is a ongoing problem with many 97 f150's and later models also. this crack has to be a very unsafe condition. *ak | |||
| 1 | 09/08/1997 | ||
| Handle on passenger side door broke. yh | |||
| 10/15/1999 | |||
| Cracking appeared on both driver's and passenger's doors. dealer notified. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 04/15/1999 | 4 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Driver's side door metal skin cracked --by the window moulding seam.*ak | |||
| 11/11/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| The outer door skin has developed a stress crack, and the sharp edges has cut fingers during wash. *ak | |||
| 1 | 01/01/2000 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | |||
| Interior courtesy light intermittently comes on while driving.also, power lock failed to lock after shifting into gear. dealer/ manufacturer were not contacted at this time. *ak | |||
| 03/27/2000 | 03/01/1996 | ||
| Both drivers and passenger doors are cracking (i do not know what will happen to the in the event of a accident ) is the door structure intact???*ak | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| A 3/8 long crack has appeared in the driver's side door skin near the lower right corner of the door's window. | |||
| 07/25/1999 | 1000 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Doors have stress cracks at the lower right sides dealer repaired once, but cracked before i picked it up,exhaust fumes entering car and discoloring r-rr wheel. *ak | |||
| Outside of the door frame on the driver's side is cracked about 8-12 inches around the door handle. manufacturer was notified about the problem. problem has not been corrected. all they say is the vehicle is covered for 36,000 miles or 36 months. *ak.et. | |||
| 01/20/2000 | 2 | 07/01/1997 | |
| The slave cylinder has broke twice now, and i have a friend with a 1993 f150 and it does the same thing when ever the temperature is below 0 degrees f. this usually occurs on the initial start of the day. after the cylinder breaks, the clutch makes a whine when depressed. this also effects the ability to shift. the crack in the sheet metal on the drivers door is approximately 1 in length and this vehicle has never been wrecked or even bumped since i have had it since new. | |||
| 01/25/2000 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Sheet metal crack on the drivers side door at belt molding as has been noted and observed on other late model ford f-150s. with vehicle less than 5k miles out of warranty on a known quality problem, ford is not willing to accept responsibility for the repair of problem at this time. | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1997 | |
| The skin on the outside of the driver side door has developed a crack that is 1.5 inches long. this crack was caused by the window going up and down. ford wants the owners of out of warranty vehicles to pay $250 toward repairs. obvious engineering flaw. *ak | |||
| 02/09/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Outer door panel on drivers side is cracked next to window trim. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| Both driver's side & passenger side doors on my pick-up truck are cracked, causing it to be an unsafe vehicle. *ak | |||
| 11/20/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| About 3 months ago i was informed that 1997 and 1998 ford f150 and f250 where having problems with door cracks about 1.5 to 2 inches up from the bottom of the window on the rear pillar of both the driver and passenger side doors. this is due to the vibration of the upper door in the slipstream created when the trucks are being driven. the point of the cracking is where the top of a curve strenghtens the door and stiffens the door so that when the top of the door is vibrating the stresses concentrate at this point and cause the door pillar to crack. i have personally found these cracks on over 70 1997 and 1998 f-150's and some 1997 f-250's. although this is not immediately a hazard this will eventually compromise the strenght of the door pillar due to corrosion. i have contacted ford and they will not do anything about this as my truck and the truck of everyone else i've talked to is out of warranty. i belive this is a problem that should be addressed before it becomes a major hazard to the occupants or other drivers on our nations highways. *ak | |||
| 01/30/2000 | 2 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Crack in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt moulding. sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt moulding. *ak | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| Driver side door cracked in sheet metal. *ak | |||
| 01/20/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Ford is aware of cracks in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt moulding occurring in their 1997-1998 f-150/250 ld (light duty) vehicles. they have issued special service message #12071 to their dealers. many of the people i know who have these vehicles are experiencing the cracks. i need to spread the word! | |||
| 12/08/1999 | 2 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Both of my doors are cracked on my truck and i am very concerned about this issue due to the chances if this vehicle was in a accident how safe will the occupants of the cab be with the doors being cracked. in my opinion and many others this is a very large saftey issue that ford does not want to deal with. how about a lawsuit, maybe this will take care of the problem? maybe that is just what is needed before anyone gets seriously hurt or killed from fords incompetence. *ak | |||
| 01/07/2000 | 2 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Cracks in door, causing paint to chip. *ak | |||
| A crack developed in driver's side door by the window which may decrease protection of the door if involved in side impact crash. *ak | |||
| 12/03/1999 | 1 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 12/10/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Stress crack on the driver side door column above the curve of the window under the rubber into the door skin | |||
| 09/01/1999 | 2 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Both driver and passenger doors are cracking on window bezel just above lower rear corner of windows. potential for structural failure of passenger safety cage during collision. ford is aware of problem. redesigned doors for '99 model year. will replace doors on vehicles still under warranty. ford refuses to acknowledge safety issue and will not accept responsibility for their design error. | |||
| 02/28/1999 | 2 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Front doors driver and passenger doors have cracks in the structure of the door | |||
| 10/20/1999 | 2 | 05/01/1997 | |
| Door posts develope cracks near bottom rear corner all 97 f150's, fords stonewalls issue, will not reply to repair orders. | |||
| 11/24/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Crack in door pillar at lower right from drivers window,appentrently a big problem as f150online site on web has huge quantaty of owners advising os similar complaint. is ntsa going to require a recall? seems it should be looked into a just found my crack and ford has a bulletin due out on it. | |||
| 10/30/1999 | 2 | 11/01/1996 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | |||
| The driver and passenger doors both have approximately 1/2 inch cracks or larger in the sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt molding. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Door pillar crack @ window belt moulding. pretty common problem, and most trucks are already out of warranty that have it. | |||
| 10/30/1999 | 2 | 02/01/1999 | |
| There are cracks right next to the windows on both doors. they appear to be stress fractures. there have been numerous news reports on this problem. | |||
| 06/01/1999 | |||
| Door crack at curve of window on rt & left door | |||
| 10/22/1999 | 09/01/1999 | ||
| No summary. | |||
| 1 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| A crack appears in the door sheet metal at the lower rear of the belt molding on driver's side. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Many other trucks have this same crack, some on both doors | |||
| 07/03/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1997 | |
| Exterior door sheet metal is cracking at lower rear edge of window. | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| No summary | |||
| 09/15/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| The doors (driver & passenger) have stress cracks next to the windows. we have spoke to bison ford regarding the matter. we were informed, by bison ford, that since we are passed our warrant (3years/36000) that ford motor company agreed to pay $500.00 and bison ford agreed to pay 10%, leaving the remainder to the consumer. the cost to repair just one door is $486.63. thus leaving $375.93 that the consumer would have to pay, if both door were cracked like our's. this price is just to weld the cracks and repaint. we feel that this is a manufacture's defect and that the consumer should not have to pay to have the vehicle repaired properly. i have a real concern for the integrity of the door if we were involved in a side collision. i fear that the door/window would not hold up and possibly cause serious injury. bob has looked at 10 to 15 (f150 1997 & 1998) and has found that all but one was had crack(s). while we were in colorado recently we went to the ford dealership there and were suprised that they did not know about these stress cracks. they had 6 vehicles on their lot and only one of they didn't have the cracks. thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter. helen morin | |||
| 06/06/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| There is a small crack developing on the left drivers door at the end of the belt molding next to the window above the door handle. i belong to the internet disscussion list dedicated to the late model ford trucks and this same defect has been found about by over 100 people on this list. i have also found this defect personally on just about every 1997 f150 that i have looked at in my area. | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| A crack has started in the exterior skin of the door at the lower right hand corner of the window opening (looking at it from outside the truck). the crack is currently about 3/8 long and first appeared approximately 3 months ago. i have looked at dozens of '97 and '98 f150's and almost all have had a crack in exactly the same location as mine. some were much longer. others also had this crack in the passenger side door as well. | |||
| 09/22/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Crack on door near window, just above door handle may cause metal to tear easier than if it was a solid piece. this crack can be found on most 1997 f-150's. went to dealership to investigate and found 95% of trucks on used car lot to have the same crack. | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| No summary | |||
| 09/10/1999 | 2 | 10/01/1997 | |
| I am a member of a mailing list on http://www.f150online.com & there are about 2000+ members on this list. i am an active daily member & so far i have about 50 emails/people compiled that have these cracks developing. this is definitely a mfg. defect. i also was at cover ford in austin tx. on sat. having warr. work done & 11 of the f-150's on the used lot had cracked doors also. from 97-99 models ! the service mgr. said what i expected, never heard/seen that before. we are getting no help from ford on this. just that typical computer generated reply. here is the address of a site that shows the exact crack that we all are getting. this can be a structural safety issue if it gets alot worse. please help us... http://arrowaranch.com/truck/crack.html thank you, we'll be looking forward to your reply. sean steele | |||
| 05/29/1998 | 2 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Doors have fractures in door frames above&behind door handles , under the thicker weather stripping of the side windows. they are stress fractures that mat have come from the operating of the glass going up & down. anyway this is a problem for safety & metal stress failure the metal will come apart in a crash in the door area. design flaw at best is what i see here, which be looked into by someone. thank you terry e. thompson | |||
| Driver's side door is developing cracks around the window area of the door, which could compromise the integrity of the door during side impact. dealer says whole door needs to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 08/28/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| One-half inch stress crack on driver's door on lower-rear window area. paint is peeling and rust forming. | |||
| 08/27/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| I was told of a door cracking problem, i asked the local service rep about it, he told me that there was a cracking problem and that ford was fixing those vehicles within warranty, but they haven't decided on a fix for out of warranty vehicles. if the doors are weak enough to crack form routine driving, are they strong enough for occupant protection? especially if both doors are cracked and form the evidence of rusting, at least for some time.. | |||
| 06/03/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| The drivers side door sheetmetal is cracking from under the window trim near the lower corner of the window towards the edge of the door. initially appeared to be a defect in the paint, now appears to be a crack in the sheetmetal | |||
| 05/15/1998 | |||
| The metal that goes around window frame on both doors is cracked. the dealer is aware of the problem. the door will be replaced. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Power door locks failed. | |||
| 08/01/1996 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| Door panel failed. | |||
| 06/15/1998 | 2 | 05/12/1997 | |
| Crack in the rubber molding on doors of vehicle. | |||
| 06/20/1998 | |||
| The metal on the outside of 2 front doors is cracking near the bottom back corner of the window. the dealer is aware of the problem. dealer stated that the problem could not be corrected under warranty. *ak | |||
| 11/10/1997 | 10 | 06/26/1996 | |
| Consumer had taken the vehicle to dealer for repairs of the lugs: nuts:bolts, but dealer did not had the parts to repair vehicle for the first time, and now the vehicle has the same problem. dealer has been contacted. *ak consumer has became aware of recall 98s14, regarding the lugs/nuts/bolts. steering not operating properly, it locks up when it rains. transmission does not operate properly, consumer was informed of recall 97s86, however dealer stated that consumer would have to work with their schedule for repairs. windshield wipers start by themselves. turn signals worked too fast, dealer found a loose wire. brakes did not work efficiently, takes a longer distance to stop. a/c was not cold enough. serpentine belt was replaced. door was out of adjustment, making it hard to open from the inside. *slc | |||
| 07/10/1997 | |||
| Wind noise from the driver and passenger side door a-pillar area of the supercab. | |||
| 03/17/1997 | 1 | 03/20/1996 | |
| Passenger's side door has air seeping through, causing noise. | |||
| 05/01/1996 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Poor installment of right door seal, allowing road noise to enter vehicle above 55 mph. | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 05/14/2001 | |||
| Both front doors hinges and attachments are rusted. dealer notified, and unwilling to assist. feel free to provide us with any further informaton concerning this problem. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HOOD - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 10/11/2003 | 50469 | 1 | 03/29/1996 |
| Broken hood release. many other people i've talked to had same problem with their '97 & '98 f150's. there is a recall on this for ford suv's, why not the f150? i was charged $173.46 for this to be corrected. the service advisor told me that he had just had another latch failure prior to my call to set up an appointment. *la | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - TRUNK LID | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle's door is cracking, the dealership wants to issue a patch repair for the cracks which seems inadequate to the consumer. *mjs | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||
| 10/28/2004 | 130000 | 1 | |
| While driving there was a severe shake in the entire vehicle that caused the transmission to come loose. this occurred because the rear right frame broke above the tire. dealership indicated the was a common problem with these trucks.*ak | |||
| 01/08/2002 | 02/01/1997 | ||
| Frame sheared at rear of correctlly and professionally installed class 3 hitch. the frame also bent between the front and rear leaf spring connections. the frame at the left leaf spring connection is cracked. there was no over loading of the tongue nor significant impact to shock load the frame. ford is claiming that it is not their problem because it is out of warranty. all involved parties have never seen any thing like this before. they site that the after market hitch could be to blame although they did not say that the hitch was improperly installed. a 4 year old 70,000 mile truck should not fail towing a trailer that is less than half of the towing capacity for its rating, regardless of warranty expiration. no one was injured because it was discovered before total failure occurred. this could have caused a jack knife and/ or rollover of the truck and trailer. the towing capacity of the truck is 6600 lbs and the tongue weight max is 500 lb. our trailer is a 10 foot 2 horse trailer weighing 2900 lbs empty and tongue weight of 250 loaded. | |||
| 05/04/2001 | 1 | 05/02/2001 | |
| The truck has a stress fracture in the steel next to the windows. nlm | |||
| 08/25/2000 | 04/17/2000 | ||
| There is a crack in the frame from the axle bumper hole and it goes halfway up the frame. nlm | |||
| 08/18/2000 | |||
| Vehicle had a crack above axle through the frame. dealer/manufacturer notified. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2000 | 2 | 07/01/2000 | |
| I have contacted the local ford dealer to look into this. ford is being very slow to fix this major issue. it effects 2/3s of all the 97+ f150s. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak | |||
| 03/20/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Driver side door has developed a crack in the frame. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1996 | |||
| What i concern about the cracks on the doors of the f150 i have seen about 20 trucks with cracks of 23 that have check . my truck is out of warranty but i think ford should recall all trucks . *ak | |||
| 08/12/1999 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle's frame failed causing alignment problems and noise. mjs | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 2 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Crack is visible very clearly on drivers side. the crack is just appearing on the passenger side. dont really know when the cracks appeared, heard about the problem and just went to see if it was on my veh. | |||
| 01/15/1999 | |||
| Vehicle vibrates tremedously, shakes, when sitting still mostly, and dealership/mfr. has no remedy. new brakes and shocks were put on trying | |||
| 09/20/1998 | 1 | ||
| Frame failed. *yc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Cracked chassis. (attorney for client) | |||
| 09/09/1998 | |||
| While driving 65 mph, the cardboard part that dampens the sound (road noise) from coming into the cab, fell down on top of the muffler and vechicle caught on fire, consumer stopped and put the fire out. dealer will investigate the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Grab bar on vehicle is poorly designed, consumer hits head on bar | |||
| 09/01/1996 | 3 | ||
| While driving on a dirt road at 35 mph, the left rear tire blew out. in addition, rear frame was bent because three dealers had modified truck by putting on overloads. also, rear springs/shocks were defective/leaking. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 09/28/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| General ameri 550 p236/70rie tire blew out, due to inadequate shield protection,plastic well shield came off,vacuum reserve box came off and the computer wire nurses switch unplugged. | |||