Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1318609/01/19996090542Information regarding front cover & water pump bolts-torque valve revision/3.8-4.2l. *mjs03/21/2000
9920710/04/19996089651Subject on engine coolant leaking into the engine oil on some vehicles. *tt02/11/2000
9913106/28/1999606484Concerns with engine coolant leaking into engine oil on some vehicles. *tt08/25/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
1272005/01/19996091697Some vehicles may develop a coolant leak at the worm gear clamp located at the joint between the metal intake coolant tube and the flexible rubber coolant hose. *tt11/09/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
03140408/23/20040416110011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. to include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.01/06/2005
1641611/01/200210008345No/hard start in cold ambients / new two-piece block heater cord released. *mj07/28/2004
0222111/11/200210008304Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj07/27/2004
1744812/01/200310008301Remote oil filter adaptor replacement - new service part. *tt07/27/2004
0320610/13/200310004889Some dedicated cng vehicles may exhibit various driveability conditions due to a loss of injector performance, resulting from fuel quality. loss of power at heavy load, diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) for lean fuel, rough idle, hard start,01/14/2004
0314407/21/200310003744Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included. *tt10/29/2003
0310405/26/200310002768Bi-fuel lpg vehicles (with coolant lock off) may exhibit a no start condition. *tt09/16/2003
0310305/26/200310002767Vehicles without the coolant lock-off may exhibit a no start condition. *tt09/16/2003
87019710/22/200210000592Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt03/25/2003
699609/01/19996090309Information regarding a change in the torque values of the engine front cover water pump bolts. *tt03/14/2000
98330102/04/1998607462This bulletin provides procedures on neutralizing the exhaust, transmission and engine mounts. *tt09/23/1999
98B3305/01/1999607294Owner notification for replacement of engine cylinder heads. *tt09/17/1999
98232511/23/1998603931The malfucntion indicator lamp ( mil ) may illuminate and diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0455 may be stored in memory. *yc03/11/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
1581704/01/2002637550Some vehicles equipped with bi-fuel (cng/lpg) alternate fuel engines may exhibit hard / no start, runs rough or misses after starting, and or hesitation on acceleration when operated in the bi-fuel mode. *tt12/02/2002
1575803/01/2002636406Snow packing of the air filter when driving in severe snow conditions may exhibit loss of power and / or the malfunction indicator lamp illuminating. *tt11/08/2002
0210505/27/2002636076Some bi-fuel cang and lpg vehicles may exhibit a no start condition. *tt11/05/2002
0210605/27/2002636078Some bi-fuel lpg vehicles (with coolant lock off) may exhibit a no start condition. *tt11/05/2002
0124612/10/2001630515Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt04/18/2002
021401/21/2002630001Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt04/11/2002
0120110/15/2001627914Some vehicles may exhibit high idle and/or pcv system icing after steady state driving in extreme cold ambient temperatures on vehicles equipped with 4.2l engine built thorugh 1/24/2000. *tt02/26/2002
0120510/15/2001627927Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt02/26/2002
0121810/29/2001627766Some vehicles may exhibit a no crank, no start condition due to corrosion of the starter cable b+ terminal at the starter solenoid. *tt02/22/2002
01211010/29/2001627768Some vehicles equipped with the romeo built 4.6l 2v engine may exhibit an engine oil leak or oil weepage from the cylinder head gasket at the right hand rear or the left hand front of the engine. *tt02/22/2002
014703/05/2001619424Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5w-20 motor oil. *tt05/30/2001
014203/05/2001619419Some vehicles may exhibit the engine oil sending unit contacting the oil drip shield attached to the front axle. *tt05/30/2001
018204/30/2001619273Some bi-fuel vehicles may exhibit a no start condition. *tt05/22/2001
0023811/13/2000616519Some vehicles may exhibit a no crank / no start condition in temperatures below 12 degrees c (10 degrees f). *tt03/01/2001
98518511/01/1998613316Cold start engine noise01/29/2001
1227212/01/1998615527Some vehicles built with the 4.2l engine that are operating in mexico may exhibit a backfire concern. *tt01/18/2001
535612/01/1998615439Some vehicles built with the 4.2l engine that are operating in mexico may exhibit a backfire concern. *tt01/16/2001
498112/01/1998615321Some vehicles equipped with 5.4l engines may exhibit a cold start engine knock concern until warmed up. *tt01/13/2001
463808/01/1998615176Malfunction indicator lamp on, with p0300 - p0308 misfire diagnostic trouble codes with a 4.6l engine. *tt01/03/2001
98-473809/01/1998607152Cold engine knock 5.4l action. *ak11/03/2000
0012306/12/2000613859Some vehicles may experience spark knock during light-to-moderate accelerations. *tt09/20/2000
1403904/01/2000613723Information regarding malfunction indicator lamp on -p030x dtc's contact request / detroit area. **mr07/27/2000
816302/01/2000612337Some vehicles with 4.6l, or 6.8l engines may exhibit a roller finger follower coming off during engine cranking in cold temperatures below zero degrees f. a one-time noise from the engine may be heard, followed by rough running / misses06/07/2000
9918809/06/19996090068Vehicles with 4.2l engine (canadian) may backfire on acceleration at all ambient temperature. *tt03/06/2000
98331602/03/1998607481Some customer may complain of a ticking noise on initial cold start-up in park position and neutral position. *tt09/23/1999
99603405/01/1999606947Experiencing a engine knock at cold start-up. *tt09/08/1999
9981605/03/1999606420Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt08/19/1999
98211011/01/1998603673During high idle speeds throttle sticks after steady state driving in cold ambient temperatures. *yc03/01/1999
98031704/01/1998603510Symptoms regarding p0300-p0308 misfire dtcs with 4.6l engines. *yc02/23/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
1436509/01/2000618636This bulletin addresses concerns a noise at intial engine startup when cold from the accessory drive belt. *jb04/18/2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
98201010/12/1998603695Experiencing a buzzing or rattling noise from the exhaust system. *yc03/02/1999
986403/30/1998601312Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt07/21/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
98151208/03/1998609551A direct replacement part for the evaporative emission canister and bracket assembly. ak04/03/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
0541703/07/200510014666Intermittent rough idle - non-commanded egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) flow. *tt05/05/2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
055403/21/200510014685Use of stainless steel exhaust studs in service for 5.4l 2v engine. *tt05/05/2005
1732011/01/200310008169Broken exhaust manifold studs. *tt07/22/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
08/18/2007940001
 I have a 1998 f150 pickup with a 5.4 engine that is known to have a defect in getting the #4 spark plug removed. this is a $1200 to $2200 repair that should be taken care by ford not the consumer. this plug has is suppose to be good for a 100k miles, i have 97k. all mechanics know this is a problem and they have to buy a special tool to try to remove this plug. problem is if it doesn't work then they have take the engine apart to do this. this is were the problem lies. ford is acting like it is not a problem and/or i should get over it because it is a 1998 out of warranty. a lot of people won't know this until they reach 100k miles and want to replace this plug. in all my years i have never seen or heard of a problem like this on any vehicle. the government needs to make this a mandatory recall so the consumer doesn't keep getting screwed for such a huge repair. *tr
10/27/2007892501
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford f150. while driving 50 mph, the engine failed without warning. when the vehicle was restarted, the check engine light illuminated. the dealer diagnosed the cause of the failure as the fifth and sixth cylinders. the repair has not yet been made. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 89,250.
03/28/2007790991
 Engine failed due to poor quality parts. coolant leaked into cylinder, causing engine to seize, causing a bent rod, meaning $3000. all could have been avoided if ford would have taken responsibility and issued a recall and fixed a simple gasket, $400 procedure maximum. ford continues to deny there is a problem and will not help! *ak
03/04/200764000112/14/1997
 Upon starting vehicle on my driveway a loud bang and subsequent knocking sound emitted from engine. had a mechanic look at engine found water in intake chamber and broken rod and piston. mechanic advises an engine rebuild will be required and is familiar with a hydro lock problem with the 4.2 l ford v6 engines. *jb
05/15/2004105500105/20/2002
 1) around may 2004, i noticed i was needing to add water to my 1998, ford f150, 4.2l v6 quite frequently. 2) water entered the block of the engine, long story short, my motor slung a rod through the oil pan, in turn, costing around $4,000.00 out of pocket to fix. 3) ford knows of the many, many failures of this particular motor which was manufactured during the years of 1997, 1998, and part of 1999. i, like many others, never received any type of notice concerning this situation. i wound up rebuilding the entire motor due to an intake gasket malfunction that ford could have and should have prevented by way of a recall notice. *nm
08/31/20061
 Spitting out spark plugs. *jb
08/13/20061270731
 Engine hard to start,smoked after it did, gasket failure cylinder filled with coolant causing connecting rod to bend or break. engine needs to be replaced. *jb
12/18/2005133148108/01/1999
 I am one of many owners of the ford f-150 4.2 engine trucks (ours is a 1998) that has encountered engine failure resulting the replacement of the engine due to leaking head gasket. it appears from information gathered from numerous websites and from speaking to others that this is a very obvious and common issue that ford has chosen to ignore. we are asking that your agency take action to help initiate a class-action suit or some how force ford to pay for these repairs. *jb
10/15/2005205/14/1998
 Dt: contact owns a 1998 ford f150 pickup. whiile driving on the interstate the spark plug blew out. no warning at all. the contact pulled over to the side of the road, and had the vehicle towed 650 miles back to the contact's home. *ak
09/01/2005117100111/15/1997
 To whom it may concern: i am the owner of a 1998 ford f-150 4.2l xlt. a few weeks ago i noticed a slight hesitation upon starting my engine. once the engine started, it struggled a little and then smoothed out once i began to drive. the truck continued to run fine, once started, but continued with the slight hesitation when starting the engine for about a week. on september 1, 2005, i attempted to start my truck and found that it would not turn over right away. i let the truck rest a moment then again attempted to start the engine. the truck started up, then i heard the slight hesitation and all of sudden i heard a loud bang followed by a loud noise coming from the engine. i had the truck towed to my mechanic whereupon i was informed that it was a rod knock, which shot down through the oil pan. he found coolant on the plugs and water intrusion through the intake manifold into the block. he informed me that my engine had hydro-locked. through research i was able to determine that this is an apparently widespread problem. i found that ford motor company issued a recall on the intake manifold gasket in 1999. i never received such notification, although i have, in fact received information for other recalls. i was never sent anything in the mail and had no idea of this problem. in addition, i am informed that ford motor company is not doing anything to rectify this matter with customers. i currently have 117,000 miles on my truck and had to pay over $4,000.00 to replace the long block. i had to pay to repair a problem that ford obviously knew existed. since ford was aware of the potential danger of damaging the engine and did little, if nothing, to inform its customers of this potential danger, i feel that ford motor company should be held, at least in part, liable for the damage incurred to my truck and to many of those, like myself, who have had the same problem. i would greatly appreciate your assistance in this matter. *jb
09/20/2005880001
 98 ford f-150 with 4.2l with coolant leaking into engine. this is happening to almost all of these engines and ford is doing nothing about it. *jb
09/09/200589500105/02/1998
 On my way home from work, i noticed my temp gauge in the red and my oil pressure gauge at zero. the check oil light was lit as well. the truck at the time was running fine, no noises from the engine and no smoke from the tailpipe. i pulled off to the shoulder of the highway and had the truck towed to the nearest shop which happens to be a ford dealer; diablo ford in pittsburgh, ca. on 09/12/05, the first day the service dept was able to get to it, i received a call from the dealer telling me that both head gaskets were blown. the engine needs to be pulled and disassembled to check engine bearings, connecting rods, valves and pistons to see if there is more damage than just blown head gaskets. so far the quote with internal engine parts not damaged is $3200. that quote could rise very easily if internal damage is found. since this happened, i was on the fightback.com website and have found literally hundreds of people with 1997 to 1999 f150 ford trucks with 4.2 liter engines. apparently, ford has changed the design of the head gaskets in mid 1999, due to consumer complaints for these particular engines. my understanding is ford refuses to acknowledge the problem, and hundreds if not thousands of people are shelling out $3000+ to repair their trucks. in some cases, entire engines were replaced for thousands of dollars more. i believe ford should recall and cover the costs on the engines. if i'm not mistaking, the 3.8 liter v6 shares the same block and heads as the 4.2. the 3.8 is found in a lot of ford windstars and taurus'. somebody needs to accept responsibility for making faulty engines. *nm
09/02/200560500112/15/2004
 Dt: 1998 ford f150. coolant in the oil, and serious engine noise. the are white vapors from the exhaust system. has not taken vehicle to a service station yet. unable to drive automobile.*ak
06/30/200566350111/11/1998
 Head gasket/ head bolt failure at 66,000 miles. mechanic reported it during routine service. said 3 things cause this failure. 1. lack of coolant (overheating), 2. defective gasket or 3. factory defect during the milling the head. mechanic reported this as a known problem with this model of ford truck. since the coolant level has always been maintained, that leaves the other two possibilities. since this vehicle is regularly serviced, problem was caught right away. no indication of problem before hand. no tsb issued for this vehicle but some for other ford vehicles in same manufacturing year. searching the internet found similar problems with other ford 150s' with premature blown head gaskets. repairs at ford dealer were $2300 with little choice to go elsewhere. problems with dealer in getting repair done correctly, but that is a different complaint. i have seen other recalls for defective head gaskets over the years, this engine should be considered. *nm
06/28/2005109/01/1997
 Dt: consumer said that spark plug blew out of the cylinder head. consumer was traveling in vehicle at about 30 mph up hill. this happened in the day time. consumer saidthat his vehicle was in garage to be repaired. consumer did not know which cylinder. consumer did report this to ford.*ak
06/05/200575000109/08/2003
 Coolant leaked into the engine due to a faulty deisgn of the front cover gasket causing a bent rod due to uncompressible coolant in the cylinders.
05/15/200586000105/09/2003
 Overnight hydrolock condition, caused by faulty intake gaskets and cylinder head gaskets, causing immediate and unforseen internal damage up to and including damage to pistons, rods, crankshaft, and bearings. we were non-informed due to ford's neglet to send appropriate recall notices for both vehicles owned by our family. this is a well documented problem within the internet community, and although ford did issue recall notices, we did not recieve any to our current knowledge. ford motor company will not fix this problem because apparently it is too late to turn in a recall. the response given by ford motor company does not seem ethical in my eyes, and many consumers are out of transportation and be out the money that this will cost them to fix the problem themselves. these are honest, hard working citizens that have believed in ford for many years, and for this kind of problem to come up and to have them not do anything about it, removes any shred of confidence still remaining in todays manufactured goods.
05/10/200574234104/18/2004
 1.white smoke coming out of tail pipe for about 2 minutes, returned home. tried to start my truck the second day to bring in the garage, there was a loud clunk!!! engine would not turn !!!! 2.right lower intake manifold side gaskets failed, allowing coolant to leak into engine oil and cylinder. issue is addressed by ford with tsb article no. 99-20-7 3.engine failure, bent rods!!!!! having to replace the engine!!
05/07/200313000005/30/2000
 Have had problems with my 1998 v6 ford f-150 pick up, regarding coolant/water loss, so have continually done coolant maintenance. started the truck up last saturday 5/7/06 and the engine made an an awful sound, and white smoke came out of the exhaust. the truck was running fine the day before. my truck was towed to a mechanic yesterday, and they say the engine needs replaced, which will cost $4,000.00 plus. i have seen many, many complaints from f-159 v6 owners, 1997-2000. i cannot afford to have the vehicle repossessed, as i still owe $4,000 plus on it. i cannot afford the rebuilt engine repair, and now have no means of transportation. also, i am currently unemployed and looking for work. ford company needs to do right by their customers, as this same problem has happened to so many f-150 owners. a class action suit is currently on-going in northern california, according to a consumer website. i never received a recall notice from ford. please let me know how i can join this class action lawsuit.
05/05/200572000107/07/1998
 When i started my 1998 ford f-150 today, a great deal of noise occurred and finally a rod shot out of the bottom of my truck's oil pan. the truck has only 72,000 miles on it. upon investigation, i have discovered that many people have had the same problem with their 4.2 liter engine. apparantly ford know about this problem, but refuses to acknowledge or fix it. from what i have read, the problem starts with the head gasket going bad putting coolant into the engine creating the failure. please help others so that won't have to shell out $2,500 for a new engine or possible get hurt from flying parts!
08/17/200452000111/24/1997
 Catatrophic engine failure at 52000 miles. ford dealership admitted there was a problem similar to 3.8l engine tsb notice. on disassembly by professional garage they indicated head gasket failure as causing the connecting rod bearing to fail, (similar to 3.8l failures).*ak
12/10/2004109000205/14/2002
 Parked truck in driveway. running fine. 2 hours later started truck. white water vapor from exhaust and rod knocking. intake manifold gasket failed, causing hydrolock. removed engine replaced rod piston and bearings. have old piston and rod.*ak
01/13/20031
 Vehicle was parked when all of a sudden the engine caught on fire. manufacturer was contacted by consumer but the cause was undetermined.*ak
09/25/2004720001
 This complaint was received via e-mail. 4.2l engine became disabled and burned a bearing in the crank shaft. had to have the engine replaced by ford at consumer's expense. mechanic indicated that this was a common problem with ford and this size engine.*ak
01/30/2004112/20/1997
 I took my 1998 ford f150 v6 for a minor repair and when i checked with mechanic he told me that he folded water in the oil. mechanic informed engine needs replacement.*ak did some research and this seems to be known issue with cetain ford engiines and i felt i ws not made aware of the issue with a leaking head gasket problem
08/24/200498720105/20/2002
 (1) no events leading to failure. (2) started hard, heavy white smoke out the exhaust and knocking in the engine. onsequences - #4 & #5 rods in cylinders stressed. (3) correction of failure - 4.2l engine replacement at my expense. ford would not back up even though i have obtained tsb-99-20-7 and this truck was manufactured 12/97. recall was thru 5.1.97 and engine was put in trucks until 1.15.98.*ak
03/08/2004550001
 Consumer attempted to start the vehicle while parked. after several attempts the engine fired up. consumer heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. vehicle was taken to the dealer for a check up. dealer examined the vehicle, and found that one of the rods was bent in the engine. a new engine was needed.
08/07/200380000201/06/1998
 I have a 1998 f150 i bought new. i have been a ford person for many years but will not buy another ford until the problems with the motor and transmissions are corrected. at 72,000 miles i had to replace the transmission. ($2,200), at 92,000 miles check engine light came on, idling was rough but drove fine. took it to the mechanic he said tune-up would correct it. $400 later, still check engine light and idle rough. it just stopped and wouldn't start back up. i'm having to replace the block ect.. having to continue to pay a nice vehicle payment each month and insurance and still not having a vehicle to drive is ridiculous. very disappointed with ford!! kl. *la
05/22/199830000205/01/1999
 Leaking valve cover gasket and gasket around spark plugs leaking allowing oil in cylinder. repaired less than one year ago at 30,000 miles. has reoccured at 33000 miles. defective parts? *tt
02/02/2003
 We have a ford f150 clubcab pickup. it was performing fine and i came to work and went to start it and it would not start. my husband came to help me and it finally started but it had a severe knock in it. he took it to the gargae for repair and was told it was the engine. no warning pf any sort. it had great oil pressure , chnaged frequently, coolant was fine etc. we were told that it has a bulletin out on it for this very problem but no recall. we now have heard of 3 other people with the same identical problem around our small community. ford says they will do nothing about it as it is just a bulletin not a recall problem. the garages around here have told us this is a common problem with this engine. if fords would even pay half of the $3600 repair we would be satisifed but they tell us no.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
12/10/2009960001
 I was driving my 1998 ford f-150 when i heard a loud bang and i pulled over to find the spark pug had blown out. cylinder #3 original plugs. *tr
05/15/200586000105/09/2003
 Overnight hydrolock condition, caused by faulty intake gaskets and cylinder head gaskets, causing immediate and unforseen internal damage up to and including damage to pistons, rods, crankshaft, and bearings. we were non-informed due to ford's neglet to send appropriate recall notices for both vehicles owned by our family. this is a well documented problem within the internet community, and although ford did issue recall notices, we did not recieve any to our current knowledge. ford motor company will not fix this problem because apparently it is too late to turn in a recall. the response given by ford motor company does not seem ethical in my eyes, and many consumers are out of transportation and be out the money that this will cost them to fix the problem themselves. these are honest, hard working citizens that have believed in ford for many years, and for this kind of problem to come up and to have them not do anything about it, removes any shred of confidence still remaining in todays manufactured goods.
10/09/20041126741
 Water leaked inside engine mix with oil causing lockup
05/07/200313000005/30/2000
 Have had problems with my 1998 v6 ford f-150 pick up, regarding coolant/water loss, so have continually done coolant maintenance. started the truck up last saturday 5/7/06 and the engine made an an awful sound, and white smoke came out of the exhaust. the truck was running fine the day before. my truck was towed to a mechanic yesterday, and they say the engine needs replaced, which will cost $4,000.00 plus. i have seen many, many complaints from f-159 v6 owners, 1997-2000. i cannot afford to have the vehicle repossessed, as i still owe $4,000 plus on it. i cannot afford the rebuilt engine repair, and now have no means of transportation. also, i am currently unemployed and looking for work. ford company needs to do right by their customers, as this same problem has happened to so many f-150 owners. a class action suit is currently on-going in northern california, according to a consumer website. i never received a recall notice from ford. please let me know how i can join this class action lawsuit.
04/20/200590000104/08/1998
 I have an ford f150 with the 4.2 v6 engine. i have taken good care with oil changes every 3-5,000 miles. in 2001 i noticed it was losing coolant. took it to dealer and they found nothing wrong. have had it checked twice since then. coming home from work yesterday, i noticed the oil pressure dropped to 0 everytime i stopped and the engine idled. took it to personal mechanic and he called ford dealership. he was told the engine was getting ready to blow. that there was a problem with this motor and mine has lasted more than most. i have seen on the web other f150 owners with the same problem. coolant leaking into the cylinders and destroying the engine. ford should take responsibility for this defective engine. mine would probably have gone out before now, but i changed the oil really well. now i'm out $4,000 to put in a new engine. *nm
12/01/20031150001010/30/1997
 Coolant leaking into engine. i have had my truck at the dealer several times and 3 other mechanics in my area. i have a 98 ford f150 with the v6 4.2l motor. it has 120,000 miles on it now and started having problems at 115,000. i have changed the oil every 3000 to 4000 miles and the coolant every 3 years. i have look into internet forums and noticed that there are 100s of others with the same exact problems - most with far less mileage. *jb
 Truck has hydro-carbon in coolant system that results in truck over heating on numerous ocassions. please describe details. *ak
05/21/2002104/01/2098
 Dealer reports coolant loss into oil system, states cause is defect in timing chain cover or intake manifold, 1997 trucks with same engine equiped with defective timing chain cover, ford issued silent recall to dealers to cover cost of repaires for 1997 trucks, ford claimes defect corrected for 1998 truck, dealer states that even if cover is defective, ford won't cover costs for repaires, i wonder if ford completly corrected timing chain cover problem.*jb
10/01/2001308/01/1998
 None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE
 Hose clamp came loose, causing coolant line to leak onto coil and spark plugs. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
04/03/1998104/09/1998
 Thermostat failure. mgm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
09/23/200742000104/01/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford f-150. the check engine light illuminated. the mechanic stated that the left lobe would not fire and caused the check engine light to illuminate. the failure mileage was 42,000 and current mileage was 46,000.
12/28/20071420002
 I own a 1998 ford f-150, which has a 5.4l engine. at 100,000 miles the #3 spark plug blew. then on a trip back from idaho falls idaho this month to my home in lindon, ut the #1 plug blew. based on research, i understand this is a serious issue. the second time my plug blew, i was driving on a very ice covered highway (i-15 just north of blackfoot, id). when #1 went the engine immediately began running extremely rough and my speed drastically decreased. this combination made me lose control on the freeway and almost slid off the side of the freeway possibly rolling my truck. luck would have it, there were no other vehicles near me. given the seriousness of this issue and the overwhelming incidents, i think it is time someone took action against ford. this could potentially cause a death! if nothing is done, then the government is as much to blame for not doing anything about a known safety hazard. *tr
10/22/200470000310/14/1998
 The 1998 ford f150 pick up truck 4.2 liter v6 engine threw a rod during startup one morning. the engine had 70,000 easy miles on it. no towing, racing or hard driving. i had the engine replaced at a cost of $4200.00 with a jasper engine at mr. engine because ford would not help at all unless i paid them $7500.00 for a new ford engine. i had already replaced two automatic transmissions in this same vehicle. the first time it cost me $2200.00 at 50,000 miles to rebuild the original, and the second time $1800.00 to replace the original with a remanufactured jennings transmission at 160,000. from all i have heard ford knew about the engine gasket defect and still has done nothing about it. i have all documentation ,and believe this needed to be remedied by ford. we are talking about thousands of 4.2 liter 1997 through 1999 engine failures. i love my truck, but will never buy another ford product. *ak
06/09/200779222108/01/1998
 I have a 1998 ford f 150 white smoke came from exhaust , no warning truck wouldn't start finally started, but it was knocking you could smell anti freeze, called tow truck and the engine was gone, only had 79,000 miles. *ak
02/17/200768000102/05/1998
 Premature engine failure (68,000 miles) on 1998 ford f150 with 4.2l engine. was told by dealer that failure was due to oil leaking into the intake manifold which resulted in bent rod. through research, i have found that ford has known about this issue since 1998-1999 but did not notify customers. now they want $4000-5000 for new engine. *jb
09/02/2006120000108/01/2002
 Fire, total loss to ford f150 pickup. pickup sat in driveway for 4 hours since driven and caught fire. fire department came and said it was either electrical or engine related. *nm
08/14/2006110000101/03/2000
 Vehicle blew out the #3 passenger side spark plug. repair option is to replace cylinder head $3500 or use helicoil repair to the individual cylinder. blown spark plugs on th 5.4 trition is a very well known problem and i'm shocked that ford is not covering this problem. i too believe that they have covered up this problem by a re-design that corrected the design flaw in later vehicles. *nm
09/15/20051
 My 4.2 v-6 in my 1998 ford f-150 failed hydro locked after it had ran just fine, looking online i found my self to not be alone, there are numerous amounts of people that have had the same problem and some quite costly repairs, i for one am not in the position to replace a motor that shouldn't have failed in the first place. *jb
11/16/200585000104/05/2004
 I have a 1998 ford f-150 4.2 v6 4x4 truck, which has been brought to my attention by my local ford dealership mechanic how notorious this motor is for the problem that has erupted with my vehicle, but ford refuses to take any financial responsibility or action. the truck started making a loud- knocking sound one morning immediately after i started the truck for work. the mechanic explained to me that ford had a bad intake manifold gasket, which allowed coolant(anti-freeze) to leak into the oil and spark-plugs causing this loud-knocking noise which is a spun rod bearing. i keep regular check-ups on all aspects(oil level,coolant,etc.) if it were a problem that i caused, i would accept full responsibility. it is not my lack of maintenance , but a known issue among the 4.2 v6 ford motor. ford motor co. has made my life pure hell. i do not have $4,$5 thousand dollars to replace their mistake. i now struggle to keep a job and make payment on a vehicle that doesn't run. also,my wife and kid who depend on daddy are ready to leave home because he is a failure( no vehicle+no money=divorce) ( no truck=no job) !!!! enough of my problems, but i'm now ready to start losing what means more than anything in life to me and that is my family. i have researched this problem by speaking with ford mechanics ,reviewing websites, and the general public. ford has failed and now this internal damage is leading to my personal life. i'm going to lose everything. i hope you will help me and the other thousands of 4.2 v6 owners who desperately need assistance, please! thank you!! ps. i hope one day the owner of ford,can sleep knowing my little girl/wife will not enjoy christmas as a family due to his greed to fix this error on his behalf. ever spend christmas morning by your(lonesome)self mr. ford? merry christmas. *jb
03/01/2005112/17/1997
 Consumer turned ford f150 on and vehicle hesitated then cranked and began rattling. head gasket lead water into the cylinder. *ts refer to recall campaign# dp05005. *sc
11/04/2005970001
 About two weeks ago, i noticed that my 1998 ford f-150 had steamy white exhaust upon start and it would last until sufficient warm-up. at that point, i did not think about it much. at any rate, i went out of town for two weeks and upon my return from my trip, i got in my truck and tried to start it and the engine would not turn over. initially, i thought it was the battery so, i tried to jump start it to no avail. next, i tried push starting it and initially the wheels locked up but eventually it started. from that point it was fine however, it wasn't until friday that i tried to start it and again it was hard to start. when it did it started rattling indicating a possible bent push rod. upon calling an engine mechanic, he informed me that there had been a rise in 4.2 liter v-6 engine failures because of a known defect. it was at that time that i started doing internet research and came across tsb 99-20-7 and onp 99b29. at this point, my truck is in the shop being diagnosed and i'm sure the mechanic is going to tell me i need a new engine. *jb
10/01/20051400001008/12/1998
 I changed my spark plugs at the recommended mileage and since that time they do not stay tight in the cylinders. they loosen up and i have to re-tighten them everyday so that they do not blow out of my cylinder head. *jb
09/01/2005109/01/1999
 Consumer's request assistance in getting ford to reimburse them for repairs for faulty gasket on their 1998 ford f150 pickup truck.*mr water leaked into the oil because of a faulty gasket which then caused the engine to blow. the consumer did some research and found out that the gasket was recall in 1999. the consumer indicated that he never received and notice of a gasket recall. the consumer request that ford reimburse him for the faulty engine. *nm
03/01/2005112/17/1997
 Ford f150 head gasket leaked water into the cylinder causing bent rods.***no answer required***. *mr *jb
06/15/2005132300106/15/1998
 Like many others, my lower intake manifold gasket failed at 132,000 miles, resulting in coolant leaking into the #4 cylinder and causing a hydrolock condition. i replaced the motor. prior to the hydrolock, i had noticed coolant levels dropping for a year or so prior but thought nothing of it and just periodically topped off the coolant. at the time of failure, i noticed lots of white smoke coming from the exhaust.
05/15/200586000105/09/2003
 Overnight hydrolock condition, caused by faulty intake gaskets and cylinder head gaskets, causing immediate and unforseen internal damage up to and including damage to pistons, rods, crankshaft, and bearings. we were non-informed due to ford's neglet to send appropriate recall notices for both vehicles owned by our family. this is a well documented problem within the internet community, and although ford did issue recall notices, we did not recieve any to our current knowledge. ford motor company will not fix this problem because apparently it is too late to turn in a recall. the response given by ford motor company does not seem ethical in my eyes, and many consumers are out of transportation and be out the money that this will cost them to fix the problem themselves. these are honest, hard working citizens that have believed in ford for many years, and for this kind of problem to come up and to have them not do anything about it, removes any shred of confidence still remaining in todays manufactured goods.
04/10/200582000101/27/2003
 Started vehicle and heard a clanging noise under the hood. immediately turned vehicle off and checked under hood for source. had a relative to start the truck while i examined the engine for cause. shortly after 2nd start and stop, oil began dripping under vehicle. holes had been knocked in the engine block and oil pan. i have the 4.2l v6 engine in my ford f-150. i now have to replace the engine because of the damage caused by the thrown rod.*ak
02/26/2005212/31/2001
 While driving 65 mph, the driver heard a loud popping noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the right head needed to be replaced due to a spark plug blowing out. *ak these were the original plugs. according to the consumers research on the internet and talking to service managers, this was a well known problem for the aluminum head 5.4 l v8 engine. the years that were affected were 1997-2002. *sc *jb
02/03/2005105000112/04/2004
 Coolant level dropping slowly with no visible leaks. blown lower intake gasket, filled cylinder and broke # 2 connecting rod. *ak
02/01/20051
 Ford f-150 truck exploded and burnt to a crisp. *bf the fire department stated that the fire began under the hood of the vehicle. *tc *jb
08/19/20040308/20/2001
 My 1998 ford f150 4x4 blew 3 coils within 3 months of each other, culminating with the ignition coil in august 2004. i contacted ford and was told i was being put on a recall list in case others had complaints. when the coils blow, there is a horrible noise from the engine and an immediate loss of power due to the spark plug no longer igniting that cylinder for the engine to run off of. luckily, i was able to pull over to the side of the road and call a wrecker without incident. all three coils were replaced and i still have receipts. i traded the vehicle in due to the numerous problems it began having. *jb
09/25/2004142800101/10/2003
 I have a 1998 ford f150. i was just driving at 45mph and the number 8 spark plug blew out of the head of my truck. just can't figure out how this would happen. plugs were replaced 15000 miles ago. it appears this is a common occurrence on the ford triton motors after doing some research by talking to parts stores, the internet and the dealer. dealer says nothing is being done to fix this problem and that no recall was made. i believe this is a dangerous situation. please help?*ak
07/29/200456000108/01/1999
 Spark plugs blew out while vehicle was sitting still. a loud noise was heard. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the plugs were the originals.*ak the consumer stated that the spark plug blew out of the head. *tc *jb
07/05/2004107/28/2001
 98 f-150 4.2 v-6, engine failure due to coolant leaking into motor from faulty gasket. ford put a recall when it was new, but i bought mine from dealer used, now the motor is bad, and i still owe quite a bit on it. *ak
02/06/20031020001
 I own a 1998 ford f-150 with the triton 5.4l engine. the engine has a serious design flaw that causes it to loosen and eventually blow spark plugs out of the cylinder head. in none of ford's publications that come with the vehicle does it state that these spark plugs need to be retorgued at a certain mileage. the problem first occured at 91,000 miles. ford does not acknowledge this as a problem. i am now faced wit a $3500 repair to keep my truck running. doesn't sound ford tough does it? i've done some investigation and found hundreds of these problems posted on messageboards. please do something, innocent people can not be taken advantage of by ford. we bought ford because we thought it was a vehicle that would last and provide great service. replacing a cylinder head should not be considered regular wear and tear. there is a serious problem with the design of this engine!! thank you in advance for your help.*ak
11/17/200392000108/25/2000
 I bought a 1998 f-150, 3 years ago. the engine blew up without any warning. my wife drove it to work, it ran fine. she starts it up to come home, and the engine was knocking loud. she had to have it towed home. the 4.2 engine is a lemon, and from what i have read from numerous people, and heard from many friends is that these engines are junk, and ford knows they are. a friend of mine warned me about these engines, he had to have his replaced 3 times within 3 years. 3 times his engine blew up.. these things are junk!!!!i think ford needs to do a recall on these engines, or refund us our money back on the purchase price. i am very unsatisfied. *la
08/14/200325000205/09/1998
 While under warranty, my ford f150 blew the #2 sparkplug and cylinder head at 25,000 miles. it has happened again with the same cylinder head 60,000 miles later. the repairs will cost me $3000.00. ford motor co. at this time is unwilling to cover the repairs. this seems to be a serious problem with the 1998 triton v-8 engines as i am seeing alot of the same complaints being filed.*ak
08/09/200375000
 1998 f-150 with 75000 miles. spark plug #2 blew out while driving 30 miles/hour. this is a common problem. if you do a search on www.google.com for blown spark plug the number one hit is for www.f150online.com a ford enthusiast group. this site, links to lots of people haviing the same problem. the problem is an apparent design flaw in the cylinder head. only 6 threads are holding the spark plug in place. since a blown spark plug almost always results in the cylinder head having to be replaced. the cost to the consumer is around $2000 - $3000 dollars. this needs to be investigated at a minimum.
06/16/2003101/12/2001
 1998 ford f-150 pickup truck with a 5.4 liter triton engine. without engine ever overheating, a spark plug was ejected from the cylinder head. the plug's threads were stripped. estimate to fix is about $2200.00 *jb
05/23/20031
 While driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle would stall and it became difficult for the consumer to control the vehicle. *nlm. *ak
05/09/2003103937103/04/2000
 The consumer detected an unusual vibration coming from the truck. when the consumer looked under the hood he noticed that the harmonic balancer and pulley assembly was rotating erratically. it was later determined that a bolt sheared off the harmonic balancer. as a result there was damage to the harmonic balancer, water pump pulley, belt tensioner pulley and drive belt. *jb *scc *nlm
49000102/01/2000
 I have read through the internet that many of these 4.2l ford engines have had the same problems with head gaskets as mine has. *ph **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770816
04/20/200344402008/27/1997
 Started vehicle, then could smell an odor, about 30 seconds later it smelled like a belt burning. after opening the hood and seeing a fire on the distributor cap where the 4 wires plug in. i s/o engine and put out fire with extinguisher. *nlm
02/15/20031
 The engine failed with out warning. *jb
 Vehicle experiencing engine problems with water mixing in oil pan. engine would make a knocking noise when first starting or intermittently. owner was informed that vehicle had a cracked block. please describe details. *ak
08/01/2002110/01/1997
 Consumer stated the head gasket failed with no warning. *ak *jb
08/28/2002108/01/2098
 Driving 35 mph when the aluminum cylinder head threads that holds the spark plug failed. the non-ford mechanic said this is a rare event, seeing only 3 incidents on the 10 years he's been repairing. however, it is commonly reported by f-150 and lightning owners. for further details, please refer to http://www.f150online.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=686548. *ak
 Vehicle was leaking from engine head gaskets. noticed on dashboard panel coolant going down, . overflow had no coolant. took vehicle in for service on brakes, and mechanic indicated that gaskets were leaking due to a crack in engine head gaskets. warranty expired, but vehcle will be fixed. *ak
08/04/2001112/01/1997
 Lost #1&2 cyl due to warpped head. engine never overheated. engine pinging at light loads even with 92 octane gas. research shows this to be more than a chance occurance with the triton engine.*ak
1
 Truck was assembled with the wrong motor mounts causing severe vibration which caused excessive wear to other truck components. nlm
 Vehicle was assembled with wrong motor mounts for standard transmission not automatic. *ak
08/25/19982
 Idle pulley failed.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
03/02/2007108/15/2005
 I purchased a used 1998 ford f150 from car max in las vegas. i also purchased car max's extended warranty. i took the truck to jiffy lube for an oil change and drove it home, a distance of about 1 mile. jiffy lube did not note any problems when they serviced the truck. the truck would not start the next time i went to use it. jumping it did no good, the battery was not low. i had the truck towed to car max it was towed on a flat bed trailer, so the wheels never touched the ground. i called car max the next day and they said they had it scheduled to look at the following day. they called me that following day and asked if the truck was smoking when i last drove it. i told them it was not and that it drove fine. then they told me the engine was blown and continued to act as though i had caused it. on my next day off, i rode my bicycle to car max and checked the truck's odometer against the mileage jiffy lube wrote on my receipt. there were 28 miles put on my truck since the oil change. car max will not take responsibility, even though they blew the motor in my truck, but deny it. my son had done most of the oil changes on the truck, so i have no proof oil changes were done, so car max denied the extended warranty. i called ford and i was told there is no such issue on the truck, even though ford changed the head starting with later 1998 models, due to a faulty design. their customer service agent was very frustrated with my asking how they can deny an issue, when they put out information to their dealers on steps to take when servicing the f150. she asked what i wanted them to do. i told her i was not asking ford to replace the motor because i am paying for an extended warranty. but i would like them to contact car max and tell them that the motor blowing up was not my fault, so car max would cover it, as they should anyway. she told me no, because there is no issue with the 1997 and 1998 ford f150's. please help. *tr
06/01/2006122000111/29/1999
 1998 ford f-150 4.2l v6 engine, engine has burned coolant for several months, engine recently started making a loud knocking noise, two mechanics have diagnosed the problem as a bad piston and the engine needs to be replaced. *jb
03/15/2005947250006/01/2002
 My98 ford f150 4-2l motor thew a rod found coolent on the plugs just like the huhdreds of otheres but no one wants to admit to the problom with this motor now its 3k to 4k to fix it i dont know when that will happen but it make a great lawn ornment i hope some one is looking into this thank you for you time
300001
 The spark plugs blew out at 30,000 miles which caused gasoline to spray onto the engine. consumer bought a new engine. currently, at 40,000 miles vehicle experienced the same problem. *ak
07/12/200374000107/06/2002
 My engine failed due to the following information. according to ford tsb 99-20-7 these engines were assembled with obsolete engine front cover gaskets and/or lower intake manifold gaskets. when these gaskets fail, the resulting damage will often create the need for an entire engine replacement. due to this failure an engine is needing replacing. after looking at cases on the internet. i find ford not correcting a major defect in there product. *ak
12/06/2002208/01/2098
 Ford denies that the cylinders head are defective, yet i have seen hundreds of other complaints on the internet. dt
03/27/200106/01/2098
 No summary. dt
10/22/2002111/01/2001
 While driving at 30 mph a spark plug (cylinder #2) blew out of cylinder head cracking coil pack. dealer estimate for replacement of cylinder head is $3400. vehicle is out of warranty period. this is a manufacturing defect that is very common in f150's particularly with the 5.4 v8 engine. this is a stock engine, with factory installed spark plugs that are not required to be replaced until 100k miles. plugs should not blow out of cylinder for no reason. this could cause serious injury due to projectile or risk of fire. based on my investigation, ford does not acknowledge problem. more info at: http://www.f150online.com/forums/showthread.php?s=4abd0a2337942b5d2ed89c308e5c3975&threadid=88853 dt
05/01/2000
 Engine has a spark knock during light to moderate acceleration, extremely bad on heavy acceleration.*ak
08/01/2001
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
09/10/2001101/14/2000
 Front inner tie rods on right side broke while vehicle was parked. consumer has taken vehicle twice before to dealer, and the dealer still did not do anything for consumer taken it again to dealer. *ak consumer stated there is a noise in front end when steering wheel is being turned, there is a noise when attempting to start engine, headlights stay on until the parking brake is applied, engine is using 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles, the dealer replaced the outer tie rod ends.*slc
01/10/2001102/16/1999
 The vehicle would shake and stall when started, and the check engine light would flash the entire time vehicle was in motion, consumer was informed that all the vehicle needed was a tune-up and was assured that after the work was completed that the vehicle would operate normal, the next day the vehicle began experiencing the same problems, consumer took vehicle back to the shop and their only answer for the problem was to keep bringing vehicle back in for repairs.*yh
04/15/19983
 Vehicle would stalls only during rainy or misty weather condition. vehicle been into dealer shop on three occasions, and the they were unable to locate cause. feel free to provide any further information on this matter.*ak
06/01/20010
 When traveling on highway vehicle shutdown without prior warning. dealership was aware of problem. *ak
02/01/2001511/01/1997
 Mechanic cannot determine causes of loud noises when steering after engine is warm. *ak
10/01/1999
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
04/01/2001101/01/1998
 Consumer was traveling at approximately 70 to 75 mph when engine quit suddenly and would not restart. oil pump was cause of defect. *ak
03/05/2001
 Vehicle was sitting around about twenty minutes in off position and consumer smelled an anti freeze odor befor exiting vehicle. after returning from shopping ,vehicle was on fire in engine compartment. fire deparment was called, cause of the fire has yet to be determined. please provide any further details. *ak
11/19/2000202/12/1998
 Recall 98v007000/throttle icing: speed control will not disengage when applying brakes, and intermittent problem with brake pedal going to floor. *ak 2 goodyear wrangler ap tire's tread is completely gone, size p255/70r16, dot pdcuf8wr038. consumer states engine has a ping sound when first started in cold weather, dealership is aware of the problem. *slc
 October 2000 check engine light on immediately after refueling. occured on saturday, checked owners manual, ok to drive, have dealer check. took truck to town east ford monday, ford charged approx. $279.00 and hertz approx. 70 for rental. ford stated someone disconnected your maf sensor. that is not true! also they did not cover under warrenty bumper to bumper or extended or rental vehicle. i think sensor disconnected self if that is what indeed happened. approx 1 yr. ago the blinkers, air conditioner would not work at random. don't know if brake lights or blinkers were visibly working from outside truck because it would happen while driving. returned to ford. said can fix it if cant find it, are you sure you didn't hit a bump, bring it back if/when it happens again. returned again because problem continued. had to get ugly with the service people. i told ford to keep it, drive it until the problem is found. they did and said there was a loose connection under dash. warranty covered. i know this truck is unpredictable now. i would also like to report that in march 2000 my 33 yr old brother was killed while on the job for s&p utilities, i believe now that the truck may have stalled on the railroad track he was killed on because he had often complained about the f150 1998 bogging down and stalling. i also think now s&p is aware since they had people obtain all of the missing parts from the truck as soon as they could. his name is john cloud jr of mesquite texas. he left 3 kids and wife.
01/01/1998
 Engine has knock at cold start up and goes away after engine warms up. i had contacted the original dealer in ca. whenthis started over a year ago and they said they could not find anything wrong. i have contacted a ford dealer hear in atlanta and they say they have no bulletins offer any reason or any other complaints. i have talk with a few of the workers at the atlanta ford plant and one of them have the same make, year, model and engine as i do. he stated that the plant in kansas and windsor in canada have said that thier was a problem with the heads on this engine. why is it that i can find out this information and the dealers do not have anything on this. i like my truck and wish to fix the problem , but can't get an answer from ford. if you can give me any help i would appreciate it.
04/01/19990
 Truck would stall. consumer let truck sit for half and hour, then started it again and it will stall again. *ak
11/01/1997
 Engine knock and ticking noise at start up,rough idle
 While driving engine seized, causing vehicle to come to a complete stop without prior warning due to lower end of engine breaking and giving up. consumer has contacted the dealer. engine has been replaced with a heavier duty engine. *ak *ml
10/01/1998
 I have been taking my truck in for spark knock for about one year now. it has not been fixed yet. the ford technical rep. has looked at it atleast two times. when in drive with the brake pedal pushed you can give the truck gas and it will knock. and when it is pulling a trailer it knocks. i wish to get this fixed or replaced. *ak
 While driving or proceeding to turn a corner the vehicle will stall, and completely shut down without warning. please give any further details. *ak
09/15/19990
 While driving in rainy conditions and turning left or right or even slowing down vehicle will choke a little then stall. consumer took to ford. but dealer cannot find the cause of the problem. *ak.
09/15/1999404/01/1998
 As soon as consumer starts vehicle the engine check light comes on and stays on. engine it is running rough and down shifting. contacted dealer. *ak
11/18/199808/01/1998
 Spark knock i have had problems with it since it had 2000 miles on it. i am worried the thing will lock up or catch fire or blow up. it has 25,000 miles on it and they still have not fixed it. they tell me if i was in canada they have a bulletin on those models for the very same thing why not on the american models?
05/12/1999
 In wet and cold conditions vehicle stalls out and dies with no warning. just before the vehicle stalls, alternator light comes on. to restart vehicle, driver has to turn the ignition off . the dealer has been notified and they have notified the manfacturer. *ak
10/12/1998
 When driving at any speed and coming to a stop, vehicle will shutdown without prior warning. *ak
14
 14 times in the last year, the truck has just died out without warning or indication of anything being wrong. most of the time it takes 15-30 minutes before restarting. twice this has happened on a major highway. the truck was taken to the dealership. the dealer is not able to detect the problem. *ak
07/28/1998
 When driving at 55 mph to 60 mph the vehicle shut down without giving the consumer any prior warning ,causing the consumer to run three vehicles off the highway road, and had to slow down and get back on the road. the vehicle has been back to ford ten times and they can't determine the problem. *ak
01/31/199809/02/1997
 Defect in engine block, possibly crack or defective gasket. engine oil is leaking onto hot engine.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
04/27/19984
 Serpentine belt broke causing loss of control while driving on several occasions.
3
 Serpintine belt broke, causing loss of control and steering. could have resulted in an accident, dealer has replaced belt 3 times, defect is still occurring. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
 Vehicle is burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles, and blue smoke is coming out of the exhuast.dealer has been contacted. *ak
07/24/199802/13/1998
 Emission hose incorrectly routed and rubbing on rear of air conditioner compressor suction fitting which has a sharp 90 degree edge. dealer replaced and correctly rerouted hose. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
09/02/200560500112/15/2004
 Dt: 1998 ford f150. coolant in the oil, and serious engine noise. the are white vapors from the exhaust system. has not taken vehicle to a service station yet. unable to drive automobile.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
11/09/2002
 The transmission is going out in my 1998 ford f-150
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
06/26/1999
 Due to defective throttle linkage and pcv valve, vehicle suddenly accelerated which may have caused a crash. please provide further information. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
01/01/19011
 1998 ford f-150 muffler bolts sheared off on both sides. consumer states that the muffler bolts came off of the engine sides. *nj the consumer stated the transmission was replaced at 90,866 miles, and the rear wheel bearing was replaced. *jb
10/26/2006920001
 I am one of the thousands of ford customers with a f150 4.2l v6 1998 that have a blown engine because of a leaky gasket. my truck has 92,000 miles on it, bought it used from a dealer in '05 with 72,000 miles on it. ran great until i went to start it in the morning one day and white smoke poured out the tail pipe and it knocked like crazy. i have been saving for the past year and a half to get enough money to fix it, when i discovered that this is a problem that stretches across the board. *tr
03/01/2007115000110/01/2000
 Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford f150. the contact heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle. the mechanic stated that the bolts holding the exhaust manifold rusted, causing the manifold to separate from the engine. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage were 115,000.*ak update 04/30/07*tr
03/07/2005100000104/01/2004
 My truck had a defective manifold gasket, the same problem that so many '97 - '98 f-150 owners have had. (see website: http://forums.treemedia.com/fb/showthread.php?t=224) coolant leaked into my engine due to ford's faulty gasket and ruined the entire system, forcing me to spend $3400 on a new engine. the website mentioned above has had over 45,000 hits, which clearly shows that this is a major problem. please look into this problem. ford is fleecing its customers. *jb
05/12/20051
 Dt: the consumer took the truck to the dealer for an inspection. they found an exhaust leak at the exhaust manifold. the dealer claimed that the bolts contained condensation and had rusted out on both sides. *jb
108/01/1998
 Muffler rattles when on idle.