1997 Ford F150

Summary:

The car was fine until this incident

Faults:

Nothing had gone wrong with the truck until for no apparent reason, it started burning on the parking lot after being parked for 4 hours.

The cause of the fire could not be determined because the vehicle was burned too badly.

There was a recall on the fuel line.

The insurance company (State Farm) would not investigate with an investigator that could determine the cause of the fire.

General Comments:

I feel the responsibility lies with Ford due to the fact there was a recall.

Ford will not do anything until the insurance company subrogate a claim.

I have spoken too many people with no resolution, including lawyers.

Because no one was injured, in my opinion, no one will take the case.

Or perhaps, it is because I have not encountered the right attorney.

Am I stuck with paying for a vehicle after three years?

The insurance company paid under 1,000.00 to us and paid the balance of the loan of the vehicle to the bank.

What are my other options.

Time may also be a factor in the statute of limitations.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th February, 2002

1997 Ford F150 4x4 Offroad 4.6 V8

Summary:

Awesome vehicle

Faults:

I had to replace the spark plugs at 69000 miles.

General Comments:

The truck is really comfortable and has a ride like a luxury car. It is also a workhorse and is excellent in four wheel drive. With the 4.6 litre V8 it still has plenty of horsepower and torque. With a load the bed does not sag like my previous Dodge Ram and Chevrolet 1500 (contrary to what other writers say).

It also has the nicest styling and 17" wheels and tires that fill the wheel wells, unlike other trucks on the market. This is a very dependable truck and holds its value quite well. I would recommend this truck to anybody.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th September, 2001

16th Dec 2001, 09:34

Let me ask you a question, if you like the truck so much why would you not buy another one?

10th Nov 2003, 11:54

I feel the same way. I use my explorer to haul around 200 lbs of cow crap.

15th May 2006, 12:49

I have a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500HD crew cab LT with a Southern Comfort Customize package for use on the highway. It just looks, rides and drives better! Now for the 1997 F-150 Off-Road Standard Cab, short wheel base. It is used in the woods and the dirt/mud nearly exclusively. I deal in forest land and am a dog hunter so I put her through the paces, sometimes pushing her to the limit. So far she has performed fairly well, only needing rear axles, bearings, brakes, electronic circuit boards, one recall and a few other minor repairs. She enjoys a little over half a quart of oil between 3,000 mile changes. Not sure, but, I think this may be a little excessive, since she only has 258,000 miles on her. The 1976 Chevrolet she replaced had 736,000 on her original power-train when she was retired.

15th May 2006, 15:41

You put 29,000 miles per year on your truck and it's all off road? That makes no sense.

1997 Ford F150 XL 4.2

Summary:

I will never again purchase another Ford product

Faults:

Transmission blew at 4500 km.

Rad was replaced at 6000km.

Rear brakes, exhaust, and rim replaced 6000km.

Horn, wiper motor, radio replaced at 11,000 km.

Timimg chain cover replaced at 15000km.

Rear window replaced due to leak. 23000km.

Lumbar seat (drivers side) repaired and squeak under dash board repaired. "so I was told". 32000km.

Radio replaced "again" 38500km.

Both drivers side and passenger side doors replaced due to seams comming apart at the bottom of the doors. 43800km.

Trailer harness replaced. Kept blowing fuses due to corosion. Also neutral lockout switch replaced. 49550km.

Truck was returned to dealer because doors that were replaced were starting to leak at seam. There was also excesive wind noise. I also complaind regarding the paint job. On the drivers side of the truck, the dealer not only painted the door, they painted the whole side of the truck. The truck is light blue on top with a very dark blue on the bottom (almost black). I noticed runs in the paint on the lower part of the truck in the darker colours. 49560km.

Temp light started to come on. I was losing antifreeze somewhere. Cooling system was pressure tested after the dealer put a red dye in the rad. No leak was found. 54800km.

General Comments:

The above problems happened while the vehicle was under warranty. I was very disappointed with this truck overall. I was a GM man from the beginning. "Why did I buy a Ford, you ask?" Because Ford came out with their new design before GM and Chevy. I will be honest, I like the look of the Ford truck. As for reliability, forget it. The dealer was of no help whatsoever either. After the warranty on this truck ended, I have had countless other problems. Nothing serious (as of yet).

All I can tell you for a fact is I will never buy another Ford product again. When I called Ford of Canada and told them the problems I was having, they put me in touch with the dealership. The dealership in turn told me to call Ford of Canada. You can see where this is going. After two (2) registered letters were mailed to Ford of Canada, IN 1999, and in 2000, I have yet to recieve a reply from either letter. I hope this little story will give some insight to those looking at a Ford product.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd June, 2001

28th Sep 2001, 10:56

This is hilarious. I can't believe the problems you've had with your truck. Consumer Reports says that the Ford F-150 is one of the most reliable trucks other then the Toyota Tundra. Your truck must have been built on a Mon. morning or Fri. afternoon. As for me, I'm very happy with my '85 GMC.