Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was contacted and appeared on the scene to assist. The fire department determined that the fire was contributed to an electrical failure. There were no injuries and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and the current mileage was 225,000.
1997 Ford F-150 electrical complaints
Page 2 of 8: complaints 11 to 40 of 198, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle ignited into flames from under the hood while parked and shut off. The cause of the failure was unknown. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 240,000.
My 1997 ford f150 started on fire in the parking lot of my employer, fifteen minutes after I parked the vehicle from a 5 mile round trip. The fire started under the hood and quickly moved into the cab of the truck before the fire department put out the fire. When inspecting the engine area with the fire department, the exact area of where the fire started could not be determined. Luckily, no one, including myself, was injured, and the vehicle was not in our home when it started on fire. I would like to have the vehicle inspected, and if necessary, seek recourse, but I don't know how to proceed.
A misfire on cylinder number 3 which will cause the vehicle to stall in traffic or not be able to get out of the way when accelerating.
I last drove my truck on 06/20/2011. When I woke up to feed my animals I heard a sound like a bird caught under my truck. I looked under the drivers side fender and saw flames. I popped the hood and saw the master cylinder was on fire. I grabbed my fire extinguisher from my barn and put the fire out.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford f150. The contact stated that while driving he noticed smoking coming out of the vents. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated that the failure was caused by water penetrating into the electrical fuse box. The fuse box was replaced. The manufacturer filed report 0470421440, and denied any assistance with the repair. The failure mileage was 156,511 and the current mileage was 157, 000. Updated 02/17/11*lj updated 11/30/2011
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The vehicle was parked when he was alerted that his vehicle was on fire. The fire department extinguish the fire. He was unaware if a police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not moved from the location and was not examined for the cause of failure. The fire department informed him that the fire was most likely an electrical fire. The failure and current mileages were 225,000.
Pull gear shifter down to d1 and smoke and fire came out of the steering column: all of the instrument lights went out and the truck was unable to use the overdrive function. Replaced several fuses and tried again with the same results. I dismantled the steering column and noticed that the wiring harness is two short and routed around the steering column causing it to break everytime the truck is put into d1. Ford motor company nor any auto store have any parts to repair the problem. The truck is still available for inspection. I took my truck to a ford dealer and they did not have a fix for the problem. They recommend that I not use d2/d1/overdrive.
Windshield wipers failed during rain, managed to pull off road safely. (other electrical devices failed as well) wipers no longer work. Vehicle is out of service until repaired. Ford is aware of problems. See ford technical service bulletin 98-9-13 and ford special message #15773 .
I recently purchased a 1997 ford f-150. I had parked it for a few weeks until I sold my chevy tahoe. When I went to start it the battery was dead. I charged the battery and when I reconnected it I went in the cab and could smell burning plastic and all the lights on the dash were on, even though the key was in my hand. I looked under the dash and found that the gem module was sizzling and smoking. I quickly got out and disconnected the battery. I have no doubt that it would have started on fire had I not noticed it in time. It surprised me that no fuses were blown. I looked online and found that this is a very common thing for alot of 1997 - 2003 fords and was wondering why this hasn't been recalled. I worked for a chevy dealership in marquette mi so I know a little about recalls and I feel that this is very unsafe and it should not be an expense put on the consumer. I think that with the decline in sales for the american automakers they should be taking care of these faulty modules. I am currently in the process of replacing it so im not sure how much it will cost me but im expecting it to be between $120- $160.
I was on my way home from work and my brake light came on so when I got home I started to check to see what the problem could be and found a fuse that was broken. I replaced the fuse and three hours later we smelled smoke in our house and found my shop was on fire. We called the fire department and after the fire was out found that the truck was the cause of the fire.
There was an electrical fire in the wiring harness connected to the master cylinder (brakes). No damage was done due to quick reaction but it left the brakes without power and the truck without brake lights. The problem is believed to be related to the "switch fire" problem that resulted in a wide-spread ford recall. The vehicle in question is a 1997 ford f-150 4x4. Truck was purchased from lease-holder and full warranty was transferred to me. I have received several recall notices but not the one associated with this problem.
I have a 1997 ford f150 with a 4.2 l engine that just turned 100,000 miles. I bought it second hand from a ford dealership june 1999 with about 45,000 miles on it. This truck was meticulously cared for over the years. After noticing that the coolant level was down after a a recent refill I refilled it again. I didn't drive the vehicle for about ten days but when I went to start it the engine made a clunk and wouldn't crank. I suspected the battery after a charge yielded the same results. The battery was replaced but still the same result and also after refinishing lead terminals and starter replacement. I checked the oil filler cap and there was a thick light brown substance I had never seen before on it and all the way down around the inside wall of the filler tube. I suspected a leak in the head gasket or elsewhere and went to the internet sites for clarification. After some research I realized I was far from being the only one with this problem. As I suspected the coolant leaks via the loose seal of the head gasket into one or more of the cylinders. It appears that this was a known defect and recall that ford never conveyed to all the owners of this model.
Ford f150 windshield leaks, leading to gem and fuse module failure. Random electronics clicking and turning themselves on due to leaking windshields damaging these electronic modules.
I am now having the water leak issue into the gem due to faulty windshield seal. It is starting to cause electrical system malfunctions. The following is a tsb released by ford: ford special message #15773 various electrical conditions resulting from water intrusion into the gem/cjb some 1997-2002 expedition and 1998-2002 navigator vehicles may exhibit various unusual electrical conditions, including but not limited to: front or rear blower or eatc staying on with key out of the ignition, radio staying on after doors opened and key out of ignition, wiper circuit failure codes, and multiple system warning lights with 'short to power' or 'low battery voltage' dtcs. These symptoms most often occur after a rain or snow. This may be due to gem/cjb water intrusion resulting from a windshield water leak. To service, remove the gem and cjb from the vehicle, separate them and inspect for water contamination or corrosion. If found in either component, replace both components and completely reseal the windshield. After doing some research on the internet I have found that I am not the only soul experiencing these issues. Apparently ford is not fixing this obvious manufacturing defect at their expense but passing it to the customers. This is obviously a ford issue that they have known about for quite some time. Please help with resolving this issue as some people have spent in the thousands fixing issues that this water intrusion issue has caused.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The contact stated that the wiring harness caught fire under the hood. Ford stated that he would be responsible for the repairs. He began receiving recall letters regarding the wiring harness in 2004. The contact has been in touch with ford concerning repairs and/or reimbursement. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 52,660. Updated 12/12/2007
Vehicle was parked in driveway with doors locked and ignition in the off position. No one was near or in the vehicle. Looked out window and noticed what looked like mist from a water sprinkler from the front side of truck. Looking closer, I realized it was smoke and then saw flames from the tire well and under the hood by the windshield wipers. Called 911. The fire department arrived very quickly, putting the fire out. Their assessment was it was an electrical short which had caused the fire. The fire caused the hood hydraulic lift to explode like a rocket, hitting the windshield, cracking it and then shooting off into the yard. The frames inside the engine housing by the drivers tire burnt the housing completely away. The wiring has been completely burned and melted away inside the engine compartment. All the plastic fluid containers melted, the entire engine housing, engine and all electrical components under the hood were burned up or damaged in some way by this fire. The truck will not start or run. None of the lights work, radio, heat, air or power functions work. The truck is totally inoperable. I contacted the insurance company and they directed me to this site to look for fire related defects and to file a complaint. The truck has not been repaired as it is beyond repair since all the wiring and most of the insides under the hood have burned up or melted.
A 1997 ford f150 pick up truck owned by steven quagliato caught fire while parked and damaged my vehicle causing approx $650 worth of damaged to the taillight assembly and bumper.
Tl*- the contact stated that while the 1997 ford f-150 was parked in the driveway the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. The fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. The fire damaged the engine, electrical wiring, piping ,and anything that was made of plastic melted in the vehicle. The contact could provide pictures of damaged vehicle, and a fire department report.*ak updated 02/28/07.
Spark plug blew out while running. I have only had the plugs changed once by the ford dealer. I have read on the ford f150 forums that this is very common on the 5.4 engine as they have very few threads holding the plug in. I am told ford fixed the problem in 2002 but has not recalled the earlier trucks.
Fire to my 3 days parked ford f-150 . Luckily was not parked inside the garage and was in my gated outside parking. Only frame is remaining....bad...
1997 ford f150 dec. 7, 2005 - air conditioning continued running with engine off. Dec. 8, 2005 - engine repeatedly trying to turn over with truck in park with ignition off and no key in ignition. I disconnected the battery and had it towed to dealership.
Our 1997 ford f150 pickup truck had been turned off for at least 6 hours, sitting in our parking lot, when it caught fire on the night of june 23, 2005. The key was not in the ignition. Upon hearing the fire and coming out to the parking lot to investigate, we called the fire department, who came and extinguished the fire. No other cars or buildings caught on fire, although some nearby hoses and bottles of automotive fluid were damaged.
Dt: 1997 ford f150. Consumer received the federal safety agency recall 05v388000. Vehicle was parked and caught on fire. The vehicle had been parked for about 30 minutes. It had been sitting for several days prior to th efire, , and then it was driven for a short time. Consumer was not at home, and the fire department was already there putting the fire out when the consumer arrived back home from dinner.
Engine fire near cruise control switch vehicle destroyed.
My 1997 ford pickup burned up in front of my house on may 29th. No keys were in the ignition. It had been parked for 10 hours.
Dt: on september 1, 2005 the caller said parked vehicle and 41/2 hours later it caught on fire. The vehicle was totaled. The fire happened without warning. The fire department came and a report was taken. A tree was damaged by the fire. Nothing else was damaged. Dealer gave caller the manufacturer's telephone number. Manufacturer said they would report it and get back to him.
I own a 1997 ford f150 this truck was the most dependable automobile I have ever owned until august 31, 2005. The truck had been parked for almost 12 hours when it suddenly caught on fire and burned up. It appeared to be some kind of electrical fire.
1997 model year ford f-150 engine compartment fire while parked in the driveway of my residence. The vehicle is a v-8, automatic transmission, equipped with cruise control and just over 85,000 miles. It is a work truck driven daily, about 200 miles per week. There were no previous problems with either the cruise control or electrical system. At about 8:15 on the evening of aug. 25th I returned home and parked in my drive way about six feet from the garage door. I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. My neighbor returned to his home at 12:05 a.m. He noticed smoke coming from under my hood and witnessed the engine compartment ignite into a ball of flames. He immediately called the fire department and used my garden hose to wet down my garage door thereby preventing my house from catching fire. I was finally awaken around 12:30a.m. By the fire department. The truck was completely destroyed, the insulation had melted from the inside of my garage door, the garage door windows had cracked from the heat, the trim melted, and the gutters above the garage warped. If not for the quick thinking of our neighbor we could have lost our lives. Our bedrooms are located to the rear of the house and the garage is at the front, by the time we realized there was a fire it would have been too late.
My 1997 f-150 caught fire while parked in my driveway. This vehicle was not driven in 18 hours. My twelve year old daughter and a neighbor put the fire out. In speaking with ford motor company they have a recall on cruise control deactivation switches but until today it did not go back to my year model. Due to a television broadcast on friday, august 12, 2005 ford has now included vehicles up to 1995 however when I spoke with them today they advised it only includes vehicles manufactured at particular plants which does not include my vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to a local ford dealer and the service department manager stated "more than likely the fire was caused by the cruise control switch". My family and I were fortunate that the vehicle was not parked in the garage where the damage could have been substantial and resulted in a loss of life as my children's bedrooms are located above the garage. I would like to see ford extend this recall to every vehicle regardless of the plant it was manufactured and am seeking reimbursement of my costs however ford is denying any problems with my vehicle. Any assistance you could offer to help make this company accept responsibility for their poor manufacturing practices would be appreciated.
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