1997 Ford F-150 Engine

I OWN A 1997 FORD F150. I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I REPLACED IT WITH AN ENGINE FROM A 2000 MODEL. ONE YEAR LATER I'M HAVEING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE NEW ENGINE. WHILE RESOVLING THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING I LEARNED SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT TSB #99-20-7 WAS ISSUED BY FORD. IT DESCRIBES MY PROBLEMS IN DETAIL. I CAUGHT IT MUCH EARLIER THIS TIME AND WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY 2000 ENGINE. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESONSIBILITY AND FIX THE ISSUES RELATED TO THEIR TSB #99-20-7. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS THE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ISSUE IS NOT WIDE SPREAD. THE ISSUE IS OFTEN MIS-DIAGNOSED AS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, WHICH IS TWICE THE COST TO FIX. SO CONSUMERS ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR FORDS COVER-UP. A WEB SITE IS SETUP WITH A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION REGADING THIS ISSUE. WWW.LEAKINGFORDS.COM. *AK

FRONT ENGINE GASKET LEAKING CALLED DEALERSHIP ANY TELL ME THAT MY TRUCK WASNT A RECALL . BUT SEEMS TO ME THAT OTHER FORD TRUCK OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHIT THE FRONT ENGINE GASKET LEAKING. IT WILL COST ME ABOUT $700.00 TO REPAIR. HOPE THE FORD COMPANY DOES SOMETING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

UPON LEAVING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG COOLANT ODOR. CONSUMER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TO TRACE FROM WHERE THE ODOR WAS COMING. CONSUMER, WHO WAS A MECHANIC, DETERMINED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT REFUSED TO REPAIR VEHICLE WITHOUT A RECALL OR PAYMENT.*AK

I HAVE A 1997 FORD F150 WITH 55000 MILES. ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 60 MPH I HEARD A LOAD POP THE TRUCK THEN BEGAN POPPING AND MAKING ALOT OF NOISE. LOST POWER IMEDIATELY WAS ABLE TO GET TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER WHICH FOUND THE SPARKPLUG BLOWN OUT AND REPLACED THE CYL HEAD AND NUMEROUS OTHER PARTS TO THE TUNE OF $4000.OO. AFTER SEARCHING THE FORUMS ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INSIDENT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY DIFFERENT VEHICLES WITH THE 5.4 ENGINE. I CALLED FORD TO SEE IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS OBVIOUS ENGINE DEFECT AND THEY WERE UNINTERESTED IN MY PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED A FEW VEHICLES AND MOST I HAVE KEPT TILL WELL PAST 100,000 MILES AND HAVE NEVER HAD A SPARKPLUG BLOW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD.*AK

UNDER HOOD FIRE AFTER VEHICLE PARKED FOR 6.5 HOURS. CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING ON 11/27/03 AND WAS NOT REPAIRED.

NOTICE ENGINE COOLANT EXTREMLY LOW ADDED 1+GALLONS NOTICED STILL LOOSING COOLANT. TOOK 1997 FORD F150 WITH 4.2L V6 AND ONLY 75,700 MILES ON ENGINE TO FORD DEALER FORD DEALER STATED "NO EXTERNAL LEAK FOUND AND CAN NOT FIND ANY POSSABLE INTERNAL LEAK. BUT NEED TO REPLACE INTAKE SET PART#F652-9433-C, EGR GASKET PART#F6AZ-90476-B, TIMMING GASKET PART#YF2Z-6020-AA, F. CRANK SEAL PART#F18Z-6701-A, W/P GASKET PART#F65Z-8507-BA, INTAKE BOLTS PART#N606526.5100 AND N605894.5309, T-BODY GASKET F75Z-9E936-AA, AND IMRC BUSHINGF5RZ-9F955-AB" APARENTLY FORD HAS AND HAS HAD A GASKET PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DELT WITH.*AK

RECENTLY MY 1997 FORD 150 4.2L STARTED CLATTER.. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER 4.2L EFI OWNERS FROM 1997-2001 THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE HAS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM OF SORTS.. I WAS WANDER IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER SPECIFIC COMPLAINTS? IT IS GOING TO COST ME BETWEEN 4,000 AND 5,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.. WHILE MY TRUCK HAD A BIT OVER 100,000 MILES I'VE MET AND SPOKE WITH SEVERAL OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MILEAGE WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. I'VE MAINTAINED THE TRUCK WITHIN FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS.. DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF EVENT, IS WAS USING 1QUART OF OIL PER 2,000 MILES WHICH SEEMED A BIT DISTRESSING. ARE THERE ANY PENDING CLASS ACTIONS AGAINST FORD MOTOR FOR THIS PARTICULAR CONDITION AND IF SO WHERE CAN I BE INFORMED OF THE PROCESS? *LA

1997 FORD F150 W/ 4.2L ENGINE. THE GASKETS FAILED AND COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING A BLOWN ENGINE. RECALL FOR FRONT COVER GASKET WAS COMPLETED AND I STILL HAD THE ENGINE FAILURE. TERRIBLE. 5000 DOLLARS FOR A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. *CB

"LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD SIDE GASKETS FAILED, ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE OIL. ISSUE IS ADDRESSED BY FORD WITH TSB ARTICLE NO. 99-20-7." *CB

I STARTED UP MY 1997 FORD F-150 XL WITH A 4.2L V-6 AFTER WORK ONE DAY TO HEAR A LOUD KNOCKING. I OBSERVED THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW HOWEVER THERE WAS NO MILKY LOOK TO THE ENGINE OIL. I RAN A COMPRESSION TEST ON MY ENGINE TO FIND THAT THERE WAS NO COMPRESSION ON CYLINDER 1 INDICATING THE CONNECTING ROD HAD BROKEN. I AM AWARE THAT FORD HAS ISSUED A TSB FOR A GASKET FAILURE HOWEVER IT HAS EXPIRED. *CB

COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE- LIKELY DUE TO GASKET FAILURE - HEAT NON- FUNCTIONING AS A RESULT

WHILE AT FORD DEALER HAVING STATE INSPECTION DONE, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH CAUSGHT ON FIRE.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED DUE TO A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

ON A COLD START MY FORD F-150 BROKE A ROD DUE TO ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING INTO ENGINE. THIS IS A KNOWN FORD DEFECT IN WHICH FORD SENT OUT A TECHNICAL BULLETIN BUT WHO WILL NOT COVER THE $4,000 DOLLAR REPAIR.*AK

FAILURE OF FRONT ENGINE COVER GASKET ON 4.2L ENGINE IN 1997 FORD F150 PICKUP TRUCK.*AK

EMAIL FM JOEY GANSZ (AR) INQUIRING IF THERE IS ENOUGH INFORMATION & COMPLAINTS TO REQUIRE FORD TO RECALL THE ENGINE GASKET ON THE 1997 FORD F150 PICKUP TRUCK. *MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS DUE TO A FAULTY GASKET WHICH ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDERS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT REFUSED TO ADMIT THERE WAS A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH A SERVICE BULLETIN (SB 99-20-7) WAS ISSUED. *NLM *JB

THE TRUCK WAS BUILT WITH THE EXHAUST EXITING IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE, WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE HEAT TO THE TIRE AND A BURNING SMELL. THE HUB CAPS AND WHEELS WERE DISCOLORED, AND THE REAR AXLE SEAL LEAKED, ALL THESE PROBLEMS WERE CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE EXHAUST SYSTEM WHICH WAS DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT. THE REAR OIL SEAL LEAKED OIL. *MR *PH *JB

I DROVE TO WORK THAT MORNING AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I WENT TO MY TRUCK TO LEAVE WORK THAT EVENING AND WHEN I CRANKED MY VEHICLE IT MADE A LOUD POP LIKE A BACK FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND STARTED RATTLING IMMEDIATELY. I SHUT MY TRUCK OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE IF I NOTICED ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND FOUND NOTHING OUT OF PLACE. I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I HAD SUFFERED INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE AT START UP AND WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE COST WOULD BE ALMOST $4000.00. I GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO WORKED AT ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE PARTICULAR ENGINES (THE 4.2L IN THE 1997 MODEL YEAR) HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GASKETS ALLOWING WATER TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDER (WATER CANNOT BE COMPRESSED SO IT KICKED BACK AND BENT THE ROD) CAUSING INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A RECALL THAT ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM AND THAT FORD HAS SINCE CORRECTED IT IN SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. IT IS APPARENT THAT FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT CHOOSES NOT TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP THE AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. I DID CALL FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MANUFACTURED AT THE PLANT THAT THE RECALL COVERED. I ASKED WHY THE RECALL WAS NOT BROADENED TO INCLUDE ALL 4.2L ENGINES SINCE THIS IS EVIDENTLY A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD ANY RECOURSE AT ALL AND WAS TOLD THAT I COULD HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE AND IF FORD DECIDED TO BROADEN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL I MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REFUND IN THE FUTURE. IF THE RECALL WOULD HAVE INCLUDED MY VEHICLE I WOULD NOT BE LODGING THIS COMPLAINT NOW. IF YOU KNOW THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS TO CORRECT IT AND KEEP YOUR CUSTOMER BASE. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY RECOURSE THAT I MAY HAVE IN TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *JB

ENGINE FAILURE AT 73000 MILES, FOLLOWED ALL FORDS RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE. *JB

THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF A KNOCKING NOISE.*JB

WATER WAS FOUND IN THE OIL DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE IN AUG 2002. THE VIN WAS TRACED BACK TO BE PART OF THE TIMING CHAIN COVER RECALL. WHEN THE VEHCILE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER, THE DEALER CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL. WHEN FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONTACTED, THEY DID ACKNOWLEGE THE RECALL, AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE RECALL. WE NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER, AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AND THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED. WE MADE THE DECISION TO PAY $800 FOR THE RECALL REPAIR (WHICH THE DEALER HAPPENED TO HAVE A KIT IN STOCK). SIX MONTHS LATER, THE ENGINE HAS APPARENTLY BLOWN ANOTHER GASEKET (SOUNDS LIKE THE MANIFOLD GASKET FROM OTHERS EXPERIENCE) AND FILLED THE #1 CYLINDER WITH WATER. OTHER INTERNAL DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN, THE ENGINE WILL BE REPLACED RATHER THAN REPAIRED AGAIN.

UPON STARTING VEHICLE CONSUMER HEARD A TAPPING NOISE. THEN THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER. ENGINE HEAD GASKET DEVELOPED A LEAK WHICH CAUSED WATER TO GET INTO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE PISTON CONNECTING ROD SNAPPED. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED.*AK

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS AND STUDS ARE CORRODEING AND WARPING. 1997 4.6 ENGINE. FORD F-150. SHOP WHERE I HAD SERVICE DONE REPORTS THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR SITUATIONS WITHIN A WEEKS TIME. COULD THERE BE A PROBLEM HERE? MANIFOLDS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO CORRODE LIKE THIS. *LA

VEHICLE HAD COOLANT LEAK INTO CYLINDER #3 CAUSING RINGS TO COLLAPSE AND LOSS OF COMPRESSION IN CYLINDER. THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE A REBUILD ON THE ENGINE THAT HAS ONLY 70,000 MILES ON IT. *LA

HEAT SHIELDS LOOSE ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. TWO CLAMPS WERE REPLACED AGAIN. I HAD THIS FIXED 2 YEARS, PREVIOUSLY. I WAS CHARGED $70.50 FOR THIS TO BE CORRECTED AGAIN. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE QUALITY OF THE CLAMPS THAT ARE BEING USED BY FORD. *LA