1997 Ford F-150 complaints

DEFECTIVE FRONT ROTORS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT ROTORS NEEDED TO BE TURNED. CONSUMER REFUSED, WOULD LIKE REPLACEMENT INSTEAD. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

TRAVIS WAS HIT FROM THE REAR AND KNOCKED INTO ANOTHER TRUCK TOTALING OUT ALL THREE TRUCKS IN THE WRECK, OUR AIR BAGS DIDN'T GO OFF THIS CAUSING TRAVIS TO HIT HIS HEAD,CUTTING IT REQUIRING STITCHES ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF HIS FOREHEAD,IF THE AIR BAG HAD OF WENT OFF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED,WE HAVE REPLACED THIS VECHICLE WITH ANOTHER 97 FORD,MAKING US HAVE A TOTAL OF 2 1997 FORD ARE THE AIR BAGS SAFE IN THESE TRUCKS,NEXT TIME IT COULD BE FATAL NOT JUST SCARED FOR LIFE. *AK

WHILE DECELERATING OR COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH CAUSES A LOSS OF POWER STEERING/BRAKES , ETC. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

REAR SLIDING WINDOW LEAKING AND DRIVER'S DOOR WAS CHIPPING PAINT DUE TO WEAK METAL USED. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. *AK

TREAD ON TIRE COMPLETELY TORE OFF AS OUR EMPLOYEE WAS TRAVELING I-10 AT 70 MPH. (TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

WHILE DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME WEST BOUND CROSSED IN FRONT OF CONSUMERS TRUCK CAUSING FRONT END COLLISION, NEITHER DRIVER NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *ET

WHAT IS THE CLUNKING MY UNIVERSALS ARE GOOD???

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS INSPECTING VEHICLE, AND TIRES DIDN'T LOOK GOOD. ALL FOUR TIRES HAS SPIDER CRACKS ALL AROUND SIDEWALL. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS ATX, P2357516. SHE WILL CONTACTED FIRESTONE. *AK

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT RIGHT REAR TIRE P235/70R16 BEGAN TO SHREAD ALONG SIDEWALL WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER SAFELY PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND PUT ON SPARE, TIRE DID NOT EXPERIENCE A BLOWOUT. *SLC

CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP LIGHT & THERE WAS A THUMP. MAKING A LEFT TURN VEHICLE WAS SWAYING LEFT & RIGHT. CONSUMER GOT OUT AND FOUND THAT TRAILER HAD HIT THE GROUND AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE ON PASSENGR'S SIDE. REAR HAD BOTH ARMS CLOSEST TO THE BUMPER COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF. MANUFACTURER NEVER MEASURED THE PARTS TO FIX TRAILER. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT SINCE IT WAS NOT ON RECALL, AND IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

THIS TIRE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. IT FAILED LIKE THE RECALLS IN THAT THE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE CAR CASING. YOU COULD PUT YOUR HAND UNDER THE TREAD AND PULL IT AWAY FROM THE CASING. I HAD ALL THE TIRES REPLACED. FIRESTONE NOR FORD WOULD HELP ME IN GETTING COMPENSATED FOR THE FAILURE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: DOTW2081PT TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES P235/70R16 CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING, AFTER THE TIRES WERE REPLACED THE VEHICLE EXPEREINCED NO FURTHER VIBRATION, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. NLM *TS

RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT FRONT TIRE FAILED WHILE DRIVING(FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/70R16 M/S DOT W208). NLM

TWO FACTORY ORIGINAL TIRES SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN SUMMER DESERT CONDITIONS. ONE TIRE HAD 43,000 MILES AND THE OTHER ABOUT 45,000 MILES. SEPARATION OCCURED WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHEN THE SECOND EVENT OCCURED ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE REPORTS ABOUT THE FIRESTONE TIRES. FORD WAS NOT VERY INTERESTED AND I COULD GET NO INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF FAILURES OF THIS TYPE OF TIRE. I STILL HAVE ONE TIRE. GENERAL TIRE WANTS TO GET IT BACK. *AK (TIRESIZE: P235/70R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

THIS PICKUP TRUCK DOES NOT BRAKE PROPERLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE DEPRESSED VERY HARD AND EVEN THEN, THE BRAKING TIME AND DISTANCE IS VERY POOR. THIS PROBLEM IS EVEN WORSE AND MORE DANGEROUS WHEN HAULING A BOAT OR OTHER TRAILOR. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS I HAVE ALMOST HIT SOMEONE AND HAVE RAN THROUGH STOP SIGNS BECAUSE OF THE POOR BRAKING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WORK AT ALL. I RECENTLY HAD MY BRAKE PADS REPLACED AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT HE HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, WHEN THE ROTORS ARE REPLACED THE BRAKING IS MUCH BETTER. THE SPECS. ON THE ORIGINAL ROTORS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE REPLACEMENTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL ROTORS ARE NOT THE CORRECT THICKNESS AND THEREFORE THE BRAKING IS VERY POOR. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT FORD F150S WITH THESE BRAKING PROBLEMS ARE GETTING INTO ACCIDENTS, SOME RESULTING IN INJURY AND DEATH. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW. I DON'T TRUST THAT FORD WOULD VOLUNTEER THIS INFORMATION AND HAVE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. PLEASE ADVISE. *AK

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRE(P235 70 R16) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE BEHIND WHEEL WELL. *SLC

PE00020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, FORD, F150. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE SIZE P23570R16. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED. *AK *SLC

I HAD MY TIRES INSPECTECTED THE DAY THE NHTSA ISSUED A WARNING THAT INCLUDED MY TIRE MODEL. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TREAD HAD BEGUN TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE; THE STEEL BELTS ARE PROTRUDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SIDEWALL. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, BUT LATER FOUND THAT I WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE NOT MANUFACTURED IN DECATUR, IL. THEY WERE MANUFACTURED IN QUEBEC. *AK (TIRESIZE: 235/70/R16) (TIRESIZE: 235/70/R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/70/R16 )

THE ORIGINAL REAR SLIDING GLASS WINDOW LEAKED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY (LESS THAN 36000 MI.). THE REPLACEMENT WINDOW EVENTUALLY LEAKED TOO, SO IT WAS DEFECTIVE ALSO. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WORE OUT AND SCORED THE ROTORS. THE REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT TURN/REPAIR THE ROTORS BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER SPECIFICATION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT ROTORS FOR THIS VEHICLE HAVE A DIFFERENT THICKNESS SPECIFICATION. THE ORIGINAL ROTORS ARE EITHER NOT THE CORRECT THICKNESS OR HAVE AN INCORRECT SPECIFICATION. THE BRAKES HAVE NEVER SEEMED TO PERFORM PROPERLY. BRAKES MUST BE APPLIED VERY HARD AND EVEN THEN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP VERY QUICKLY.*AK

I WAS EXPERIENCING MY VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT SO I SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 65 MPH. I THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT MY TRUCK JUMP. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SAW THAT MY TREAD WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE CROWN OF THE TIRE. THE TREAD COMING OFF CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM GENERAL ABOUT FIXING MY TRUCK. AFTER SEEING MY TIRE FALL APART, MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE OF FIRESTONE. MY TIRE DID EXACTLY WHAT FIRESTONE HAD DONE! THANK YOU!*AK (TIRESIZE: 235R70-16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235R70-16 )

VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES (P235/70R16 DOT W2081PT296), WHILE DRIVING THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY ACROSS A PARKING LOT. NLM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

DETECTED A DEFECT ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, LOCATED AT THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDOW PILLAR. DEFECT DESCRIPTION IS A SMALL CRACK WHICH IS APPROX. 3/8" LONG AND IS RUSTING.*AK

THE TIRE BLEW OUT.. THE RUBBER PEELING AWAY FROM THE METAL( DOT NUMBER: )

LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDOW, THERE IS A SMALL CRACK ON DOOR ABOUT 25 INCHES LONG. *AK

FIRESTONE WIDERNESS HT TIRES P235/70R16 DOT VNO81PT227 EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, VEHICLE RODE BUMPY DUE TO FAULTY TIRES. *SLC

REAR SLIDDING GLASS WINDOW IS LEAKING WATER INTO TRUCK DUE TO FAULTY CRAFTMANSHIP.*AK

TREAD SEPARATION PROBLEM AS ON THE 15" SIZES, TIRE DID NOT BLOW, HAD CORRECT TIRE PRESSURE, FIRESTONE PRODUCT LIABILITIES SECTION PAID FOR THE DAMAGE, BUT FIRESTONE WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR NEW TIRES PURCHASED AS THIS SIZE IS NOT IN RECALL. I FEEL THEY SHOULD AS THE SAME PROBLEM IS EVIDENT IN THIS SIZE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 735 70R 16 )

FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS HT, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, F150, P235/70R16 SIZE, DOT#: W2HL. TIRES BLEED DOWN TO 24PSI IN A MATTER OF DAYS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

ON BOTH OCCASIONS TIE RODS CAME APART AT THE MIDDLE WITHOUT WARNING!*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 75 MPH TREAD PULLED AWAY FROM BODY OF THE TIRE ON THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT ON A 97, FORD, F150. TIRE MILEAGE BETWEEN 15,000 - 17,000 MILES. OWNER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND. PLEASE LIST TIRE SIZE AND DOT # IF POSSBILE.*AK WHEN THE OTHER TIRES WERE REPLACED, THEY DESCOVERED THAT THE OTHERS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF SEPARATION. *YH

PE00-020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON FORD, F150, 1997 TIRE SIZE P235/70R16 WITH 29,000 MILES. RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD ITS STEEL BELT SEPARATED, AND ON RIGHT REAR EXPERIENECED A BLOWOUT . CONSUMER REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AT A OWNERS EXPENSE.*AK AFTER STEEL BELT SEPARATION ON FRONT TIRES, THE CUSTOMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. *YH

LINE OF CRACKS ALL THE WAY AROUND RIM OF TIRE WHERE TREAD MEETS SIDEWALL. UNSAFE TO DRIVE.( DOT NUMBER: VN08IPU126 TIRE SIZE: P235 70R16 )

REPORTED PROBLEM TO FIRESTONE DEALER IN AUSTIN, MN. THEY INDICATED THE TIRE WAS NOT IN THE RECALL AND THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR US, EXCEPT PRICE NEW TIRES. THE TIRE BLEW UP WHILE ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE. WE ARE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED. WE HAD TO ASK SPECIFICALLY TO GET THE TIRE BACK FROM THE FIRESTONE DEALER. WE FEEL OTHER FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECALL. WE ARE NOT AFTER MONEY, BUT THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. HOW MAN MORE LIVES HAVE TO BE LOST IN ORDER FOR FIRESTONE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THANK YOU.( DOT NUMBER: P235 TIRE SIZE: 70R16 1045 )

DRIVING AT 50 MPH, TIRE TREAD BEGAN TO RIP OFF THE TIRE. TIRE IS DISTROYED. NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT ON MY BRAKES. IF I HAD, I WOULD HAVE ROLLED OVER. TRIED TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED. FORD DEALER SENT ME TO A FIRESTONE STORE WHERE THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: W208 TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

TREAD SEPERATION( DOT NUMBER: W208 TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

I HAVE HAD THREE TIRES COMPLETELY DELAMINATE AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 4 OTHERS THAT DEVELOPED "BUBBLES" IN THE TREAD AND WERE TRYING TO DELAMINATE. THE DEALER, GCR TRUCK TIRE, BLAMED IT ON EVERYTHING BUT THE TIRES. IN THREE INSTANCES, I WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND HEARD A "THUNKING" NOISE. UPON INVESTIGATION, I FIND THE TREAD COMING OFF THE TIRE. THE DEALER THEN PUTS ON FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES, BUT THEY ARE COMING APART NOW, TOO.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P245/75R16 )

DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY PULLED OFF ROAD AS TIRE BLEW. TREAD WAS SEPERATED FROM TIRE AND WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE OUR SPEED AT THE TIME WAS 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THIS OCCURED. WENT TO FIRESTONE STORE IN FALMOUTH AND PAID FULL PRICE FOR A NEW TIRE. CONTACTED FIRESTONE DIRECT AND WAS REIMBURSED FOR ONLY 1/2 THE TIRE. I FEEL WE SHOULD RECEIVEW THE OTHER HALF OF THE REIMBURSEMEHNT. WE TRADED THE TRUCK IN 1999. I SURE HOPE YOU PEOPLE WILL REIMBURSE THE REMAINDER TO US. THANK YOU( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235-35-16 )

THE EMERGENCY / PARKING BRAKE CABLE HAS BROKEN FOR THE SECOND TIME (PREVIOUS BREAK REPORTED TO NHTSA IN 1997 / 1998) BREAK WAS APROX 7" FROM PEDAL END OF CABLE (SAME PLACE AS BEFORE). REPLACEMENT PART # F65Z-2853BA $32.78. SUSPECT CABLE IS NOT THE PROBLEM BUT THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY COULD BE DESIGNED / MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY CAUSING CABLE TO BE PINCHED / CHAFFED. I WAS JUST LUCKY THAT THE CABLE SNAPPED WHEN I WAS ON THE FLAT AND NOT IN MY INCLINED DRIVEWAY! STILL HAVE CABLE IF YOU WISH TO INSPECT IT, WILL GLADLY SEND IT TO YOUR ENGINEERS JUST GIVE ME AN ADDRESS.

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, F150, P235/75R16 SIZE. TREAD IS STARTING TO CRACK ALONG THE SIDEWALL.*AK

TREAD CAME OFF TIRE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE WITHOUT DAMAGE. I HAVE SENT THREE E-MAILS TO FORD, THREE E-MAILS TO FIRESTONE AND TWO E-MAILS TO THE DEALER WITH ONLY ONE FORM LETTER REPLY FROM FORD. I STILL HAVE TWO OF THESE TIRES ON MY TRUCK. THANK YOU. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )

I PURCHASED A NEW F-150 XL IN AUGUST 1997 WITH FACTORY FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRES. THE ORIGINAL SET LASTED 1 YEAR UNTIL I HAD A BLOW OUT ON THE REAR, DRIVER-SIDE TIRE. THERE WAS A COMPLETE TIRE SEPARATION DOWN TO THE RIM WITHIN SECONDS (10). I BROUGHT THE TIRE TO DISCOUNT TIRE IN LAKE CHARLES,LA TO HAVE IT REPLACED WITH THE MATCHING TIRE. THE NEW TIRE WAS PLACED IN THE SAME LOCATION AND BECAUSE THE THREE OTHER TIRES STILL ONLY HAD ~15,000 MILES, NO ROTATION WAS PERFORMED. APRROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER, WITH ONLY 3000 MILES OF TREAD WEAR, I HAD A REMARKABLY SIMILAR BLOW-OUT AND TREAD SEPARATION AT 65 MPH, JUST DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN A CAREFUL, STRAIGHT DIRECTION. I RETURNED TO DISCOUNT TIRE AND EXPLAINED THAT I HAD JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THE TIRES AND THAT I BELIEVED THE TIRES MUST BE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THIS WAS MY SECOND COMPLETE TIRE SEPARATION ON THE SAME LOCATION OF MY VEHICLE UNDER NON-EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS. I INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER IT COULD BE A DEFECT IN THE TIRE OR THE VEHICLE. HE REASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS AN IMPOSSIBILITY. MY SECOND BLOW-OUT WITHIN 1 MONTH WAS ONLY A COINCIDENCE. I HAD TO PAY THE NOMINAL TREAD-WEAR FEE AND THE MOUNTING FEE. LESS THAN ABOUT 6000 MILES LATER, I HAD A BLOWOUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIRE WELL (RIGHT REAR). THE MANAGER ONCE AGAIN CONVINCED ME THAT I MUST BE RUNNING OVER DEBRIS ON THE INTERSTATE, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ALWAYS IN THE SLOW LANE AND NOT VEERING WITH MY RIGHT TIRE ONTO EITHER SHOULDER. THE MANAGER ONCE AGAIN CONVINCED ME T

TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE OF PICKUP. I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT DATE OF THE ACCIDENT BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 1997 OR 1998. ALL THE ORIGINAL TIRES HAVE NOW BEEN REPLACED.*AK

RIGHT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT (P235/70R16) TIRES FAILED. NLM

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR EXTERIOR SHEET METAL IS CRACKING AND SEPARATING AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW, CRACK IS ABOUT ONE INCH. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

THE TREAD SEEMS TO BE SEPERATING FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. THERE IS A SMALL WIRE MESH BETWEEN THE TWO.( DOT NUMBER: W208 TIRE SIZE: P23570R16 )

I FEEL THAT AT 37000 MILES BALL JOINTS SHOULD NOT BE BAD THIS TRUCK IS WELL CARED FOR & DOES NOT GO OUT IN WOODS & GO 4 WHEELING.

THE FRONT COVER SEALS AND INTAKE GASKETS FAILED CAUSING ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE OIL. *MJS

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TWO BLOWOUTS WITHIN 10 MILES OF EACH OTHER, THE TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P23570R16. *MJS