2001 Ford Supercrew

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 FORD F-150 SUPERCREW ON OCT 7 2005. I HAD FINISHED COMING THROUGH A SHARP 180 DEGREE TURN GOING APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MILES AN HOUR. WHEN I STRAIGHTENED THE STEERING WHEEL THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK STOPPED IN ABOUT 100 FEET. WHEN I GOT OUT I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE INNER TIE ROD HAD BROKEN FREE FROM THE TRUCKS STEERING ROD AND WAS HANGING DOWN. I DID NOT WRECK THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS SHAKEN UP AS I HAD MY 4 MONTH OLD AND 3 YR OLD IN THE TRUCK WITH ME. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT FORD HAD ISSUED A "LETTER OF INSPECTION" THAT I HAD NOT RECEIVED REGARDING THIS ISSUE WITH THE TIE RODS. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AT A COST OF $80 AND I HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIE ROD, BUT SINCE ONE FAILED, I AM REPLACING ALL THE TIE ROD COMPONENTS, THE COST IS $164 FOR PARTS. I FEEL THAT FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HAD I BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WE WOULD HAVE ROLLED THE VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY BEEN KILLED, PLEASE HELP. LT DAN D'AURORA US NAVY NURSE CORPS. *NM

2001 F150 CREWCAB 4DR/4WD 2001 IGNITED UNDER THE HOOD AND CAUGHT ON FIRE ON ITS OWN AFTER RESTING W/O RUNNING FOR 2 HOURS. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT THE FLAMES OUT BEFORE THE TRUCK EXPLODED. THE TRUCK WAS LOCATED NEXT TO IN-LAWS HOME AND VEHICLES. THIS WAS REPORTED TO FORD COMPANY AND INSURANCE. WITHIN THE NEXT 2 DAYS, A NATIONWIDE RECALL WAS SENT OUT THAT INCLUDED MY TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN THE PAST YEAR AND I WAS TOLD IT DID NOT FIT INTO THIS RECALL AT THE GIVEN TIME. FIRE INVESTIGATOR FOR INSURANCE HAS IDENTIFIED THE CRUISE CONTROL AS THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE ANY INTENTIONS OF SELLING OR TRADING THIS VEHICLE AND KEPT IT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING MY TRUCK WITH A BRAND NEW TRUCK OF THE SAME MODEL. *NM

WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND SOUNDED LIKE AN EXHAUST LEAK. ENGINE WAS STOPPED AND RESTARTED. SOUND GOT MUCH LOUDER WITH A BANG OR CLUNK UNDER THE HOOD. TRUCK WAS STOPPED AT THAT POINT AND TOWED TO FORD DEALER. THEY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO BE A "SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT" OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE ONLY REPAIR THAT THEY RECOMMENDED WAS CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT, $2700 AND ONE WEEKS TIME. A QUICK LOOK AT THE INTERNET, PLACING THE WORDS "SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT" IN YAHOO SEARCH REVEALED HUNDREDS OF INSTANCES OF PLUGS BLOWING OUT OF FORD 5.4 AND V10 TRITON ENGINE, MOST REQUIRED CYLINDER REPLACEMENT. IT IS REPORTED THAT FORD WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF THIS CYLINDER HEAD DESIGN FLAW REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO COVER ALL OR PART OF THE COST OF THIS REPAIR, AS IT IS NOT A RESULT OF IMPROPER OPERATION AR MAINTENEANCE BUT IS OBVIOUSLY A CYLINDER HEAD DESIGN FLAW.

TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE AROUND 4:00 AM ON 05/17/05 WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. MY 5-YEAR-OLD CHILD AWOKE AND CAME TO OUR BEDROOM AND AWAKENED US. WE SAW A GLOW OUT THE WINDOW AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO FIND THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED 911 AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE WATER HOSE UNSUCCESSFULLY UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. I THEN BEGAN TO WATER DOWN MY WIFE'S AND SISTER-IN-LAW'S VEHICLES WHICH WERE PARKED CLOSE TO THE TRUCK AND WET DOWN THE HOUSE WHICH WAS ALSO CLOSE BY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THEN ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY DESTROYED.

THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. NOW THE TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHTS AND BACK UP LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THE MECHANIC STATED THERE WERE WIRES THAT HAD BURNED AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER MADE CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CRUISE CONTROL RECALL 05V017000. *JB 15A FUSE REPLACED. BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND PRESSURE SWITCH SHORTED OUT AND MELTED, LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ON TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER AND PRESSURE SWITCH. BRAKE FLUID CLEANED FROM ENGINE. *TT

AT AROUND 7 P M I PARKED MY FORD TRUCK IN FRONT OF MY HOME. AT AROUND 9 P M MY WIFE AND I WHERE SITTING ON OUR SOFA WHEN SHE NOTICED FLAMES IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE THROUGH THE WINDOW. UPON OPENING THE DOOR WE NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT UNDER THE WHEEL WELL AND THE HOOD. AT THAT TIME I RETRIVED A FIRE EXTINGUSHER FROM MY TRUCK AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. I DID NOT CALL THE POLICE OF FIRE DEPT. AS WE LIVE IN A GATED COMMUNITY, AND THE FIRE HAD BEEN PUT OUT. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED MY INSURANCE AGENT AND PROCEEDED TO FILE A CLAIM. UPON COMPLETION OF HAVING TWO CAR DEALERS WORKING ON IT AND A RENTAL CAR, THERE WAS OVER $8,000 WORTH OF EXPENSE TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND I. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID TRY TO COLLECT FROM FORD FOR THERE EXPENSE, BUT IT WAS DENIED. THE EXACT INCIDENT DATE MAY BE OFF BY A COUPLE OF DAYS, I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT TIME OR DATE.