This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Unknown cause of incident. Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle spontaneously burst into flames. No reproduction due to incident happening on 09/02/2022. Vehicle inspected by Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. No warnings or symptoms leading up to incident. On 09/02/2022 I attempted to help my wife that was stranded out State Route Highway 36 in her 2009 BMW 750 LI at the Van Duzen Grange. I had been hooked up to her car for approximately 10 to 15 minutes with my truck idling when she screamed, " Your truck's on FIRE!" I barely got myself out of the cab when a ball of flames shot through the dashboard. 3/4ths of the truck was consumed in fire in less than 5 minutes. Fire Department arrived approximately 10 minutes later and doused the fire. Everything in my truck was destroyed. My wife's BMW suffered severe damage to the front end.
When it rains the rain is somehow getting into the fuse box under the steering column and causing it to drain the battery, short out some of the instrument cluster, make noise, blow fuses, and rust up. It is a fire hazard and it puts all inside the truck in danger. I have not yet had a fire but if I keep the truck as is it will eventually.
The contact owned a 2002 Ford F-150. After the contact turned off and exited the vehicle, he was alerted by a passerby that there were flames under the hood. The flames were near the driver's side of the engine compartment near the brake system. A fire inspector extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was uncertain if the failure was related to NHTSA action numbers: EA05005 (electrical system, vehicle speed control) and DP05005 (engine and engine cooling) and NHTSA campaign numbers: 06E056000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle remained at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.
- Mt Juliet, TN, USA
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Woke up at 1am one 4-1-2018 to my Ford F 150 on fire drivers side front under the hood. Unknow to us our local sheriff had spotted the fire and already called the fire department. Total loss. Bought the truck a few months back without any knowledge of a recall on the speed control switch. The vehicle was sitting in our drive next to our other cars for 3 hour with keys out of the ignition.
The recall ie an inline fuse on speed control deactivation switch did not work it just caught on fire and ruined my master cylinder and brake system.it wont hold brake fluid now because the switch melted into it.Ford says oh well recalls been done
The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked. The contact extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. Updated 03/03/17
I have been experiencing electrical problems periodically over the past two with my vehicle(originally thought to be the battery), ranging from highlight and flashers intermittently coming on when the vehicle is locked and turned off. The radio and blower motor having issues and the interior dome light coming on ans staying on. I have also noticed more and more that the windshield is leaking on the drivers side of the vehicle. I have also experienced the wipers and head lights lights shut off once whilst driving on the highway at highway speeds during heavy rain.. the most recent occurrence was on the 12/23/2016 at my place of work (ntb), one of my co workers noticed my headlights fading in and out the radio coming on and going off. Went over to the truck to make sure it was turned off and not left on by mistake but the engine was off. So I brought the truck into the work shop to have a look over the vehicle and did some diagnostics on it and discovered multiple defect codes that all connect through the GEM(general electrical module) on the interior fuse panel. Upon further inspection I also noticed both the GEM and fuse panel box have got water ingestion and green/brown stains coming out the bottom. I have done research online about these's issues and its a common problem over models from Ford from 98-03. The fix is to replace the GEM and fuse box and to reseal/replace the windshield. Now I believe that is safety issue and should be addressed by Ford them self's regardless of the age of the vehicles affected by this. www.F150forum.com/F12/leaky-windshield-GEM-module-problem-twist-98192/www.F150forum.com/F6/GEM-answer-all-my-issues-43475/
Loud noise spark plug blow out and caused sparks when opened the hood. Afraid it was going to catch fire so had it towed. According to mechanic is a Ford issue ongoing but no recall nor will Ford pay for it. 91120 miles on truck well maintained.
Turns signals didn't while driving in cold vehicle in cold weather. Once the temperature warmed up the inside of the vehicle the turn signals worked normally. I had no problems in the warm months of the year. Turn signal lever works properly on and off. Thought it was the flasher unit, replace it and had the same problem. When the vehicle is cold ( somewhere below 40 degrees Fahrenheit ) the turn signals do not work when steering wheel is in a lower tilt position. This is especially true if the temperature is close to freezing. When the cab of the pickup warms up signals will work. When the outside temperature is above 50 degrees F signals will work. The signal wires are stretched in the column by tilting the steering wheel down. The cold makes the wires stiff. When the wires warm up they flex to complete the circuit on the turn signal lever connection and active the signals properly. There may have been a recall on Ranger trucks for this issue. Would like to see one issued for this truck.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-150. While the vehicle was parked, it caught fire. A fire report was not filed. The contact's daughter extinguished the fire. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 01/27/16
The problem started with the vehicle not starting and the battery appearing to be dead. Battery was replaced and now the electrical issues are widespread and out of control. The radio, wipers, dome lights and dash lights go off and on and the starter tries to start the truck after it is running. I have been locked out of the truck due to the locks engaging on their own and I had to pull over in a severe rainstorm due to the wipers that all of a sudden stopped working. It has been root caused to be water intrusion into the vehicle from the windshield getting into the fuse box and the GEM module is now bad. I have researched this and it very frustrating to know that this particular vehicle year is well known for this issue. I have read literally a thousand comments of people having the exact same issue with no resolution from Ford. No recall was issued and we have to spend a large sum of money to fix a known issue with this and similar vehicles. Now the Ford dealer is telling me the GEM module has been on back order for months as they are resourcing the product, so I can't even get the parts to fix it. I am fortunate this did not result in a severe accident or fire.
This is the second occurrence of this nature. The previous happened approximately in July of 2014. At that time the dealership said that the key was the problem and I paid for a new key and everything has been good until ~ 1/4/15. This time, the pats (anti-theft) system triggered and rendered the vehicle useless. After ~ 45 minutes it eventually started and I drove it to the dealership. It was there for 2 days and they couldn't get the system to trigger. Therefore, they had me come pick up the vehicle. Two days later, the vehicle rendered itself useless again through the pats system. The vehicle wouldn't start for 2 days as I tried to start it periodically as I was instructed by the dealership. Finally it started on the 3rd morning. When I originally took the truck in the two guys at the dealership said that this is a common problem in this year model. In fact when I told him of the issue I was having, the service manager asked if I had a 2002 F150. We had a good laugh when I said "yes, and that isn't a good sign that you know that- without seeing my vehicle." He explained that the tilt mechanism in the steering column damages the wire that runs from the key transponder area to the sending unit that tells the engine that this is the correct key. This was the night that they kept the truck for 2 days. This is a situation where a perfect operational vehicle is not functioning because of a chaffed wire or the wire has been pulled from its soldering point. I am the owner, yet I have the same chance of starting that truck as a car thief. It makes no sense. This didn't seem like a safety issue to me until I was stranded for 45 minutes in a parking lot and it was extremely cold. I envisioned someone turning their car/truck off for some reason in a place where the temp was well below freezing and freezing to death because this system has been triggered.
Have noticed that the turn signals and tailbed brake lights do not work when moving the tilt wheel. Will work when steering wheel is placed in highest position. Have seen recall on Ranger trucks for this issue.
Spark plug ejected while driving on high way. This is the second time a plug has ejected. The first time the truck had 39000 miles, original factory torqued spark plugs.
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- El Paso, TX, USA