While driving at any speed and without warning engine would die out, causing the consumer to pull over. Dealer has been notified.

- Harvey, LA, USA

Complete engine failure by blown head gasket which could result in loss of control of vehical. Common among 1997 & 1998 Ford F-150S with the new V6 4.2 engines.

- Goose Creek, SC, USA

Engine failure on Ford 4.2L V6.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

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. 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.

- Newberry, FL, USA

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.

- Unionville, MI, USA

Engine motor was making a knocking noise, and has no oil pressure. This could result in the engine blowing up. Cause unknown.

- Sidon, MS, USA

After 2 days of rain I went out to start my 1997 Ford, F150. Rain water had leaked in from firewall area on to the intake manifold area and leaked in through a fuel injector fitting and found its way to a piston. The first attempt to start the starter engaged and abruptly stop after 3 more attempts at starting the engine it turned and started.the engine had severe banging noise(about 100 decibels ).I was told I had a bent piston rod from water being on top of piston and the engine was ruined!

- Wellington, FL, USA

Engine check light illuminated. There were repairs done to the vehicle, but the light still illuminated.

- Graham, NC, USA

Engine front cover gasket leaked coolant into the engine block destroying engine and the transmission, engine would not idle down so that it could be down shifted. It is a manual transmission and the truck needed to be turned off so that the truck while off could be shifted from 5th back into first gear. Once the truck was turned on, the transmission could be shifted up from first to second, and second to third etc. ***dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****739923

- Dundee, IL, USA

The engine rod piston blew, which caused the vehicle to be non drivable.

- Hampton, VA, USA

While driving the vehicle shut down and would not restart. It was later determined that the head gasket failed which leaked anti freeze and caused the engine to seize.

- Seabrook, NH, USA

1. the front engine cover gasket on my 1997 Ford F-150 was defective. There was a recall at one time on this problem but was checked by a Ford dealer and nothing was found to be wrong. Approximately 6 months later it had to be replaced. Because the recall had expired Ford would not replace it for free and so I had to have it replaced at my cost of $600. 2. air bags and seat belt restraints. My wife had a wreck in the same vehicle and the air bags did not deploy or did the seat belts lock up like they are supposed to. I tried to get Ford to explain to me why that would happen and they said the insurance company would have to handle it. The problem was still not solved. Also the ABS did not work.

- Cartersville, GA, USA

97 F150 began to have an unpredictable coolant leak, never going below minimum coolant level. Within the week noticed water in the oil and went to take the vehicle to a service station. When I started the truck there was a loud knocking, proving to be a damaged rod. Later research showed that this is common in the 4.2 liter V-6 engine due to faulty gasket. Ford ran a "campaign, " but I never received any notification as to the problem.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

While the vehicle was parked in the driveway, it caught on fire.

- Keller, TX, USA

The engine developed a severe knock when started one morning. The problem was a complete failure at the main crankshaft, severe wear at valve assembly, and corrosion throughout cooling chambers. Ford did a recall on the head gasket the year before, changing head gasket, hoses, & coolant. The truck is uses by house wife driving the children to school. Even though others have reported of same engine failure on 4.2L, Ford denies any problem. 5 months later while the truck while the truck was sitting in the driveway, the engine wiring caught on fire, melting the plastic master cylinder, fueling the flames to melt all circuities and plastic. The ABS lamp had lit earlier in the week, added brake fluid to reservoir, and the lamp went out. Independent fire investigator says evidence points to a defect in the ABS/master cylinder wiring in the engine compartment. ***dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***762417

- Houston, TX, USA

My 1997 Ford F-150 4X4 spontaneously burst into flames from the engine compartment after having been parked in my driveway for 12 hours over night. The engine had not been run, was not hot, and had no malfunctioning parts to my knowledge. I was awakened Friday morning by a jogger beating on my front door screaming that my truck was on fire. It burned the engine completely, destroyed the hood, cab, and the entire of the front end of the truck before it could be put out by the fire department. The local fire marshal and arson investigator investigated the fire and found no signs of malfunctions. Parked the vehicle at 6:00 pm at around 6:00 am the next morning the vehicle caught on fire. The fire was coming from the engine compartment. The fire seemed to be hottest on the drivers side of vehicle. The tire on the drivers side was totally melted. The tire on the passenger side did not fail. Shortly before the fire the cruise control stopped working. Once in a while the check engine light would come on. At one point an interlock switch on the vehicle brake pedal was replaced because could not get the vehcile out of park. Will E-mail pictures to bruce york. Only aftermarket equipment was a stereo professionaly installed. The vehicle only had liabilty insurance.

- Keller, TX, USA

The head gasket on my "97" Ford F150 failed while my wife was driving filling #4 cylinder with coolant and bending a rod. No warning, no overheating, water in the oil, etc. Only a flickering check engine light. My mechanic says it was simply a factory defective gasket and should not have blown considering mileage and up keep and maintenance done to this vehicle. After a little research on the internet I am finding this is not an isolated incident and that Ford has had more than a few gasket failures with this engine. **dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770846

- Chico, CA, USA

Incident = in 2000 Ford Motor Company extended the warranty on Ford F-150 pickups to cover a known design problem involving a gasket that kept coolant fluids from leaking into the crankcase and destroying the engine. They only offered to replace the existing gasket to make sure it wasn't leaking and then extend the warranty for another 12 months. Just as they knew it would, approximately three years later (April 27) their replacement gasket cracked and coolant fluid leaked into the engine through the crankcase, and my engine seized up. Damage resulting = my engine began to clatter, and I drove straight to a dealership. I am now having to replace the engine ($3,600 plus tax). In talking with the authorized repair dealer in clarksville, tn where the truck broke down and my usual authorized repair dealer here in nashville, apparently this is happening to many of the F-150's that received a new gasket and an extended 12 month warranty. Again, Ford knew there was a design problem (which by the way both places told me Ford corrected in subsequent years) and only offered a band-aid approach to dealing with it. In talking with the Ford Motor Company Consumer Affairs, I have request that the cost, or at least a portion of the costs, of my new engine be paid by Ford. The repairs will be made tomorrow, April 29. Needless to say, Ford has not responded or offered to pay for my new engine.

- Nashville, TN, USA

Front engine cover gasket failed in line with recall 99B29. Ford does not include my truck, built in 1997. Recall campaign 99B29 indicating the original recall was inadequate. Ph **dimsii IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770847

- Conover, NC, USA

Left and right head gaskets failed allowing coolant to leak into cylinders. ****dimms 11 IVOQ entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis******770825.

- Lincoln, NE, USA