1998 Ford F-150 Body & Structure Problems

1998 Ford F150 S/N 1FTRX18L7WNB03063 Mechanic said the frame is rusting badly. Suggested I not pull a heavy trailer or haul heavy loads in the bed.

FRAME SO RUSTED CAN'T GET A STICKER, ORIGINAL PAINT ON TRUCK. FORD WAS FACTORY UNDERCOATED WITH RUBBER TYPE UNDERCOATING. WHICH PEALED OFF AND LEFT LOTS OF RUST ON ENTIRE FRAME. NOT SAFE FOR INSPECTION. TOLD BY GARAGE, TO JUNK IT. BOUGHT NEW IN 1998.

IN 2012, I REPLACED MY GAS TANK BECAUSE SEVERE CORROSION HAD EATEN NUMEROUS SMALL HOLES INTO THE TOP OF THE TANK SO IT COULD NOT BE FILLED OVER 3/4TH WITHOUT LEAKING. FLAKES OF RUST WERE FALLING ONTO THE TOP OF THE TANK FROM THE FRAME X-MEMBER CAUSING THESE HOLES. THE FRAME X-MEMBER WAS NOT ADDRESSED AND THE NEW GAS TANK BEGAN TO LEAK WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF OF REPLACEMENT. THE ENGINE WAS JUST RECENTLY TUNED UP BY A FORD DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS INTERMITTENTLY VIBRATING. WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THIS TUNE UP, THE ENGINE LOST FULL POWER WITH FINDING OF GROSSLY CONTAMINATED FUEL. THE 2 YEAR OLD TANK WAS PULLED AND THE TOP OF THE TANK WAS REVEALED TO BE METALLIC SWISS CHEESE EQUIVALENT, THIS TIME WITH NUMEROUS VERY LARGE HOLES THAT RAIN WAS EASILY PENETRATING INTO THE TANK VIA THE CAB-BED SPACE OPENING. THE X-MEMBER FRAME SUPPORT WAS CORRODED IN HALF. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX IT AND I PAID FOR A SECOND NEW TANK AND FUEL PUMP($350 WITH SHIPPING TO HI), POR 15 COATED THE TOP OF THE NEW TANK MYSELF, AND PAID A LOCAL BODY SHOP$1042.00 TO PULL THE X-MEMBER AND REPLACE IT WITH A USED PART AS FORD NO LONGER STOCKS (LIKELY RUSTED TO BITS IN THEIR WAREHOUSE). THE NEW TANK AND USED X-MEMBER ARE NOW INSTALLED AND AWAITING AN ENGINE MECHANIC TO ADDRESS WHY THE ENGINE WON'T START UP DESPITE NEW TANK/FRESH FUEL/PUMP/FILTER. LIKELY ANOTHER $500 TO CLEAN FUEL INJECTION/ENGINE BRINGING 2 YEAR TOTAL FOR ROTTED X-MEMBER AND TWO GAS TANKS TO WELL OVER $3000. PERUSING YOUR DATA BASE, THE FRAME RUST ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING THEME PARTICULARLY FOR THE 1997 YEAR MODEL. MY ASSESSMENT IS THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY ROTTEN IN 1998 F150 FRAME COMPONENTS AND OR CORROSION PROTECTIONS USED. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T FIX THE TANK UNTIL YOU FIX THE X-MEMBER PROBLEM FIRST AND FORD F150 FRAMES/CORROSION PROTECTIONS CIRCA 1998 ARE GETTING A BAD REPUTATION WHICH IS LIKELY DESERVED. *TR

THIRD DOOR JAMMED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,700.

TL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THEN THE SOUND OF SOMETHING DRAGGING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICE THE FUEL TANK FEEL OFF FROM THE BRACKETS AND CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK. THIS OCCURRED DUE TO RUST ACCUMULATING ON THE BRACKETS. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRACKETS AND THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FUEL TANK AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE ARE NO REPORTS OF THE FUEL TANK FALLING OFF THE VEHICLE AND SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS HIGH MILEAGE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE CONTACT STATED THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000. JO

1998 FORD F-150; SIMPLY WAS DRIVING AND THE SPARE TIRE HOIST CABLE BROKE DROPPING THE SPARE. CABLE BROKE AT POINT WHERE LUG AND CABLE COME TOGETHER AT THE LUG THAT HOLDS THE BRACKET UNDERNEATH THE SPARE TIRE. NO OBVIOUS CORROSION NOTED AT THIS LOCATION OR ON THE REMAINDER OF THE CABLE. *TR

WE JUST RETURNED HOME FROM A 15 HOUR DRIVE FROM NC, WE WERE LUCKY THIS HAPPENED IN OUR TOWN GOING ABOUT 20 INSTEAD OF ON THE HIGHWAY WHERE WE WERE DOING 75+, OUR CABLE HOLDING OUR SPARE TIRE BROKE AND THE TIRE FELL ONTO THE ROAD...THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS BEHIND US.! *TR

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HIS FATHER'S 1999 OR 2000 F-150 WAS RUSTING ON THE FRAME AND WAS ABOUT TO RUST IN TWO, A SCREWDRIVER COULD BE STUCK THROUGH THE METAL. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK RUSTED AND THE GAS TANK WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND. SO I ASKED HIM TO LOOK AT THE FRAME OF MY 1998 F-150, AND HE DISCOVERED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MAIN CROSSMEMBER OF THE FRAME IS ALMOST RUSTED IN TWO. THE STRAPS HOLDING THE GAS TANK ARE SEVERELY RUSTED. ONE OF THE BED CROSSMEMBERS IS ALREADY IN TWO, AND TWO OTHERS SHOW SEVERE RUSTING. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT IF THE CROSSMEMBER BREAKS, I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IF I WERE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THIS COULD POSE A SERIOUS THREAT. THE BODY OF MY TRUCK IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IF YOU DID NOT KNOW OF THE FRAME PROBLEMS, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW TO CHECK THESE OUT. I FEEL THAT IF NOTHING ELSE, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THEIR VEHICLES CHECKED OUT. *TR

SPARE TIRE FELL OFF ON HIGHWAY DUE TO RUSTED HANGER CABLE. THE VEHICLE IS A FORD F-150 PICK-UP WITH 105,000 MILES. *TR

FRAME AND CROSS MEMBERS RUSTED AND WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. *TR

CRACKS IN DOORS. *NM

I HAVE A 1998 F-150 AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW MY DOORS ARE SPLITTING AND STARTING TO RUST I KNOW ITS HAPPENING QUITE A BIT I WORK IN THE INDUSTRY AND SEE THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS ALSO THE FORD DEALERS DO HAVE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMER PAYS IT IS NOT COVERED WHY?*JB

CRACK , DRIVERS DOOR BESIDE LOWER WINDOW OPENING. *JB

STRUCTURAL-STRESS FRACTURES IN SHEET METAL ON DOOR.*AK

CRACK FORMING ON DRIVERS DOOR AT BOTTOM OF WINDOW. ALSO RUST DEVELOPING AT BOTTOM OF BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS. CRACK IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR YEARS. WHEN WILL FORD FIX THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL. NHTSA NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED.*AK

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1998 F-150 FORD 4X4 PICK-UP TRUCK WHICH IS EXIBITING A CRACKING CONDITION AT THE LOWER WELTING EDGE OF THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. UNDERSTAND THIS IS OCCURRING ON MANY OTHER F150'S AND APPEARS TO BE AN ENGINEERING DESIGN MANUFACTURING FLAW.*AK

REAR WINDOW STARTED LEAKING FROM THE TOP - IT NOW POURS IN WHEN RAINING, DAMAGING THE BACK SEAT IN THE EXTENDED CAB PICKUP. THERE IS NO CRACK AND THE LEAKING IS NOT FROM THE SLIDING GLASS, INSTEAD FROM THE TOP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SLIDING GLASS. *LA

METAL ON DRIVERS DOOR IS CRACKED AT REAR OF WINDOW , ABOUT THREE TO FOUR INCHES UP FROM BOTTOM OF WINDOW. MINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE MANY 98 F-150'S OUT THERE WITH THE SAME STRUCTURAL FLAW. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR COVERING(SKIN) HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK AROUND THE CORNER OF THE WINDOW. THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE POWER WINDOW COVERING(SKIN) FLEX WHEN THE WINDOW IS CLOSED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP IS REPLACING THE COVERING THAT COST $400. THIS DOESN'T CORRECT THE FAILURE. *MR