2001 Ford F-150 Suspension Problems

GAS TANK FELL OUT OF VEHICLE,TEARING FILLER HOSE. TANK STRAPS AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURES RUST THRU, FAILURE. DRIVERS' SIDE REAR SHOCK DROPPED FROM VEHICLE BECAUSE METAL BRACKET IT WAS ATTACHED TO ROTTED THRU. BED RAILS COMPLETELY RUSTED THRU. FRAME HAS RUSTED THRU HOLES. COMPLETE RUST FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 90K MILES ALWAYS MAINTAINED, WASHED UNDERNEATH WEEKLY IN WINTER. VEHICLE IN MOTION WHEN PARTS FELL ON RTE 58 AND THE SHOCK ON TOWN STREET..$900 TO REPAIR GAS TANK. SHOCK INCIDENT HAPPENED TODAY 11/26/2017, GAS TANK 9/12/2016

THERE HAS BEEN NO INCIDENT AS YET BUT THE FRAME OF THIS VEHICLE HAS SUCH EXTREME CORROSION THAT CERTIFIED MECHANICS ARE RELUCTANT TO WORK ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A FAILURE OCCURRING AT CONNECTION POINT WHERE THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION CONNECTS TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THEIR CONCERN IS A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IF ANY OF THE STEERING OR SUSPENSION CONNECTION POINTS FAIL DUE TO THE SEVERELY CORRODED FRAME. THIS IS NOT SURFACE CORROSION, THE METAL IS FLAKED AND SEPARATED AND IT IS THE ENTIRE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD JUST SPENT $4,000 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BACK TO THE TAIL PIPE AND THE MECHANIC IS WARNING ME ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING COMPONENTS BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME CORROSION. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 77, 000 ORIGINAL MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

TWO LEAF SPRINGS BROKE ON EACH SIDE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE AND PARTS FELL INTO THE ROADWAY. *TR

SEVERE CORROSION ISSUES. *TR

ITS NOT WHAT HAPPENED ITS WHAT MAY HAPPEN SOON THE RUST IS SO BAD IN THE REAR I CANT EVEN PUT A TRAILER HITCH ON AND THE REAR SHACKLES THAT HOLD THE LEAF SPRINGS ON ARE ABOUT TO BREAK OFF THERES SO MUCH RUST IM VERY CONCERNED. *TR

FRONT END BOUNCES AND IS EXTREMELY NOISY EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. MECHANICS REPLACED SWAY BAR AND THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG. TWO DAYS LATER, HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING LOWER THAN USUAL. WHEN HE INSPECTED, HE NOTICED THAT THE LEAF SPRING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION BROKE AND PIERCED THE FLOORBOARD. HE ALSO SAW THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM WERE RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND PARKED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED BY A MECHANIC. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 182,000.

I WAS PULLING OUT THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE REAR AXLE SNAPPED IN TWO. THIS IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. *TR

DURING ~55,000 MILE BRAKE CHECKUP IT WAS FOUND THAT BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS ON MY 2001 FORD TAURUS ARE BROKEN, SEEMINGLY IN THE SAME PLACE. PARTS ARE BEING REPLACED BY LOCAL SERVICE CENTER. *TR

THERE AREN'T ANY REAL EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE. I TOOK MY TRUCK INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (GARY CROSSLEY FORD) TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL RECALL WORK DONE. WHILE THERE I ASKED TO HAVE A STATE INSPECTION DONE AS WELL. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT WERE SOMEWHAT LOOSE AND WOULD NEED REPLACING - SO I HAD THEM DO THAT AS WELL AS FLUSH THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL (THIS TRUCK ONLY HAD 62,000 MILES ON IT). FOLLOWING THAT IT PASSED INSPECTIONS - ALL WAS WELL. NOT EVEN ONE MONTH LATER (POSSIBLY ONLY 3 WEEKS) I TRIED BACKING FROM MY PARKING SPOT AT WORK AND HEARD A *THUNK* FROM THE REAR END. NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS I BACKED UP MORE AND HEARD IT AGAIN. PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE AND THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH. I PARKED IT AND CALLED A TOW RIG TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER. UPON HEARING FROM THEM THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS TOLD THE CARRIER BEARING IN THE REAR END HAD "EXPLODED" AND I'D NEED TO REPLACE MOST EVERYTHING IN THE REAR END. AGREED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. GOT A CALL A DAY LATER TELLING ME THAT PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER - THE *THUNKING* WAS STILL THERE AND WAS LIKELY THE TRANSMISSION. HAD THEM CHECK AND SURE ENOUGH, IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. FINDING OUT THAT FORD WAS GOING TO "COVER" PART OF THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR MADE ME WONDER IF THERE WEREN'T UNDERLYING PROBLEMS THAT I WAS NOT, AS AN OWNER, ALERTED TO. THE TRUCK NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE THESE, AND I'VE BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT SINCE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR. THE CONTACT HAS REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS, SHOCKS, SPRINGS, CALIPERS, ROTORS, PADS, AND TIRES HOWEVER; THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/10/06

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT GOING 5 MPH A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. AT THIS TIME THE FRONT SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN CAUSING AN ABRUPT STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, UPON INSPECTION THE PROBLEM WAS THE PASSENGER'S FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT HAD SNAPPED OFF. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE, THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 3/22/2006 - *NM

THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TIRE.

WHILE BACKING OUT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COLLAPSED. DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER LOWER BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ALIGNMENT FACILITY INDICATED LOWER RIGHT AND LEFT BALL JOINTS WORN AT ONLY 56K MILES. TOOK TO FORD DEALER AND VERIFIED CONDITION. MOST DISAPPOINTING AND DANGEROUS. WE WOULD EXPECT BETTER QUALITY AND FORD TO RECTIFY THIS AT NO CHARGE TO CONSUMER. *AK

FRONT TIRES STARTED SHOWING EXTENSIVE WEAR AND A CLUNCK NOISE WHEN TURNING/ ACCELERATING AT 40,000 MILES. TOOK TO LOCAL TIRE STORE AND THEY SHOWED ME THAT BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS AND THE IDLE-ARM ARE BAD AND MUST BE REPLACED. I WILL BE HAVING THEM REPLACED NEXT WEEK AND GETTING NEW TIRES AS WELL! PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE!*AK

I HAVE A 2001, FORD F-150, 2 X 4, 4.6L V-8, 64K MILES. NSTALLED NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE. WAS INFORMED THAT WHEEL ALIGNEMENT COULD NOT BE GUARANTEED DUE TO BAD LOWER DRIVER SIDE BALL JOINT. TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALER FOR SECOND 'EXPERT OPINION" WAS ADVISED BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACEMENT. THIS TRUCK HAS ALL HIGHWAY MILES, NO OFF ROAD OR CONSTRUCTION TYPE HEAVY LOAD USE. ALL JOINT FAILURE SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT THIS MILEAGE WITH THIS TYPE OF USE. MY OPINION INFERIOR DESIGN, WORKMANSHIP, OR PROCUREMENT PRACTICE BY FORD. SEEMS TO BE COMMON THREAD OCCURENCE FROM MY RESEARCH.*AK

DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM *SC *JB

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE BALL JOINTS AFTER ONLY 70,000 MILES. *AK

AT 28000 MILES, AFTER HAVING MY TIRES ROTATED, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT BOTH LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT 28000 MILES!. VEHICLE IS A 2001 FORD F150 XL PICKUP TRUCK, 6 CYL. AUTO. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY BE MADE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AT THEIR EXPENSE!*AK