Problems with 1999 Ford F-150 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Heater switch that increases and decreases the heat has been replaced 5 times since i've had the vehicle. vehicle had 8,000 miles when i bought it.

Spark plug blew out of head, stripping threads from head. this is the second one for this vehicle. the first was in june of 2002.*ak

Vehicle had been parked for 10 minutes when the consumer started to smell smoke. consumer noticed that vehicle was on fire. contacted the fire department, who responded to put the fire out. vehicle as totaled. please be advised this vehicle does not have cruise control.*ak

On multiple occasions all external and internal lights would cut off for a fraction of a second and then light back up. each time they went out once and so fast that it was barely noticed. the number of these incidents are unknown. i would say fewer than 10. the first dealership it was reported to was crescent ford in high point, nc. at the time, they did not record the issue as being reported and did not advise me that it should be checked. the problem was happening so infrequently that i did not realize it might be a serious problem. in the later part of 2003, october i believe, i stopped at a local tire distributor to have my tires balanced and rotated. i noticed from inside the store that the headlights were not off. i returned to the vehicle to attempt to turn them off by manipulating the light switch and ignition switch with no success. i had the work done at the tire store and took the truck staight to bob dunn ford in greensboro where they advised me that the fuse box had to be rewired and that it was not safe to drive. the service technician showed me a fuse that had been removed from the fuse box. the fuse was black, melted and the element in the fuse was not burned through. the cover to the fuse box had a white spot on it where the plastic was heated and charred. the dealership provided me with a vehicle to drive and my truck was repaired but at my expense. i had applied to be reimbursed by ford but have never heard any response dispite multiple calls to the dealership. after having learned of the recall for fires in parked f150's i decided this should be reported. dates provided are estimates. i would have to have the dealership records pulled to find exact dates and mileage. the mileage on the vehicle was approximately 28,000 miles but it was out of warranty as it was older than 3 years.

Spark plug blew out of number three cylinder. cost between $1900 to 2000 to repair.*ak

While backing out of a parking space at 8 mph the vehicle suddenly accelerated backwards up to 60 mph. the shifter was moved drive and the vehicle continued to accelerate forward. the brakes would not stop the vehicle. as a result the vehicle slammed into an embankment. vehicle was taken to the dealer where the replaced the mass air glow sensor and throttle assembly. *ak the bed of the truck was pushed outward on the passenger side. the dealer cleaned and lubed the latches. the passenger side striker was shimmed and adjusted. *ts *nlm

I have had a new transmission and motor,5 speed 4.2l v-6,put in at 55,000 miles. now at 73,000 miles it has a miss when you accelerate or go up a hill. dealer told me to replace the plugs and wires so i did. it still does it and now they are tailing me to replace the coil pack, any suggestions? *nlm

There is a short in the electrical system that allows the radio and the instrument panel light to come on by itself at separate times when the vehicle is turned off. the dealership is unable to identify the cause of the electrical short.*ak

July 2003 my electronic odometer blinks out. i have had to tap the glass to ge tit to come back on this is usually when 1st starting the truck. now the odometer will blink out while i am driving and then turn back on. i have on 67,000 miles. plus the driver side window motor is making a grinding noise when the window is going up. also october 31 the gear shifter will no disengage while i am applying the brake to go from park to reverse. *ak

3 spark plugs on my 99 f150 have backed themselves out, causing immediate engine decompression. the only way to adequately repair is to completely remove the head, a multi-day, multi-dollar task. viewing auto message boards suggest i am not alone in this experience. apparently there is some defect in the triton v8 engine design, although my research shows ford has not addressed this issue. *ak

I bought the 99 f-150 used. i've owned it for 2 years and in those two years spent over 3000 dollars repairing it. i cant handle the thought of keeping a truck that cost so much in repairs. and now the dealer tells me i need a new transmission. this is one week after i spent over 500 replacing the spark plugs, fuel filter, and getting the fuel injectors cleaned. i have only 58,000 miles on the thing and was told by the dealer that the plugs don't need to be touched for 100,000 miles. well it was missing and that was the problem. the truck slams into gear between 1 and 2, and now the problem is my transmission is bad. at 58,000 miles? and i've never even towed anything. just regular wear and tear? i think these trucks must be lemons. after i get the transmission fixed, i'll have spent $5,600 in a two year span. i have to sell it because the repairs are more than the payment. i guess that's why it was sold to me when it was only two years. old. *nlm

Ford f-150 lightning spark plug blow out. *la

My family and i were traveling on the interstate when our gauges on our truck began to go from zero to one hundred miles per hour back and forth. our gas gauge would from full to empty. all gauges on the dash would go crazy. our battery light had come on a few miles before this occurred. we lost all power and our truck decelerated quickly on the interstate. we found a parts store and put on a new alternator and battery thinking that would do the job. as we continued our trip, the gauges began to do the same thing within ten miles of changing alternator and battery. i would like to know if there is a flaw in 1999 ford f150's. we checked all fuses and have no idea why this occurred. the truck cannot be driven because it will shut off while driving. *tt

The sparks plug wires burned up every 30,000 miles. the consumer was informed it would cost 200.00 to replace. *jb

Vehicle is a 1999 ford f-150 and it has approx. 54,000 miles on it. the evening of march 3 the truck began to run weird and it began to not run correctly.the morning after i brought it to a reair garage and the computer showed that there was a detination in the motor. the ignition coil was bad the mechanic informed me that he needed to replace all eight coils. this cost me 905 dollars. i don't believe that this problem should have occured because it has lower mles. i would like to know if this is an occuring problem with the 5.4 triton v8. i'm not happy with the money that i had to put into my truck, i bought a newer vehicle to waive some cost of vehicle repairs but this was a rediculous amount for a repair.

I own a 1999 ford f-150 lariet and the power locks are malfunctioning on both sides. i have a neighbor with a 2001 f-150 and he has the identical problem. the locks work at times and then don't at others. i am only at 45000 miles and am out of warranty but wanted to know if this is a ford recognized flaw. *jb

Consumer states the circuit board on the vehicle has malfunctioned causing the brake lights to stop working. contacted dealer and the dealer is aware of the problem but have no rememdy. *jb *yh

Passenger side rear cylinder spark plug mount stripped and blew the spark plug out causing engine damage. dealer told me the head needed to be replaced $$$$. i contacted ford and they couldn't find any information on the problem i had. they forwarded the complaint on to their engineering department and i have asked for an arbitration package for the 'dispute settlement board'. same problem as oid id: 760618

Consumer states electrical system failed. dealer notified.*ak

Door ajar indicator stays illuminated. interior and cargo lights stay illuminated although doors are shut, also drivers side door is the only one that is used. problem has been going on for 3 months.*ak. consumer also stated if the key is in the igniton the bell will go off.*jb

Ignition wire on starter has broke off, dealer was notified.*ak consumer stated the wiring harness has too much weight to the starter.*slc

Various switches are failing, passenger side window switch, electric mirror adjust switch, fan switch for heater/ac and the most annoying is the multifunction switch which causes the wipers to come one when ever they feel like it. i also personally know of two other ford f150 owners suffering from similar problems. i think its time that ford stops using inferior parts before we all start buying dodge. *nm

Noise in the engine due to worn idler pulley, belt and alternator. *mjs

I have had my f150 for 7 years and have had very few problems. bad fuel injector and the recall for the cruise control. i have been having trouble with my wipers coming on by themselves. i called my local ford dealer (columbia ford, longview,wa) and they said they had not seen this problem before. i did a little research on the web and found your tsb 00-9-6 which describes this problem to a tee. i called the dealer back and was advised i would have to absorb the entire cost for the repair? since they have known about this problem since 2000 and did not recall for this bad switch (see your tsb) "install revised multi-function switch" do i have any recourse in this matter. like the cruise control switch recalled last year is there a chance of fire? it can be disconcerting to be driving along in 90 degree weather and have your wipers turn on by themselves. i have found many complaints about this at a number of car site it's being called "ghost wipers" the above listed tsb was issued in 2000 but owners were not notified. i believe this is a safety issue that should have been recalled when found. this may have been going on for the past 6 years, the wipers turn on once and you think maybe you hit the switch on the steering wheel by accident. *jb

Vehicle has been experiencing ongoing problem with fuse blowing out whenever turn signal or four- way flasher is used. dealer was not contacted at this time. *ak

Truck was unstable with cause unknown by dealership. owner has taken vehicle in for corrective action several times, however nothing has changed. vehicle vibrates excessively when at idle with rpm gauge fluctuating up/down. *ak consumer states that the engine runs rough, oil level dropped and there was a clicking noise in which the dealer replaced the fan blade and fan clutch. rear brakes experienced grinding, dealer applied a silencer to the front and rear brake pads. consumer has experienced several problems with the a/c and heater, problems still exists. vehicle uses a lot of gas, idles rough and experiences small hesitation upon acceleration. vehicle kicks into gear. vehicle drifts to the right, while driving at higher speeds, vehicle and steering wheel vibrate. driver side rear view mirror rattles when closing door, when everything is closed there is an outside noise, dealer resealed the windshield. when turning on the lights, the clock and a/c are delayed. there is a whining noise when turning steering wheel. window control buttons stick at times, dealer replaced the window switch. *slc

Vehicle stalls for no reason intermittently, dealer changed fuel, but that failed to correct the problem. *ak

The horn is too hard to activate. when you must need it in an emergency- most times i cant get it to work ....the area you havce to push is too small and must be pushed too hard- its just too hard to activate when you need to.

This issue has been ongoing since we purchased the vehicle new in october 1998. the first instance was while driving long distance over a holiday week. initially it was only the wipers that would turn on then off without manually doing so. this has gone on for nearly 15yrs. most recently, the wipers will not turn off and actually now turn on at a faster rate on their own, window washer fluid control is very sensitive and will turn on with a light touch to the turn indicator and won't turn off, the dash display will turn off, and the radio display is not working (radio works). we have found that the steering wheel has to be set at the top position in order for the wipers to not turn on as much (it is very frequent now). we had the truck looked at within the first few months of ownership by the ford dealer for the wiper issue, and nothing was found to resolve. after reading through other filed complaints, i am hoping that the truck will not burst into flames due to the faulty electrical going on in the panel and steering.

Faulty electrical wiring causing erratic operation of different parts in vehicle, such as power windows do not to work properly and cause the motor to overheat/ no brakes/no tail lights and malfunctioning of cruise control. vehicle been in the dealer shop on two occasions, problem still has not be resolved, and vehicle still in the dealer shop. dealer would not give consumer a loaner until they can correct the problem. can nhtsa help or provide additional information on this matter. *ak