1989 Ford F-150 Electrical Problems

The horn doesn’t work. Everything mechanically works great. Concern is if airbag works Never worked since purchased in January 2015.

NHTSA ID

11515309

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD F-150. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF A USED CAR LOT, IT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT SUSPECTED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK. THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OREGON, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT, WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF OREGON ALSO TOOK A COMPLAINT FROM THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT ONLY RECEIVED A REFUND FOR HALF OF WHAT HE PAID FOR THE VEHICLE. THE USED VEHICLE DEALER CHARGED THE CONTACT FOR THE NUMEROUS REPAIRS WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11189890

Incident

Feb 5, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TWO STARTERS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.

NHTSA ID

10609362

Incident

Feb 10, 2014

Mileage

188,000 mi

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10109107

Incident

Nov 23, 2004

THE FUSE BOX MELTED OVER THE BATTERY CABLE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10015810

Incident

Apr 14, 2003

I AM AFRAID TO FIX THE TRUCK THIS TIME BECAUSE IT COULD BURN DOWN MY HOUSE OR CAUSE A ACCIDENT. MR

NHTSA ID

767901

Incident

Sep 11, 2001

VEHICLE HAS HAD FOUR ALTERNATORS REPLACED, AND TWICE ALTERNATOR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WILL BE REPLACED, BUT REMEDY WAS NOT WORKING.*AKI

NHTSA ID

8010492

Incident

May 2, 2002

FOR OVER 20 YEARS I HAVE BEEN AN NIASE & ASE MASTER AUTO AND MASTER MEDIUM & HEAVY DUTY TRUCK MECHANIC. AS I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE, FORD HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM WITH ALTERNATORS SUCH AS THE ONE USED ON THE MODEL YEAR MENTIONED IN THIS COMPLAINT. STARTING JUST AFTER MY ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER WARRANTY RAN OUT, MY ALTERNATOR CAUGHT FIRE. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OCCURRED. I CARRY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON BOARD. I REPAIRED THE FIRE DAMAGE AND REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR WITH A REBUILT UNIT. BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, I HAVE HAD THREE MORE ALTERNATOR FIRES. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE RESULTED. EACH TIME I MADE REPAIRS BRINGING THE VEHICLE BACK TO OEM CONDITION AND INSTALLED ANOTHER REBUILT ALTERNATOR. TWO OF THE FOUR FIRES, I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE WITHOUT DOUBT THAT THE FIRE STARTED INSIDE THE ALTERNATOR AND NOT IN THE WIRING HARNESS PLUG. IN ADDITION, I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OTHER FORD ALTERNATOR FIRES. I GUESS THIS TIME WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK AND COMPELLED ME TO MAKE THIS REPORT TO YOU. FORD REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND COME OUT WITH A RECALL TO RECTIFY THIS HAZARD TO MOTORISTS. AS I SAID BEFORE, I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE NOT, CONTACT ANY PARTS HOUSE OR FORD MECHANIC AND I'M SURE YOU WILL GET AN EARFUL. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY BURN JOBS THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY HAS TO ABSORB NOT TO MENTION THE POOR GUY WITHOUT FULL COVERAGE. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION PROVES TO BE USEFUL TO YOU IN OBTAINING A BENEFICIAL RESOLUTION FOR THE CONSUMER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU DESIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

748627

Incident

Jul 12, 2001

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIR 96V071, CONSUMER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE NOTICE UNTIL NOW DUE TO IT BEING SENT TO AN INCORRECT ADDRESS, DURING RECALL REPAIR A MECHANIC BROKE AN ACTUATOR ROD IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND LOCKED UP THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER WAS CHARGED FOR THE LABOR COSTS AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

NHTSA ID

561760

Incident

May 23, 2001

BACK IN LATE MARCH'01 I LOST MY TURN SIGNALS/ BACK BRAKE LIGHTS,AND WHEN I WOULD PUT ON MY BRAKES, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD LIGHT UP AND OUTSIDE MARKER LIGHTS WOULD COME ON.THEN IN MARCH '01 I KEPT BLOWING FUSES FOR MY TURN SIGNALS,LOST BRAKE LIGHTS,TURN SIGNAL ON DRIVERSIDE REAR WONT WORK AND THEN SMOKE CAME OUT OF MY STEERING COLUMN, AND NOW DONT HAVE CRUISE CONTROL. NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE .SOMEBODY TOLD ME TO CHECK TO SEE ABOUT A RECALL,THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME . HOPE WE CAN RESOLVE PROBLEM. STEVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

744697

Incident

Mar 15, 2001

AFTER ABOUT TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, VEHICLE STARTED DYING FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE SLOWING DOWN, LIKE COMING INTO A STOP SIGN. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL ( STEERING AND BRAKES) AND AS THIS IS A HEAVY VEHICLE, I WON'T ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE IT. HAVE TRIED TUNEUPS, ETC. TO NO AVAIL. *AK

NHTSA ID

738579

Incident

Feb 10, 1990

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING 65MPH, HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SHOOK THE VEHICLE. PULLED OVER, COULD SEE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. OPENED THE HOOD, AND SAW THE WIRES COMING OUT OF THE ALTERNATOR WERE ON FIRE. CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

858376

Incident

Mar 11, 2000

WE REPLACED ENGINE ON 5/13/98 ,IGN.CYL1/04STEERING COL1/04/00FUELTANK&SENG UNIT1/10/00 WE DID NOT KNOW THESE ITEMS WERE ONRECALL WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET OUR MONEY BACK? SAFTY WAS OUR CONCERN WITH OUR KIDS CAN YOU HELP US PEP BOYS DID ALL THE WORK FOR US. I HAVE RECEIPTS FOR ALL WORK DONE. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

719113

Incident

Jan 4, 2000

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REPAIRS DONE ON IGNITION SWITCH ON 27 JUL 97 AND 10 OCT 98, VEHICLE HAD UNDER HOOD FIRE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS WAS CAUSED BY MFR. RECALL FAILURE. ASKING NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK *YC

NHTSA ID

851457

Incident

Oct 10, 1998

A SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS HAS CAUSED THE HORN TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WORE THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS AND SHORTED OUT THE HORN/SPEED CONTROL/CIGARETTE LIGHTER CIRCUIT. SHORT LOCATED AND REPAIRED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

842876

Incident

Jun 6, 1999

WHILE GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE AND STARTING IT UP, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PUT OUT THE FIRE, AND THE FIRE KEPT STARTING BACK UP UNTIL THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO KEEP WIRING HARNESS FROM REIGNITING. THIS FIRE WAS A RESULT OF A VERY POORLY DESIGNED QUICK DISCONNECT TYPE CONNECTION BETWEEN HARNESS AND ALTERNATOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

832451

Incident

Dec 16, 1998

RECALL 96V071000; FORD MANUFACTURER DID NOT SENT RECALL NOTICE TO OWNER AND HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO THE VEHICLE CATCHING FIRE BECAUSE OF RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

820905

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED AND CREATED A FIRE THAT BURNED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING AT TIME.

NHTSA ID

527562

Incident

Dec 26, 1997

TFI MODULE FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE STALLING.

NHTSA ID

524784

VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH PRIOR TO RECALL.

NHTSA ID

520982

Incident

Jan 20, 1994

IGNITION WIRING CAUGHT FIRE.

NHTSA ID

520078

Incident

May 26, 1997

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.

NHTSA ID

519449

IGNITION SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.

NHTSA ID

515753

Incident

Sep 5, 1995

VEHICLE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR A PERIOD OF MONTHS. *AK

NHTSA ID

808090

Incident

Jan 10, 1997

OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#96V071000); PROBLEM NOT IGNITION BUT W/ROD WHICH A SCREWDRIVER CAN BE USED TO PUSH & START VEHICLE & ALSO NOT VERY STABLE & CAN BREAK W/PRESSURE. WANTS ROD FIXED, NOT IGNITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

809192

Incident

Feb 18, 1997