Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Ford F-150 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 27 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 27, in the owner's own words
MY INTERIOR AND BACK EXTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AND GO OFF RANDOMLY SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROADS. THE LIGHT IN THE BACK ABOVE THE TRUCK BED IS BOTHERSOME BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE ATTENTION OF ANOTHER DRIVER CAUSING A ACCIDENT. MY MOTHER ALSO HAS A FORD F150 THAT DOES THE SAME, HOWEVER HER TRUCK ISN'T THE SAME YEAR.
LIGHTS DO NOT WORK
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE AS THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE BULB HAD OVERHEATED AND MELTED THE BULB HOLDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.
HEADLIGHTS HAVE LOST A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF THEIR INTENSITY DUE TO THE YELLOWING EFFECT OF THE PLASTIC LENS COVERS. *TR
1997 FORD F-150 WITH RECALL ON THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER CHARGED HIM $68.00 FOR A DIAGNOSIS FEE FOR STATING THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SPEED CONTROL. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED THE $68.00. *KB THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE THE CONSUMER TO REPAIR THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE WIRING AND OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY SWITCH THAT WAS RECALLED. THE TURN SIGNAL DID NOT STAY ON WHEN MAKING A TURN . *JB
DT: TURN SIGNALS HAVE NEVER FUNCTIONED RIGHT SINCE IT WAS BOUGHT. YOU HAVE TO JIGGLE THE TURN SIGNAL STOCK TO GET THEM TO BLINK. AND YOU HAVE TO HOLD THEM A CERTAIN POSITION BEFORE THEY BLINK. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS. HAVE TALKED TO FORD AND THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD COST THE CONSUMER $800.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HAVE TALKED TO DEALER ALSO, AND THAT WAS NO HELP. *NM
HEADLIGHT SWITCH SHORTED OUT AND STARTED TO SMOKE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
MUTIFUNCTION SWITCH CUT HEADLAMPS OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT APPOXIMATELY 45 MPH. NO PRIOR WARNING, NO FLICKERING JUST INSTANTANIOUS DARKNESS. SIDE MARKER LIGHTS AND TAILLIGHT S CONTINUED TO OPERATE. WAS IN A WELL LIGHT AREA OR THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS IF AT HIGHER SPEED ON AN UNLIGHTED ROAD. THE SQUEAL ON THE PITMAN ARM IS A NUISANCE. NOTE WHEN I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED, DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DENIED ANY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM E WITH EITHER COMPONENT - WHAT A JOKE I NOW FIND BOTH ITEMS APPEAR ON YOUR WEBSITE. THERE SHOULD BE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY OR PENALTY FOR THE DEALER FOR NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE COMPONENTS.*AK
MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *MJ
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
HEADLIGHTS WORKED POORLY CONFUSE THE ONCOMING DRIVERS, AND SCARES THE HELL OUT OF THE DRIVER OF THE MENTIONED VEHICLE. OUTSIDE MIRRORS------OUTSIDE MIRRORS ( RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE) FAIL TO OPERATE WITH THE ADJUSTING SWITCH LOCATED IN THE INTERIOR DRIVER SIDE ARM REST. MIRRORS FAIL TO ADJUST. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHEN DIFFERENT DRIVERS USE THIS VEHICLE. *AK
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS NOW, I HAVE HAD THE MULTI SWWITCH FAIL AND NEED REPLACEMENT. BOTH TIMES FORD DEALERSHIP IN MUSKEGON HAVE REPLACED THE PART.*AK
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE MULTISWITCH TWICE NOW. I AM NOW ON THE THIRD ONE ALREADY. AS FAR AS THE FRONT WHEEL HUBS, THE CLEARANCE IS INSUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR NORMAL CORROSION. ANY FRONT BRAKE JOB REQUIRES THAT THE HUBS ALSO BE REPLACED AS THEY ARE DAMAGED WHEN REMOVED. ALL OF MY WORK WAS DONE AT A FORD DEALERSHIP.
REGULAR LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON UNLESS HIGH BEAMS ARE TURNED ON FIRST. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK THE MAIN HEAD LIGHTS FAILED DUE TO THE SWITCH FAILURE OF THE HIGHBEAM SWITCH. *SLC
COOLANT LEAKS THROUGH TIMING CHAIN COVER; WIPERS COME ON UNEXPECTANTLY WHILE IN OFF POSITION.
DURING WARM WEATHER THE SENSORS IN THE DOOR APPEAR TO BE HEAT ACTIVATED WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE DOME LIGHT CIRCUIT TO CLOSE, WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED THE LIGHT COMES ON AS IT SHOULD BUT STAYS ON WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED, AT NIGHT THIS CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. NLM
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY SMELLED A BURNING WIRE ODOR. WENT TO START UP VEHICLE IN THE MORNING, AND NO HEADLIGHTS. CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS NEVER THROWN. CONTACTED DEALER, AND HE REPAIRED AND REPLACED HEADLIGHT SWITCH. *AK
1ST, TRANSMISSION, WHEN AT THE SPEEDS OF 40 AND 45, HESITATES AND WANTS TO UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT, THE BEHAIVOR IS NOT NORMAL AT ALL, AND I AM MAKING AN APPT. TO GET IT FIXED. 2ND, THE HIGH BEAM/ LOW BEAM SWITCH MUST BE FAULTY, AT TIMES THE LIGHTS WILL TOTALLY SHUT OFF. 3RD WHEN REFEULING, USUALLY ON A QUARTER TANK AND LESS WHEN TAKING OFF THE GAS CAP THERE IS ALOT OF PRESSURE BUILT UP IN THE TANK. 4TH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL SOMETIMES COME ON WHEN EITHER DOOR IS OPENED, I HAVE TO SHUT THE DOOR AND REOPEN IT. *AK
VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS FAILING TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES WITH A MONTH AND ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE COLLISION . DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE SWITCH IS IN OFF POSITION. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE IN THE CASE OF MY FATHER'S RANGER, THE WASHER FLUID WOULD SPRAY UNEXPECTEDLY AS WELL, THEREBY SMEARING THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. BOTH OUR TRUCKS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH FAULTY MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHES. A RECALL FOR THIS PART SHOULD BE ISSUED AS THERE IS A HIGH NUMBER OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS LISTED ON THIS SITE FOR VARIOUS FORD VEHICLES CONTAINING THE SAME PART. *AK
I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE 3 DEFECTS LISTED.....FIRST, THE POWERTRAIN, WHEN FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE IS ENGAGED AT A STOP AND AN ENGAGEMENT TIME OF AT LEAST 30SEC. TO 1MIN. IS GIVEN, WHEN I RELEASE MY BRAKE TO PROCEED THE POWERTRAIN MAKES A LOUD THUMP, THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME....SECOND THE WASHER SPRAYERS ON THE HOOD DO NOT SPRAY THE WINDSHEILD. ONE SPRAYS WAY OFF AND THE OTHER SPRAYS NOTHING. AND THIRD THE HIGH BEAM LOW BEAM SWITCH IS DEFECTED. WHEN ENGAGED IN HIGH BEAM AND DRIVING A SHORT ACCURES AND THE LIGHTS WILL FLICKER FROM HIGH TO LOW AND COMPLETELY OFF WITH NO HEAD LIGHTS AT ALL......IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE DEFECTS PLEASE CONTACT SHANE E. MASS AT MY HOME NUMBER ((712)-322-5233) .... THANK YOU.
POWER REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILED. MJS
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH ERRATIC OPERATION OF RIGHT SIDE TURN SIGNAL AND STOP LIGHT; WHENEVER STEERING COLUMN TILT WHEEL IS IN AN UPRIGHT POSTION, THE TURN SIGNAL AND STOP LIGHT WOULD WORK PROPERLY. IF STEERING WHEEL IS MOVE BELOW NORMAL POSTION , THE RIGHT SIDE TURN SIGNAL & STOP LIGHT WILL NOT OPERATE. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. REPORTING AND SEEKING NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL TURN SIGNAL WOULD NOT WORK PROPLERY: TURN SIGNAL WOULD DISENGAGE BEFORE CONSUMER COMPLETED THE TURN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
POLICE PULLED VEHICLE OVER BECAUSE IT HAD NO BACK TAIL LIGHTS VISIBLE AT NIGHT. ALSO, HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED WILL HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. MIGHT BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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