1998 Ford F-250 Suspension Problems

1998 FORD F-250 STEEL TIE-ROD WERE SUFFICIENTLY WORN, LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE ALSO WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *KB ***NAR*** THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A CAUTIONARY LETTER FROM THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHICH STATED IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE STEERING LINKAGE INSPECTED EVERY 15,000, WHICH PROMPTED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW AND IMPROVED STEERING COMPONETS, THE LEFT OUTER STEERING TIE ROD SOCKET DISENGAGED FROM THE BALL ON THE LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY WHILE MAKING A SLOW GRADUAL LEFT TURN. THIS FAILURE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE TO AN ABRUPT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND INSPECTED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.*JB

NHTSA ID

10164778

Incident

Aug 2, 2004

BROKEN FRONT TORSION BAR. STARTED MOTOR, SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE, AND WITHOUT MOVING FROM THE SPOT, HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND THE TORSION BAR HAD SNAPPED. MY GARAGE WAS TOLD BY THEIR PARTS SUPPLIER THAT, UNTIL THIS PAST MONTH, THEY NEVER HAD A REQUEST FOR THIS PART BEFORE. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND REQUEST IN THE PAST MONTH. KEPT THE BROKEN BAR AFTER REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

10116154

Incident

Mar 28, 2005

Mileage

55,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR SUSPENSION SNAPPED. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM ONCE BEFORE, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK THREE AIR SUSPENSION BAGS HAD BLOWN OUT SINCE THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. (RIGHT AIRBAG ON THE REAR SUSPENSION) *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10047999

Incident

Nov 10, 2003

Mileage

115,738 mi

I HAVE A 1998 F-250 LIGHT DUTY PICKUP WITH REAR AIR BAG SUSPENSION. THE AIR BAGS HAVE FAILED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. I WAS HOPING THERE WAS A RECALL OR SOMETHING FROM FORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, I AM GETTING TIRED OF REPLACING THESE THINGS AT $500 A PIECE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10017031

Incident

May 3, 2003

Mileage

114,500 mi

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

744515

Incident

Oct 9, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

744514

Incident

Jul 7, 2000

WHILE DRIVING TORSION BAR BROKE WHICH ALMOST CAUSE A CRASH. CURRENTLY AT DEALER. *AK THE MANUFACTURER FIXED THE TORSION BAR. *YH

NHTSA ID

878143

Incident

Jan 12, 2001

TORSION BAR KEEPS BRAKING FIRST ON DRIVER'S SIDE AT 35000 WHICH COULD CAUSE FRONT END TO DROP, THEN ON PASSENGER'S SIDE.*AK TORSION BAR BROKE TWICE IN THE SAME YEAR. FRONT END DROPPING AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER. *YH

NHTSA ID

874158

Incident

Oct 27, 2000

ONE SIDE OF TRUCK SAT LOW, SHORTLY AFTER THE OTHER SIDE SAT LOW. REAR END AIRBAG SUSPENSION GAVE WAY AS WELL AS THE SPRINGS. AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED TWICE WITH IN 3 MONTH PERIOD. AFTER RECIEVING TRUCK FROM REPAIR SHOP IT WAS NOTICED BY BODY SHOP THAT FRAME ON LEFT SIDE WAS CRACKED. THIS CRACK WAS IN FRONT VIEW OF SERVICE PEOPLE AND NOT DETECTED. I DO NOT RECALL THE CRACK FROM THE PREVIOUS TIME THE AIR BAGS WERE REPLACED. I DO NOT RECALL THE CRACK WHEN I DROPPED THE TRUCK FOR SECOND REPLACEMENT OF AIRBAGS AND SPRINGS. THE TRUCK FRAME ON LEFT SIDE IS HELD TOGETHER BY TWO INCHES OF CONNECTING STEEL AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THIS TRUCK IS MY LIVELYHOOD AND ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. FORD BODY SHOP WILL NOT WELD OR REPAIR FRAME DO TO LIABILITY. THEY RECOMMEND NEW FRAME. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH SERVICE PEOPLE AND BODY SHOP MANAGER IT WAS REVEALED THAT FORD MADE CHANGES TO THE FRAME IN THE 1999 YEAR. THIS IS WHY IN THE 1998 F-250 A DISIEL ENGINE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. OTHER WORDS THE 1998 F-250 WAS FOUND TO BE A WEAKER FRAME THAN ANY OTHER YEAR. ALSO, THE DESIGN OF THE AIRBAG SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF THIS TRUCK IS WEAKER THAN EVEN THE F-150 MODELS. THE SPRINGS ARE OF LESSOR MATERIALS AND LESSOR STRENGTH. THIS WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS WAS DONE DO TO THE AIRBAGS CAPABILITY TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IS SUPPORT. MY VIEW IS THAT ALL THESE COMPONENTS WORK IN UNISONAND WHEN ONE SYSTEM FAILED THE OTHERS FOLLOWED. THE REPAIRS I HAVE DONE ARE NOT REMEDYING THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE PAID $ 2000.00 AND MUCH LOST TIME. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE FRAME AND FORD NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. .*AK

NHTSA ID

722178

Incident

Sep 1, 1999

FRONT END TIRES AND STEERING SHAKE CONSTANTLY AND AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT VIBRATES AND SHAKES SO HARD OVER 50 MPH IT IS HAD TO HOLD ON ROAD. TIRES ARE WEARING DUE TO SHAKING. VEHICLE HAS HAD NEW TIRES, BALANCING, FRONT END ALIGNMENT, MORE THAN ONCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

706957

BREAKAGE OCCURRED EITHER WHILE STATIONARY OR DOING SLOW SPEED - NOT SURE WHEN. VEHICLE WAS LEANING TO RIGHT WHEN I RETURNED TO IT 20 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING IT. FEEL FREE TO CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION. I SEE ON THE WEB THAT THESE TORSION BARS HAVE BEEN BREAKING QUITE FREQUENTLY ON F150S TOO! *AK

NHTSA ID

703028

Incident

Feb 6, 1999

TORSION BARS FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

607258

Incident

Sep 1, 1998

BOTH FRONT TORSION BARS BROKE WHILE VEHICLE WAS SETTING IN THE GARAGE. IT APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO COLD WEATHER STRESS OR THE TORSIONS BARS WERE HEAT TREATED TO HARD. DID NOT FLEX BETWEEN THE COLD WEATHER (0 -10 DEG) AND THE WARM GARAGE (45 DEG

NHTSA ID

702333

Incident

Jan 14, 1999

HAVE HAD 4 FAILURES IN THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. FIRST TIME, THE TRACTION BARS WERE MAKING A HORRIBLE METAL-METAL CREAKING/GRINDING NOISE; TRACTION BARS WERE REPLACED. SECOND TIME THE ENTIRE BRACKET BOLTED TO THE FRAME CAME LOOSE, SLIDING AND BANGING AROUND ON THE FRAME; TRACTIONS BARS, TRACTION BAR BRACKETS, AND TRACTION BAR BOLTS ALL REPLACED. THIRD TIME AIR SPRING (AIR RIDE SUSPENSION) LEAKED DOWN AND CAUSED THE TRUCK TO PULL TO ONE SIDE (TRUCK WAS NOT LEVEL; DRIVER'S SIDE REAR RODE VERY LOW, PASSENGER SIDE FRONT RODE VERY HIGH); AIR SPRING WAS REPLACED. FOURTH TIME THE TRACTION BAR (PASSENGER SIDE) BROKE; SERVICE CENTER NOT OPEN, PLAN ON TAKING IT IN TOMORROW. REAR WINDOW SEAL HAS BEEN 'FIXED' TWICE, YET CONTINUES TO LEAK WATER INTO THE CAB, LAST TIME SHORTING OUT SOME AFTERMARKET ELECTRONICS BEHIND THE REAR SEAT. BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (50-75) RESULTS IN A FRONT-END VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE TURNED BY THE DEALER RECENTLY DUE TO A FRONT DISC BRAKE PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN THE INSIDE PAD WEARING DOWN TO BARE METAL AND MUCH GRINDING (WEAR INDICATORS ARE ON THE OUTSIDE PAD AND WERE NOT ENGAGED (SQUEAKING); SO THEY WERE NOT INDICATING PADS NEEDED REPLACEMENT). THE OTHER SIDE PADS WERE WORN NON-PARALLEL TO THE PAD BACKING (PAD WAS THICKER ON ONE EDGE THAN THE OTHER).

NHTSA ID

700817

Incident

Nov 20, 1998