Consumer Complaint Detail

FORD / F SERIES / 1998

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
No Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 004301082 Incident Date: Sep, 25 2004
Consumer's City: Consumer's State: NJ
Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO Manufacturers Name: Ford Motor Company
Model Name: F SERIES Model Year: 1998
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No Component's Description: Engine and engine cooling:cooling system
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 1FTZX1769WN Date added to File: May, 25 2021
Date Complaint Received: Sep, 28 2004 Complaint Type: IVOQ
Incident Reported To Police: No Purchase Date: Jul, 02 2003
Was Original Owner: No Anti-lock Brakes: Yes
Number of Cylinders: 8 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: I was driving an heard a loud squealing noise from under the hood. lost power and lights dimmed for a brief period. i pulled over and smelled antifreeze before i opened the hood. i checked the coolant recovery tank level and it was slightly low. looked for a leak and found a 1/16th" pinhole approximately one inch below the thermostat housing gasket line producing a steady stream of antifreeze directly onto the serpentine belt. this strong leak continues as long as the proper fluid level is maintained, and stops once the level falls below the hole. to refill the tank to it's proper level takes approximately one us gallon of coolant, which immediately begins to squirt out the hole, whether the engine is running or not; hot or cold. took it to my mechanic who told me all he could do is replace the engine, which i have not done. i will be taking it to the closest ford dealer, as several other professional mechanics have looked at it and all agreed that it was a defect in the casting, since there was no cracking- just a round pin hole in an area where there are no moving parts that could have caused such damage.*ak