F-150 Door Crack Survey ('97-2000)
#406
Originally Posted by RICOCHET
To me the source of the problem is not the door skin flexing but the extreem pressure exerted by the motor.
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The issue is that there is a cyclic load being generated in the body at that location in normal vehicle operation, probably by flexural loads induced in the window frame just driving around. My sense is that there's probably a small static load from the window in the closed position, which may increase the residual stress at the crack location, and reduce the fatigue life of the panel.
So, everybody who is driving around with their windows closed hoping for no cracks is probably actually aggravating the problem.
In any event, I'm getting ready to do battle with Ford on this myself. I've called their Cust. Serv. dept., and am headed over to the local dealer later today.
I am pretty good at making a pest of myself, an I know how to write press releases. Perhaps FoMoCo will be more inclined to fix these doors if there's a segment about it on say, Dateline? Get a national audience on a story about how 80% of these trucks built over a 4 year span exhibit the same engineering defect, and Ford refuses to issue a recall or acknowledge that there's even a problem, while the dealers continue to resell the defective vehicles without disclosing the issue to customers. Might make good TV.
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#408
#409
Ho-kay... visited the local dealer (Kayser, In Wisconsin, if anyone's interested in where NOT to buy another vehicle)..
Hum.
Me: "What is Ford doing about cracked door panels on F150's?"
Stealership Cu*t: "Nothing."
Me: "There's no repair available?"
Stealership Cu*t: "We were doing them for our (inflated rip-off) cost under the 3/36, but Ford decided it wasn't a safety item, so there's no recall."
Me: "What about corrosion inside the door from water entry?"
Stealership Cu*t: "Yep, that's a problem."
Me: "It's an engineering defect, they should repair it no matter what the mileage."
Stealership Cu*t: "Yep, they made a mistake. There's no help for you."
Me: "Why are you selling used vehicles with the defect unrepaired? (there were several on the lot, all with cracked doors)"
Stealership Cu*t: "Ford says it's not a safety issue."
Me: "Are you informing potential buyers of this defect?"
Stealership Cu*t: "I can't answer that,you'll have to talk to Sales."
Me: "This is why I buy Toyota's."
... and why I'll never buy another American vehicle.
I'll call Ford Cust. Service & complain about this *****, and maybe the local news to let the public know what they're trying to pull.
I devised a simple fix. I'll drill a 1/8" hole at the crack tip to keep it from running further & make a nice little masked off rectangle of RTV to fill & seal it all up. Won't hardly notice it unless ya look close.
Hum.
Me: "What is Ford doing about cracked door panels on F150's?"
Stealership Cu*t: "Nothing."
Me: "There's no repair available?"
Stealership Cu*t: "We were doing them for our (inflated rip-off) cost under the 3/36, but Ford decided it wasn't a safety item, so there's no recall."
Me: "What about corrosion inside the door from water entry?"
Stealership Cu*t: "Yep, that's a problem."
Me: "It's an engineering defect, they should repair it no matter what the mileage."
Stealership Cu*t: "Yep, they made a mistake. There's no help for you."
Me: "Why are you selling used vehicles with the defect unrepaired? (there were several on the lot, all with cracked doors)"
Stealership Cu*t: "Ford says it's not a safety issue."
Me: "Are you informing potential buyers of this defect?"
Stealership Cu*t: "I can't answer that,you'll have to talk to Sales."
Me: "This is why I buy Toyota's."
... and why I'll never buy another American vehicle.
I'll call Ford Cust. Service & complain about this *****, and maybe the local news to let the public know what they're trying to pull.
I devised a simple fix. I'll drill a 1/8" hole at the crack tip to keep it from running further & make a nice little masked off rectangle of RTV to fill & seal it all up. Won't hardly notice it unless ya look close.
#410
#411
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 1,138
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I've got a 2000 F-150 Lariat with almost 92,000 miles on it and my exterior is nearly PERFECT. I only have one major scratch on it and that's above one of the tail lights (backed into a fence, oops!).
I've never heard of cracks in the door. But I have a friend who has a 1997 F-150 Lariat with 120,000 miles on it with massive cracks around the little black things on the hood that shoot out the windshield-washer fluid. I don't mean a little crack, I mean there's several massive cracks around them going out in all different directions. He doesn't know what caused that. Although, it could be because he treats his truck like crap. Shame on him.
I've never heard of cracks in the door. But I have a friend who has a 1997 F-150 Lariat with 120,000 miles on it with massive cracks around the little black things on the hood that shoot out the windshield-washer fluid. I don't mean a little crack, I mean there's several massive cracks around them going out in all different directions. He doesn't know what caused that. Although, it could be because he treats his truck like crap. Shame on him.
#412
Drivers door crack
Originally Posted by Trucker
Since I have heard about lots of problems with body cracks on late model F-150's, I am trying to figure out just how common it is. If everyone that owns a 1997-2000 F-150 be so kind as to list if you have any door cracks and what year your vehicle is. Please post if you have NO door cracks at all. This way we can figure out just how common it is.
Thanks
Thanks
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#417
does anybody know the cost of getting this problem repaired. i've got major crack on driver side and now small crack on passanger side. i'd like to get if fixed after this winter and save money during the summer to get both doors repaired. mine as well do it at the same time. i know it will be expensive, but anybody have any ballpark ranges for me?
thanks,
John
thanks,
John
#418