Ford Recalls 1.1m trucks

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I'm sure I've read about this before a few months ago, but it appears to be a new recall.

From: Foxnews Business

Quote:


Ford (F) on Monday said it was recalling 1.1 million Ford F-150 and Lincoln Blackwood pickup trucks for possible corrosion and breaking of straps that hold fuel tanks.

The recall deals with certain F-150 models from 1997 through 2003, F-150 Heritage from 2004, F-250 models from 1997 through 1999 and Lincoln Blackwater vehicles made from June 1995 to August 2004.

The vehicles were originally sold in 22 states where they faced prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals that may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank traps. Affected areas include many states in the North East as well as Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and District of Columbia.

As a result of the corrosion, the company warned in a report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site that one or both straps may fail, allowing the fuel lines to separate from the tank, or in some cases, causing the tank to make contact with the ground, either of which could result in a fuel leaks and cause a subsequent fire hazard.

Ford said it will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the tank straps replaced with others that have increased corrosion protection.
 
Of all the parts on a vehicle that should contain material resistant to corrosion, they use fuel tank straps prone to rusting? Not that they're that important...they just hold the fuel tank on the vehicle...truly mind boggling.
 
I don't know it's not really that big a deal. If people took the garden hose to the undercarriage every once and a while that probably wouldn't happen. Things do have to be replaced on an older vehicle and changing out fuel tank straps every 10 years really doesn't seem like a big deal.
 
The tank straps on my '66 Skylark rusted through while I was driving down the highway one night in 1977. Fortunately, I did not wind up rolling down the road engulfed in flames ala Mad Max movies.

I thought the noises I was hearing was the muffler dragging on the roadway. I pulled over and looked underneath...nothing hanging down. Looked forward, nothing. Looked backward, and there was my tank, hanging on by the rubber fuel hose! YIKES!

The tow driver had to dump 7/8 of a tank of gas in the ditch. This was during the fuel crisis, too.
 
I replaced two F150 tanks in 10 years on the same ride. Excessive IMHO.

Fuel and brake relate metal parts should be "somewhat" corrosion resistant for safety sake.
 
I like how FNC flubbed the Lincoln Blackwood as "Blackwater."
lol.gif


It's just a steel strap. Not hard to make a thicker gauge. Am sure the recall to do it twice is way more expensive than just specifying an overbuilt strap from the get-go. They crumble at the bends so when you go to drop a tank after a certain vintage, you might as well get new straps.
 
I drove past a Ford truck bout a 97-98 model year, on the side of the highway just last week. The front half of the fuel tank was on the ground. He got lucky and no fire. Looks like he got it to the shoulder safely. I'm in Indiana and winters can be very hard on the cars underneath side. I would take it in asap if I had one.
 
I have never been able to replace a fuel pump on a northern car without damaging the fuel tank straps. It really doesn't matter what car, all fuel tank straps are a ticking time bomb when exposed to road salt.
 
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