Fuel Hoses Lines/piping And Fittings problems of the 1998 Ford F-150

I was driving at approximately 40 mph on a smooth, paved road, when the two straps that support the vehicle fuel tank broke, and the tank fell to the road. I immediately pulled off the main road and investigated. The rear of the tank was still attached to the frame by a plastic cradle, but the front end had contacted the road and ploughed along for about 100 feet. There was a dent in the tank and some wear, but no apparent leaks. The fuel lines and filler hose remained intact and attached. I temporarily winched the tank up with a ratchet strap to get home, and have since replaced the faulty straps with new ones.

Failure was immediate, Ford f150 fuel tank straps. While driving down the road apparently the tank straps gave way and the fuel tank dropped. Before coming to a stop and after catching some uneven pavement, fuel tank was pealed open and losing about 8 gallons gas. Fire dept was called and they cleaned up spill. Both straps broke and fuel tank is un-repairable. Updated 08/05/11 the consumer stated he experienced other problems with the vehicle, such as a leaking power steering gear box, brake lines had to be replaced, there was a leak in the 4-wheel drive gear box, the muffler hangers, ball joints, tie rod ends and shocks all had to be replaced. Updated 08/11/1.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford F-150. The contact was driving 10 mph when the front straps fractured from the fuel tank. The contact secured the fuel tank to the vehicle with rope and drove the vehicle to a local mechanic where it was discovered that the fuel tank caused a brake line to fracture as well. The mechanic repaired the two front straps to the fuel tank and the brake line. The contact was concerned that the failure could have caused a crash and even a fire. The failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford f150. While driving approximately 70 mph the fuel tank fell off of the vehicle. The contact stated the straps on the fuel tank were covered with rust. The contact stated that he had to call the fire department because gasoline was spilling onto the highway. The vehicle was towed to his home. The contact replaced the fuel tank, fuel line and straps. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 200,000 and the current mileage was 200,800.

I have a 1998 Ford f150 pick up in well maintained condition with 165k miles. On a recent trip we were driving at a low speed (thank god) through port huron michigan. Unknown to me, one of two metal straps that hold the fuel tank to the frame had corroded through. The entire weight of the gas tank was supported by one remaining strap. After fueling (3/4 tank), while approaching a traffic light, the last strap broke and the tank fell to the pavement. The grinding of the tank on the pavement rubbed a small hole in the tank and caused a minor leak. Because we were traveling so slow, we quickly pulled over and the damage was contained. With the help of a police officer, I raised the tank enough to get my car jack under it and then strapped it to the frame rails with a section of rope. The only thing holding the tank to the truck was the fuel line which was not severed so I was able to start it and I drove to nearby Ford dealer for repairs. This failure could have been a disaster if it had happened at highway speed. I was only one mile from getting on i94 when the tank fell down. Ford had no recalls for this issue and offered no compensation, even though there was no design detail to prevent the tank from falling to the road when the straps fail. This design was released in 1996 so many owners could soon experience the same corrosion failure that led to my incident. A serious fire or injuries could easily be prevented by stainless steel straps or a frame detail that prevents the tank from coming down to the pavement. The total repair including a new tank, straps, valve, sensor and line repair was $750.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 35 mph the fuel tank detached and fell from underneath the vehicle. The contact also stated the fuel tank straps were rusted through and fractured. After the failure, the fuel tank was only being held onto the vehicle by one of the fuel lines. The failure mileage 163,000 and the current mileage was 178,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Front fuel tank strap corroded. Fuel tank dropped to roadway at 55 mph. Required emergency flatbed tow to repair shop. Lucky there was no fire or other damage involved. Fuel tank straps and vent hose replaced. Old parts not available.

On Monday August 11, 2003 I noticed a strong odor of gasoline on my 1998 Ford F-150 pickup. I found that gasoline was running along the driver side frame and leaking rather heavily onto the payment. I immediately drove to a nearby automotive service center for examination. I was subsequently advised that the fuel line had a crack and was the cause for the leaking fuel. According to the service technican the crack appeared to be unknown including any damage. I had extended warranty insurance with geico for the $277. 87 replacement line. Since I had a $250. 00 deductible, the cost was mostly borne by me. The owner of the service center, said he never had a cracked fuel line in all his years of automotive service. I also in my 50 years of owning vehicles have never experienced such a incident. My biggest concern was the extraordinary danger this type of leak could cause a motorist, with gasoline leaking on to the payment. Obviously a discarded cigaret or other ignition could have caused a serious fire and perhaps injury or death. I would like to know if this is something you are interested? I plan to write Ford, but in the interest of public safety, I thought you might like to know about my experience. Sincerely, john waters.

Fuel line that runs from firewall to throttle body seems to be deteriorating near driver side manifold. Unknown cause possible heat.