Suspension Torsion Bar Problems of Ford F-150 - part 2

Torsion bar failed causing lower left side to pull to the guardrail, consumer was driving at the time and had heard a loud noise.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford F-150 🔎.

Front end rod snapped while driving. Contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything for consumer . It was the torsion bar that had snapped and the consumer was concerned about the safety of this vehicle.

See all problems of the 1997 Ford F-150 🔎.

Torsion bar on this vehicle snapped while parked in the garage. Had this happened while driving the vehicle, it could have resulted in a very serious accident. Ford accepts partial responsibility for this failure, and has agreed to split the total cost of repairs 50/50. I disagree with this and don't feel that I should be charged for their neglegable safety defect.

Ford need to issue a recall to many reports of bad torsion bars.

Was moving 15mph when a pop sound was heard. Right side went down. Was barely able to steer vehicle. Took vehicle to firestone retailer & informed it was torsion bar that had snapped.

While driving front torsion bar broke which caused loss of control, and could have resulted in a crash.

Consumer got in vehicle and torsion bar on left side broke. Dealer had no explanation, they repaired it. Consumer was concerned that this problem could result in a serious injury or death. Consumer changed his own oil & hoping this wasn't a problem.

Right front torsion bar broke while vehicle was parked. Vehicle taken to dealer shop for repairs.

Left front torsion bar broke while parked in garage. Vehicle towed to dealer and repaired at consumer's cost.

While driving, consumer heard a loud bang followed by the front right end of the vehicle falling directly onto the wheel wall. The right front torsion bar broke in half dislodging a piece of metal that had rusted through.

The truck was sitting in the parking lot at work when the drivers side torsion bar broke. From some people I have talked to this has happened to quite a few other trucks-same side torsion bar. The dealer has worked with us as well as can be expected considering that the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge a problem. I haven't been able to speak with a representative because they are " on vacation". I am concerned about what could happen to another family with the same truck if perhaps the bar would break while driving. This a a dangerous problem that Ford motor company is refusing to do anything about. I have written to them on two occassions now asking for them to issue a recall since this is not just my truck, but many others. Also, I do not believe the anti-lock brakes should fail on a truck with the mileage it had at the time. The dealer also worked with us on this problem. Our total bill was for $90. 87 for both of the problems, but I still believe that Ford motor company should reimburse us this money considering that this is a major defect both with the tortion bar and the anti-lock brakes. Thank you for your time regarding this important matter. I do not want anyone to be injured because of Ford motor company ignoring these problems.

The dealership is calling the torsion bar a "wear and tear item" therefore it is considered a warranty item and not a manufacturing defect. For my truck, which is used as a commuter vehicle, has the "off-road package" and has seen a non-paved road all of 5 times, I find it unacceptable that this item is not covered under some sort of warranty or recall. I have searched the NHTSA database and seen numerous (36) customer complaints on the same type of failure. I could understand the torsion bar failure (maybe) if the truck were used on a daily basis for construction purposes or if I exceeded the recommended uses of the vehicle, but I have not. The truck is at less than half its expected life and yet one of the main suspension components had failed. This bar replaced the coil springs on the past generation of trucks. Have you never heard of coil springs snapping? I also find it rather troublesome that Ford has recently been accused of turning the other way when problems arise with its vehicles. Is this going to become another firestone recall scenario or will Ford take responsibility for its engineering/manufacturing mistakes? Im starting to wonder what built Ford tough actually means.

Passenger side torsion bar failed and suspension dropped. Fortunately vehicle was stopped. Broke at rear mounting at tensioner point. Ford replaced under warranty but refused to change driver side even though it exhibits significanct surface corrosion in the same area. From my search of NHTSA and other internet data and from Ford employee comments this appears to be a repeat problem for this vehicle. I have electronic photos showing pitting and corrosion of driver side torsion bar that Ford states is acceptable. I have noted that NHTSA opened an action #pe98-009 on this matter 13 Feb-98 and closed it 30 June-98. I've also noted numerous complaint filings for f150 torsion bar failures with NHTSA and other internet data bases. This would seem a highly dangerous situation that could result in accident and fatalities if breaking at highway speed. I beleive this warrants a new investigation and issuance of corrective action requirements to Ford. The fact that complaint files indicate frequent back orders for parts might indicate Ford is doing a lot of replacements.

Front driver's side torsion bar broke while vehicle was parked. Have heard that this has ocurred on other Ford trucks. This truck's suspension has not been obused in any way. I am only relieved that this failure happened while the vehicle was not being driven.

Torsion bar snapped while merging onto interstate, dropping the front end.

Front torsion bar broke while vehicle was sitting in garage overnight. Dealer notified.

Defective torsion bar broke in parking lot. If vehicle was driven it could have caused a crash.

Complete failure of the torsion bar on the front left of vehicle. Break is about six inches from the front of the bar. Vehicle had been parked for in excess of three hours on level ground when failure occurred. Have over 30 witnesses that can attest to when failure occurred.

Torsion bar failed.

While driving at about 5 mph torsion bar broke, the left front of the vehicle dropped down on the tires of the truck. If driving at a higher speed, it could cause the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic.

Consumer was traveling about 10 miles and stopped at a stop sign, he heard a loud baning. . Got out of the car, and front left side dropped out. . Et.

While pulling out of driveway torsion bar on the passenger's side broke. Truck was towed to the dealership. Torsion bar has been replaced.

Front torsion bar broke while driving which may have caused a loss of vehicle control.

Front left torsion bar snapped in two, without warning, while driving on a smooth road. The truck pulled hard to the right, as the suspension collapsed. Ford replaced only one torsion bar: I am afraid the other torsion bar will also break.

Torsion bar broke in half causing temporary loss of control when vehicle collapsed onto the front suspension.

While parked, unoccupied and not running, in an closed garage the right side torsion bar broke in two. The break occurred just behind the location where the torsion bar fits into the lower control arm. As a result of this failure the right front suspension dropped approximately 8 - 10 inches. From examination of the part it is clear from corrosion in the break that the part had been cracked for sometime before final catastrophic failure occurred. While this vehicle has just over 49k miles, they have been primarily highway miles. The vehicle has never been used for towing and has never been used in an "off-road" environment. Ford has been notified and is willing to repair at a discounted price. However, they will not acknowledge the existance of a problem. While I have shown the dealer the broken part, I am retaining the part and refusing repairs at this time due to Ford's lack of demonstrated concern over this situation. I has registered a conplaint over the phone with the NHTSA. However, I am filing this complaint to demostrate the urgency of my concern. If this failure had occurred during highway driving, it would have almost certainly caused an accident possibly causing bodily injury. Reviewing complaints listed on the NHTSA web page I quickly found several complaints of torsion bar failure and a NHTSA action (pe98009). If it is possible, I would like to obtain a copy of the results of that action. At this time I have serious concerns about the safety of this vehicle as well as like vehicles on the highway.

The torsion bar snapped causing the front end to fall. On the drive to the dealership could not exceed 30 mph because truck would begin to bounce and cause steering difficulty. I am employed with an automotive supplier and the engineers at work tell me that had I been driving when this happened, I would have more than likely rolled the truck. I drive a significant distance to and from work and most of this mileage is via the freeways. I have done some ressearch and find that many Ford 1998 4x4 f150's have experienced this problem. The mechanic at the dealership has assured me that this should not happen again. Sounds like a faulty part and yet no recall from Ford. The second item is a crack in the sheet metal of the door. I discovered this last night after reading about the problem from many f150 owners on the internet. Although I picked up my vehicle from the dealership only last night I will be returning once again today. This also seems to be a design flaw that is being ignored by Ford.

While backing up out of driveway, right torsion bar broke in half, causing the right front end to drop down about one foot. Dealer is aware of the problem. Truck is being repaired.

This is the second torsion bar to break on this vehicle. The left front bar broke previously while the truck was parked at home. This happened the spring/summer of 1998. Two different dealers said this would be very serious if it happened at regular speed on a highway/interstate. I will get the detailed information and file a second report when the business is open tomorrow. The 3/6/99 torsion bar broke while I was hunting and driving minimum speed.

Driving along at 25 mph the front passenger's side torsion bar broke. It didn't cause any ssudden dip or impact. I have found out since that there has been three other 1998 Ford f150 trucks with the same problem. One truck was serviced at pawling Ford and the other two at pleasant vally Ford, pleasant vally, NY. You begin to wonder if this be looked at closer and possibly a recall on these trucks(all the same make and model and year). My family & I are quite concerned about the replacement part, and should the other side be replaced. I was told that if I had been going at high rate of speed. This could have led to a serious spin and eventually an accident. Also, this happened in watertown (300 miles away) where I was attending my uncles' funeral. The truck is still there awating the part. The truck is at watertown Ford, watertown, NY (315-782-7200). I've been told by the dealer this should have never happened, especially to a truck this new. The Ford dealer in watertown has been very cooperative.

Consumer parked vehicle and noticed front end was down . Backed truck up. Took it to repair shop, and was told not to drive. Vehicle was towed to Ford dealership. Dealer said problem was common, and they would replace the torsion bar. But part was on back order. Once the part was received, it was replaced on driver's side. Consumer requested that passenger's side torsion bar should also be replaced.

I was backing out of the garage at about 2-5 mph when I heard a loud bang. I immediately stopped and noticed that the truck was tilting noticeably toward the right or passenger side. I inspected and found that the passenger side torsion bar had snapped in two, and was hanging down. Temperature was approximately minus 7 degrees f. Which was the low for the overnight. I have noted that this failure has been cited by others at the nhtsc site as well as some Ford internet bbs sites. I also noted that an investigation was initiated by nhtsc but has been closed already, I would suggest perhaps prematurely since failures are obviously still occurring. There has been no acknowledgement to consumers by Ford motor CO. Of this problem or suggestions of what corrective action to take if failure occurs in heavy traffic at 65 mph.

Dealer is reporting that broken torsion bars on new Fords (f-150 and similar SUV's) is a major problem. If they snap at high speed a serious loss of control can result.

The torsion bar failure was not an isolated incident. I have heard of several others reported to my dealer, and have found a number of others on the web. I found the failure unusual since I do not use the truck off-road, it is driven like a car. Also, I have never had or heard of spring or torsion bar failures like this. I suspect either faulty material or a design problem. Had the failure occurred at any considerable speed, there would have been aloss of control of the vehicle with nothing supporting half the front end.

Front torsion bar broke, causing the front cab on driver side to fall which could result in accident. Part is on back order.