hades281 said:
This should be handled by the body shop, not the service department. My dealership had over 300 flood cars to deal with in the service department but the body shop manager said this did not affect them at all. He ordered my parts and I am taking it in Tuesday.

 

Thanks for the info about the Norfolk plant date. I forgot to put in my post that my 2001 F-150 was made in Kansas on 10/00. Sounds like it might have the fix.

I wish there was a way I could tell on my own.

 

My 1999 F150 had the crack and I fought with the dealer a year ago to have it repaired. I fought to have them replace the entire door because with the weld it would only come back. Now, one year after having a brand new door put on, the crack has happened again!
I believe this is serious hazzard, not to mention sloppy work on Ford's part.
I've been dealing with my dealership as well as Ford's "Customer Care" (ha!) and have gotten no where. They ignore that this exists much less that it needs to be addressed.
If anyone knows how to take recourse, please contact me! I want to petition Ford to have the faulty vehicles replaced. I don't want to be out of my truck for a week every year while they say they repair it. If we stand together and use a loud enough megaphone they will have to listen.

 

My dealership is going to put the fix (supports) in before the crack starts in my 2001.

On the new door they replaced, they should have put in the reinforcements for extra support, I think.

 

After reading about the door cracks, I checked my 1997 F150, and sure enough, there was a crack on the driver's side. I called Ford's National Customer Service number, and they refused to acknowledge the cracks. They would only talk with me about "official" recalls for my truck. Any advice on what to do next?

 

JOE500

Start with your service manager at your local Ford dealer. That is the first place to go. I just had my door crack repaired after a little quibbling. Print out the Technical Service Bulliten available here on this site and take it with you when you talk with the service manager. Read up on everything you can find here about the cracks. Go in informed, be polite, but firm. Spell out to him what the situation is, what you know and back it up with hard facts (printed out of course) and tell him what you expect to happen (tactfully. tact is very important in getting what you want, especially if you are out of factory warranty).
My dealer is one of the few in the nation backed by Ford directly, so he has an incentive to make ppl happy with the product. Smaller independent dealers who don't have Ford backing to begin with have little to lose by not making you happy. If you don't get satisfaction from your service manager, try to find a dealer who is Ford backed if you can. Good Luck.

 

I have a 2000 XLT Supercab with a build date of 7/00 from the Norfolk Assembly plant. Is my truck susceptable to the door crack defect and should I contact my dealer to get the preventive kit installed? I have 15,000 miles on it with no signs of the cracks yet. Thanks.

 

one of my friends with a F-50 work series has manual windows and the biggest door crack I've seen on his drivers door. It must be 1.5 inches.

 

duncur-

I would have the preventative kit put in. Mine is a 2001 and my dealer is putting the Prevantative fix "b" on both doors.

Neither has crack yet.

 

Dunbarton, the problem isn't only with the power windows, just faster. Manual windows also have the same problem, there have been plenty of people write in about their problems with the manual windows too. I just read the April 2001 date off of a thread here, so I have no basis in that other than what other people have written.

 

Pickup Man,

You may be correct in that ALL windows will eventually have the problem pre-July 2000 builds. I know the power windows flex the door skin quite a bit.

Peter1,

I am somewhat confused as to why your dealer in inserting the reinforcing nylon buttons for your door fix. This is supposed to be installed on the assembly line as they are built now if a new door design has not already been incorporated.

 

I read that the assembly line fix was not put in until April 2001 on the assembly line in Kansas. Mine was built in Kansas on 10/00. My dealer is scheduling me to take the truck to a body shop this week.

If you know more about this, please let me know, thank you!!

Peter

 

My 98 F150 was the first my dealership repaired using the new kit for the door crack. The job looked great. That was late May, 01.

I now see a crack at the same place as before. Not very big yet, about 1-2 mm, but definitely there. The dealer and the 1-800 number for Ford has been notified.

 

Now I have the door cracks also!! Do they have to do any repainting?

 

broncojim

Yes, the the fix for existing cracks involves opening the crack a bit and cleaning it with a grinder and welding the crack. Then, repainting. My fix looks really good.