1994 Ford F-150 Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
FUSE FOR BREAK/HAZARD LIGHTS BLEW. WHEN NEW FUSE WAS INSTALLED, WIRING ON BREAK MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY IMMEDIATELY IGNITED BURNING ENTIRE ASSEMBLY TO THE LEVEL OF BREAK FLUID. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, IT DID NOT STOP ON ITS OWN. *NM
PARKED TRUCK IN DRIVEWAY, WENT INSIDE, 30 MINUTES LATER TRUCK ON FIRE. FIRE CAME FROM DRIVERS SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR WIRING HARNESS OR MASTER CYLINDER. TRUCK WAS TOTALED.*AK
AT 2:00 A.M., ON AUGUST 3, 2004 MY 1994 F150 XLT EXTENDED CAB 4X4 STARTED ON FIRE. ALONG WITH IT I LOST MY GARAGE, A 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM THAT WAS SITTING NEXT TO THE F150 IN THE DRIVEWAY, AND A 1995 CHEV LUMINA MINIVAN THAT WAS INSIDE THE GARAGE, PLUS NUMEROUS TOOLS, ANTIQUES, FURNITURE, TOYS, LIFE TIME MEMORABELIA ETC.. THERE WAS ONLY FIRE COVERAGE ON THE 1999 GRAND AM AND NOT ENOUGH INSURANCE TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THE GARAGE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY BROUGHT IN A FIRE SPECIALIST WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE DEFINITELY STARTED AT THE TRUCK, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 2 TO 4 DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. *JB
TRUCK HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 12 HOURS ON DRIVEWAY. I HAD JUST LEFT MY RESIDENCE AND 10 MINUTES LATER WAS NOTIFIED TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. AS I LEFT I HAD TO BACK PAST THE TRUCK( 2 FEETAWAY) I SAW NO SMOKE OR SMELLED ANYTHING. WHEN I RETURNED TO HOUSE FIRE DEPT WAS PUTTING OUT FIRE. FIRE WAS CONCENTRATED ON LEFT FRONT FENDER JUST ABOVE WHEEL IN THE AREA OF THE POWER DISTRIBUTION BOX. NEIGHBOR ADVISED THE FIRE WAS COMING OUT UNDER LEFT FRONT SIDE ABOVE TIRE ,WHEN HE CALLED FIRE DEPT. THE TRUCK WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDTION. THERE HAD BEEN NO WORK PERFORMED ON VEHICLE.*AK
I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR ON MY F150 FIVE TIMES IN FIVE YEARS. TWICE THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR ON THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR WAS MELTED. I BOUGHT MY CURRENT ALTENATOR AT NAPA WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY 6 MONTHS AGO. I HAD TO CUT MY FACTORY ORIGINAL PLUG OFF THE HARNESS AND SPLICE IN THE WIRES FROM THE NEW ALTERNATOR. SO FAR SO GOOD, BUT THEY ALWAYS LAST ABOUT A YEAR ANYWAY. I THINK THEY FAIL BECAUSE OF THE EXCESS HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THERE IS OLNY A COUPLE OF INCHES BETWEEN THE TWO. I PLAN TO BUILD A SHIELD TO REFLECT THE HEAT AWAY FROM THE ALTERNATOR AND WIRING. *AK
CONSUMER NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON ELECTORAL WIRES UNDER MASTER CYLINDER WHILE TRAVELING CONSUMER NOTICED AN ORANGE GLOW COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. *AK
ELECTRICAL BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL PAD CEASED TO FUNCTION, HORN DOES NOT WORK, CRUISE CONTROLS DO NOT WORK, AND AIR BAG LIGHT IS FLASHING. *NLM
1994 FORD F-150 TRUCK. HORN NOT WORKING,TOOK TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS THE CLOCK SPRING. THIS ALSO CONTROLS THE AIRBAG, I THINK FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS SAFETY MALFUNCTION. TS
THE CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE THEN FIVE MINUTES LATER BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. *NLM
I DROVE THIS TRUCK TWO HOURS PRIOR TO FIRE WHICH RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS, WITH AN ADDTIONAL AMOUNT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE OF $2,000. THE TRUCK RAN VERY WELL THAT MORNING. I DROVE IT A DISTANCE OF APRROX. 40 MILES, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SMELLS NOTHING. I HAD THE TRUCK PARKED AT HOME FOR APPROX. 2 1/2 HOURS WHEN I HEARD THE ALARM BEEP ONCE SO I PROCEEDED TO THE TRUCK AND NOTICED A HEAVY AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE WHEEL WELL ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE, AND ALSO THE GRILL AREA. AT THIS POINT I CALLED 911, AND WENT BACK TO THE TRUCK TO TRY TO PULL THE HOOD RELEASE, BUT THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE GRILL AREA. THE FIRE SOON SPREAD THROUGH THE FIRE WALL INTO THE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT, I PROBABLY THREW 20 BUCKETS OF WATER ON THE FIRE PRIOR TO FIRE DEPT. GETTING HERE AND WAS UN-SUCCESSFUL IN PUTTING IT OUT. FORTUNENATLY I DID NOT HAVE THE TRUCK PARKED INSIDE THE ATTACHED GARAGE AT THE TIME. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THE AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS SINCE 1948 AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH STRANGE NOISES, SMELLS, ETC.. THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKS ON THIS TRUCK, IT WAS SERVICED REGULARLY, AND FOR A 1994 MODEL IT WAS IN EXCELLANT CONDITION, I HAVE MANY RECENT PHOTOS CONFIRMING THE VEHICLE CONDITION. I WANT TO KNOW OF ANY RECALLS THAT THIS TRUCK MAY HAVE HAD OR NOT HAD AND WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING THE EXACT CAUSE OF SUCH A DEVASTATING FIRE. I HAD THIS TRUCK PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THAT GARAGE, THE FIRST SMOKE I SMELLED WAS OF INSULATION BURING OFF OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING. I WOULD PREFER GETTING THE OPINION OF NHTSA PRIOR TO HAVING FORD TRY TO DISCOUNT THE FINDINGS IF POSSIBLE.THANK YOU, DAVID A. REINKING. *AK
AFTER PARKING VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE, RESULTING IN TOTAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, HAD STALLED ABOUT 40 TIMES. DEALER DETERMINED IT WAS AN IGNITION PROBLEM.*AK
CONSUMER WAS CALLING IN REGARD TO FIRES THAT OCCURRED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN SAME MONTH. FIRST INCIDENT WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE, THEN CAUGHT A FIRE. NO PRIOR WARNING WAS GIVEN THE SECOND TIME. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND ATTORNEY GENERAL.*AK TRANSMISSIION WAS OVERHEATED BOTH TIMES BECAUSE OF THE FIRE. *YH
ALTERNATOR PIGTAIL PLUG IS NON HEAT RESISTANT THEREFORE SPONTANIOUSLY COMBUSTS. ACCORDING TO AUTO PARTS DEALERS AND DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO BEAR THIS OUT THAT FORD HAS A CONSISTANT PROBLEM WITH THIS PLUG. NAPA AUTO PARTS WILL NOT WARRANTY ALTERNATORS WITHOUT SWITCHING THIS PLUG IN CERTAIN FORDS. SEEMS TO ME THERE IS A SILENT HAZARD HERE. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE BETWEEN THE FUSE PANEL & BATTERY. INCIDENT WAS CAUGHT ON SURVEILLANCE TAPE IN A HOSPITAL PAKING LOT WHICH SHOWED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM FRONT HOOD. ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED FORD TO RECEIVE A PACKET TO COMPLETE. CONSUMER FOUND 2 TSB ON INTERNET IN RELATION TO HIS SITUATION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHEN TRAVELING CONSUMER NOTICED THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR READING LOW. ALSO, SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AROUND THE ALTERNATOR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
DROVE TO WORK NO PROBLEMS. GOT OFF FROM WORK STARTED TRUCK NOTICED OVERDRIVE LIGHT ON. CHECKED ALL FUSES NONE BLOWN SMELLED FUNNY SMELL WHEN ENTERING VEHICLE. TOOK TO TRANSMISSION SHOP NEXT DAY TO HAVE CHECKED WAS OK. TOOK TO EFIRD FORD IN ASHDOWN, ARK PHONE# 870-898-3346 MECHANIC TRACED PROBLEM TO WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD AND DASH, 2 - 4 CONNECTORS HAD SHORTED OUT. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT TRUCK HAD NOT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD. CHECKED INTERNET FOUND A NHTSA BULLETIN ON THE HARNESS THE BULLETIN NUMBER IS 95-5-21 NHTSA ITEM NUMBER : SB039890 STATING UNDERHOOD WIRE HARNESS MAY BECOME CHAFED. THERE WAS NO CHAFING OF WIRES. IF ADDITIONAL IFORMATION NEEDED PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL ANY TIME. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER. AL GARRETT.
WHILE THE TRUCK WAS SITTING IN A PARKING GARAGE FOR OVER 5 HOURS IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE WIRING, UNDER DASH AND BURN OUT. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALLED. *AK
WHILE THE TRUCK WAS SITTING IN A PARKING GARAGE FOR OVER 5 HOURS, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN WIRING, UNDER DASH AND BURNED. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALLED. THE TRUCK HAD BEEN WORKED ON 10 DAYS PRIOR TO IT BURNING, BY AUTO NATION USA. *AK
TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSES THE CLOCK SPRING WIRING TO BREAK, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE HORN/CRUISE CONTROL AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM NOT TO WORK. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FORD. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *ML
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH STARTED IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND MADE ITS WAY TO THE BACK. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. NO ONE HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. PREVIOUSLY, OCCUPANT HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE KEY CAN BE TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
SHORT IN WIRE TO ALTERNATOR BURNED ALTERNATOR & WIRES.
ALTERNATOR WIRING FAILURE.
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Quick Summary
The 1994 Ford F-150 has 63 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.