NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-036: Fuel Tank Strap Corrosion/Rust
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-036 on September 7, 2010 and closed it on May 23, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1997–2001 Ford F-150 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-036 (also written PE10036)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed May 23, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Components
- Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Gasoline — Storage — Tank Assembly — Mounting; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly; Fuel System, Other — Storage — Tank Assembly — Mounting
- Vehicles and equipment
- 1997–2001 Ford F-150
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-036.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and break.
If one strap breaks, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.
If both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.
If either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline can spill.
When the tank drops, it remains attached to the vehicle only by the fuel filler hose and/or supply lines, or in rare instances, by the skid plate, if present.
This raises the possibility that the weight of the dropped tank could sufficiently strain the hoses and fittings to cause separation and fuel leaks between those components.
The fire hazard created by the leaking gasoline is increased by the possible presence of sparks created by the metal tank being dragged along the road.
The sparks could ignite the escaped fuel.
ODI has included in its incident counts reports it has received from consumers and reports provided by Ford in which either the complaint involved confirmed strap corrosion or ODI's investigation yielded information that strongly suggests the subject defect as the cause of the reported problem.
Among the incidents reported to NHTSA or Ford, 243 involved the fuel tank dropping below the vehicle and/or dragging on the ground, 95 involved fuel leakage, and nine included reports of sparks from the tank being dragged on the road.
ODI has received one report of strap failure in which the leaking fuel ignited but self-extinguished.
Ford reported another incident in which the leaking fuel ignited and the resultant fire destroyed the vehicle.
There have been no injuries associated with these incidents.
ODI has received reports of corrosion induced tank strap failures with other model year F-150 vehicles.
ODI is upgrading this investigation to further investigate the frequency, severity and scope of this problem.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-036. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE10-036
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.