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Vehicle recall 98V161000 · July 15, 1998

1997-1998 Ford F-150

Vehicle description: light duty 4-wheel drive pickup trucks.

Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.

Summary
Vehicle description: light duty 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. If the vehicle is overloaded, the rear leaf springs can be overstressed. A fatigue fracture of the spring can occur. The center leaf of the spring can fracture at the forward edge of the spring seat and, in some cases, contact the fuel tank.
Consequence
Fuel tank contact can damage the tank and result in fuel leakage. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear springs and install an additional clip on the forward end of the rear springs to prevent fuel tank contact in the event of a leaf fracture. Any fractured springs will be replaced.
Notes
Owner notification is expected to begin August 10, 1998.OWNERS who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Recall details

NHTSA campaign
98V161000
Reported to NHTSA
July 15, 1998
Filed by
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Owner notification
August 10, 1998
Vehicles potentially affected
202,000
Initiated by
the manufacturer
Components
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly; Suspension › Rear › Springs › Leaf spring assembly
Recall 98V161000 on nhtsa.gov, with the manufacturer’s documents

Vehicles covered

As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.

Has your Ford been repaired?

Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.

NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. Recall repairs are free.