Investigation into Ford F-150 trucks' fuel-tank straps is expanded

It’s not how most people would want to generate sparks, driving the Ford F-150, the country’s bestselling truck, as its leaking fuel tank drags along the road.
But that’s happened to nine owners of the popular Ford pickup, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Regulators there have expanded an existing investigation into the matter to cover 2.7 million vehicles from model years 1997 to 2001.
The investigation stops short of a recall, though such actions often result in them eventually.

Regulators said that one or both of the steel straps securing the fuel tank to the truck’s frame could corrode and break, causing the tank to tilt down or fall to the road.

If either scenario occurs while driving, friction with the ground could open a hole in the loose tank, regulators said. Sparks from the dragging metal could ignite leaking fuel.

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