NHTSA Complaint #10065673 — 1998 FORD EXPEDITION

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I HEARD A POP AND THEN MY 5.4L ENGINE ON MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION STARTED MAKING A LOUD CONTINUOUS POPPING/TICKING SOUND. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A BLOWN SPARK PLUG CAUSED BY THE CYLINDER HEAD THREADS GIVING WAY AND CAUSING THE SPARK PLUG TO BE BLOWN OUT OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLE. THEY ARE CHARGING US ALMOST $3300 TO FIX THE DEFECT IN THEIR CYLINDER HEADS. THEY DENY THERE IS ANY TYPE OF RECALL, BUT I DID SEE A TSB# 98B33 WHICH RELATES TO CYLINDER HEAD REPLACEMENT. IF YOU GO TO THESE WEBSITES, HTTP://WWW.F150ONLINE.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=90A1A25C42DBFFDE23D53146381E3E78&THREADID=88853&PERPAGE=15&PAGENUMBER=2 AND HTTP://FORUMS.PICKUPTRUCK.COM/SHOWFLAT.PHP?CAT=&BOARD=UBB10&NUMBER=155196 YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALOT OF OTHER FORD OWNERS WITH 5.4 AND 6.7L V-8'S AND V-10'S. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A SPARK PLUG BLOWING UP AND CRACKING A HEAD BEFORE IN MY LIFE AND TO ME THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND FORD SHOULD RECALL THESE ENGINES AND FIX THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. WE HAVE DONE ALL OF OUR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT FORD DEALERS AND SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF MONEY DOING SO AND WE WERE NEVER WARNED OR TOLD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. FORD SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST RECOMMEND MORE FREQUENT MAINTENANCE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. *AK *TR