NHTSA Complaint #10078477 — 1999 FORD EXPEDITION

I PURCHASED MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION USED, WITH 50,140 MILES ON IT. I ALSO PURCHASED AN ESP WARRANTY PLAN. MY ENGINE ALWAYS HAD A KNOCK WHEN COLD.I THOUGHT THAT WAS "NORMAL". ON THE WEEK OF APRIL 12TH, THE ENGINE KNOCK BECAME SEVERE AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN USING MORE OIL THAN USUAL. I BROUGHT IT TO JOHNSON FORD FOR REPAIR. MY SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, I HAD THE BEST WARRANTY PLAN THERE IS, AND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 5.4 ENGINES.HE EVEN TOLD ME THAT HE SPENDS MUCH TIME CALLING IN SIMILIAR CLAIMS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS "SPUN ROD BEARINGS". AFTER TWO WEEKS, MY CLAIM WAS "DENIED", AND I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A $6400.00 ESTIMATE FOR A NEW MOTOR. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT, AND HAD TO PURCHASE A USED MOTOR FOR MY FORD. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT DEFECTS IN THE 5.4 LTR ENGINE. I FIND IT VERY FRUSTRATING TO HAVE SPENT $1100.00 ON A RENTAL CAR, $4300.00 ON REPAIRS, AND $335.00 TO JOHNSON FORD TO TELL ME THAT MY ENGINE FAILED. (I KNEW THAT WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN!) IN ADDITION TO THAT, I SPENT $2395.00 ON AN ESP WARRANTY THAT WAS OF NO USE TO ME. JOHNSON FORD IS CLAIMING THAT MY ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. MOBILE TECH (THE INDEPENDENT) HAS STATED THAT MY ENGINE WAS SLUDGE FREE, AND THAT THEIR OPINION IS THAT IS WAS NOT LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I HAVE WRITTEN AT LEAST 20 LETTERS TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE BBB, AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY SINCE APRIL 30TH AND AM GETTING NO ANSWERS OR SATISFACTION. THE MOTOR REMAINS AT MOBILE TECH AS I HAVE REQUESTED AN EXAMINATION, AGAIN, FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. TO DATE, I HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY DENIED MY REQUEST.*AK