NHTSA Complaint #10081069 — 2002 FORD F-250 SD

I HAVE A 2002 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY PICKUP TRUCK WITH A V-10 ENGINE. IT HAS APPROX. 63,000 MILES AND IS SUBSEQUENTLY 'OUT OF WARRANTY' (3/36,000). ON JULY 9, 2004 I HEARD A BRIEF TAPPING NOISE AND A POP THEN A LOUD NOISE LIKE AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK. IMMEDIATELY UPON HEARING THIS NOISE I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK, AS I AM NOT A MECHANIC AND DID NOT WANT TO CREATE FURTHER DAMAGE. WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED TO TOW MY TRUCK HE OBSERVED THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER. I INFORMED HIM TO TOW IT TO HIS LOT UNTIL I COULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO. THE NEXT DY I HAD THE TOW TRUCK COMPANY BRING MY TRUCK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM. TODAY AFTER THE DEALERSHIP'S MECHANIC INSPECTED MY TRUCK THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS BROKEN AND I WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE $3,700.00 REPAIR. WHAT I FIND DISTUBING IS MY SCHEDULED SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT SERVICE INTERVAL: FORD RECOMMENDS 100,000 MILES BEFORE REPLACEMENT. HOW WOULD I EVER KNOW THAT THE SPEARK PLUG WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY AT THE FACTORY PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED SERVICE? ADDITIONALLY, HAD IT NOT BLOWN OUT ON ITS OWN, WHO KNOWS WHAT OTHER DAMAGES WOULD HAVE GONE UNCHECKED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PARTICULAR DEFECT ON THE WEB AND HAVE FOUND NOT LESS THAN 100 PEOPLE THUS FAR WITH THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. ADDITIONALLY , I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MORE THAN ONCE ON THE SAME ENGINE. I STOPPED RESEARCHING BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS SUFFUCIENT SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION OF MY COMPLAINT. IF NECESSARY, I WILL BE HAPPY TO FURNISH THIS DOCUMENTATION FOR YOU. I HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM TO BE INHERENT IN ALL V10 FORD ENGINES SINCE 1999. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO ALL OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS DESCRIBING THIS PARTICULAR REPAIR PROCEDURE. *AK