NHTSA Complaint #10133163 — 1997 FORD F SERIES

UPON STARTING MY TRUCK, A LOUD BANGING OR RATTLING NOISE COULD BE HEARD. THE NOISE WAS NOT PRESENT PRIOR TO THAT DAY. I SHUT IT DOWN AND UPON DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THAT A FAULTY GASKET DESIGN CAUSED WATER TO LEAK INTO ONE OF THE CYLINDERS INSPECTION OF THE CYLINDERS SHOWED COOLANT TO BE POOLED IN THE FRONT, PASSENGER-SIDE CYLINDER. CERTIFIED MECHANICS ATTRIBUTE COOLANT IN THE CYLINDER TO BE DUE TO A PREMATURE GASKET FAILURE. IF NOT CORRECTED, THE PROBLEM LEADS TO MAJOR ENGINE DESTRUCTION. DOCUMENTED EFFECTS OF THE COOLANT LEAK ARE WORN OUT BEARINGS AND SURFACES, AND BROKEN OR BENT CONNECTING RODS, NECESSITATING AN ENGINE REBUILD. FORD SENT A TSB TO SOME OWNERS OF THESE ENGINES TO REPLACE THE FAULTY GASKET BUT NOT TO OTHER OWNERS. THE KNOWLEDGE OF A FAULTY GASKET DESIGN WAS WITHHELD FROM SOME 1997 4.2L F150 OWNERS. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE TSB AND THOSE WHO DID NOT (BASED ON MY RESEARCH SO FAR) SEEMS TO BE MADE BASED ON WHERE THE TRUCK WAS ASSEMBLED, NOT ON WHERE THE ENGINE WAS ASSEMBLED. ERGO, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WITH AVERAGE REPAIR COSTS OF AROUND $4500 DOLLARS, DUE TO FORD NOT NOTIFYING OWNERS OF KNOWN DEFECTS. *JB