NHTSA Complaint #10133620 — 2002 FORD MUSTANG GT

COMING OUT OF A RED LIGHT, I HEARD THE SOUND OF COMPRESSED AIR BEING BLOWN OUT. I IMMEDIATELY PARKED IN A LOCAL STORE PARKING LOT AND GOT TOWED TO A LOCAL PEP-BOYS. PEP-BOYS INDICATED THAT ONE OF MY SPARK PLUGS HAD BLOWN OUT AND THAT THE THREADING ON THE HEAD WAS DAMAGED. HOWEVER, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT DO THAT TYPE OF REPAIR AND RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER. THE FIRST TIME I CONTACTED FORD WAS WHEN I TOWED MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER PERFORMING AN INSPECTION, THEY INDICATED THAT THE ONE OF MY SPARK PLUGS HAD BLOWN OUT AND THAT THE THREADING ON THE HEAD WAS DAMAGED. FORD INDICATED THAT THERE WERE TWO METHODS OF FIXING THE PROBLEM: 1.) I COULD REPLACE THE ENGINE HEAD (AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE) ON THE SIDE THAT BLEW OUT. THIS OPTION WAS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $3200.00. THIS OPTION HOWEVER ONLY INCLUDED 1 YR. WARRANTY ON THE SIDE THAT WOULD BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, FORD WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM COULDN'T OCCUR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE OR TO ANOTHER SPARK PLUG. 2.) THE OTHER OPTION FORD RECOMMENDED WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THIS OPTION WOULD COST APPROX. $4565.00. THIS OPTION INCLUDED 3-YR OR 36,000 MILES OF WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE. THIS IS THE OPTION THAT I CHOSE. PRIOR TO TAKING THE CAR OUT OF THE DEALER, I ASKED THE SERVICE TECHINITIAN IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. HE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I COULD DO. FURTHERMORE, HE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THESE TYPES OF FAILURES ON FORD TRUCKS LIKE THE F-150 AND SPECIALLY THE F-250.