NHTSA Complaint #10134266 — 1999 FORD EXPEDITION

ONE SPARK PLUG ON MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION EXPLODED AND BURST THROUGH THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. MY WIFE WAS PICKING UP MY CHILD AT SCHOOL. SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE, SHUT IT OFF AND MINUTES LATER RETURNED. AS SHE WAS STARTING THE EXPEDITION BOTH HER AND MY DAUGHTER HEARD A VERY LARGE EXPLOSION FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AND A CONSTANT POPPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD. SHE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND NOTICED A VERY STRONG GAS/EXHAUST TYPE SMELL. SHE CALLED ME AND I ARRIVED TO CHECK THE VEHICLE OUT. I INSPECTED ALL THE FLUID LEVELS AND FUSES AND THEY WERE FINE. I BRIEFLY STARTED THE ENGINE WITH THE HOOD OPEN TO HELP NARROW THE LOCATION OF THE SOUND. THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I STARTED INSPECTING THIS AREA AND FOUND THAT THE THIRD SPARK PLUG FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD BEEN COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. IT IS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE BOTH VERY STARTLED BY THE LOUD EXPLOSION AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON THE ROAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I BELIEVE THAT AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE RESULTED. I HAVE SINCE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AND HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ON FORD VEHICLES AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AND FIND OUT WHAT THE NHTSA IS DOING ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. THE DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR SPARK PLUG/ENGINE HEAD COMBINATION IS WELL KNOWN IN AUTOMOTIVE CIRCLES. WHAT IS THE NHTSA DOING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR MY CONCERNS, AND TO REITERATE I BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT IF THIS EVENT HAD HAPPENED ON THE ROAD AT ANY RATE OF HIGH SPEED. *JB