NHTSA Complaint #10136508 — 1999 FORD F-150

MANUFACTURING DEFECT - PLUG THREAD FAILURE VEHICLE IS A 1999 FORD F-150 4X WITH 5.4L TRITON AND APPROX. 45,000 MILES. WHILE UNAGGRESSIVELY ACCELLERATING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND A LOUD POPPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, TURNED OFF, AND TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY. NO INJURY OR CRASH OCCURRED. INVESTIGATION INDICATED A SPARK PLUG AND COIL HAD BEEN EJECTED FROM THE HEAD. THE PLUG WAS THE 2ND FROM THE FRONT ON PASSENGER SIDE. THE THREADS IN THE HEAD WERE STRIPPED SUCH THAT A NEW SPARK PLUG COULD NOT BE SEATED. A HELICOIL WAS INSTALLED FOR APPROX. $300 AND LOSS OF VEHICLE FOR A WEEK, BUT IT FAILED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS. THIS FAILURE WAS EVIDENCED BY ENGINE MISFIRE, POWER LOSS AND SLUGGISHNESS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT SAME PLUG WAS NOT FIRING, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE THE HELICOIL THREADS WERE ALSO STRIPPED. THE HEAD WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $3,626 WITH AND ADDITIONAL 2 WEEKS LOST VEHICLE USE (2 COMPARABLE QUOTES FROM REPUTABLE AUTO REPAIR PROVIDERS WERE OBTAINED). REPAIR TIME WAS LONGER THAN USUAL AS THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM OUT-OF-STATE AND EXPEDITED SHIPPING WAS DEEMED TOO EXPENSIVE. AT THIS TIME, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE MISFIRES CONTINUOUSLY AT IDLE AND FREQUENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR A 3RD TIME TO INVESTIGATE THIS CONTINUING CONDITION. *NM