NHTSA Complaint #10138439 — 1998 FORD F-150

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I AM THE OWNER OF A 1998 FORD F-150 4.2L XLT. A FEW WEEKS AGO I NOTICED A SLIGHT HESITATION UPON STARTING MY ENGINE. ONCE THE ENGINE STARTED, IT STRUGGLED A LITTLE AND THEN SMOOTHED OUT ONCE I BEGAN TO DRIVE. THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO RUN FINE, ONCE STARTED, BUT CONTINUED WITH THE SLIGHT HESITATION WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK. ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2005, I ATTEMPTED TO START MY TRUCK AND FOUND THAT IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER RIGHT AWAY. I LET THE TRUCK REST A MOMENT THEN AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE. THE TRUCK STARTED UP, THEN I HEARD THE SLIGHT HESITATION AND ALL OF SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHEREUPON I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A ROD KNOCK, WHICH SHOT DOWN THROUGH THE OIL PAN. HE FOUND COOLANT ON THE PLUGS AND WATER INTRUSION THROUGH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD INTO THE BLOCK. HE INFORMED ME THAT MY ENGINE HAD HYDRO-LOCKED. THROUGH RESEARCH I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THIS IS AN APPARENTLY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY ISSUED A RECALL ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN 1999. I NEVER RECEIVED SUCH NOTIFICATION, ALTHOUGH I HAVE, IN FACT RECEIVED INFORMATION FOR OTHER RECALLS. I WAS NEVER SENT ANYTHING IN THE MAIL AND HAD NO IDEA OF THIS PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, I AM INFORMED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO RECTIFY THIS MATTER WITH CUSTOMERS. I CURRENTLY HAVE 117,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK AND HAD TO PAY OVER $4,000.00 TO REPLACE THE LONG BLOCK. I HAD TO PAY TO REPAIR A PROBLEM THAT FORD OBVIOUSLY KNEW EXISTED. SINCE FORD WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF DAMAGING THE ENGINE AND DID LITTLE, IF NOTHING, TO INFORM ITS CUSTOMERS OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER, I FEEL THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD, AT LEAST IN PART, LIABLE FOR THE DAMAGE INCURRED TO MY TRUCK AND TO MANY OF THOSE, LIKE MYSELF, WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. *JB