NHTSA Complaint #10146767 — 2002 FORD EXCURSION

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 FORD EXCURSION ON THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 65 MPH, I HEARD A THUMP UNDER THE HOOD AND THEN MY ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD CLUNKY SOUND (ALMOST AS IF THERE WERE NO MUFFLER). ONE OF THE SPARKS PLUGS HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE! LUCKILY, MY EXCURSION WAS STILL DRIVABLE AND I WAS WITHIN A FEW MILES OF MY HOME AND COULD PARK IT UNTIL I COULD SEEK REPAIRS ON MONDAY. I DID NOT TAKE IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP (TRUST ISSUES). I TOOK IT TO TUNE-UP 2000, WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE SPARK PLUG THREADS HAD STRIPPED OUT CAUSING IT TO BLOW FORM THE ENGINE. IT HAD TO BE RE-THREADED, COSTING ME $500. THIS PUTS MY REPAIR BILLS, FOR MY LESS THAN FOUR YEAR OLD EXCURSION, AT OVER $3500 IN 2005. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT THIS SUMMER DUE TO A CRACKED TRANSMISSION CASE. *JB