NHTSA Complaint #10148422 — 1997 FORD F-150

MY 1997 FORD F150 WITH A 4.2L V-6 ENGINE BEGAN GIVING ME PROBLEMS A FEW MONTHS AGO. IT BEGAN HAVING AN ERRATIC STARTING PROBLEM. IT THEN BEGAN TO BLOW OUT WHITE SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I CHECKED THE COOLANT SYSTEM WITH PRESSURE GAUGES, AND EVERYTHING SHOWED TO BE FINE. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES, BECAUSE WHITE SMOKE CONTINUED TO COME OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THEN I WENT TO START IT THE OTHER MORNING AND IT TURNED OVER THE ROD IN THE #4 CYLINDER IS BENT DUE TO COOLANT IN THE CYLINDER. I HAVE HEARD THIS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE, AND THINK THAT FORD SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! . THE TECH THEN EXPLAINED THAT THE F-150S HAVE HAD A TREND PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES FOR YEARS; COOLANT WOULD LEAK INTO A CYLINDER CAUSING TOO MUCH COMPRESSION RESULTING IN A BENT OR BROKEN ROD. IT COST ME OVER $2000 FOR SOMETHING FORD KNEW WAS DEFECTIVE. I SENT A LETTER (ATTACHED) TO FORD AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE BASICALLY TELLING ME IT WAS THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY. THIS VEHICLE WAS METICULOUSLY CARED FOR ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL BUT, BECAUSE OF AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURER, THE ENGINE FAILED. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF STORIES LIKE MINE AT HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=224&PAGE=1&PP=15 . I FINED IT EXTREMELY UNFAIR THAT I AND HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF REPLACING A DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. *JB