NHTSA Complaint #10156928 — 2000 FORD EXPEDITION

ON 05-04-06, WAS DRIVING 35 MPH DOWN A CITY STREET DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION, THEN MY 2000 EXPEDITION BEGAN TO SOUND AS IF IT WAS SPUTTERING OR MISSING. WIFE SCREAMED, KIDS STARTED CRYING, I SWERVED AS I THOUGHT INITIALLY IT WAS EITHER AN EXPLOSION OR ENGINE BLOWING UP COMING THROUGH THE FLOOR BOARD / FIREWALL. THE EXPEDITION WAS THEN SLOWLY DRIVEN TO THE HOUSE (WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY LUCKILY) AND CALLED A LOCAL MECHANIC TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING IN VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. FOUND IT WAS #7 SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD, COIL WAS DAMAGED ETC. THE MECHANIC THEN REPAIRED THE ENGINE FOR ME AND I GOT IT BACK AFTER A WEEK. THE REPAIRS INCLUDED THE TOP HALF OF THE ENGINE BEING DISASSEMBLED, THE HEAD TAKEN TO A MACHINE SHOP AND BEING REPAIRED, THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE ENGINE BEING CLEANED UP AND REASSEMBLED. ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE COIL AND COIL MOUNT REPLACED ETC. (NOT A MECHANIC, THERE IS AN ENTIRE LIST IF ITEMS ORDERED FOR REPLACEMENT DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME) AND JUST RECEIVED THE SUV BACK TODAY. MY WIFE IS NOW TOTALLY SCARED TO DRIVE THE EXPEDITION AS SHE IS NOW WEARY OF THE QUALITY OF THE ENGINE SINCE WE HAVE NOW FOUND THAT SPARK PLUG(S) FLYING OUT OF FORD ENGINES ARE A COMMON THING. SHE HAS HAD NIGHTMARES OF THE INCIDENT AND HAS BEEN AFRAID TO DRIVE DUE TO THE EXPLOSION AND HOW VIOLENT THE ENTIRE ORDEAL WAS. *NM