NHTSA Complaint #10162794 — 1997 FORD F-150

I BOUGHT A 1997 FORD XL V-6 4X4 FROM NOLLER FORD IN TOPEKA, KS BRAND NEW . I WAS TOLD THIS V-6 ENGINE WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER INVENTED BY FORD. I NOTICED THAT ABOUT EVERY OIL CHANGE I HAD TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT. I CALLED TOPEKA FORD ABOUT THIS APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AFTER I DROVE THE TRUCK--I WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL FOR THIS MOTOR. I TOOK THEIR WORD. MY SON IS IN THE MILITARY AT NELLIS AFB IN LAS VEGAS NEVADA. HE DROVE MY TRUCK THERE AND CALLED ME LAST NIGHT SAYING THE MOTOR LOCKED UP.(IT HAS ABOUT 112,000 MILES ON IT) I CALLED THE LAS VEGAS FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED WITH FERNANDO AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FORD V-6---PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS!!!! I THEN CALLED A FORMER FORD MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM WHAT MY SON COULD DO---HE STATED THAT FORD HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE V-6 AND MOST WAS DUE TO SOME HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT) AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR ENGINES SEIZE UP DUE TO THIS. I HAVE READ SEVERAL WEBSITES WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME COMPLAINT AS I DO---WHY DOESN'T FORD STEP-UP? I HAVE BOUGHT QUITE A FEW FORDS BUT IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE. SOME FORD OWNERS HAVE HAD FORD SEND THEM A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE GASKET ISSUE---WHY HAVEN'T I???? MY SON IS DUE TO BE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ SOON AND HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS TRUCK. HE DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT, NOR DO I---FERNANDO WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT FOR $4000 IT COULD BE FIXED, I ASKED HOW HE CAME UP WITH A FIGURE THAT FAST AND HE REFUSED TO ANSWER MY QUESTION----WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU???--THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE ON A REGULAR BASIS!!! *NM