NHTSA Complaint #10167591 — 2002 FORD EXPEDITION

WE WERE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH ON A SHARP CURVE ON A FREEWAY ON-RAMP. WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND A VERY LOUD POPPING NOISE. WE PULLED OVER SINCE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. WE WERE STRANDED IN A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT ABOUT 100 FEET IN FRONT OF THE FREEWAY ON-RAMP. AFTER AAA INFORMED US IT WOULD BE ABOUT AN HOUR FOR A TOW TRUCK AND AN ACCELERATING VEHICLE CAME WITHIN INCHES OF OUR CAR, MY FAMILY AND I DECIDED TO ABANDON THE VEHICLE AND CLIMB A VERY STEEP AND DANGEROUS EMBANKMENT. I FEARED FOR MY THREE KIDS AND WIFE'S THE WHOLE TIME WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK. WE WERE TOWED TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY TOLD US( A WEEK LATER) THE NUMBER THREE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN. THE USUAL PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. THE PLUG BLOWS BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY FIVE THREADS FOR THE SPARK PLUG IN THESE ALUMINUM HEADS. THE NEW DESIGN FROM FORD NOW HAS 12 THREADS. WE DECIDED TO HAVE THE WHOLE ENGINE REPLACED SINCE THIS COST LESS THAN HAVING TWO HEADS REPLACED. ITS 5500 FOR THE ENGINE AND 3500 PER HEAD. WE WANTED BOTH HEADS SINCE THE OTHER HEAD WOULD BE PRONE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK FORD SHOULD OWN UP TO THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THERE ARE GOING TO BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO SOMEONE AS A RESULT OF THIS. WE WERE ONLY INCHES AWAY FROM THIS HAPPENING. *NM