NHTSA Complaint #10171390 — 1999 FORD F-150

I PURCHASED MY '99 FORD F-150 IN THE SPRING OF '04. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THE TRUCK HAD JUST OVER 49,000 MILES ON IT. THIS PAST MONDAY (10/16/06) WHILE PULLING OUT OF A LOCAL PARKING LOT, THE #2 SPARK PLUG WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE RIGHT CYLINDER HEAD, RIPPING OUT THE THREADS THAT THE SPARK PLUG SCREWS INTO & DESTROYING THE COIL PACK LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE. MY TRUCK ON THE DAY OF FAILURE HAD 81,790 MILES ON IT. THAT'S 18,210 MILES SHORT IF THE TRUCKS FIRST MANUFACTURES SUGGESTED 100,000 MILE TUNE-UP. FORD WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER THE THOUGHT OF MAKING THIS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT RIGHT. THEY SIMPLY TOLD ME THAT THE HEAD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE AND AT THE COST OF $2,800.00 TO $3,000.00. IT'S A DESIGN FLAW!!! THE ALUMINUM HEADS FOR THE 5.4 L ENGINES WERE ENGINEERED WITH AN INADEQUATE NUMBER OF THREADS NEEDED TO RETAIN THE SPARK PLUGS. THERE ARE ONLY 4 TO 5 THREADS TAPPED INTO THESE HEADS (APPROX. 1/4" TO 5/16" IN LENGTH) TODAY IS OCTOBER 19TH AND I HAVE PURCHASED A REPAIR KIT MANUFACTURED BY DORMAN PRODUCTS TO FIX THIS STRIPPED OUT SPARK PLUG MYSELF. THIS KIT IS SPECIFICALLY MADE BY DORMAN NOT FORD, TO FIX THIS PROBLEM OF FORDS 5.4L ENGINES. IT'S REALLY SAD THAT FORD HAS TO USE THE CONSUMERS AS GUINEA PIGS AND THEN FAIL SO MISERABLY TO BACK THEIR PRODUCT. I'M HESITANT TO CHECK THE TORQUE OF THE OTHER SEVEN PLUGS IN FEAR THAT THEY WILL NOT WITHSTAND THE RECOMMENDED 25 FOOT POUNDS OF TORQUE REQUIRED TO TIGHTEN THEM UP BUT IF I DON'T THEN IT'S RUSSIA ROULETTE AS TO WHEN THE NEXT ONE WILL BLOW OUT AND WHERE I WILL BE STRANDED WHEN IT DOES. I EXPECT FORD TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT 110%, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT BY FORD AND THE CONSUMER THAT THERE IS AN ENGINEERING FLAW WITH THE DESIGN OF THE 5.4L ENGINES ALUMINUM HEADS PRODUCED BETWEEN YEARS OF 1997 THROUGH 2002. *NM