NHTSA Complaint #10180664 — 2001 FORD F SERIES

ON OCTOBER 27, 2006 I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 FORD F-150 PICKUP DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND PULLED OVER. UPON INSPECTION MY HUSBAND NOTICED THAT THE NUMBER 3 SPARK PLUG AND COIL PACK HAD BEEN EJECTED FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. HE ALSO NOTICED THAT IT HAD CAUSED A SIZEABLE DENT IN THE FUEL INJECTOR RAIL. THE RAIL/FUEL LINE WHICH PROVIDES FUEL UNDER PRESSURE TO THE INJECTORS IS MADE OF STEEL. THE COIL PACK ALTHOUGH THE MOUNTING POINT WAS BROKEN OFF REMAINED PLUGGED IN AND FUNCTIONING. THE SPARK PLUG ALSO REMAINED IN TACT AND APPEARED UNDAMAGED. THE SPARK PLUG STILL RESTING IN THE SPARK PLUG BOOT MANAGED TO FIND A GROUND VERY NEAR IF NOT ON THE DENTED FUEL RAIL. THIS WAS EVIDENT BY THE FACT THAT IT CONTINUED SPARKING AS THE MOTOR SAT AND IDLED AS WE TRIED TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY SORT OF FUEL LEAK OR HAD IT RAN LONGER SPARKING AGAINST THE FUEL RAIL, I SUSPECT A FIRE COULD HAVE RESULTED. A RATHER SERIOUS FIRE CONSIDERING THE FUEL IN THE RAIL IS UNDER PRESSURE. ADMITTEDLY THIS MAY BE A VERY UNLIKELY SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER IN CHECKING ON THE INTERNET THE SPARK PLUG EJECTION SEEM TO BE COMMON AND THE DENTED FUEL RAIL NOT UNCOMMON. THE COIL PACK CONTINUING TO FIRE SEEMS LIKELY AS THE CONNECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS SEEMS QUITE SECURE. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THE STEEL FUEL RAIL IS A VERY CONVENIENT GROUND. NOT ONLY DID THIS HAPPEN ONCE NO IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON JANUARY 19, 2007. FORD REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM WITH THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CHARGES $3000 TO REPLACE THE HEAD AND ALL OF IT INTERNAL COMPONENTS EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS. FORD BLAMES THIS PROBLEM ON THE SPARK PLUG I CAN ASSURE YOU THE SPARK PLUG WAS COMPLETELY IN TACT AND SPARKING NOT IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER MIND YOU BUT AGAINST A STEEL FUEL LINE. FORD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS AT 100,000 MILES MY TRUCK WAS ONLY AT 80,000. *NM