NHTSA Complaint #10185756 — 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

I WAS DRIVING HOME IN MY 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER ON MONDAY EVENING IN LYNDHURST, NJ AROUND THE TIME OF 7 PM. I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY SOME RATTLING WHICH SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAS OCCURRED. I WAS VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO MY BREAK TO STOP WITHOUT THE TRUCK IDLING VERY ROUGH LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL. THE TRUCK LOST ALL POWER. I CAREFULLY PROCEEDED TO A LOCAL GAS STATION IN RUTHERFORD AND DROPPED MY CAR OFF FOR THE MACHINING TO LOOK AT IN THE MORNING. I RECEIVED A CALL THE FOLLOWING MORNING FROM (THE MECHANIC) WHO STATED THE #5 SPARK PLUG RIPPED OUT OF MY ALUMINUM ENGINE HEAD. FOR A COST OF $366.00 HE RE-THREADED THE SPARK PLUG, INSTALLED A NEW COIL AND DID A TUNE-UP. HE TOLD ME THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN V8 AND V10 FORD ENGINES. IT CAN OCCUR AGAIN, OR THE SAME PLUG MAY RIP OUT AGAIN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE TO GO ON TWO HIGHWAYS TO GET TO WORK EVERYDAY. THE SOUND WAS LIKE I WAS BEING FIRED ON BY NATO. IMAGINE LOSING POWER ON THE HIGHWAY WITH PEOPLE BEHIND YOU AT 65 MPH. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY COMPLIANTS BY FORD CUSTOMERS WHO HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES, CAUSING THEM TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. FORD DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY, SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THEM REPLACE THESE DANGEROUS ENGINES. SPARK PLUGS JUST FIRE THE ENGINE, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOOT OUT OF THE ENGINE LIKE SMALL ROCKETS. WHAT IF MY HOOD WAS OPEN AND THIS HAPPENED? SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOTEN KILLED. IF THIS WERE A BABY SEAT, CRIB OR CHILD TOY IT WOULD BE RECALLED. WE CAN'T WAIT TILL THERE IS A DEATH FROM THIS PROBLEM. *AK