NHTSA Complaint #10186776 — 1997 FORD F-150

I JUST GOT MY 1997 FORD F150 XLT WITH THE 4.2L ENGINE BACK YESTERDAY, AFTER PAYING $1430 FOR ENGINE REPAIRS. THIS TRUCK ONLY HAS 47,700 MILES ON IT. I WENT OUT TO THE TRUCK ONE DAY AND TURNED THE KEY, AND - NOTHING. TURNS OUT TO BE HYDRO LOCK BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME. I FINALLY GOT IT STARTED, & GOT IT INTO THE DEALER, AND THE TECHNICIAN THOUGHT IT NEEDED TO BE TUNED UP, PLUS I WAS HAVING THE HEAT FADE AT STOPS SO HE FLUSHED & REFILLED THE COOLANT. I MENTIONED THAT I WAS HAVING TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE COOLANT WAS GOING, AND IT WASN'T SHOWING UP IN THE OIL. I GOT IT BACK, AND IT WAS STILL RUNNING REALLY BAD, SO I DROPPED IT OFF AGAIN 2 DAYS LATER. THIS TIME HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE COIL PACK. THEY HAD IT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER DAY, REPLACED THE COIL PACK AND A SENSOR. I GO OUT TO THE LOT AND START IT, AND IT WAS STILL RUNNING REALLY BAD. SO, I GO BACK IN & GET THE TECHNICIAN, AND HE CAME OUT TO CHECK IT HIMSELF, AND HE WAS AMAZED AT HOW BAD IT WAS RUNNING. WE TOOK IT FOR A RIDE, AND IT SMOOTHED OUT A LITTLE, BUT IT WAS STILL NOT RIGHT. I TOLD HIM I WOULD LET HIM CONSULT HIS BOSS, AND CALL THEM BACK ON MONDAY. MONDAY COMES, AND I GO TO START IT TO GO TO WORK, AND - HYDRO LOCK AGAIN. SO, I TAKE MY WIFE'S CAR TO WORK, AND CALLED THEM FROM THERE, AND TOLD THEM WHAT IT WAS DOING. THEY WERE THERE WITHIN A HALF HOUR TO GET IT. THIS TIME I GET A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER, AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE PUT HIS BEST TECHNICIAN ON IT, AND WOULD CALL. WHEN HE CALLED, HE TOLD ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING, AND LETTING COOLANT INTO THE CYLINDERS. I SAID TO GO AHEAD & FIX IT. THEN THEY CALLED ME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THEY FOUND THAT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED, AND LETTING COOLANT POUR INTO THE CYLINDERS. I ASKED ABOUT GETTING A USED INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND HE SAID THEY WOULD LOOK FOR ONE, AND THEY DID FIND ONE. PLUS, THEY PUT IN A NEW THERMOSTAT. *JB