NHTSA Complaint #10189712 — 2001 FORD EXPEDITION

WHILE DRIVING BACK FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE TO VIRGINIA, MY 2001 EXPEDITION POPPED A PLUG FROM ITS ENGINE. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 200 MILES BECAUSE THE SMELL OF FUEL IT WAS LATE FRIDAY AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO UNTIL MONDAY. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE IN DEARBORN, MI. I WAS TOLD BY THE FEMALE OPERATOR (CHARLOTTE) TO BRING MY VEHICLE TO BOWDITCH FORD AND TO HAVE THEM RUN A DIAGNOSTICS TEST. MY VEHICLE WENT OFF TO THE SHOP VIA FLATBED AS TO NOT CAUSE ANY FURTHER DAMAGE. I LATER RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER TELLING ME THAT IT WOULD COST $92.50, I OK'ED IT BECAUSE OVER THE WEEKEND I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE TRITON ENGINE AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME I WAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH FORD AND HAD EVEN TALKED TO AN OPERATOR NAMED RALPH. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO NEARLY 800,000 VEHICLES AND SOME RESULTING IN DEATH. DEARBORN, MI SAID THEY WOULD KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND WOULD CONTACT ME THURSDAY. THURSDAY MORNING CAME AND I WAS CONTACTED BY DEARBORN AGAIN. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES MYSELF. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY DEARBORN TO ASK THE DEALERSHIP, "WHO RECEIVES CERTAIN ALLOCATED FUNDS EACH YEAR FOR REPAIRS JUST LIKE THIS". THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED ASSISTANCE. AFTER ALL WAS DONE I WAS CHARGED FOR AN ECSD DIAGNOSE (92.50); 2 SPARK PLUGS (6.81); 1 COIL ASSEMBLY IGNITION (103.69); FUEL INGESTION CLEANER (6.47) ANOTHER VEHICLE KEY ? (30.00); MISC DRIVABILITY CHARGE (92.50); PCM REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER? (92.50); CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY (78.75); CLEAN THE INJECTORS? (65.00). THEY ALSO FIXED A SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION DEVICE OF WHICH WAS UNDER RECALL. AS A DISABLED VETERAN THAT WAS HALF MY CHECK FOR THE MONTH. THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. 1ST DAY, CHECKED ENGINE AND FOUND THE NUMBER 1 AND 4 PLUGS WERE SCREWED UP AND THAT THE INJECTORS WERE BACKWARDS. *JB