NHTSA Complaint #10195594 — 1997 FORD F-150

I OWN A 1997 F-150 FORD PICKUP WITH THE TRITON V8 4.6L ENGINE. AFTER HAVING 10,5000 MILE SCHEDULE SERVICE TO REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AND TUNE UP THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER PLUG BEGAN TO POP-OUT" OF THE BLOCK. SO FAR NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WAS NOT FIXED YET. I KNEW THIS WAS A"COMMON PROBLEM THAT WAS INVESTIGATED BEFORE, BUT I WANTED TO DOCUMENT THAT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, AND FORD NEEDED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT. I WAS TOLD BY MY FORD DEALERSHIP THAT IF I DROVE WITH NUMBER 4 CYLINDER MISFIRING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IT MAY CAUSE HYDRO LOCK OR FIRE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THAT WAS PRETTY SERIOUS AND SOUNDED LIKE AN ADMISSION FROM FORDS DEALERS THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, AND WAS WORKING TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO I HAVE NO COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DEALER. HOWEVER, JUST BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A FATALITY WITH THIS DEFECT DID NOT MEAN THERE SHOULDN'T BE AN ADMISSION BY FORD OF THE DESIGN DEFECT, AND A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER. *AK