NHTSA Complaint #10197973 — 1997 FORD F-150

PURCHASED A 1997 FORD F-150 IN EARLY SPRING OF 2006. VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN OR CLOSE TO 100,000 MILES. DROVE THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 1,000 AND 2,000 MILES OVER THE NEXT YEAR. IN LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL OF THIS YEAR THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE, A 4.2 L 6 CYLINDER MOTOR SELF DESTRUCTS. ON THE MORNING IN QUESTION, I WENT OUT AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE MOTOR TURNED OVER VERY SLUGGISHLY AS IF THE BATTERY WAS LOW. WHEN THE MOTOR STARTED, IT MADE A TERRIBLE RACKET AND BLEW A CHUNK OF THE ENGINE BLOCK OUT APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF MY THUMB. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET ONLY TO FIND THAT 1997 4.2 L FORD MOTORS HAVE A DEFECTIVE GASKET WHICH ALLOWS WATER TO FLOW INTO THE CYLINDERS. THE GASKET HAD FAILED AND ALLOWED WATER TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDER(S) OVERNIGHT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HYDROLOCK AND "BLOW UP". FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS, AND EVEN SENT OUT NUMEROUS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE EVEN FOUND EVIDENCE THAT THEY MAY SENT OUT A FEW RECALL NOTICES, BUT NOT TO EVERY OWNER. HUNDREDS OF '97 F-150 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND THEY, LIKE ME, CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THE APPROXIMATELY $5,000 TO REPAIR THEIR MISTAKE. I CURRENTLY OWE ABOUT $5,000 ON THIS VEHICLE, WHICH AT THIS TIME IS ONLY AN EXPENSIVE LAWN ORNAMENT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT FIRE OR INJURIES WHEN THIS OCCURRED, BUT THEY COULD HAVE. I'M CERTAIN THAT FORD NEVER REPLACED THE GASKET ON THIS VEHICLE, AS THE ONLY RECALL "STICKER" IS ONE FOR THE ENGINE COMPUTER. AS FOR BEING TOO OLD TO BE RECALLED, SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A WIRING PROBLEM ON IT. CERTAINLY FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL, OR AT LEAST PAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. THE INCIDENT DATE IS ONLY APPROXIMATE, AS I CANNOT RECALL THE EXACT DAY THAT IT HAPPENED. *TR