NHTSA Complaint #10229984 — 2001 FORD F SERIES

WE OWN A MOTOR HOME, BUILT ON A FORD INCOMPLETE VEHICLE CHASSIS, POWERED BY A FORD V-10 TRITON ENGINE. THE FIRST ENGINE BEGAN TO SPIT OUT SPARK PLUGS AFTER REACHING 75,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS OCCURRED ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2006, ABOUT FORTY MILES EAST OF KINGMAN, ARIZONA. AFTER SPENDING MONEY TO GET THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AT A GOODYEAR DEALERSHIP IN KINGMAN, ARIZONA, WE HAD TO ORDER A SPECIAL REPAIR KIT FROM BARIL ENGINE REBUILDING COMPANY IN GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, PAYING FOR THE SHIPPING BOTH WAYS. A MECHANIC RESLEEVED THE CYLINDER. AS I HAD TO MAKE A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT, WE HAD TO DRIVE FOR CLOSE TO 1,000 MILES WITH WRETCHED FUMES AND HORRID NOISE. THE SECOND SPARK PLUG WAS SPIT OUT ON FRIDAY, FEBURARY 10, 2007. AS I HAD ANOTHER SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS HOW I MAKE MY LIVING, WE HAD TO DRIVE TO PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, AND THENCE LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, BEFORE ANOTHER REPAIR KIT WAS RENTED TO BE USED BY YET ANOTHER MECHANIC. THE THIRD SPARK PLUG WAS SPIT OUT TWO WEEKS LATER, ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2007, AS WE WERE DRIVING FROM PENSACOLA TO LAFAYETTE. WE RENTED THE TOOL KIT FROM BARIL ENGINE REBUILDING COMPANY ONCE AGAIN. THIS ORIGINAL FORD V-10 TRITON ENGINE DIED ON THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007, ON INTERSTATE 80/94 JUST EAST OF MILE MARKER 160. TWO CYLINDERS HAD LOST COMPRESSION ENTIRELY. NO ONE AT TERRY FORD LINCOLN MERCURY IN PEOTONE, ILLINOIS, COULD EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAD HAPPENED. WE HAD TO RAISE $9,000 TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE AND ITS INSTALLATION. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE HAS ALSO BEEN MAINTAINED WELL. DESPITE THIS FACT, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE SPIT OUT ITS FIRST SPARK PLUG, JUST 19,000 MILES AND THIRTEEN MONTHS, EIGHT DAYS AFTER ITS INSTALLATION, AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED THIS AFTERNOON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2008, AT EXIT 22 OF THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY IN SELKIRK, NEW YORK. *TR