NHTSA Complaint #10255577 — 2003 FORD EXPEDITION

PURCHASED A USED 2003 FORD EXPEDITION WITH A TRITON 5.4 V8. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 80,000 MILES WHEN I PURCHASED IT AND AT ABOUT 84,000 MILES A SPARKPLUG EJECTED OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE REPAIR WAS AROUND $650 FOR A "NOT FOR SURE" FIX. APPARENTLY THE THREADS THAT HOLD THE SPARKPLUGS IN HAD STRIPPED, CAUSING THE BLOWOUT OF THE SPARKPLUG. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC AT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THE PERMANENT FIX WOULD REQUIRE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HEADS AT AROUND $4000. I OPTED FOR THE CHEAP FIX BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FINANCING FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I DID A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WHO HAD PURCHASED FOR SUV'S AND TRUCKS WITH SAME MODEL ENGINES WERE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM IN OVERWHELMING NUMBERS, MANY WITH MULTIPLE BLOWOUTS AT VARIOUS INCIDENCES. I WAS HOPING MY PROBLEM WAS CONFINED TO ONLY ONE CYLINDER BUT AT AROUND 90,000, 5 1/2 MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER SPARKPLUG BLEW OUT. NOW THE REPAIR WAS EVEN MORE DUE TO A NEW PART THAT IS TO PROVIDE A MORE PERMANENT FIX. THIS TIME THE REPAIR WAS $830. KNOWING THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THESE MODEL ENGINE I ASKED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER'S SERVICE MAN "IF FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, WHY DON'T THEY FIX IT"? HIS REPLY WAS THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT A DANGER SO NO RECALL HAS EVER BEEN CALLED. THE GUY WENT AS FAR AS TELLING ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY IMPROPER THREADING INTO THE HEAD. THE THREADS WERE MACHINED TO SHALLOW AND EVENTUALLY THEY BECOME LOOSE AND FINALLY BLOWOUT WHEN THE THREAD COMPLETELY FAIL. I THINK IF YOU INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER YOU WILL SEE THAT IN MORE THAN ONE INSTANCE THE EJECTING SPARKPLUG HAS SEVERED GAS LINES AND CAUSED FIRES. NOT EXACTLY WHAT I CONSIDER TO "NOT BE A DANGER". FORD ADMITS NON FAULT ON THEIR PART EVEN KNOW THEY KNOW THEY HAVE SOLD A FAULTY PRODUCT IN MASS NUMBERS TO AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES. *TR