NHTSA Complaint #10258711 — 1997 FORD F-150

MY F-150 WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND HAD A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THEY REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS, PLUG WIRES, AND IGNITION COIL FOR A COST OF OVER $500. THEY STATED THAT THE #5 PLUG HAD BEEN FOULED WITH ANTIFREEZE. IT RAN FINE FOR ABOUT A MONTH, THEN UPON STARTING MY TRUCK, A LOUD BANGING OR RATTLING NOISE COULD BE HEARD AND THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. UPON DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THAT A FAULTY GASKET DESIGN CAUSED WATER TO LEAK INTO ONE OF THE CYLINDERS INSPECTION OF THE CYLINDERS SHOWED COOLANT TO BE POOLED IN THE FRONT, PASSENGER-SIDE CYLINDER. CERTIFIED MECHANICS ATTRIBUTE COOLANT IN THE CYLINDER TO BE DUE TO A PREMATURE GASKET FAILURE. IF NOT CORRECTED, THE PROBLEM LEADS TO MAJOR ENGINE DESTRUCTION. DOCUMENTED EFFECTS OF THE COOLANT LEAK ARE WORN OUT BEARINGS AND SURFACES, AND BROKEN OR BENT CONNECTING RODS, NECESSITATING AN ENGINE REBUILD. FORD SENT A TSB TO SOME OWNERS OF THESE ENGINES TO REPLACE THE FAULTY GASKET BUT NOT TO OTHER OWNERS. THE KNOWLEDGE OF A FAULTY GASKET DESIGN WAS WITHHELD FROM SOME 1997 4.2L F150 OWNERS. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION, AND LIKE MANY PEOPLE, HAVE SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. AVERAGE REPAIR COSTS ARE AROUND $4500 DOLLARS. FORD DID NOT NOTIFY OWNERS OF KNOWN DEFECTS AND FORD TECHNICIANS WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE, DID NOT NOTIFY ME. *TR