NHTSA Complaint #10272983 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER - 4.6 V8 HAS THE POPULAR BLOWN SPARK PLUG ISSUE WHICH HAS CAUSED ME A LOT OF PROBLEMS ON PRETTY MUCH THE WORST WEEKEND OF MY LIFE THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN. THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY POPULAR COMPLAINT ABOUT FORDS W/ THIS ENGINE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. IT IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW W/ THE ALUMINUM AND METAL HEATING ISSUES CAUSING THE SPARK PLUGS TO BREAK OFF OR JUST SHOOT OUT OF THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE UNDER MY HOOD FOR A SHORT TIME AS WELL. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY FORD. IN MY CASE, I DID HEAR THE INFAMOUS "CLICKING" NOISE THAT HAPPENS JUST BEFORE THE PLUG BLOWS AND THEN RIGHT AFTER, IT BLEW, SOUNDING LIKE SOMEBODY WAS STARTING A HARLEY UNDER MY TRUCK. I WAS UNDER MY HOOD LOOKING AND HEARING FOR THE NOISE THAT I THOUGHT WAS A BELT ISSUE WHEN THIS BLEW. THIS THING SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BLOW MY HEAD OFF WHILE I WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND LUCKILY I WAS NOT HURT, OR FORD WOULD HAVE A LAW SUIT ON THEIR HANDS. WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE BROKEN PLUG AND GET A NEW ONE TO THREAD MAYBE ONE THREAD DEEP TO GET ME HOME SAFELY. THERE IS ONLY ONE THREAD GRABBING AND I WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE TO HAVE THE $1500 - $2000 JOB DONE OR TRADE THIS PILE IN BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER PLUGS, WHICH I HEAR IS INEVITABLE, DUE TO FORD NEVER ADDRESSING OR REMEDYING THIS ISSUE. THIS BEING MY SECOND EXPLORER W/ SEVERE ISSUES THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF, THIS WILL BE MY LAST. THANKS. *TR