NHTSA Complaint #10275771 — 2002 FORD F-150

MY 2002 FORD F150 TRUCK, WITH THE 5.4 LITER ENGINE, HAS HAD 2 FAILURES ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS IN THE SPACE OF 8 MONTHS. EACH TIME I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND A SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD, ALONG WITH THE COIL. (PLUG #3 THE FIRST TIME AND #7 THE LAST TIME.) THIS FAILURE CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT EACH TIME, BEING LATE AT NIGHT, SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, WHEREAS IF THE TRAFFIC HAD BEEN HEAVY, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE IMMEDIATE POWER LOSS TO THE ENGINE, AND/OR A FIRE DUE TO IT PROXIMITY TO THE INJECTORS. THE DEFECTS WERE REPAIRED AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED USING A THREADED INSERT INTO THE OLD HEAD AND A NEW COIL. TOTAL COST FOR BOTH REPAIRS WAS APPROXIMATELY $600, AT MY EXPENSE. I HAVE EMAILED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY RESPONDED SAYING THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAMS IT WOULD NOT BE FIXED BY FORD. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND IT HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE ENGINES WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS FORD KNOWS OF THIS DEFECT IN THE HEADS AND REFUSES TO DEAL WITH IT. IF NOT BY RECALL, IT IS OBVIOUSLY A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE DEALT WITH BY FORD AS THE INCIDENTS OCCUR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BECAUSE OF THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. *TR