NHTSA Complaint #10277052 — 2001 FORD F-250 SD

SEPT. 07; MY FORD 01 F250T. CAB 4+4 WITH THE 5.4 L TRITON MOTOR, BLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD ITS FIRST OF 3 SPARK PLUGS, ON JULY 4TH 09 IT BLEW OUT 2 MORE; I HAD JUST GOTTEN ONE FIXED AND PICKED UP MY TRUCK AND DID NOT MAKE IT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. WHEN THE FIRST ONE BLEW I WAS COMING DOWN A STEEP HILL WITH A POP-UP TRAILER IN TOW, I HAD MY FAMILY WITH ME, WIFE AND 2 GIRLS AGE 6 AND 8. WHEN IT BLEW IT SOUNDED LIKE A CANNON UNDER THE HOOD, I ALMOST LOST CONTROL, AFTER A 4 HR. WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK AND A COUPLE DAYS AT THE DEALER, AND 600.00 LATER, I GOT MY TRUCK BACK, NO FURTHER PROBLEMS TIL 7-4-09 WHEN 2 MORE BLEW.. I HAVE WENT ONLINE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL STORIES ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO THIS MOTOR AND TWO OTHER MODELS, AGES BETWEEN '99 AND '04. THE PROBLEM IS THAT FORD ENGINEERS DID NOT PUT ENOUGH THREADS IN THEIR "ALUMINUM HEAD" ONLY 3 THREADS AND THE SPARK PLUG HAS ABOUT 12. THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SPARK PLUG BLOWS OUT IT TAKES THE COIL PACK WHICH IS MOUNTED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE PLUG ANOTHER 100.00 TO THE EQUATION. I TALKED TO FORD BUT THEY DO NOT CARE, THEY WOULD NOT EVEN HELP ME OUT WITH THE LABOR TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHICH ENTAILS DRILLING OUT ALL THE REMAINING CYLINDERS AND INSERTING HELI-COILS, AT THE TUNE OF 1350.00 AT THE DEALER. THIS IS A VERY PREVALENT PROBLEM, AND I CAN NOT BELIEVE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RE-CALL.... *TR