NHTSA Complaint #10289810 — 2001 FORD EXPEDITION

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY 4 CHILDREN INSIDE WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, MY FORD EXPEDITION ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY WRONG. WE PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, LIFTED THE HOOD AND YOU COULD SMELL THE GAS AND FEEL AIR BLOWING OUTSIDE OF WEAR THE SPARK PLUG USED TO BE. WE TOWED IT TO A MECHANIC, WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT TAKING THE COIL PACK WITH IT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE HAD A SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT BUT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 4 OTHER SPARK PLUGS AND COIL PACKS BECAUSE THEY KEEP WORKING THEIR WAY OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. WE HAVE THREE MORE PLUGS AND COILS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED. I AM SCARED THAT AT ANY TIME WE COULD BLOW ANOTHER SPARK PLUG AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ISN'T ANY THING I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THE MECHANIC SAID IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE OTHER PLUGS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE FUTURE BUT CURRENTLY THE ARE WORKING. THE SPARK PLUG THAT BLEW OUT IS ALONG THE ROAD SOMEWHERE BUT I STILL HAVE THE SPARK PLUGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED. THE SPARK PLUGS ARE HAVING TO BE REPLACED EVERY MONTH OR SO, ONE AT A TIME. MY ENGINE STILL HAS THREE MORE SPARK PLUGS THAT COULD BLOW OUT. LUCKILY,WHEN THIS HAPPENED THERE WASN'T A FIRE. YOU CAN SMELL THE GAS FUMES WHEN THIS HAPPENS. WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED OUR VEHICLE BY A MECHANIC, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE EVER HAD A RECURRING PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC STATED THIS IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM AND IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, AND FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR