NHTSA Complaint #10292929 — 2002 FORD F-250 SD

5:30 MONDAY MORNING I STARTED MY 2002 FORD F250 SUPERDUTY PICKUP, AS SOON AS MY TRUCK STARTED THERE WAS A HUGE EXPLOSION AND A BIG FIRE BALL FLASH FROM UNDER MY HOOD FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AND THE ODOR OF PLASTIC BURNING AND GAS FUMES. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE TRUCK OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD, AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION I WAS AMAZED TO SEE THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD OF MY ENGINE. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE FIRE WAS MINIMAL BUT I WAS COMPLETELY AMAZED THAT A PLUG BLEW OUT OF MY ENGINE. ABOUT SEVEN OR SO DAYS AGO MY ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A TAPPING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD, I KNEW THAT IT COULD BE A LIFTER BECAUSE OF THE OVER HEAD CAM BUT NOW I GUESS I KNOW WHAT THAT NOISE WAS, JUST THE GASES PUSHING THROUGH THE THREADS OF THE PLUG. NO ONE WAS HURT AND MY TRUCK DIDN'T BURN TO THE GROUND, BUT I DID HAVE TO BORROW MY WIFE'S TRUCK ALL WEEK AND WORK OUT RIDES WHILE MINE WAS IN THE SHOP. I AM A CARPENTER AND NEED MY TRUCK EVERY DAY SO WHEN THIS HAPPENED I KNEW I HAD TO FIND INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND THAT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE I KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENED TO, SO I LOOKED INTO IT MORE AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE COMPUTER WITH THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE AS ME SOME WITH MORE DAMAGE AND SOME SAY IT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE SAME ENGINE. THERE ARE MANY REPAIR KIT OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM IN THE FORD ENGINES, IT SEAMS QUITE OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT FORD MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, I KNOW I'M NOT I TAKE CARE OF MY TRUCK AND HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED IT AT HIGH LEVEL. FORD SAYS THAT THE PLUGS ARE BLOWING OUT BECAUSE OF IMPROPER TORQUING WELL I GUESS THEY MUST HAVE DONE THAT WRONG IN THE PLANT WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BUILT BECAUSE THEY WERE NEVER CHANGED OR TOUCHED BY ANYONE ELSE. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM I CANT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM INSTEAD FORD JUST MAKES MONEY OFF CONSUMERS ON IT BY SELLING THEM NEW HEADS FOR THE ENGINES AND THE LABOR $1500. *TR