NHTSA Complaint #10295520 — 2003 COACHMEN SANTARA

WE PURCHASED AN 03 COACHMEN SANTARA RV WITH THE FORD F450 TRITON V10 ENGINE IT HAD 28500 MIL. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT IN OCT. 08. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY WORK DONE TO IT AND THE ENGINE RAN FINE,WE HAVE TAKEN A FEW TRIPS IN IT AND IT HAS RAN FINE. WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO HOLBROOK FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IT RAN FINE WE DECIDED TO DRIVE BACK ON FRIDAY AM ON OUR WAY BACK THE ENGINE RAN FINE WE GOT ABOUT 20MILES OUTSIDE OF PAYSON AND WITHOUT WARNING A LOUD BAG CRASH!! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!! AND WE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER I VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. WE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME MONDAY AND ADVISED THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE HEAD,I NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING THEY TELL ME THE ENGINE HEAD IS FAULTY OK, THEN MY WARRANTY COMPANY STATES THEY WON'T COVER A SPARK PLUG ISSUE WHAT!!,WELL IT JUST GETS BETTER, I GO ONLINE TO FIND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING AND FORD NOR THE WARRANTY COMPANY'S WILL DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE A BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND THEY WON'T COVER A THING. STATING IT'S A SPARK PLUG PROBLEM AND FORD STATES THE SAME EVEN AFTER THE MECHANIC'S ARGUE THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT A SPARK PLUG PROBLEM IT IS A FORD DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE ALUMINUM HEADS. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE GOING UP OR DOWN HILL, MY FAMILY AND I MAY NOT BE HERE AND THESE ISSUES HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS FIRES. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE LOSS OF LIFE HAPPENS. I JUST WANT A FAIR DEAL, IF THIS WAS SOMETHING I COULD'VE AVOIDED OR WAS DO TO SOMETHING I DID I COULD UNDERSTAND,HOWEVER I/WE HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG AND WE ARE ALL HAVING TO PAY FOR IT. FORD CANNOT CONTINUE TO SAY THAT THERE IS A SPARK PLUG ISSUE IN THE THOUSAND OF ENGINES THAT THIS SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO. IT'S STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE! I HOPE SOMEONE CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS MAJOR PROBLEM AND HELP US ALL. *TR