NHTSA Complaint #10324454 — 1997 FORD EXPEDITION

I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, MY 15 YEAR DAUGHTER AND I WAS DRIVING ON 10 FREEWAY GOING EASTBOUND TOWARDS SAN BERADINO, WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING A THEN I HEARD A LOUD POP UNDER MY HOOD AS MY TRUCK STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND MAKE LOUD POPPING SOUNDS. I WAS TERRIFIED CAUSE THIS HAPPEN AS I WAS GOING BETWEEN 65 AND 70 MILES PER HOUR ON FREE WAY. ONCE I COASTED SAFELY TO SIDE OF FREEWAY AND EXAMINED UNDER MY HOOD I SEE MY SPARK PLUG WIRE LAYING TO THE SIDE AND SPARK PLUG LAYING ON AXLE I WAS IN DISBELIEF UNTIL I TRIED TO PICK UP SPARK PLUG AND IT WAS TOO HOT, TO HOLD IN MY HAND YES THIS WAS MY SPARK PLUG! IT HAD BEEN SPIT OUT OF THE ENGINE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ONCE THIS HAPPENS YOUR TRUCK LOSE POWER AND SLOWS DOWN TREMENDOUSLY, I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO SHOP. I KNEW I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME EXPLAINING THIS TO MECHANIC, BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN AND MECHANIC WAS NOT GOING TO BELIEVE ME, BUT HE STATED THAT IT WAS COMMON IN FORD TRUCKS, THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HIM AND WHEN HE CONTACTED DEALER THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THEY'RE SPARK PLUGS. MY QUESTION IS DOES SOME HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE YOU GUYS DO SOMETHING IT COST ME $400 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS AND IT COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAYBE I SHOULD GET RID OF IT AS HE SOLD HIS NAVIGATOR AFTER HIS INCIDENT. WOULD NOT FEEL RIGHT PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE THRU THIS. AS I RESEARCH THIS ISSUE I SEE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE AND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ENOUGH TIMES TO ENOUGH PEOPLE FOR FORD TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *TR