NHTSA Complaint #10331999 — 2003 FORD EXPEDITION

I OWN A 2003 5.4L FORD EXPEDITION ED BAUER WITH 63,000 MILES. MY 2003 FORD EXPEDITION VERY RECENTLY BLEW THE #3 SPARK PLUG IN MAY 2010. I PURCHASED THE EXPEDITION IN 2006 WITH ONLY 14,000 MILES. THE SPARK PLUGS ON THE VEHICLE ARE THE ORIGINAL SPARK PLUGS FROM THE FACTORY AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE EXPEDITION STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND. ON MAY WAY HOME FROM WORK, AS I TUNED INTO THE FREEWAY ENTRANCE, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A RATTLING SOUNG. I CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AND THEN EXIT THE FREEWAY. THERE WAS ALSO A SMELL OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SINCE I WAS NOT FAR FROM THE FORD SERVICE CENTER (GALPIN FORD IN NORTH HILLS, CA.), I CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR. A DAY LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INDICATING THAT THE #3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD. THE TECHNICIAN MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINENE NEEDED A NEW HEAD SINCE THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. TOTAL PARTS AND LABOR...$3834.00. AFTER READING COMMENTS FROM THIS WEBSITE, THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO BE OVERLOOKED BY FORD. *TR