NHTSA Complaint #10343564 — 2003 FORD EXPEDITION

2003 EXPEDITION SPARK PLUG BLOW-OUT. YESTERDAY EVENING DRIVING HOME WITH MY WIFE AND 10 YEAR OLD SON, WE HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE A COMPRESSION SOUND. PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE UNDERSIDE OF MY VEHICLE AND SAW NO FLUIDS OR EXHAUST DEFECTS. PROCEEDED TO POP THE HOOD AND REALIZED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. IT WAS 113 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND WASN'T GOING TO STICK MY HAND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND GET BURNED. LUCKILY I WAS NOT FAR FROM MY HOUSE, SO I LIMPED VERY CAUTIOUSLY TO MY HOME. I PROCEEDED TO POP THE HOOD AGAIN FOR A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION AND WITH A FLASHLIGHT I COULD SEE SPARKS FIRING ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. LOOKED CLOSER AND THERE WAS A HOLE NEXT TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LONG RUBBER TUBE. GRABBED MY TOOLS AND REMOVED THE ENGINE SHROUD TO GET A BETTER LOOK AND THAT'S WHEN I FIGURED IT OUT. THERE WAS NO SPARK PLUG IN THE HOLE, I THOUGHT MAYBE FORD HAS SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T USE SPARK PLUGS JUST COILS OF SOME SORT. THE COIL HOUSINGS PLASTIC NUB WAS BROKEN OFF. O.K. THAT WOULD BE AN EASY FIX, CLOSE TO 8PM GETTING DARK, SO I JUMP INTO MY WIFE CARE AND DRIVE THE PARTS STORE UP THE STREET. ASK THE MANAGER THAT WAS THERE FOR THE PART AND HE ASKED IF THE SPARK PLUG WAS STILL IN THE HOLE FULLY ATTACHED. I STATED THAT I DIDN'T SEE A SPARK PLUG ONLY A EMPTY HOLE, HE REPLIED THAT I HAVE A BIGGER ISSUE AND THAT I JUST EXPERIENCED A SPARK PLUG BLOW-OUT. APPARENTLY THE MODEL OF VEHICLE THAT I HAVE HAS HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH SPARK PLUG BLOW-OUTS AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL. AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AT MY OWN COST. WHY HASN'T THIS PROBLEM BEEN ADDRESSED NATIONALLY? I SEARCHED IT ONLINE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUES WITH OTHERS. DO I NEED TO BE DEAD FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF SUCH COMPONENTS. 2003 FORD EXPEDITION WITH 60K MILES, 40K MILES AWAY FROM RECOMMENDED TUNE-UP PER FORD. *TR