NHTSA Complaint #10345385 — 2001 FORD F-150

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGHLY AND ACCOMPANIED BY POPPING SOUNDS. WITHIN 10 SECONDS, THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS NOTICED. I PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER, AND CAME TO A STOP. AS I CAME TO A STOP, FLAMES ERUPTED FROM THE HOOD AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. A FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, BUT NOT BEFORE THE FIRE HAD BURNED THROUGH THE FIREWALL INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE #8 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE CYLINDER (THE INITIAL POP SOUND) WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT RUPTURED THE RUBBER FUEL LINE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE IT AND AFT OF THE STAINLESS FUEL INJECTOR BAR. WITH FUEL SPRAYING FROM THE HOSE, IT WAS THEN IGNITED BY THE COIL WHICH WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE AND EMITTING SPARKS. IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD DESIGN IN THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH EJECTING SPARK PLUGS DUE TO A LACK OF ADEQUATE THREADS IN THE SPARK PLUG HOLES. I BELIEVE THIS DEFECT CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THIS FIRE AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR