NHTSA Complaint #10376789 — 2004 FORD F-150

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY CHILDREN WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE MY F150 STARTED TO POWER DOWN, VIBRATE AND SHAKE. DURING THIS TIME, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK HOME ALBEIT RUNNING VERY ROUGHLY. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I BRING MY TRUCK, THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT MORNING. ON DEC 11 I WAS ABLE TO GET MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP FINALLY HAVING THE SOLID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON THAT MORNING. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP SAYING I HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM, I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID AFTER PULLING THE 1ST SPARK PLUG IT SHATTERED UPON REMOVAL. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE PARTS OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD, BUT DID NOTICE THE BOTTOM OF THE SPARK PLUG WAS BENT BACKWARDS. THEY USED AN ENGINE SCOPE TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE DAMAGE TO THE PISTON HEAD ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN, HE COULDN'T GIVE ME AN ANSWER, SAYING IN ALL HIS YEARS, HE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I PROCEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO SEE IF HE SAW THE SAME THING. HE CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AS THE FORD DEALERSHIP AGAIN NEVER HAVING SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAPPENED TO MY TRUCK. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP A NEW ENGINE WOULD COST AROUND 7500 FOR MY TRUCK. IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED THE TRUCK, I HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON ONE TIME. AFTER CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL, IT STATED IT COULD BE NUMEROUS THINGS INCLUDING A LOOSE GAS CAP OR POSSIBLE WATER IN THE GAS LINE. IF THE LIGHT GOES OUT AFTER A COUPLE OF CYCLES OF GAS, WHICH IT DID, NO NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE FORD MECHANIC AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BOTH SAID I SHOULD'VE HEARD SOMETHING. I NEVER HEARD ANY SOUNDS IN THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD'VE PROMPTED CONCERNS FOR A COMPLETE ENGINE OVERHAUL. NO WARNING LIGHTS EVER INDICATED A SEVERE ENGINE PROBLEM AND THUS PUTTING MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AT GREAT RISK. *TR