NHTSA Complaint #10411471 — 1999 FORD F-150

I PURCHASED MY 1999 FORD F-150 4X 4 WITH A TRITON 5.4 V-8 ENGINE USED. THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 140,000 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I ONLY DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK IN LAS VEGAS, NV (APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ROUND TRIP) AT SPEEDS BELOW 50 MPH. THE ENGINE BLEW THE BACK PLUG AT 163,000. BECAUSE IT WAS THE BACK PLUG THE LABOR TO REPAIR WAS HIGH (PULL THE ENGINE). THE DIFFERENCE IN PUTTING HELICOILS (ALL EIGHT PLUGS) IN AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE SO I ORDER A LONG BLOCK FULL ENGINE FROM FORD WITH STIPULATIONS IT CORRECTED THE DESIGN FLAW. THE ENGINE COST ALMOST $7000 WHEN ALL WAS DONE AND COMPLETE. FORD WARRANTY THE ENGINE 3 YEARS AND 75,000 MILES. I FIGURED THIS CORRECTED THE ISSUES WITH THE SPARK PLUGS BLOWING OUT. WELL AT THE 4 YEAR POINT AND APPROXIMATE 25,000 MILES THE NEW ENGINE BLEW A PLUG. FORD AND THE DEALER (WHOM WE PURCHASED THE ENGINE FROM) SAY IT IS OUR PROBLEM. THE DEALER (PARTS MANAGER) ACTUALLY SAID SINCE I WAS NOT A FREQUENT CUSTOMER AND HAD PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED THEY DID NOT SEE A WAY TO HELP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND BELIEVE IT IS DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEAD. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING STEEL INSERTS PUT IN ALL OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLES SO I MIGHT GET USE OUT OF A HEFTY INVESTMENT IN A MOTOR WITH A KNOWN ISSUE WHICH FORD WILL NOT BACK. I OWN A FORD CROWN VICTORY, A MERCURY MARQUIS LS, AND THE F-150 TRUCK . . . THESE ARE THE LAST VEHICLES I WILL OWN FROM FORD. *TR