NHTSA Complaint #10418831 — 2004 FORD F-150

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED FROM MY BROTHER IN LAW WHEN IT WAS 2 OR 3 YEARS OLD. ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE TIMELY. THE 5.4 TRITON ENGINE STARTED RUNNING VERY ROUGH. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO MY MECHANICS SHOP. IT WAS LATE SO HE GAVE ME A RIDE HOME. ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY HE CALLED TO SAY THAT HE RAN A SCOPE AND FOUND THAT THE PISTON WAS GONE AND IT WOULD NOT BE COST EFFECTIVE TO REPAIR. HE LOOKED AT BUYING A USED ENGINE FROM REPUTABLE DEALERS WHO SPECIALIZE IN USED ENGINES ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY WON'T BUY THAT PARTICULAR ENGINE BECAUSE THEIR DEFECTIVE AND THEY'VE YET TO SEE A GOOD ONE. I'VE BEEN WAITING IN THE HOPES OF BUYING A USED WRECK WITH LOW MILEAGE. A REBUILT ENGINE RUNS $5,905.00 INSTALLED WITH A 3 YEAR 100K WARRANTY. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH JASPER THE WOMAN IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME THAT THIS ENGINE WAS REBUILT WITH THE UPGRADES TO THE WEAK TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM THAT FORD HAD DESIGNED INTO THE ENGINE. I CALLED FORD AND OF COURSE THIS WAS THE FIRST THEY HAD EVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT YEAR TRUCK AND ENGINE ARE "DROPPING LIKE FLIES". HE HAD ONE IN IS LOT ALREADY AND SAW AN ADD IN THE LOCAL PAPER OF AN 04 F-150 FOR SALE WITH BLOWN MOTOR. HE THOUGHT IT WAS ME BUT SOMEONE ELSE HAS THE SAME TRUCK AND PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF ANYONE ELSE WITH THIS PROBLEM? IF SO, HOW MANY AND WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FORCE A COMPANY TO REMEDY A PROBLEMS THEY CREATED? MY MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLES IS SECOND TO NONE. THE 97 CHEVY TRUCK I'M CURRENTLY DRIVING WAS PURCHASED NEW BUY ME IN MAY OF 97. I JUST TURNED 358K MILES YESTERDAY AND IT'S THE SAME ENGINE WITH NO MAJOR REPAIRS. I'VE NEVER GOTTEN LESS THAN 250K OUT OF A VEHICLE BECAUSE OF MY MAINTENANCE.