NHTSA Complaint #10723349 — 2004 FORD F-150

ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE LAKE, MY VEHICLE STARTING IDLING ROUGH. PULLED OVER TO CHECK THINGS OUT, COULDN'T FIND ANY NOTICABLE ISSUES. RETARTED VEHICLE AND ENGINE STARTED SMOKING. I RAISED THE HOOD AND SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT FROM THE COIL ATOP THE NUMBER 2 SPARK PLUG, DRIVERS SIDE, LOOKING FROM FRONT TO REAR OF ENGINE. HAD THEVEHICLE TOWED TO BILL COLLINS FORD OF LOUISVILLE,KY.THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED CHANGING. UPON REMOVAL, 4 OF THE EIGHT SPARK PLUGS BROKE OFF IN THE ENGINE HEAD. THIS COST ME $857.00 TO CHANGE 8 SPARK PLUGS THAT NORMALLY I COULD DO MYSELF. THE BREAKING OF SPARK PLUGS IN THIS TYPE ENGINE, 5.4L TRITON, IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE, THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNEW ABOUT. YET THEY HAVE YET TO DO A RECALL. INSTEAD, THEY DEVELOPED A TOOL TO TAKE THESE BROKEN SPRK PLUGS OUT, YET THE CONSUMER STILL HAS TO PAY SOMETIMES UPWARDS OF $2,000.00 FOR THE REPAIR. FORD USED A SUBSTANDARD PART IN THEIR VEHICLES AND REFUSE TO HONOR THE CUSTOMER. THEY NO LONEGR USE THAT TYPE ENGINE, BUT ANYONE WITH A 5.4L TRITON ENGINE FROM FORD WILL HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO CHANGE EIGHT SPARK PLUGS WHEN THE TIME COMES. I COULD NOT PUT MY VEHCILE INTO GEAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THAT SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY CONCERN TO ME!