NHTSA Complaint #10778674 — 2003 FORD F-250

THE TRUCK HAD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE VALVE TAP GOING ON WHEN IT WAS STARTED. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF THIS SINCE TRUCK IS A 2003 BUT THIS WAS A CHANGE FROM EARLIER TRIP. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE TRUCK SINCE NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND POWER SEEMED FINE. GOING 35-40 MPH ABOUT 1 MILE FROM HOME I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN GOING OFF AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO RUN BADLY AND I LIMPED IT HOME WITH WINDOWS DOWN BECAUSE OF GAS SMELL. THE NEXT DAY I OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I FOUND CYLINDER #2 HAD BLOWN APART THE COIL PACK AND HAD ALSO EJECTED THE SPARK PLUG FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. FOLLOWING THAT I TOOK REMOVED ALL OTHER COILS AND PLUGS TO FIND THAT 5 OF THE 8 WERE LOOSE AND WORKING THEIR WAY OUT OF THE THREADS. I BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTED AN ENGINE FIRE WAS THE FACT THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD SHORTED ITSELF OUT. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ON MANY YEARS AND MODELS AND IS DUE TO FAULTY CYLINDER HEADS THAT WERE MADE OF ALUMINUM THAT WAS TO SOFT. THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND I CHECKED THEM AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED, I TIGHTENED TO CORRECT SPECS WITH A TORQUE WRENCH.