NHTSA Complaint #10817488 — 2004 FORD F-150

DRIVING 70MPH, HIGHWAY 41N-WISCONSIN, JUST NORTH OF OSHKOSH, LEGAL SPEED LIMIT, 35 DEGREE WEATHER, NEARING END OF A 90 MILE TRIP WITH WIFE AND GRANDDAUGHTER, EARLY EVENING, WHEN I HEARD A NOISE/THUD, THEN HAD DASH ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS AND ALARMS GO OFF AS WELL AS SEVERE VIBRATING AND NOISES UNDER THE HOOD WITH LOSS OF POWER. MANAGED TO GET MY 4X4 TRUCK OUT OF CENTER LANE AND INTO EMERGENCY LANE WITHOUT BEING HIT. TRIED RESTARTING ENGINE A COUPLE OF TIMES, WHICH IT DID, BUT I SHUT IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY BOTH TIMES BECAUSE OF SEVERE VIBRATION AND NOISE. AFTER ARRANGING FOR EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE AND A POLICE OFFICER TO PROTECT MY BACKSIDE FROM TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM THE REAR, THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP OF 12 YEARS. I HAD PURCHASED MY TRUCK THERE NEW AND DID ALL MY MAINTENANCE THERE, EXCEPT MAYBE A COUPLE OF OIL CHANGES WHEN I HAVE BEEN OUT OF STATE. THERE THE TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED TO HAVE CAM PHASER FAILURE AND NEEDED A 5,000+ ENGINE REPLACEMENT @ 130,000 MILES. UNBELIEVABLE. I'VE HAD THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD, THE REAR SEAL ISSUES, THE VARIOUS ELECTRONIC FAILURES AND YES, THE FORD SPARK PLUG ISSUE WITH BROKEN PLUGS DURING A MAINTENANCE CHANGE. I STILL LOVED MY TRUCK UNTIL IT NEARLY CAUSED MY FAMILY AND I SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, OR POSSIBLY SOME OTHER UNDESERVING SOUL. I'M NOT REPLACING THE ENGINE AND AM TRYING TO EXTRACT WHATEVER REMAINING VALUE EXISTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INDIFFERENT TO THE SITUATION AND HAS DONE LITTLE. SO YES, I'M LIVID ABOUT THE MONEY AND THE LOSS OF IT, BUT AM ALSO LIVID AND CONCERNED AS TO WHO HAS TO BE HURT OR WORSE YET KILLED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. THERE ARE LITERALLY 100S/1000S OF CAM PHASER COMPLAINTS FOR THE TRITON 5..4L THAT I HAVE READ THROUGH AS WELL AS HAVING TALKED TO A FEW MECHANICS SINCE THE INCIDENT. THANK YOU FORD FOR TAKING MY MONEY AND JEOPARDIZING MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. I AM NO LONGER A FORD CUSTOMER! *TR