NHTSA Complaint #11121324 — 2000 FORD F-150

TAKATA RECALL, ON MY 2000 FORD F-150 IT HAD VERY FEW ISSUES TILL THIS OCCURED. AT JUST OVER 130,000 MILES THE ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING ON THE INTERSTATE AND PROGRESSIVELY GREW WORSE AS I WAS LOOKING FOR A EXIT, IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND I GOT IT TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE IT DIED. LATER THAT DAY I HAD A TOW TRUCK PULL IT UP TO A TRUSTED SHOP ABOUT 60 MILES AWAY. THE MECHANIC THERE SAID THAT IT DROPED A ROD AND THE CRANKSHAFT WAS SHOT. AFTER TALKING TO HIM, HE SAID THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE. I TOOK IT TO GET A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER SHOP A FEW MILES AWAY AND HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION. BOTH MECHANICS AND A FEW FOURMS ON THE INTERNET SAID THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 1998-2003 AND 2004 HERITAGE, THAT HAVE THE FORD 5.4 TRITON 2V ENGINE. AT THE MECHANIC THE THE TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED AS NONREPAREABLE ENGINE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE SWAPED OUT FOR A DIFFRENT ONE. THE COST OF THIS WAS FOR A REBUILT ENGINE BY JASPER'S BECASUE A DONOR TRUCK ENGINE WOULD BE PRONE TO THE SAME FAILURE. THE COST TO REPLACE WOULD TOTAL OUT TO BE AROUND $6500 BETWEEN PARTS AND LABOR INCLUDING THE NEW ENGINE. BE WARY OF THE FORD 5.4 2V ENGINES, THERE ARE A FEW UNICORNS OUT THERE THAT WILL NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT MOST, EVEN IF THEY HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE LIKE MINE WILL BE PRONE TO THIS FATE.