NHTSA Complaint #11387290 — 2008 FORD E-250

THANKFULLY I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY BETWEEN CURVES ON A STRETCH OF ROADWAY WITH A 30MPH SPEED LIMIT (ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION) WHEN I 'BLEW A SPARK PLUG'. THE COIL WAS ALSO DAMAGED I WAS TOLD. I WAS ALSO TOLD THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, AND I HAVE 7 OTHER SPARK PLUGS AND COILS IN THE ENGINE, SO EXPECT IT. ALLEGEDLY 3 WERE REPLACED JUST BEFORE WE BOUGHT THIS USED IN 2016. I TRIED TO GET RECEIPTS FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE RECORDS, BUT THE SHOP REFUSED AND THE PRIVATE OWNER HAD MOVED AND THROWN HER PAPERWORK AWAY. THIS WAS IN MASSACHUSETTS. I HAD NO WARNING, THAT I KNOW OF. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND A REPEATED BANG, BANG, BANG! I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. (THANKFULLY IT WASN'T A 3 OR MORE LANE HIGHWAY WITH MY MOTHER IN HER WHEELCHAIR!) THE BANGING ONLY STOPPED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OFF. I WAS UNABLE TO LOOK AT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH THE VAN ON BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF MORE DAMAGE! IT WAS PUT ON A FLATBED AND TOWED BY AAA, TO A SHOP A FEW MILES AWAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS SHOP COULDN'T GET IT INSIDE TO WORK ON. A FRIEND OF MINE DID THE REPAIR IN THE PARKING LOT. ***APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THESE FORD E250 ENGINES. THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD NO IDEA! IT COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON A MULTI LANE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS, GOING UP AND DOWN THE MOUNTAINS (I TRAVEL BETWEEN NYS & MASSACHUSETTS), IN SUBZERO TEMPERATURES ESPECIALLY WITH SOMEONE IN A WHEELCHAIR ONBOARD!*** I HAVE NO RECEIPTS. AAA OF CENTRAL NY SHOULD HAVE A RECORD OF THE TOW.